Guest: Kareen Walsh
Scaling your company to new heights often requires more than just strategy—it demands personal transformation. Kareen Walsh, an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, business advisor, and coach, shares her journey of becoming the leader her business needed, ultimately achieving seven figures in just six months. Through embracing personal growth and leveraging cutting-edge technology, including AI, she found a way to align her true self with her business, making her success not just sustainable but scalable.
The Challenge: Becoming the Leader Your Business Needs
Every entrepreneur faces a pivotal moment where they must ask themselves, "Who do I need to become to lead my business to the next level?" For Kareen Walsh, this question was more than a thought experiment—it was a turning point. In 2017, she set a bold goal to hit seven figures while using only 10% of her time. To achieve this, she had to reassess her role, her leadership style, and the very way she interacted with her business.
"I realized that I had to become someone different in order to lead that business," Walsh shares. "And when I challenged myself to hit that seven figures, I also challenged myself to do it only using 10% of my time."
Scaling a business successfully requires leaders to undergo personal growth and transformation. To lead effectively, they must evolve alongside their business. This transformation is not just about skills but also about aligning who they are with what their business needs.
The Power of Alignment
Walsh's journey underscores the importance of alignment in business. She emphasizes that true success comes when your business reflects who you are at your core. This concept is not just about matching your skills to your business needs but about aligning your entire self—your values, vision, and leadership style—with your business objectives.
"Your company is 100% a reflection of how you lead it," she says. "If you're not growing, your company won't grow either."
True success comes when leaders align their values, vision, and leadership style with their business objectives. This alignment is essential for sustainable growth and allows the business to thrive.
For many leaders, this means taking a hard look at their own limitations and stepping out of their comfort zones. Walsh found that by focusing on personal growth, she could drive her business forward more effectively. Her approach involved getting out of her own way—acknowledging that holding onto every aspect of the business was actually a barrier to growth.
The CEO Conundrum: Knowing Your Role
A significant part of Walsh's methodology involves what she calls the "CEO Conundrum," a framework that helps entrepreneurs identify their ideal role in their business. According to Walsh, leaders typically fall into one of three categories: creator, entrepreneur, or operator. Understanding which category you belong to can help you hire the right people to fill the gaps in your business, allowing you to focus on what you do best.
"The number one challenge people have for growth in their role or business is that they feel like they have to do it all," Walsh explains. "But they also have a fear of who else to hire because they don't necessarily know the expertise required to hire that next person."
Leaders should identify their ideal role in the business—whether as a creator, entrepreneur, or operator. This understanding helps them focus on their strengths and delegate tasks that fall outside their expertise.
This insight is particularly valuable for solopreneurs and small business owners who often struggle with delegation and scaling. By taking Walsh's CEO Conundrum quiz, leaders can gain clarity on their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to make informed decisions about their role and who they need to bring on board.
Leveraging AI for Growth
One of the most exciting developments in Walsh's journey is her innovative use of AI to scale her business. Recognizing that she couldn't clone herself, Walsh found a way to create an AI version of herself—an app called "Hey Kareen" that serves as an on-the-go business coach. This AI-driven platform allows users to access her knowledge and coaching techniques at any time, providing personalized support without the need for direct interaction.
"What I've been able to do is clone myself in an app," she says. "It’s called, 'Hey Kareen,' just like Siri or Alexa. Now you have an on-the-go business coach."
Walsh's embrace of AI technology not only helps her meet the growing demand for her services but also frees her to focus on higher-level strategic work. This innovative approach highlights the potential of AI to revolutionize personal and professional development, making expert advice more accessible than ever before.
Embracing AI can help leaders scale their businesses more efficiently by automating tasks and providing on-demand support. Kareen Walsh’s "Hey Kareen" app is an example of using AI to extend her reach and impact.
The Importance of Delegation and Hiring
Many business leaders struggle with delegation and hiring the right people. Identifying the right roles to fill is critical for freeing up time and allowing the business to grow.
Delegating tasks and hiring the right people are essential steps for scaling a business. Leaders must focus on what they do best and bring in others to handle the rest, ensuring the business can grow without them being the bottleneck.
Embrace Change and Grow
Kareen Walsh's story is a powerful reminder that business growth is intrinsically tied to personal growth. By asking yourself who you need to become to lead your business and leveraging tools like AI, you can break through barriers and achieve your goals more efficiently.
As Walsh demonstrates, the key to success lies in aligning your true self with your business, understanding your role, and embracing the technology that can help you scale. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a small business owner, or a C-suite executive, taking the time to reflect on these elements can set you on a path to greater fulfillment and success.
Are you ready to become the leader your business needs? Take Kareen Walsh’s CEO Conundrum quiz at HeyKareen.com/CEO and discover your ideal role today. For those looking for personalized, in-depth guidance, consider booking a half-day strategy session with Kareen. It’s time to step into your full potential and lead your business to new heights.
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