In today’s episode, we’re unpacking wisdom with Kim Collins, a titan in the financial compliance world. Together, we’ll explore Kim’s transformative journey from a young challenger in a male-dominated industry to a respected business leader and mentor.
Buckle up as she reveals the secrets to crafting a legacy through risk, resilience, and the power of female-led teams.
Expect an inspiring session filled with actionable advice for all the fearless women carving their path in the professional world.
Show Highlights:
- How to blaze a trail in finance for early success [00:03:49]
- The secret to thriving in a male-dominated industry [00:07:52]
- Tips for hiring when you lack people-management skills [00:13:58]
- How to harmonize career ambitions with family life [00:23:02]
- Discover the unique challenges women face in finance [00:25:57]
- Learn how to foster work ethic in young professionals [00:28:40]
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to http://fearless-females.com/.
00:01.70
loriejones7
Oh see. Yeah, it worked so ah, we're here with Kim Collins today she worked with compliance resource partners in um, my beloved field of financial planning and compliance. Um, and I'm so excited to have her with you. She's got a really great story. Um, just about women building business and women inside the financial services industry and um, full disclaimer Kim just barely retired and so she's probably going to give us a ah little bit of what we have to look forward to on the back. End of this whole journey. So. Thank you so much Kim for being with us today.
00:42.72
Kim
You're welcome I'm excited this is this is good to talk to other women about being in business.
00:48.79
loriejones7
Yeah, it's I I'm super excited that um, that we get to take this journey and hopefully we'll be able to um, encourage other women that are on their path that maybe finance isn't the worst hot horrible thing in the world. My.
01:06.27
loriejones7
I kind of find it fun so we'll see um so I'm a reader I love any and all suggestions on reading material. So that's my first question. What's your favorite book. What are you reading right? now.
01:19.33
Kim
I Just started a book literally yesterday. Um, it was on my book list. Do you have a book list like egg keeping my phone on my notes when someone says oh this was a great book I put it down and this book kept coming up. From my friends. You know my age and younger even a 20 something year old um over the weekend said oh this is my favorite book and I'm like oh my gosh I just started reading that it's called educated and it I don't know if you've read that. But um.
01:45.94
loriejones7
How.
01:51.77
Kim
Yeah, So it's about a woman that was in a very sheltered family and I like said I just started that but she steps Out. Um and does her own thing and goes and gets herself educated. Um. And I mean I just got through the point where she didn't even have a birth certificate I mean that's how kind of off the grid. Her family was and didn't want to educate their children and so um, in in their culture women also did not get educated. So.
02:27.70
loriejones7
Um, and then.
02:27.60
Kim
Really excited to read about her journey and the decisions and the trials of a young lady that came from a very sheltered family and culture to go and I think she even goes to London. England to get educated in Cambridge. So anyway, that's what I'm reading. That's what I'm reading right now. So.
02:50.82
loriejones7
Oh The arms. Amazing. Yeah I have it on my um, my this my bedside stand I I have that when on there along with 3 or 4 others. But ah it was it was scheduled actually to read during my last vacation and um. I Had a son get married during my last vacation so I didn't get any reading done all right.
03:08.10
Kim
I know I bet not I'll let you know how it goes but I'm really excited only because like I said I've had so many people say you've got to read this book and of all ages so that is's their favorite book.
03:21.49
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, that's great. Well I'm in his I'll put a list together of all the recommendations that I have and stick it next to the the blog and the podcast. So I'll I have my to do list my reading list which is really fun. So.
03:34.51
Kim
There you go there, you go.
03:39.44
loriejones7
Well tell us a little bit about your journey tell me where you started. Um how you got where you are today? Um, just talk tell me a little bit about Kim.
03:48.69
Kim
So um I was a business major start out in accounting didn't like it switched over to finance. Um, and.
04:00.56
Kim
Had no idea what I wanted to do but I loved I remember in some of my business classes I had one on the stock market and I loved it. Had a great professor. Um, so I moved to Colorado and was very fortunate to get a job with the NEsd
04:06.90
loriejones7
Is it.
04:17.14
loriejones7
Since.
04:18.98
Kim
Back when it was the n asd now it's it's phnerra as an examiner and I was I think I started with them on my twenty first birthday literally so I was young I was young going through school anyway. So um, but it was a great great training ground I don't know it.
04:27.90
loriejones7
Um, ah Wow Oh my goodness you were a baby.
