Meet Karen Posey | CEO & Managing Partner of KP Strategies. A management consulting company that works with middle market CEOs on Strategic Alignment (Organizational Design, Talent & Culture)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Posey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?

I spent the first 11 years of my career in sales and sales leadership. Deciding to continue to stretch myself to become a general manager of an IT infrastructure company was a huge change. In my career journey, I have re-invented myself 3 times to get me where I am today as a business owner.

My knowledge and skills are based on practical experiences from being in a management consulting firm where I helped Juniper Networks, Dell, Amerisource Bergen, Standard Register and others with their strategies, advisory boards and executive sponsor programs; to my final corporate role as VP of Strategy and Consumer Experience of a $12B healthcare insurance company to being a CEO of a MedTech start-up before I started KP Strategies.

I’ve learned to play to my strengths leveraging my attributes to make these pivots. I’ve been recognized 4 different times in 4 different companies/industries for my High Performance Leadership Skills. I have coached and mentored a lot of people in my career and this is something I talk about a lot. Having confidence in your attributes is huge, because I believe you can learn anything if you’re motivated and know how to use your resources.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

92% of Executives struggle with executing their strategy.  At KP Strategies, we help CEOs scale and grow by solving the hard stuff that’s in the way.  We have decades of experience scaling and growing mid-market (over 50 employees) companies, proven best practices, strategies, tools, frameworks, and experience delivered in approaches that meet the needs of busy CEOs and we have a customized process that drives alignment, focus and execution for your unique organization.

There’s two ways to engage with us.

1. One-on-One
2. CEO Accelerator Program – a six-month virtual cohort program of 10-15 CEO’s CEO and their key lieutenant(s) that they achieve:

1. • 3-year Strategic Plan
   • Yearly Operational Plan
   • 1:1 Coaching with me
   • Quarterly Mastermind
   • Ensuring their Fit for Growth
   • Board of Directors – Best practices
   • Doing the things that only they, the CEO, can do

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

We are big foodies and outdoor people (thus why we moved to Colorado) and so are our most of our friends. Here’s a sample itinerary (depending on how long my best friend was here):

• Dinner in the first day (I love to cook for my friends) with a nice bottle of wine, walk after dinner to show them the neighborhood, then come back sit on the patio and enjoy the firepit and mountains.
• Rocky Mountain National – Review our favorite hikes with them and select the one they would like to do based on their comfort level. lunch in Estes Park, walk around town. Come back for a light dinner – Salmon and Salad and relax outside.
• Relax in the morning on our back porch. Take a walk with our dog or a bike ride. Then, wine tasting (Either Balistreri or Carboy – local Co wines) and dinner out (If we go to Carboy in Littleton, we love to take people to Angelos). If we go to Balistreri, we love to take people to Tennyson Street. So many great restaurants
• Red Rocks – We love making tacos and tailgating before a show… super fun. We also like showing people the museum. Always a big hit!
• Brainard Lake for a hike and have lunch after and make another home cooked meal and wine. Then sitting out on our patio and firepit and enjoying their company and the weather
• Go for a bike ride and then head to Boulder or Golden, having lunch and walking around town.
• Watching the Rockies play or going to a local festival is always a big hit so that they can see the area. (if time)

Depending on time of year, we also have friends that come out and ski with us. We love Steamboat and Snowmass mountains. So much Fun!!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

First, my partners and network. I’ve been very blessed to be surrounded by incredible businesspeople that I like and respect.  As a servant leader, I work hard to give more than I receive.

Second, I’m a veracious reader. I’m a huge McKinsey / PWC fan. My favorite books are Strategy that works, Fit for Growth and CEO Excellence, but I tend to have at least two new books to dive into as it helps me be more relevant to our clients.

Finally, I’m also a certified women owned business through Women Business Enterprise Council in the west (WBEC-West). I moved from Ohio to Colorado two years ago. I knew I needed to “put myself out there” to meet people in this amazing state. So I sought out the VP of Community Development & Engagement and shared my interest to really get involved in Colorado. My timing was perfect as they were looking for the next Forum Chair for Colorado. It’s an incredible organization and the women I have met are absolutely amazing! I’m so passionate about helping all women rise, that I also volunteer as an Ambassador that helps newly certified women in Colorado take advantage of their certification and talk about how they can get engaged.

Website: https://www.kpstrategies.net/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenposey/

Twitter: kposey20

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KPStrategies