We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kiersten Hathcock a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kiersten, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Everything about co-founding National Institute for Law and Justice (NILJ) nonprofit was (and is) a risk—starting with how my co-founder and I met. In 2014, NYPD Detective (ret) Mark Pucci and I met when we both volunteered to work on a missing persons cases in New York. I came to the table as a non-professional intuitive medium volunteering my time to work with law enforcement on missing and murdered cases. Prior to working with Mark, I was quiet about my spiritual awakening because I was a Shark Tank-winning entrepreneur and someone who didn’t fit the mold of psychic medium. The case we worked on involved a victim who perished due to involvement with an organized crime group. During the investigation, I channeled information that ultimately helped save Detective Pucci’s life, which is something he speaks openly about now. From that day forward, we both knew that someday we’d be working under a larger umbrella to help crime victims and their families. In 2022, we co-founded NILJ—a nonprofit that helps families (at no cost) whose loved ones are missing or murdered.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

​To most who know me, I’m a former TV marketing exec and TEDx speaker turned Shark Tank-winning, self-taught carpenter & furniture designer who built a kids’ furniture company out of my LA garage. Behind the scenes; however, I privately struggled to survive and heal from childhood sexual abuse and narcissistic abuse, all while grappling with newfound mediumship abilities at the age of 36 that led me to pen my debut memoir, Little Voices. I also co-founded a nonprofit (NILJ.org) with retired NYPD Detective Mark Pucci that helps crime victims and their families.

NILJ’s primary mission is to provide investigative support—at no cost—for victims and their families, enabling them to present their individual cases for expert review by decorated retired NYPD homicide detectives and a network of forensic and investigation specialists. This includes current and cold Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons cases, ensuring justice and closure are achievable for all, irrespective of financial barriers.

“What sets NILJ apart from other organizations is that they are committed and are passionate about doing the work of bringing our relatives home and investigating these cases,” said Gaeñ hia uh, Betty Lyons (Onondaga Nation, Snipe Clan), Executive Director of American Indian Law Alliance (aila.ngo). “In their retirement these dedicated men are choosing to bring some sense of closure to these mourning families.”

Helping to build NILJ as an organization, and working on cases from an intuitive level, is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life thus far. If your loved one is missing, I hope you’ll check out NILJ.org.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting from the safety of my Shark Tank entrepreneur story to openly sharing my spiritual journey was a risk that paid off. Of course, like all risks, there was a bit of fallout, but I’ve learned over the years that by truly being my authentic self, I’m guided to the right partners and opportunities. This is most definitely the case with Detective Pucci and NILJ.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along my journey as an entrepreneur and a nonprofit co-founder is that no matter how many experts I’m working with, they don’t always know best. As a furniture designer and carpenter, there was a time when I gave away my power to those I felt knew more than me, rather than take their advice and filter it through my own intuition and experiences. Once I took my power back—and learned to lean more on my intuition—everything fell into place. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, I had to stop valuing myself as an underdog who, by default, always trusted those in higher places. Now, that’s not to say that I dismiss all outside advice. I absolutely surround myself with those who know more than I do, but I now know to check my gut before making a move.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nilj.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/niljnonprofit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NILJnonprofit/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-institute-for-law-and-justice/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/NILJnonprofit