Meet Kay Allison | Opportunity Creator

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

Hi Kay, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was a single mom working for a global ad agency. I’d created a process that invented new products for our clients… a process that had generated about $1 million in profit to the company.

My bosses didn’t bonus me or give me any financial incentive. I observed the way they treated powerful, c-level female executives (not good) and the kinds of shady deals they engaged in.

I made an assessment that it was riskier for me to remain an employee at that company than to start my own innovation agency.

I’d proven I had skill that I could attract clients. And that those clients were willing to pay premium prices for the outcomes I created.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I launched my coaching business — generating growth opportunities for creative people to earn more money — on TikTok in mid-June. 7 weeks later I have a full slate of 1:1 clients and a thriving group coaching program as well.

As an innovation consultant, I helped big brands like Kleenex, Kraft and Avon generate $2 billion in new revenue through new products and business models.

These are the three most important lessons I’ve learned:
* Focus on solving problems not on your passion. Yes, you’ll bring your skills, passion and resources all to bear on solving a challenging situation, but focus on how you can serve others, not on what you can get.
* Business is nothing but relationships through which stuff and money flow. And relationships are created in conversations. Therefore, if you learn to craft powerful conversations, business will flow abundantly.
* Learn weird stuff that interests you. Then challenge yourself to mash up what you’ve learned with the work you do. What concepts, language or practices could you “borrow” from the new interest and incorporate into your work?

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?
I live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, outside of beautiful Boulder, CO.

If you come to visit, bring your hiking shoes because we’re hiking to lakes, mountain peaks and through meadows of aspens and wildflowers.

Dinners will be at Blackbelly (great steaks), Stella Cucina (high end Italian), and Oak at Fourteenth (the world’s best kale, apple and candied pecan salad).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband John Donicht was been my business partner in two ventures. Today, he is my biggest cheerleader and support.

When we worked together, I handled the “front stage” (i.e., sales, marketing, consulting, speaking) and he ran the “back stage” (operations, staffing, training, managing). We were strict about preserving sacred time when business talk wasn’t allowed, and we expressed a lot of appreciation for each other.

Today, we work on separate businesses. But he has invested money in my new ventures, coached me and counseled me.

Website: https://kayallison.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayallison1/

Other: @https://www.tiktok.com/@kay_company_creativity