IAM068 – Coach Helps Female Entrepreneurs Start & Scale Successful Purpose Driven Businesses

Ruth is an author, coach, mentor, and teacher who works with female entrepreneurs to help them start and scale successful purpose-driven businesses. She believes that success is down to a combination of mindset + strategy + action and works with her clients to help them in all of these areas. Ruth has worked with thousands of women worldwide and has been featured in national magazines and the press.

• CEO Hack: The Big Leap (Book) and operating in your “Zone of Genius”
• CEO Nugget: Don't give up. Take time out but don't give up. Resilience is key. Also, take care of yourself first.
• CEO Defined: Being in control of my destiny.

Website: http://www.ruthkudzi.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruthkudzi/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ruthkudzi/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/ruthkudzi/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/theempowermentcollective/

Transcription:

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:27

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Ruth Kudzi of Ruth Kudzi Coaching. Ruth, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Ruth Kudzi 0:37

Yeah, it's great to be here. Thank you. Are you getting the name right as well? I know it's quite difficult.

Gresham Harkless 0:41

Yes, I was trying for that one. But what I wanted to do is read a little bit more about Ruth so you can learn a little bit more about her. And Ruth is an author, coach, mentor, and teacher who works with female entrepreneurs to help them start and scale successful purpose-driven businesses. She believes that success is down to a combination of mindset plus strategy plus action and works with her clients to help them in all of those areas. Ruth has worked with 1000s of women worldwide and has been featured in national magazines and in the press. Ruth, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Ruth Kudzi 0:48

I'm ready. Yeah, I'm ready.

Gresham Harkless 1:17

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, what I want to do is just kind of pass you the mic and hear a little bit more about your CEO story and what led you to start your business.

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Ruth Kudzi 1:24

Okay, so I'm 40 years old now. So I first started the business when I was 15. I still events not always used to have what people will call a side hustle. So when I was studying at university or college, as you call it in the States, I used to steal I used to put on events, and I used to do various other things for myself as a business. But then I definitely had this mindset that I needed to get a proper job because these would never be like sustainable businesses. So I went into and got a proper job, and continued to do things on the side for a long, long time. And it was about three years ago that I was like, I've actually qualified business teacher, I'd have businesses for all this time. And my students used to say to me, why don't you have your own business? Why are you doing this?

And I remember I had a particularly bad day. And they said that to me. And at the time I had just gone back after maternity, and I had a one-year-old daughter. And I was like, why am I doing this, but I don't enjoy it. And you know, I don't ask that if I don't enjoy all of it. Is there something else I can do? And so I went back and I looked at all of the things that I did, and I did all that how you're meant to do it looks everything I did looked at everything I enjoyed. And it was always coaching. It's something that I've been doing throughout my whole career. So then I was like, Okay, I'm gonna do this.

So it took me about six months to get my first client during the time I became pregnant for a second time. So I was really like battling like, Okay, I just keep having babies. I have only got two. And, yeah, I just was like, I don't want to be working for somebody else who's gonna keep telling me what to do. And I don't actually want to be doing these things that I don't enjoy. Because when you're in a job, you have to do everything. You can't say, Well, I'm not very good at admin. So can somebody else do that? And I'm not very good at this. And so I really craved that kind of freedom, where I made my own decisions, but also, where I was able to get somebody to help me with the things that I don't like.

Gresham Harkless 3:21

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And that's obviously an awesome story. And especially you having the courage to be able to take that step, because a lot of people may not like where they're at whether it be their jobs, or whatever positions or whatever they're in, and they might just kind of stick with it, so to speak, and not decide to make a change. So that's awesome that your career students, but also you took it upon yourself to kind of make that change. So what I wanted to do was drill a little bit deeper and ask you like, how exactly do you help kind of serve and work with the clients that you work with?

Ruth Kudzi 3:48

So I do lots of different things. So I'm definitely what people call multi-passionate, all I've just got are lots of ideas. So from on a basic level, I start working with people in my membership. So that's kind of like a low, a low price commitment. And they get, it's a lighter touch for me. So they get resources, they get some support for me, and they get support from an associate coach who works with me. And that's really to help people stay accountable for their goals. And to give them kind of they have events every quarter.

