We were lucky to catch up with Paul Stonick recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paul, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Progress over perfection has always been important to me in product development: launch an MVP, test, learn, and iterate. That was the approach behind my company, KICK Consultancy—a boutique design management firm offering strategy, workshops, Design Thinking, AI upskilling, leadership training, operations, team optimization, coaching, and more.

After nearly three decades in Fortune 500s and gritty startups, with the scars to show it, it was time to take control of my own destiny. Watching my peers go out on their own and find freedom and success post-burnout, layoffs or toxic corporate cultures, I realized it was now or never with my current runway. I’d always been an intrapreneur within large organizations; now, I had the chance to become an entrepreneur.

Starting KICK was a journey of rapid action and deep reflection. I took a month to step back reflect, and attend a long-weekend design retreat in Pittsburgh to reflect on my values, future and vision. Through that process, I honed a product and brand that’s about more than just delivering results; it’s about building long-term, impactful relationships that unlock team potential, optimize processes, and drive business performance.

In just a few weeks, I had my mission, vision, website, social presence, marketing collateral, and business registered—empowering moments that proved taking bold action pays off. KICK is built on the belief that creativity, collaboration, and empathy can transform organizations, and I’m excited to bring that vision to life.

Paul, 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?

Sure, I’m a seasoned executive design leader with a proven track record of driving transformative business outcomes through strategy and Design Thinking. With over two decades of “tra-digital” experience in design, brand, user experience, product development, and a strong entrepreneurial mindset focused on outcomes over outputs, I have a deep understanding of how to build empowered teams, leverage human-centered principles, and deliver the business value of design. As a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner, I also apply Agile methodologies to optimize team performance, decisions, and accelerate product development.

My diverse experience spans Fortune 500 companies, startups, and most recently a focus on Gen Z insights, earning me recognition from industry leaders, media outlets, and top organizations like Forrester and L2 Gartner. My work has been featured on national TV, Apple’s WWDC keynotes, Super Bowl 58, and major social media campaigns. Known for my innovative approach, I’m a sought-after advisor, mentor, and speaker, regularly featured on industry podcasts where I bring depth and authenticity to discussions on design, leadership, team culture and innovation.

I also coach and mentor the next generation of design and product leaders with my work for Amazing Design People (adplist.org). ADPList inspires powerful conversations and collaborations among designers worldwide so together we can change the world with creativity. I am also a founding cohort member of Punks & Pinstripes — a private network of transformation executives. Find us at punksandpinstripes.com.

Looking back on my career, I’m proud of major milestones like growing The Home Depot’s online business $1 billion year-over-year (yes, that’s a “b”), building an automotive e-commerce platform that led to a successful exit, shaping Bloomingdale’s e-commerce in the early days of online shopping, and having work featured during Super Bowl 58 which was seen by 123.4 million people (thank you Taylor Swift). However, some of my greatest work will never appear in my portfolio because it’s the teams I’ve built and the generation of design leaders I’ve helped groom and develop over the past 20+ years, that’s impact and making a difference.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me has undoubtedly been the network and relationships I’ve built and nurtured over the past 25+ years. At KICK, we know nurturing relationships—both with our audiences and each other—grows business. We work alongside our clients as partners to create real value and deliver impactful outcomes.

My relationships are people I have worked with, worked for, helped, guided, mentored or met on my journey and spans across a wide range of industries and continents. Many have evolved into life-long friendships and partnerships. Early in my career, I focused on building trust, creating a voice, and delivering value, and over time, those relationships have become a powerful source of referrals, leads and customers.

I’ve always believed in the power of authentic, human-centered connections—working with people who know and trust me allows for deeper collaboration and better results. It’s not just about transactional work; it’s about cultivating relationships where I’m seen as a trusted advisor, and that’s been key to the early traction, awareness and growth of my business. The best clients often come from people who know my track record and my approach, and that organic, word-of-mouth network has been incredibly powerful.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building my audience on social media was a gradual process of consistency, authenticity, and value-driven content. The key was engaging directly with my audience, and sharing content that resonated with their challenges and goals. I also leveraged storytelling to make my posts relatable and human, and regularly shared behind-the-scenes glimpses into my work and life.

One of my wins was creating a personal brand that is based on my story, values and differentiators, which attracted like-minded followers. I can’t emphasize enough how important personal brand is and what that means. You already have a brand whether you know it or not. And if you aren’t actively managing it, your brand is most likely working against you instead of for you. Simply put, what are you famous for, good or bad?

For those just starting out, my advice is simple: Be authentic, focus on providing value, and stay consistent. It’s not about vanity metrics but building meaningful connections over time. Start with a clear strategy, be patient, test and learn what is working and not working, and remember that engagement is more important than the number of followers. Quality always beats quantity, make it count!

Contact Info:

• Website: http://kickconsultancy.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulstonick/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stonick-executive-design-ux-creative-officer/
• Other: http://paulstonick.com