Catie Kinder

I attribute my success to a lot of hard work and self-development, but also to not taking myself too seriously. I think when you put yourself on a pedestal and think that you're better than others, you're gonna stop being successful, because you are only as successful as the people that are around you. So, the moment you start building other people up, that's when you become more successful as well. I don't believe in using the backs of others to get where you need to be - that's just a hollow victory.

Never stop learning.

Be yourself, and remember that numbers don't lie, but don't focus on your numbers too much. Realize that the people sitting in front of you aren't just numbers, they're people. In a world of technology and AI, you are not replaceable in sales because there is a certain connection that AI can't make. AI isn't going to bring the same numbers that you are going to bring as a person. Being able to have that personal connection with people is really important, so don't think of the people in front of you as a number. Think of the people in front of you as people, because AI is just gonna think of them as a number. You need to stand out from that machine.

One of the biggest challenges is dealing with the economy and trying to figure out how to help people with what they want help with, especially when it comes to aesthetics, while also keeping in mind that our economy is the way that it is. People want to spend money on the priority versus other services, so you really have to dial in on what their priority is. Another challenge is staffing - really finding people that fit within the parameters of the job that you're looking to fill. It's not necessarily super tough, but it usually takes a while.

Integrity and transparency are most important to me. I believe the only way to build trust with clients is to have integrity. I'm in sales, and I tell people all the time, I'm not gonna sell something that's not gonna work for you - it's not only my company's name on the line, but it's my name on the line. Word of mouth is a big thing, especially when it comes to sales. If somebody is not comfortable with me, that shows my lack of integrity. Transparency is also crucial - I want to lay out expectations when it comes to anything in life, whether it's career-wise with a client, letting them know what their path is going to look like with a service, or in my personal life with having a baby and being honest about my limitations. The transparency aspect is just being really authentic to yourself, and authenticity reads very well with people. That's how you build relationships.