Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kendall Berg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Kendall thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something crazy on unexpected that’s happened to you or your business

In 2022, my husband encouraged me to start sharing my advice and coaching on social media. While I was familiar with social media, and had hosted other blogs related to topics of interest, I did not see it as an avenue for corporate success and advice. “Who would want to log onto social media and think about work?” I thought to myself – a handy excuse to avoid putting myself out there and sharing my perspective. So I kicked the can down the road and continued coaching solely through word of mouth and referrals.

Finally, in September of that year, I caved. Someone had shared a video with the prompt, “What is something you wish you had learned earlier about a career in corporate?”. I instantly knew my response. With a heavy filter on (I was in pajamas and wearing no makeup) and without thinking much about what I was about to do, I stitched the video on TikTok and shared what I thought was a widely held opinion.

“Being successful in corporate has less to do with how great you are at your job, and more to do with how you communicate and build relationships.”

I sent the video off into the ether and got up to go on a hike. As I drove down the mountain later that day with my friends having successfully worn ourselves out on a 13 mile hike and reentered cell phone service, my phone went absolutely crazy. Notification after notification came in and my phone buzzed constantly in the cupholder. What was going on?

First I panicked, what if something had happened to my kids while I was out of cell phone range? Then I realized, my TikTok had garnered over 2M views! I was elated and overwhelmed. I didn’t have a fully flushed business model or a structured coaching program, and I had never had more than 15 clients at a time.

The video continued to climb ultimately hitting 4.1M views by the end of the weekend, my followers jumped to 100K, and I had 2000 people on a waitlist to work with me. My business was born in full force.

I then spent the next 12 months doing everything out of order. I built my program while people were in it, I established my processes while I was doing them, and I created a strategy after it was executed. Even though things were happening in a way I wouldn’t have planned and couldn’t have expected, my business was moving and I was taking messy action to support the entire thing. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As the founder of That Career Coach, Kendall Berg helps her clients and followers understand how to find progression, recognition, and support in their careers. She has been featured in Newsweek, US News and World Report, and Business Insider sharing her tips and advice. She also regularly supports her more than 500K followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube with her take on playing the corporate game.

Prior to starting her company, Kendall worked with and for some of the largest companies in the world including Capital One, JP Morgan Chase, Samsung, and AT&T. In her role as a Director of Technology Strategy with these companies she has led strategic initiatives and culture programs geared towards career progression supporting 100s of thousands of employees. Over the course of her career, she has spoken to peer audiences of more than 1000 people and traveled the country sharing her advice with clients and corporations alike.

Kendall’s “That Career Coach” social media and podcast provides insights on corporate behind the scenes, recommendations on how to advocate for yourself and progress your career, and advice for navigating difficult interpersonal situations. She has more than 20M views and 1.4M Likes on TikTok, 30M views and 2M likes on Instagram, and engages with more than 6M accounts each month.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being authentic.
I feel we are all hesitant to start our businesses or try to execute on a great idea because “someone has already done that” or “I’m not smart enough” or “I wouldn’t know how to begin”. But in the end, if you are willing to stay true to who you are, bring YOUR unique perspective, and enter the marketplace eager and willing to learn, you will find success.

In a sea of coaches (life, career, leadership and more) it can feel daunting to start and expand your own practice. What I think helped me build a strong reputation and a loyal following was my willingness to share the truth, exactly as I saw it, with no filters or careful words.

Steven barlett says that in marketing it is better to upset 50% of the people who see your marketing and resonate deeply with the other 50% than to be lukewarm to all 100%. I truly believe this. And by staying authentic to my perspective – that corporate is a game, with rules, that you can learn and master – all while sharing a true and honest version of myself, I was able to scale my company and connect with 1000s of individuals globally.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

OOOH YES!

I am a devout reader of self development books and consumer of podcasts. There are a few that I feel were instrumental in the growth of my business and my growth of self.

Diary of a CEO – Steven Bartlett (great tips on marketing and leadership)
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey (one of the most instrumental books in my productivity and organization)
The New Extraordinary Leader – John Zenger & Joseph Folkman (Great insight into what sets apart the most influential successful leaders from everyone else)
Million Dollar Offers – Alex Hormozi (Great advice on how to create an offer and sell it successfully to clients)
E-Myth – Michael Gerber (Written really for franchises but great insight into repeatable processes for scale)
Worthy – Jamie Kern Lima (Good mindset and sense of self book to get you confident)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thatcareercoach.net
• Instagram: @thatcareercoach_
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-berg-347b5a40
• Youtube: @thatcareercoach
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/5so0Djtm9bFpwii8H5exMR?si=c761949996454d68