04:38.62
Kim
If you know anything about Denver in the 80 s but it was the penny stock capital of the you know, new and New Jersey wolf on wall street if people have seen that um we lived that as a regulator so we learned everything from fraud manipulation. Um.
04:46.27
loriejones7
Um, ah yeah.
04:56.36
Kim
But people were self- clearing I Did you know we still had stock certificates Lari I I'm I'm really dating myself now when I I said we had to go into a vault and do a box count. But um, it was a great experience except I didn't want to go work for a penny firm.
04:59.23
loriejones7
Unlike us.
05:13.27
Kim
Um, when I and I wanted out of the and esd so at the ripe age of 26 I started my consulting business working with you know broker dealers back then because that was my background and then um, as.
05:20.58
loriejones7
Um, and.
05:28.38
loriejones7
Ah.
05:30.54
Kim
The industry kind of gravitated towards investment advisors. It was very easy for me to pick up the investment advisor rules knowing all the what are now thinner conduct rules in 33 and the 34 act. Um, and so that's how I got started I borrowed $10000 from my dad. Start business and um I wasn't married I didn't have kids but I did have a mortgage. Um, so I did have so I so about my first house when I was 23 and which is also crazy. Um, but anyway that's how I got started and then it just.
05:49.61
loriejones7
Um.
05:59.95
loriejones7
Um, my ghost.
06:07.91
Kim
Grew and expanded and for I ran it for 35 years yes with $10000 ah
06:10.74
loriejones7
26 years old and you're opening your own business. So did you have a did you have anyone that was like ah you're 26 years old how are you telling me what to do did you run into any of that.
06:26.44
Kim
I didn't um because of course a lot of these people knew I'd been with the and esd for five years and so that led a lot of credibility. Um, but yeah I and I had a reputation obviously with them.
06:30.10
loriejones7
Who.
06:42.39
Kim
When I was working for the Nd and so they knew me they trusted me and so they they really didn't question my being a woman they may have questioned my youth but they were able to look caette. Yeah.
06:55.44
loriejones7
That's what I was wondering if they yeah if they looked at a 26 year old and and so you know I I I have actually a younger ah woman on staff who is working her way up and she is an. She's really good at what she does. But I I said you're going to have to battle that youth for a while now.
07:15.14
Kim
Yes, very much. So so you battle in this industry I battled not only being young, but um, you know also being a woman so but it worked out worked out.
07:25.50
loriejones7
Um, and and when you when you started did did you start in compliance you started at the compliance phase.
07:34.70
Kim
Yes, so compliance with Broker dealers and also um Broker dealers have financial and operation principles and so I went and got all my securities licenses and that also being a financial and operations principle for Broker dealer.
07:45.51
loriejones7
Um.
07:50.97
Kim
Um, also led to you know the compliance and just kind of that the whole package right on the Broker Dealer side investment Advisors don't have the financial requirements that Broker dealers do. But yeah.
08:02.90
loriejones7
Yeah, that makes sense so I am fascinated by the idea of you being one of like 1 woman that we we usually I usually look around and I see 3 or 4 that look like me at least in the room talk to me about that. What has that experience been like.
08:22.42
Kim
Yeah, it was um, you know me and a bunch of men and um I've always gotten along with men better than women and so I think that really helped um I didn't play you know that.
08:24.61
loriejones7
And.
08:31.14
loriejones7
She said.
08:39.64
Kim
Drama games. You know in high school and middle school and I just you know I never understood that and so um I made friends better with men than I did with with women and I think that helped right because I understood them.
08:52.82
loriejones7
Um, is here and know.
08:58.68
Kim
I didn't play the games. You know that they would see maybe women playing in the office. Um, and so that was an a natural traction and I you know I knew my business and I think that really helped as well. So you earn.
09:10.68
loriejones7
1
09:16.45
Kim
You earned credibility with men and and I think the world was changing and men were willing to um accept the fact that women knew what they were talking about.
09:27.54
loriejones7
Did you have a ah mentor or anyone that kind of helped you through those early days or or gave you advice um, be it male or female.
09:39.16
Kim
Um, you know Laurie no I really didn't um, unfortunately my my dad who was a mentor died about Eight or nine months after I started my business he died suddenly of a heart attack. So um and that.
09:51.21
loriejones7
Um, no no.