So that's kind of like a real startup giving them resources like sit Yeah, really simple things like, hey, what's the difference between a Facebook page and a Facebook group? How do you set up your first webinar? What's a landing page? Yeah, how do you? How do you get on podcasts, like all of those kinds of fundamental things? And even before that, what are your goals? And what does success look like? So that's my membership. And then I have a great program, which is kind of an extension for that, which is when people have got one client that they really want to start going into that consistent and again, they kind of have teaching modules and then coaching so they haven't combined, they learn and then they're coached through any problems that they've got.

And they have one-to-one coaching and I Have a mastermind, which is kind of a combination of the last of it. And I do events. So a lot of it is kind of teaching, teaching new concepts, teaching things that I've done teaching theory. And then on top of it, the coaching, which is about really drilling down for them about what's going on, and what's stopping them. Because I always say you have all the strategy in the world. But if your mindset is wrong, you're not going to do anything. And they hate the word mindset in the UK, by the way.

Gresham Harkless 5:25

Do they, why so?

Ruth Kudzi 5:26

They don't get it,

Gresham Harkless 5:26

I didn't know that.

Ruth Kudzi 5:28

They don't really get it. I know, in the States, everyone gets a mindset. In the UK, you have to explain it in different terminology. So you'll be like, so you make sense about what's, you know, the obstacles that are stopping you, and you talk about in a different way, because they don't my mindset.

Gresham Harkless 5:44

Interesting, interesting. Well, Well, I was about to say mindset is huge. Like, you'd be maybe it's because I'm in the States, but I feel like that kind of lays that foundation, but it's good that you have you know, all those different tiers, depending on how people might want to interact with you whether you know, is joining as a member or actually having the minds the, the mastermind groups that you have, or if it's one on one coaching, but you have all those tiers where anybody can kind of help you can kind of help anybody to reach their goals.

Ruth Kudzi 6:13

Yeah. And I think it's people who work through them. And some people, you know, we talked about money mindset, a lot. And I know that it's a big thing in the UK and the states and wherever you are. But I think that the buying mentality is slightly different in this country, and people generally want to get to know you. So if you've got low-priced offers, it works really well because people get to know you and form a relationship with you. And then they'll move up when it's appropriate. So it works with different personalities as well, because some people just, don't feel like they can spend straight away.

Gresham Harkless 6:44

Yeah, it makes perfect sense that they want to kind of like dipping their toes in to see how it probably how the relationship works for one, but also to how it impacts what they're doing a smaller level. And then they can always scale up and have a deeper conversation.

Ruth Kudzi 6:58

Exactly, exactly.

Gresham Harkless 6:59

Awesome. awesome. awesome. Well, now I wanted to ask you for what I call, your secret sauce, or kind of like, what do you feel makes you unique or kind of distinguishes you as an entrepreneur and business owner?

Ruth Kudzi 7:08

I think that for me having the mindset, so I've got a master's in psychology, and I was a deputy head teacher of a school. So I used to do a lot of work in mindset, and how people learn and how people develop. And I think that's really helped me with working out, you know, helping people with their mindset. So I think that's quite unique because lots of people don't have that mindset or background.

And I think also about being able to break things down in a way that works for people because I used to teach 14-year-olds how to run businesses. So lots of business, business coaches have never run a business, and I've got no idea about the strategy. So I can help people that actually know why this works. And the theory as well as the practical. Because there's no point in having a theory if it doesn't work, but often with the practical people don't get why they're doing things. So I think bringing that combination really helps.

Gresham Harkless 8:04

Yeah, absolutely. And I think too like you kind of touched on the fact that you taught like the 14-year-olds, a lot of times, as you mentioned, you were all kind of 14-year-olds in some way, shape, or form. If we're just starting a business never thought about running a business, but we're really good at our craft. We're very advanced in our craft, but we may not be advanced in the business and the in understanding like Avatar, and like you said landing pages, all these things that you have as resources we might be 14 or younger.

So you being able to kind of have the opportunity for people to kind of learn and develop and be able to teach people, those things kind of helps them to kind of grow and expand it and of course help them to be more successful.

