Kate Gray

🤔 Imagine being able to sit in the front row and listen to top entrepreneurs showing you the tools and strategies they use with AI to create content, cut costs, and gain a competitive advantage over competition. Wouldn't that be empowering and invaluable?

Well now you can! 🥳🤩
Join me and over 30 other speakers as we give you tools and strategies in the The Unleash AI For Business Summit: Series 5.

Click here to gain FREE access to these interviews from top experts in the industry: 🔗 👇🏻👇🏻

🔇 My friends and colleagues, Bob Dietrich and Pamela Dunn, are interviewing me and over 30 other entrepreneurs on The Unleash AI For Business Summit: Series 5 on April 9.

This FREE video series is packed with tools and strategies to use AI to improve your speed and efficiency, cut costs, and gain a competitive advantage over competition. This is a must have resource for entrepreneurs.

🔗 Join for FREE here: 👇🏻👇🏻

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕: 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑻𝒂𝒔𝒌-𝑫𝒐𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝑶𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔

✨🌟 Hey there, it's Kate again. I’ve got a story to share, one that might sound familiar if you’ve ever found yourself wondering why your team just isn’t clicking the way you dreamed they would.

For the longest time, I was on this hiring spree, bringing in folks I thought would propel us forward. But here's the kicker—it was no fault of theirs, but mine. I thought I needed task-doers, people who could tick off boxes and get stuff done. And guess what? They did just that. They completed tasks, waited for their paycheck, and that’s about it. They just wanted a job, which is totally fine, but it just didn’t vibe with what we were building.

Our startup needed more. We needed people who weren’t just looking for a job but were hungry to grow with us, to meet not just their professional goals but their personal and financial ones too, all while being part of something much larger than themselves.

That’s when it hit me. We didn’t just need employees; we needed intrapreneurs. You know, those entrepreneurial spirits who thrive on bringing their innovation and drive into an existing organization. And when we started to pivot our hiring strategy towards attracting these intrapreneurs, oh boy, did things start to change.

But the evolution didn’t stop there. We craved diversity—not just in backgrounds or personalities, but in thought. We began valuing team members who were bold enough to speak their truth, even if it went against the leadership grain. No more “yes people.” Instead, we welcomed those with unique perspectives, challenging opinions, and the kind of ideas that make you sit up and listen.

And as our team diversity grew, so did our ability to produce outstanding results. It turns out, healthy conflict isn’t just okay; it’s necessary for growth. But let’s be real, attracting these powerhouse thinkers and doers meant we had to up our game in terms of what we offered. High-quality talent comes with a price tag, but it’s one worth paying if you’re serious about scaling.

Here’s the thing—having a team of just employees might work for some, but if you’re like me, dreaming big and wanting to scale, you need to think differently. Show these entrepreneurial minds how they can achieve their dreams within your organization, and watch as they take your vision and run with it. Before you know it, that vision becomes a shared mission, propelling your company to heights you couldn’t reach alone.

Building a company with its own identity, fueled by a diverse group of passionate individuals, has been nothing short of magical. But remember, it all starts with the type of person you bring on board.

So, if you’re in the thick of scaling, take a moment. Reflect on your values, your direction, and be intentional about who you invite to join your journey. The people you hire are the heartbeat of your organization’s growth.

Until next time, here’s to building teams that dream as big as we do.

Yours in scaling,

Kate

When I realized to lead my company I had to serve my team - my entire company raised its bar.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆-𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓: 𝑯𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘, 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔

Hey everyone, it’s Kate again. Grab a coffee, and let’s dive into a game-changer in the business world, something that’s transformed how I approach team building in my company. It’s all about that golden rule: hire slow and fire fast. Sounds harsh, I know, but hear me out because it’s been a lifesaver, seriously.

The truth is, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way. Looking back at the money, time, and, let’s not skirt around it, the emotional turmoil caused by not cutting ties quickly with a misfit, it’s been a rollercoaster. It’s tough, really tough.

So, what’s our secret sauce now? Paid trials. Yep, nobody joins our team on a permanent contract without rolling up their sleeves and diving into a paid trial first. This isn’t just for us; it’s a two-way street. It’s about seeing if there’s that all-important culture fit, checking if the potential team member can walk their talk, and equally, if we can provide the supportive, nurturing environment we promise.

This might sound a bit like corporate speed dating, and maybe it is. But it’s our way to cut through the noise—because let’s face it, anyone can talk a big game. But when push comes to shove, you see the true colors, and sometimes, it’s just not the right palette.