09:56.78
Kim
That's who I recall right? with what what was going on and so no I I didn't really have a mentor male or female. There was one woman that had her own advertising business and and she helped a little bit but.
09:58.24
loriejones7
Um.
10:10.98
loriejones7
And.
10:14.89
Kim
Not nobody in the financial services industry.
10:16.15
loriejones7
So you're basically a trail blazing for all of us right? I.
10:19.66
Kim
Or crazy. What are the 2 but it worked out. You know it worked out so I was fortunate.
10:28.68
loriejones7
So what is looking back on your journey. What is the best investment you made in yourself is like what what do you look back and say oh I'm so glad I did that it totally led to my success.
10:47.19
Kim
Um, I was my own person right? I didn't um and like I said I don't really get involved with what people would say about me or not say about me or or whatever and I. Um, pretty thick skinned so that really helped a lot to I think the success you know it's kind of like ah you know if you don't want to work with me. Okay, that's fine I'll move on you know I'm not going to take that personally and just move on because you know what men don't.
11:21.33
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
11:21.55
Kim
Men don't take that personally and so we can't get all emotional because you know a client didn't work out or a project didn't work out or they let they let me go for another consultant. Um, so that's. I Think that's what led to a lot of the success.
11:43.76
loriejones7
Is just not having a little bit thicker skin not taking things nearly as personally oh I could learn that skill for sure. Yeah, yeah, they do I do feel I feel it deeply. Um.
11:46.52
Kim
Right? yep. Women struggle with that one? yes. A fur.
12:01.51
loriejones7
Feel it deeply sometimes but um, but I but I see your point like a lot of times you just understand that you don't have the you're you're not they do. It's not you they're rejecting. They just have a different mindset or different personality or different priorities.
12:04.38
Kim
3
12:16.28
Kim
Yeah, yes, or maybe they got a better deal from somebody else I don't know. But.
12:19.53
loriejones7
Yeah. Um, yeah, So um, what is the worst advice someone ever gave you and did you did you take it.
12:31.41
Kim
Yeah I I can't that one is a tough one because I'm not thinking because I was kind of my own person right? And um I don't ever remember taking someone's advice that.
12:41.47
loriejones7
Um, favor.
12:51.35
Kim
I Then regretted nothing was nothing is coming to mind um with with that.
12:54.82
loriejones7
Um, what about if you advice that you didn't take like ah you're too young to open up your own business at 26 years old what are you thinking? but.
13:05.56
Kim
Yeah, yeah, you know my dad never told me that and you know when I wanted to buy my first house at 23 he didn't um, discourage me, you know as well. So um.
13:06.58
loriejones7
I Love it.
13:18.60
loriejones7
I Love it I I That's great. That means that you've had a whole lifetime of supportive. Good advice. That's great.
13:26.49
Kim
Yes, Yeah I really have Um, yeah I don't remember any so I obviously didn't take it if I didn't think you know I mean I'm sure I got bad recommendations. Bad advice bad you know you should do this. And um, but I don't remember ever taking that advice and then being like I'm sure there was something laurie but nothing nothing that sticks out. Yeah.
13:53.90
loriejones7
Nothing Springs to mind. Yeah, yeah, that's that's interesting. That's great I Think that's good for you. That means that um, you didn't waste time taking some going down the bad path right? What about.
14:01.26
Kim
No.
14:09.52
loriejones7
Regrets or lessons learned as you look back on your journey is there something that would have made it easier or that you a lesson that you learned along the way that you wish you had known a little bit earlier or something along this.
14:24.30
Kim
Yeah, so I really didn't have any management people management skills when I started right? It was just me and I could manage myself and then when I started growing and hiring people. Um I probably wasn't the best.
14:28.28
loriejones7
Um, and.
14:42.50
Kim
Of of managers and um and kind of ran my business loose I would say like there weren't a lot of like oh well, you're due for your six month review or your due and and it maybe probably should have had a little more structure. When it came to people management but I absolutely had no background in in people management now. My husband did and that helped um you know, asking questions or what how did you handle this or how did you handle that. But I I wish i. Had a little more experience or um, maybe a mentor on how to handle the management of people in ah in a work environment and I I do wish that I had made some better decisions on on hiring I had ah at the very beginning had a couple bad hires.
15:30.50
loriejones7
Um, this is.
15:40.35
Kim
Um, I just didn't I just didn't know better. You know.
