Meet Katie B. Smith | Transformational Executive & Career Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie B. Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie B., as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
The most important thing I have done in raising my children is teaching them to trust their intuition. While learning to trust one’s intuition is a lifelong practice, it helps to start developing it at an early age.

My children, now 30 and 36 years old, would often come to me with a problem or a decision they had to make. I would ask them to close their eyes, take three deep breaths, and listen to what their inner guidance was telling them. The idea was to trust what their intuition or inner feeling suggested. Most of the time, they found really good solutions to the questions they asked me.

When my youngest son was 18, he came to me with some unexpected news. He had already registered for college but told me he didn’t want to go. “I’ll be wasting your money if I go,” he said.

I asked him, “What are you going to do instead?” He replied, “I’m going to build a video production company.” I pressed, “How will you do that?” He answered, “I don’t know.”

Internally, I panicked. I thought, He has to go to college! He’s already registered. But instead of voicing my fear, I took a deep breath. In that pause, I realized that if I contradicted him, I’d be undermining all the years I had spent teaching him to trust his intuition.

So, I asked for a moment to collect my thoughts. Then, I returned to him and said, “If you’re going to do this, we have to make an agreement: you’ll let me coach you as you build your company.” He agreed.

Over the next five years, he grew his video production company and traveled the world, working on incredible projects. When COVID hit, he chose to close his business. During that time, he discovered that what he enjoyed most was editing videos. He pivoted to focus solely on being a commercial editor and is still doing that work today, making a great living with a strong network of professionals he built while running his company—all without a college degree. He trusted his intuition, played to his strengths, and hasn’t looked back.

My daughter has had a similar experience. By following her strengths, energy, and intuition, she has built a fulfilling and successful life.

Trusting ourselves doesn’t steer us wrong. Providing a safe space for my kids to practice strengthening their inner guidance and to trust themselves in a variety of situations has been, I believe, my greatest achievement as a parent.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was a single mom raising two kids while working and teaching yoga and meditation. My daughter was hearing-impaired, having lost her hearing at 18 months due to meningitis. With her cochlear implant, we had to teach her how to talk, which added to the complexities of daily life. Although I dreamed of teaching yoga full-time, that wasn’t realistic in the 90s while raising two children in Northern California. So, I accepted a job as a recruiter.

I progressed in the field quickly and eventually worked with CEOs to assemble their executive teams. Many of the executives I placed would later come back to me, sharing challenges they were having with their CEOs. We’d have conversations about communication strategies, which they would implement successfully. It was these discussions that I found most fulfilling, and I wished I could get paid for having more of them.

Around that time, I had the opportunity to speak with a professional coach. Back then, coaching was still niche, often reserved for executives on the brink of being fired. The coach I met told me I’d make an excellent coach myself, given my corporate experience, knowledge of executive dynamics, and background in yoga, meditation, and stress management.

Intrigued, I researched the industry and discovered it was poised for major growth. It offered the compensation I needed, the freedom I wanted, and the opportunity to have meaningful, impactful conversations for a living. So, I began training while still working as a recruiter. Within three years, I transitioned to coaching full-time.

That was 14 years ago, and I still love what I do. I continue to hone my coaching skills and strive to be a vessel, allowing my intuition to guide my conversations. I partner with my clients to help them trust themselves and their own inner guidance, empowering them to lead authentically and with greater ease.

As a thought partner, I work with clients to align their inner world with their outer world, helping them live more congruently with who they truly are. This approach promotes a sense of wholeness, joy, and transparency. Watching my clients grow and being part of their journey is an honor that continually inspires me.

My coaching philosophy focuses on transformation from the inside out, creating lasting behavior and mindset changes with ease. This approach stems from my personal experience: merging the inner and outer worlds is key to living fully and being true to oneself. My yoga and meditation practice, which I still do today, serves as my anchor. It helps me navigate change, stay creative, and live authentically with more joy and ease.

My intention as a coach is to bring this same sense of alignment and fulfillment to each of my clients, partnering with them to create the life they desire.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Depending on the friend and their level of activity, here are some places I’d suggest:

Red Rocks: Perfect for hiking and catching a live concert.
Vital Root: A great spot for a meal, followed by shopping on Tennyson Street.

Boulder: Visit the Tonic Lounge, Pearl Street Mall, and enjoy a meal at Leaf or Salt restaurant. Don’t miss the hiking opportunities nearby.

Denver Art Museum: A must-see for art enthusiasts.
Paramount Theatre: Catch a show in this historic venue.
Larimer Street: Ideal for exploring and ending the day with a comedy show.
Cherry Creek: Have a meal at La Merise French Bistro and enjoy some shopping.

Golden:
Grab pizza at Atomic Cowboy or Fat Sully’s.
Stroll along the Canyon Path by the creek.
Nearby hikes include the Enchanted Forest, Chief Hosa, Genesee Mountain Trail, and Panorama Point.
Evergreen: Explore this charming town, go elk watching, and have a meal at Beau Thai restaurant.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My kids have been my biggest teachers along with the multiple mentors and guides in my professional coaching journey and my kundalini and meditation journey. Consistently having a circle of advisors and healers that create safe space for me to be, process and heal has been instrumental in my journey.

Website: https://katiebsmith.com

Instagram: @katiebsmithcoach.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Katiebsmith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiebsmithexecoach

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXccQc9PL0jnadWrt2gM4bQ

Other: https://substack.com/@theintegratedleader – Substack – The Integrated Leader

Image Credits
Bob Carmichael – photographer for head shot