Ruth Kudzi 8:39

Yeah, definitely.

Gresham Harkless 8:40

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Ruth Kudzi 8:41

It's all about learning and developing as well, isn't it?

Gresham Harkless 8:44

You can definitely lose sight of that. So what I wanted to do was switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or habit that you have. But it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Ruth Kudzi 8:56

Oh my gosh, okay, so every sick person, but every CEO should read the book, The Big Leap. I don't know if you've read that. But when you read about it, it talks about your zone of genius, which is the area that you operate in, and you operate in really, really well. Now, your zone of genius, you stop yourself, you have these things called upper limit problems, that when things are going really, really well you self sabotage.

Now, I read this book about two years ago for the first time, and it was like I was coming home. I was like, Oh my gosh, that's my I've been doing it. So I would highly recommend anyone to read that. Because not only does it even if you're not a CEO, you a CEO, it makes you refocus and think, Okay, why am I wasting time, you know, doing something that I'm really not very good at? And we all do it. We might spend hours researching how to do something in the house, and then you know, try and do it ourselves. And we can't put up a shelf now we've wasted like two days and we could have paid someone to come in and do it for us and it would have been like 100 dollars or 100 pounds.

And so it's we're not valuing our time to the two things. That's like the upper limit problem when you stop yourself. And it's also that like, operate at the things that you're really good at the other things, get someone else to do them. Because if you're thinking about your time and money, you're basically wasting time, if you're doing all of those, and you're wasting money.

Gresham Harkless 10:19

Yeah, and that's huge. And especially because time is one of those things that you can't get back. And you've been able to kind of delegate and find other people that have that zone of genius, maybe where you don't have it, and they're able to hire them or delegate to them, or do whatever you can do can kind of help you be more effective and efficient and make you be more successful because you are focusing on your own Zona genius.

So I think that's a phenomenal CEO hack. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this might be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice that you might have for entrepreneurs and business owners.

Ruth Kudzi 10:48

Do not give up, when it gets really bad. Take some time out. And I mean, like the rest of the day, but do not give up if you're passionate. Resilience really is one of the number one indicators of success. Because though there are probably many people who are better than you, but probably many people who are more talented, but they gave up. So don't give up, keep going even when it gets tough.

Gresham Harkless 11:14

I love it. I love it. And like you said, you know, a lot of times you have people that are more talented and maybe have more money, maybe have more backing, but sometimes people will quit. And usually, the people that continue on and reach that level of success are people that just you know, kept going with it whether it was ups or downs or highs and lows. They just kind of push through

Ruth Kudzi 11:30

100% Yeah,

Gresham Harkless 11:31

Absolutely, awesome. So now I wanted to ask you what is my favorite question, which is kind of like the definition of being a CEO. And we're hoping to have on inviting different types of CEOs to this podcast. So I want to ask you specifically what being a CEO means to you.

Ruth Kudzi 11:45

I think being a CEO means being in control of my destiny, it means being able to make choices to move my business forward and to move my life forward. And it means having the freedom to do whatever I want today.

Gresham Harkless 11:57

Absolutely. I love that. I love that definition, and it hits home. So Ruth, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic so to speak, to see if there's anything additional, you want to let our readers and our listeners know and how best people can get a hold of you.

Ruth Kudzi 12:11

Okay, I would say I mean, I've touched on it a bit. Mindset is so important. Resilience is so important. So do things that make you feel good every day, like work out. I'm in my workout gear at the moment, but work out you know, eat properly, sleep, all of those things will make you a better entrepreneur.

So take care of yourself first. They won't say put your own life jacket on first. Now my name is Ruth Kudzi. I think I'm the only person who called it in the whole world. So I'm ruthkudzi.com. I'm and then I'm RuthKudzi on all social media, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter. So it's quite easy to find me.

Gresham Harkless 12:49

Awesome, awesome. And just in case, we'll have links in the show notes so anybody can click through and follow up with you, Ruth, I truly appreciate you for all you're doing and all the awesome things you're helping people out with. And I just hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Ruth Kudzi 13:01

Thank you, you too. I really appreciate being on here. Thank you very much.

Outro 13:05

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at the cameo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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