15:40.58
loriejones7
Um, so what did you learn that helped you to hire better from then on.
15:49.77
Kim
Um, we went part time first right until they could gain my trust and I had confidence that they knew what they're doing as a consultant you're the expert right.
15:57.71
loriejones7
Ah.
16:04.56
loriejones7
Hey.
16:07.55
Kim
And there's not a lot of leeway for mistakes and so um, you really have to be able to trust that person and so I learned just okay, you know, let's let's um, let's work part time.
16:09.18
loriejones7
And.
16:19.98
loriejones7
Um, and.
16:26.79
Kim
And just see how that goes and I don't know if you know this all my hires were women. This was a women only business. Um, and what it ended up being that I Really really really loved and this probably answer a question down the line but ah.
16:35.15
loriejones7
Um, wow.
16:46.72
Kim
You know I hired these women who were smart who were married and had small children. Um and they just they wanted to use their brain and so giving them the opportunity to be a mom be a wife.
16:48.13
loriejones7
And.
16:56.53
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
17:04.90
Kim
And be a career person all at the same time with a lot of flexibility. So very family orientated you know Laurie hey you've got a school event. Go do your school event. You know it's more important to me that you're there and you know if you only work 6 hours today and but you get your job done.
17:24.13
loriejones7
Yeah.
17:24.21
Kim
I Don't care just get your job done and that's kind of how I rang your business. Some people took advantage of that and that was kind of those those people skills I was talking about but I would say most women really appreciated it. They appreciated the opportunity to not have to say oh my gosh can I have.
17:30.59
loriejones7
Um, in.
17:33.91
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
17:42.40
Kim
Can I leave an hour early today. So I can pick up my kid from soccer or basketball or you know whatever I just didn't worry about things like that and I think that was um, hugely successful with the women that ended up staying.
18:00.11
loriejones7
Yeah I can imagine I can't even imagine that type of environment that would be so women friendly at that stage you know in nowadays they they are a little bit more women friendly. But.
18:01.50
Kim
Staying with me.
18:17.91
Kim
Not forty years ago yeah
18:18.81
loriejones7
Back in the day. No, that is really forward thinking. So did you hire women only by design or was it just the way it turned out.
18:28.55
Kim
No, that's the way it turned out I always told the men I said you know no offense men about you know, but have any men in our firm. But um, it just happened that way and I I think women um are better with details.
18:37.81
loriejones7
Um.
18:45.22
Kim
And Compliance is a very detailed business and I'm not saying that there aren't men out there that um are that are good. You know they're good compliance people I just find that women if you look at the field I would say it's It's mainly women in the compliance area.
18:45.55
loriejones7
Ah.
18:55.25
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
19:04.28
loriejones7
Um, yeah, that makes and check the out there. Yeah, some of those people skills you were talking about I'm like ah mom That's the that's what teaches you the people's skills. So.
19:05.70
Kim
Because we're we're better with details and juggling a lot of balls. Ah.
19:16.12
Kim
Um, right.
19:20.90
loriejones7
Um, and I think Sam does sometimes feel that way around here I've managed to pack the place with ah really bright, young ladies and he's sometimes is like are we ever going to get any sort of male intern in here.
19:32.45
Kim
Sure if they you know they meet the bill.
19:38.36
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, we did we had we had max last ah last summer but he does tend to be surrounded by women all the time. So ah, how um how what if you could go back. And you could talk to your 23 26 year old self as you're just starting on this journey. What? what would you tell her? What's 1 thing you would say to her okay tell me about that. Yeah.
20:06.80
Kim
Don't be afraid of risk right? I mean it's a risk to buy a house at 23 and your mortgage payment is half your salary. Um, it was a risk to leave a very secure job with benefits with you know everything right? Um, and and start your own business because ah my thought was if I failed and I didn't make it. I was still young enough I could get a job I would recover right? I ah could I would recover from that. Um and but it's a risk minute. You know I look back on it now I don't think I understood the risk when I was taking it. Maybe my dad did. But.
20:43.65
loriejones7
Um, me.
20:54.31
loriejones7
It is.
21:00.13
Kim
Um, but I look you know I look back and think oh my gosh was I absolutely crazed you know at 26 to start my own business and 23 to buy my own house and um, but it's you know, kind of nothing ventured nothing gained.
21:20.98
Kim
Um, it has to be calculated. It has to be a calculated risk. It just can't be some crazy but you know, um think through it think the pros and the cons and then go for it.
