We recently connected with Kari Elizabeth Enge and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kari Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
As a business strategist and coach, as well as a social entrepreneur myself, I see many entrepreneurs facing challenges with the profitability of their impact business models.
They assume that if they do good in the world, it’s more difficult for their businesses to succeed financially. So they struggle to combine purpose and profits.
But in fact, it’s often quite easy to create a winning formula as a purpose-driven entrepreneur and scale the profitability of your business – as long as you have the right CEO Skill sets and mindset.
What do I mean by this?
It’s not difficult to fund your impact project or to create a profitable, scalable product or service. It’s actually the business owner and how they are showing up, and not the market or the industry, that’s the issue.
This is great news.
This means that many more people can succeed as impact entrepreneurs because learning how to become an effective CEO is a learnable skill.
Learning how to become an effective CEO includes how you THINK, FEEL, and DO.
Unfortunately, learning how to THINK, FEEL, and DO like a CEO is not something that’s being taught in business schools or even the most prestigious MBA programs.
They teach academic theory and share case studies and industry examples of how people succeeded. But they don’t help the entrepreneur to actually apply it to their own companies using their own brain.
My clients often come to me with these challenges:
– not making enough money
– working a lot but not seeing traction
– unclear about their vision, model, messaging
– not feeling confident and excited about sales (wishing they didn’t have to!)
– feeling scattered and craving more structure and organization (but also wanting creativity and freedom)
– wanting more time for personal life and wellbeing
They have been spinning their wheels on “how do I get this working?!” and have tried a lot of things…
When I work with clients, we make shifts to their business model, offers, pricing, messaging, and sales that are in alignment with their values and personality. They learn that they can make the rules and build a business that looks and feels like them!
I teach them a simple process to follow that brings structure to their efforts. And I teach them mindset tools to feel more clear, confident, and on track.
Things click.
Over and over again my work has proven that there is not an issue with the social impact entrepreneurship space. It’s just a lack of training and understanding. The more entrepreneurs who get coaching support and learn how to show up as a powerful CEO in their own lives and businesses, the more income and impact can be created in the world!
Kari Elizabeth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
You can learn ALL of this here:
https://www.rankandfile.com/about/
I am most proud of the 60 impact businesses (in 16 different countries) that are now financially sustainable and growing because of my work. This represents 60 women / 60 households / 60 teams / 600 people who now have sustainable livelihoods doing GOOD work in the world.
I’ve spoken on large stages like Oslo Innovation Week to hundreds in the audience, but the work I enjoy most is speaking 1-on-1 with my clients every week – tweaking their business strategies, and finding new ways for them to make more money while doing more good. I’m extremely grateful to be doing this important work in the world.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn that I need to do business in a particular way. Since my background is in Corporate America, I was constantly surrounded by C-suite executives, boardrooms, and business suits.
So when I started my own venture, I had major imposter syndrome and constantly felt like a fraud or like a less-than “creative entrepreneur” because I was starting it from my laptop alone. I struggled to have a big vision for my service-based businesses because of the messages that society places on female, solopreneurs who are growing businesses while also starting a family.
Now, I spend all day debunking this myth with my clients.
Anyone can start a business, and have it look and feel the way they want it to. And the sky is the limit for how large that company can scale WHILE keeping their personal life and well-being intact.
There are countless examples out there of women business owners, with children, growing to 50 million in revenue with a 100% remote team and flexible hours.
If you are struggling to create a financially sustainable purpose-driven business because you feel like you don’t have enough time. Or you struggle to feel legit, but you want to build confidence… go searching for examples and mentors who’ve build flexible businesses worth millions. They are out there, you just have to stop looking at people you don’t want to be like and start looking at the people who you want to emulate.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
The StoryBrand by Donald Miller – informed my messaging philosophy
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rankandfile.com/
- Instagram: @rankandfile
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rankandfilecoaching/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karienge/
- Other: https://thelifecoachschool.com/certified-coach/kari-elizabeth-enge/