Meet Kim Stewart | Nonprofit and Small Business Coach/Consultant

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

Hi Kim, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Life balance is significantly important to me. This is driven in part by my background and passion for healthy living and wellness. That, combined with my belief that work needs to integrate into your life rather than dominate it, has led me to always keep balance as a high priority.

My personal life balance has changed as my life has changed. As a young single person I spent a lot of time at work, but would sometimes find time to come in later. When I had kids I would schedule my days around getting them to and from preschool. As they got older it became more important to be home for dinner with them. And so on. There have been times when I have had early morning committee meetings, left work to have lunch with my kids, then gone back for evening meetings.

By focusing on the outcomes and impact of a position, rather than arbitrarily set-hours, I’ve been able to find a balance that has worked for me and my family. This is also how I have lead staff who I have supervised. I feel blessed that I have held roles with a great deal of flexibility. At the same time, I fully understand that some jobs and some roles require an employee to stick to regular hours. The important thing, especially for supervisors to consider, is whether set hours are based on true business needs, or are they based on the leader’s opinions and preferences.

My last thought on life balance is that in order to find balance, we need to know what’s important to us. Then we need to figure out how to balance our personal priorities with our responsibilities. For example, if making lots of money is a high priority, work will take up a larger portion of the time-pie. If taking care of your family is the most important thing, then that will consume more time. It’s an interesting activity to look at your calendar and your checkbook (if anyone keeps one anymore) to see where most of your time and money goes. Then compare that with your life priorities.

What should our readers know about your business?

I worked for the YMCA for over 30-years, and I loved that part of my career. Working for an organization to deliver their mission and help others has defined me in important ways. A couple of years ago I left the employee world, where I worked within one organization; to start my own business, working with multiple agencies. At that point I started Athena Coaching & Consulting. This has expanded the impact that I am able to have in my community, and contributed to my professional growth.

I am a bona-fide nonprofit geek. I enjoy learning about different causes and missions, learning how they operate and lead, and understanding how their Board works. This shows in my work with agencies, helping them clarify the impact they want to have, how they are going to do it, and how to make it all happen. Helping organizations to build and effectively utilize their Board of Directors is my passion.

Having been in the shoes of the Executives I work with gives me insight into what they are going through. I can relate to their frustrations, limited resources, Board and staff challenges, funding issues, and more! When working with a client I know what will work and what will not. Same goes for small businesses. Small businesses and nonprofits have a lot in common, when it comes to the challenges they face.

My biggest learning from both working in an organization and contracting with businesses is to be genuine and true to yourself. There are millions of people who want to give you advice. It can be difficult to determine what is right for your growth and your career. It’s fine to collect opinions from several sources, but it always needs to come back to what is right for you. If it doesn’t feel right, or align with your values; it’s not going to take you where you want to go.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love hosting people! When friends visit, there are the basic must-see things: Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, the Olympic and Paralympic Museum, and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I would also definitely want to schedule a Cheyenne Canon Segway tour, and possibly climb the Incline. And if we have time we would have a day of skiing at any of the Summit County resorts (Copper is my favorite). Lastly for activities, one of my favorite hikes is Pancake Rocks and Horse Thief Falls on the west side of Pikes Peak. If they happen to be here on St. Patrick’s Day, we would go to the parade in Colorado Springs, and maybe participate in the 5K run or bike ride. A fun evening out would be to Coati and maybe a speakeasy or brewery tour. One afternoon should definitely be spent on the patio at Uva. I would make sure we squeezed in a lunch at Arlene’s Beans. And finally, we would have to grab some Josh and John’s ice cream at some point.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I spent a large part of my career leading programs, services and facilities for the YMCA. My shoutout goes to the supervisors and leaders who helped support my development and learning. It was a great atmosphere to learn how to be a professional, balance a million things at once, prioritize, strategize and help others. A few amazing leaders I want to name specifically include: Don Darnell, Kathy Holland, Kevin Washington, Kathie Ellis, Gordie Echtenkamp, Jesus Soto, Stacie Haviland, and Wade Riedinger. Each one helped me navigate challenges and grow in my relationship skills. I definitely would not be the leader I am today without these amazing friends.

Website: www.athena-coco.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena_coaching_consulting

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-stewart/

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

Image Credits
Becca Hodges