21:21.11
loriejones7
Um, here.
21:33.40
loriejones7
Yeah, so I've been reading a book Recently, it's called it's was like do it scared and her whole idea is sometimes you got to have ah a few betterflies in your tummy and still do it. You know and and that's where you find the the greatest reward the most fulfillment.
21:40.17
Kim
Ah.
21:43.34
Kim
Um, yeah.
21:49.36
loriejones7
I think.
21:50.60
Kim
Yes I love that? Yeah, you're you're right? because there were there were butterflies and um, oh well, here's maybe a regret when I first started out I had a partner and within.
21:59.55
loriejones7
Oh.
22:06.63
Kim
Months. Okay, this was some naivity she couldn't get a credit card Kim why she had no credit. Why do you have no credit. Okay, and we now know these things um and within six months not even five months it was she was stealing from the company.
22:09.58
loriejones7
Sir Ah, sir.
22:26.50
Kim
Was using the company credit card for her personal expenses and I caught her. Um and I think that was maybe that was the regret not that someone told me not to or to do that. But um and I think that's.
22:26.26
loriejones7
Um.
22:42.41
Kim
Why I never really had a partner in my business was because I had a really bad experience like all those experiences that people tell you the horror stories of having a partner I had that in the first six months at 26 so that was a that was a growing that was ah very much a growing experience.
22:53.60
loriejones7
Oh wow.
23:01.52
Kim
And not I survived it right? Um, but it was a learning lesson for sure.
23:10.10
loriejones7
Yeah I was just going to say you probably learned something from it. Um, and it doesn't seem to have made you into um, a skeptic like you. You know you you still hired and trusted and helped had people help.
23:18.14
Kim
Um, no yeah.
23:25.80
Kim
Yes.
23:26.29
loriejones7
And helped them to grow their yeah Um, what scared you the most when you started out it was it. The mortgage payment was it the well scared.
23:39.15
Kim
Hanging my dad back I paid to tell you I had to pay my dad back 10 grand that was that was a lot of money right in the late 80 s and you know was startinging your own business. Um I think that's what motivated that you know that fear of.
23:44.84
loriejones7
Yeah.
23:52.86
loriejones7
Susan.
23:57.29
Kim
Making it so I could pay him back and not him being disappointed. Um, so that was that's what kept me going and that's what kept me up at night.
24:09.65
loriejones7
So um, you did it? How long did it take you oh my goodness Amazing! Did you find that you were I.
24:10.40
Kim
I Did it less than a year. Yeah.
24:22.83
loriejones7
I have a hard time my younger um employees definitely are teaching me the idea of balance and um, you know, taking time out for myself and stuff like that. But how did you do that when you were 26 years old owned your own business were you just crazy work day to night or did you.
24:27.29
Kim
And.
24:40.18
Kim
I I did and I I struggle with that I think I come from a a generation and a time where um, when we probably didn't have good work balance I learned it only after I had children right? and then so and then wanted to um I mean. You may want to cut this but you know I got home from the hospital from with my first baby and she's two days old and I'm holding her in my office and working and um, it took me a long time to get that work life balance.
25:06.93
loriejones7
Area. Yeah.
25:16.40
Kim
Um, and that's why I wanted to be able to provide that to other women that you know to be able to have a career and be a good wife and be there for your husband and be there for your children. Um, anyway, so.
25:21.33
loriejones7
Ah.
25:32.26
loriejones7
Yeah, that that sense of of mom guilt I I feel it I'm sure other moms too where they're like I want to be there for my kids but on the other hand I was feeding 3 teenage boys and I wanted them to eat as well. So.
25:47.85
Kim
Right? right? right? and I'm kind of a workaholic. Um, and so and just came from ah a family that we we were hard workers right? I mean that was. That's what we did. And you know what? and both my girls are really hard. Workers. So I don't know right.
26:07.95
loriejones7
Um, yeah, all all my kids too. You're preaching to the choir. But. So How did you? How did you learn it and how did you learn that I'm asking for a friend right? How did you learn that balance. How did you was it just experience or doing it long enough.
26:23.36
Kim
You know it was and um, you know dropping off your kid at daycare every day and being in tears. Um, because you wanted to be with her but yet you had work to do and you didn't want him in daycare.
26:27.43
loriejones7
Vision is.
26:36.90
loriejones7
And here.