Our approach? A four-day hustle where the candidate gets hands-on, tackling real tasks with clear KPIs. It’s a peek behind the curtain for both sides. We observe how they mesh with the team, their performance, the results they churn out. And they’re assessing us too, checking if we’re walking our talk about support, development, and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

But here’s the kicker—we’re not looking for employees. We’re on the hunt for entrepreneurs, people who can thrive and drive our organization forward. “Yes people”? No thanks. We crave those who bring fresh perspectives, even if that means healthy debate and challenging my decisions as CEO. Diversity of thought is our mantra.

👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑴𝒆.. 🤩

Hey there, it’s Kate. I’m sitting here, coffee in hand, reflecting on a moment that kinda turned my world upside down—in a good way. It’s funny, the things that stick with you, right?

So, picture this: I’m in this deep conversation, and out of nowhere, I get hit with, “Kate, you’re the CEO, so I'm just going to lay it out straight—marketers are terrible at managing sales teams.” I mean, come on, how do you not laugh at that? It’s brutally honest, and honestly, I loved it. It made me think, really think about where I started and where I’m at now.

You see, when I kicked things off with my company, my plan was all about AI. No fussing with human sales teams or anything. AI was my jam—predictable, controllable, comfortable. And me? I never really saw myself as a marketer. Nope, I was an entrepreneur through and through. But, as I chewed over those words, something clicked. Maybe, just maybe, I am a marketer at heart. And that’s not such a bad thing.

Now, here’s the kicker—how do I, as this accidental marketer-turned-entrepreneur, build a team of real, breathing humans who know stuff I don’t? Especially in sales. How do I find these magical beings who don’t need me to hold their hand but instead tell me, “Kate, here’s the plan, sit back and watch.”

It’s a weird feeling, you know? Realizing that to truly scale and grow, you’ve gotta step out of your comfort zone and admit, “Hey, I don’t know it all.” It’s not about finding people you can lead by the nose. It’s about finding people who can lead you a bit, too.

Back in the day, I always thought keeping costs low and being super hands-on was the way to go. But let me tell you, that mindset was a roadblock. Big time. With Growth Impact Group, as we expanded (and boy, did we expand in ways I never imagined), I got picky. I started looking for folks who were smarter than me, at least in their own corners of the universe. And suddenly, I’m learning from them in our meetings. How cool is that?

I guess what I’m trying to say is, this whole journey taught me the power of letting go. Not in a “give up” way, but in a “trust others to bring their A-game” way. Henry Ford once said he grew his business by doubling everyone’s pay. Sounds nuts, but there’s wisdom there. You get out what you put in, especially with people.

So, if you’re sitting there, wondering how to take your dream, your business, your passion to the next level—think about your team. It’s not just about finding people who can do the job. It’s about finding people who make you think, “Wow, I never looked at it that way.”

As I sip on my now lukewarm coffee, I want to leave you with this: scaling, growing, evolving—it’s all a wild ride. But with the right folks by your side, folks who might just know a bit more than you in their special areas, you’re not just working on your dream. You’re living it, every single day.

Here’s to growth, to learning, and to finding those people who push you to be better. Let’s keep the conversation going. What’s your take?

Catch you later,

Kate

I am not here for the highlight reels.

I’m here for the reality of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

Most of my days are challenging.

Not necessarily because things are bad, but because growth requires discomfort.

Growth essentially is the key ingredient to scaling your business.

It doesn’t feel good.

There are typically two seasons in business that I have experienced so far.

This is after 15 years of being an entrepreneur.

The first is the season of scaling, and the second is the season of profit.

Today, I’ll talk about the scaling season!

This season of scaling is where we reinvest most of our profit back into the growth of our business.

Like hiring teams, solidifying lead generation pipelines like ad campaigns, etc.

This season feels awful.

Every time I’m in this season, anytime I get to payroll, I feel sick.

It’s not because my business is not generating revenue; it’s because cash flow is tight because of the season of scaling. We reinvest cash flow.

A lot of startup entrepreneurs fail to get through this phase.

Simply because it’s so uncomfortable. They had this idea that they would become an entrepreneur and all of a sudden, they would be rich.

I heard a very successful entrepreneur speaking about how, when they were around a $10 million company, people thought they had really made it and they were rich! But actually, they were struggling month to month because they were in the scaling phase.

They shared that they lived in a huge mansion, and one night before payroll, they remember sitting in their cinema room, crying. Because they had only $500,000 in the account and they had a $400,000 payroll and a $300,000 AMEX bill the next day.

The amount of money that you’re generating in your business when you’re in the scaling phase doesn’t equate to living a life of Ferraris, penthouses, and all the other crap that is peddled on Instagram by so-called entrepreneurs.

Sending all my entrepreneurs out there lots of love!

Kate ❤️ 📸