26:39.60
Kim
And so you eventually learn. Um and then you know and my spouse was good in helping me to understand that as well and also being your own boss. You have the flexibility if you want it right.
26:51.49
loriejones7
Um.
26:54.48
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah.
26:57.46
Kim
So I didn't have a boss that said, no, you have to be here from X to Y and then oh by the way, there's other projects that I need you to do at home I didn't have that so it was it was really self-imposed that I had to get around.
27:12.84
loriejones7
Yeah.
27:14.69
Kim
And you know as you well know in them. The mom's out there. The the children help you learn that as well.
27:19.26
loriejones7
Yeah, you do want to be there I I have taught to a lot of my clients who are you know on that younger end of kids and they and they struggle with they want to be there for their kids and their family but they. Also want to I mean they've started a career and they don't want to give up everything that they gained I think that you had a really nice balance there for them to be able to do both and and I would love to see you know my employees but the the world of young women.
27:39.70
Kim
Um, listen.
27:53.81
loriejones7
At large have that experience.
27:55.94
Kim
And I think men are coming to that realization. So I I obviously had a husband who let me have a career. Let me be a mom and I think men are these days are better with that. Then then maybe when I first started out forty years ago um and they're willing to like my husband cannot cook la you can't cook can cook I've time to chop slice and dice. But that's about it and you know I keep saying to my girls who are now adults.
28:15.13
loriejones7
And the her.
28:27.84
loriejones7
Um, the.
28:32.38
loriejones7
Yeah.
28:32.85
Kim
Make sure he knows how to cook because I think men are better at understanding that they've got to do some of the women jobs. Okay, they in a vacuum they're going to have dinner ready. They're going to do the grocery shopping I think this generation of men are more willing to do that.
28:40.84
loriejones7
That.
28:51.80
Kim
And allow the woman to have a career have a job or help juggle all of that. It's 2 people juggling all that stuff. This is just one.
28:55.11
loriejones7
Um, yeah, ah.
29:02.80
loriejones7
Yeah I see that in um, my son that just just got married. It's a partnership with them. You know they each they each have their own spot and there's not girls girl jobs and boy jobs in their house. Yeah.
29:09.82
Kim
Um, it is.
29:16.52
Kim
Nope Nope no things have changed. So I think that's good for women these days I Really do.
29:23.90
loriejones7
I Agree What? Um what? And maybe you kind of already went over this but did you face any unique challenges because you were a woman.
29:35.18
Kim
You know I think um, you know just getting hired Obviously I had to learn to sell myself right? And um, you do get asked. Well are you gonna have kids meaning. Are you gonna be here right? Are you gonna.
29:41.47
loriejones7
Um, month.
29:53.86
Kim
Most people lot of times people go into consulting as a interim job right? and and I made a career out of it and so I think um I did get some questions like well how long are you going to be around right? How long are you going to do this. Are you going to take the first job or.
29:57.40
loriejones7
Her.
30:11.36
Kim
When you have kids will you because you remember when I started I didn't have family I didn't I wasn't married I didn't have children and um and I think people questioning that now will they do that now I don't I don't think so I think the world has changed.
30:16.15
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
30:23.30
loriejones7
Ah.
30:28.28
loriejones7
I I I Actually think you would be surprised I had a ah woman on my podcast who had gone through it. Maybe now it has changed but when she was going through it. They still asked. Are you going to have kids are you going to take time out to ah of your career to to do that. And that that it is a unique.. It's a unique situation until they figure out how to make my husband have the children with something yeah something something that we uniquely deal with in a professional situation. So That's interesting.
30:46.37
Kim
Um, yeah, the her.
30:54.63
Kim
That's not gonna happen.
31:00.78
Kim
Um, yeah.
31:02.92
loriejones7
Um, it has gotten better though I will say has gotten better. So what is the thing that you're most proud of.
31:05.82
Kim
Um, of the.
31:13.19
Kim
Um I think having a 35 year career in my own business. Um, and you know being self-employed being successful and then being able to.
31:19.27
loriejones7
Listen.
31:31.40
Kim
Um, make the women around me that I hired successful and confident in in themselves and being able to you know? ah you know saying it's okay, it's okay if you need to be at your kid's event.
31:36.18
loriejones7
Um.
31:50.37
loriejones7
Is.
31:50.70
Kim
It's okay, go you know, um and just mentoring them to be successful.
31:58.40
loriejones7
You've had some really successful um women that have gone on to under your tutelage learned the business and then gone on to create their own businesses and and and be successful in their families and in their lives as well.
32:04.30
Kim
This f.
32:12.27
Kim
Yes, I Yes and so that is that makes you feel good right.
32:20.60
loriejones7
Yeah I think that um at some point you start looking around and saying what am I going to leave in this world behind me, you know how am I going to impact and um and leaving it better than I found it and I I Definitely think you've achieved that with with.
32:33.79
Kim
Um, right? Oh thank you. Thank you.
32:36.92
loriejones7
Your success. So so any advice for young women starting down this path they they are definitely starting down a different path than you started down e.
32:47.76
Kim
Yes, and ah, you know my advice to young people is um as we talked about work ethic is is a work ethic. You know you you work until you get your job done. You know if it's five. O'clock
33:03.46
loriejones7
Um.
33:05.64
Kim
And you're saying well you know it's five o'clock I got to go no you know to really make yourself shine and I don't think it's hard to do with these kids that are coming up is to go over and above the call of duty. You know you don't say oh that's not my job.
33:22.47
loriejones7
Um.
33:25.40
Kim
Right? Okay, how can I help I I don't know how to do this but I'll figure it out right? um and going the the extra mile and I think that's what my my employees were not always young right? I wasn't hiring the 20 somethings.
33:41.95
loriejones7
Um, yeah, yeah, had some experts.
33:44.19
Kim
Um, again because we're the experts. So I need I needed people that you know have experience. But um, that's what I'm hearing from my friends that even in even that are running a financial services firm. Oh these young kids they don't know how to work they don't know you know. It's five o'clock and they leave and they you know they're are they'll say it's not my job I think if a young person doesn't have that mentality and has a really good work ethic. They will go very far I I will brag on my. Youngest daughter who's only 24? Um, after six months of working she's in the construction business. Um her boss pulled us aside and said her work ethic is like none I've ever seen.
34:23.14
loriejones7
Um.
34:33.17
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah.
34:36.52
Kim
And again because I said that we we brought our kids up to have really strong work with ethics as my dad did and um and that gets noticed it gets noticed.
34:48.24
loriejones7
It does it does and that that sense of responsibility. Um, they take care of what needs to be taken care taken care of and they take care of clients. So yeah, yeah, yeah, um, my kids. Ah.
34:51.35
Kim
But 1
34:57.44
Kim
Right? right.
35:03.58
loriejones7
My kids have said that I grew up on a ranching family in Wyoming. So yeah, there is no such thing as as bedtime or wake up time. Yeah, there's none of those sorts of things my grandpa he he fed the cows tilll the day he died and so.
35:07.66
Kim
Um, yes.
35:14.17
Kim
Um, or a day off, but.
35:20.24
Kim
Um, that's thoughtable.
35:23.19
loriejones7
Yeah, so it's a it's It's that sort of a work ethic That's passed down but but I would like them to have a little bit more balance than I have in my I I would like them to come to that work hard.
35:34.64
Kim
Um, ever.
35:39.88
loriejones7
But take time for your family to yes, exactly exactly.
35:40.30
Kim
Right? right? and have an employer that will do that give you that time but you work hard like I was saying I mean I would let them go and you know do a kid's event or whatever but you know what I'm getting emails at ten o'clock at night for my employees because they needed to get their work done.
35:54.90
loriejones7
I know.
35:59.50
Kim
And I appreciated that. Um you know, just get your work done. Go take the time you need to be with your family but get your work done and that they did. They did.
36:00.58
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
36:08.70
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, and that as ah as a mom I I would have appreciated that you know because I had hours at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day that I could work. But there were no professional positions that would let me work those hours I had to be there from 9 to 5 yeah, yeah, yeah, so well, we're we're going to make it a better world for those coming up right? Well thank you Thank you so much.
36:22.17
Kim
With the yeah doesn't work.
36:31.75
Kim
Yes, we are aren't we I Love it.
36:39.25
loriejones7
Um, for your time today. Kem I really appreciate it. It was it was just lovely listening to your experience. So.
36:42.42
Kim
Wow, it's great to talk I love it I love it I like you're doing this too Laurie I really appreciate that you've made it your passion as well.
36:56.14
loriejones7
Ah, well I I I didn't know it was going to be my passion but turned into it.