Kim Brock 00:00
You know, at some point I’ve heard like where you don’t have to do all the things. And really, you know, you want to work in your area of expertise, and you know, your zone of genius and all that. I’m like, Well, I, you know, I know a lot of people who they’re great at design. And so it’s a lot easier to collaborate. And then I’m like, Well, I have someone who’s great at design, they’re doing that part. I can collaborate and I can work on the back end. And you know, do the development for them. And then whatever we come up with is going to be greater because we’re both using our strengths, which is really cool.

Sam Munoz 00:40
Welcome to Making website magic, where we empower women to step boldly into their web design, businesses follow their intuition and claim the success they’re worthy of. I’m Sam Munoz.

Karyn Paige 00:50
And I’m Karen Page, where the Tech Wizards behind Sam Linnaeus consulting and the making website Magic School of Business. Were two women here to talk about what it actually takes to run a web design business that’s aligned with your vision.

Sam Munoz 01:03
Spoiler alert, it probably isn’t what you think it is ready to hear about everything from refining your business vision, networking with intention and creating a magical client experience.

Karyn Paige 01:12
Let’s do it.

Sam Munoz 01:19
Hey, Sam here. Before we start this episode, I wanted to give a little bit of an introduction. I am so delighted to share an interview Karen and I did with our lovely mentee Kim Brock. Kim is an animal loving web developer who works with women web designers to make their visions come to life. During our interview, we chatted about balancing a full time job while growing a web development business. The value of knowing if you want to focus on an ideal client or an ideal type of project, and how to move through things that scare you. We also celebrated Kim’s many wins in the making website Magic School of Business mentorship, as she shared how her business shifted and transformed over our six months together. I can’t wait for you to listen and Kim is such a pleasure. And we do talk about cheetah print, and animals and hamsters and all fun things tech. So enjoy. Hey, Karen. Hey, Kim. Hey, Sandy guy. Yes, you heard that I have introduced someone else. This is Kim Brock. She was a mentee in the making website, Magic School of Business mentorship, and she’s here today we’re going to be talking to her getting to know the human side of her getting to know the professional side of her talking a little bit about the mentorship and what that has looked like and her transformation and her journey in that. And I’m just so excited to talk to you. I mean, I know you personally, but I love to just share your story and hear more about it. And also talk about your journey in your business. So I think we should just jump in. Does everybody that sound good to everyone?

Karyn Paige 02:54
Yeah, yeah, for sure. I’m definitely excited to talk shop, talk all things web design and development was someone who is also in this work. So yeah, let’s get into it.

Sam Munoz 03:06
Yes. Okay. So we have some questions. But you all know, on the podcast, we could try to keep it more conversational and loose. But to just guide us along and you know, start the conversation. Why don’t we have you, Kim, tell us, you know, just take some time to introduce yourself.

Kim Brock 03:21
So I’m Kim. I am a web developer. And I’ve done it for a little bit of time. Now. I was funny, I was just having a conversation with my husband. We’re talking about kind of our favorite like Christmases as a kid. And we’re trying to remember like, okay, like, what did we get as a kid that we like, really, you know, can remember and really enjoyed. And I dug up this memory where I had gotten this, like, Kid laptop. And so it was just like, is like this V tech thing from the 90s. And, you know, had like trivia and it had some games on it, but it had basic on it. And that was kind of like my first experience with code was like coding on this little child laptop. And like learning some basic stuff. And like, you know, print hello world and all the things and so that was like a memory I dug up recently. That was really cool. But I’ve been doing web design kind of on the side for a few years now. And I’ve been loving it. Yeah, yes.

Karyn Paige 04:23
I love that. Kim, you’re like, I’m not new to this, I’m sure to this. I’ve been about that life since I was a kid. Yeah.

Sam Munoz 04:29
I absolutely love that I like resonates so hard with the being a kid. I mean, we’ll call it a nerd like everybody’s a nerd in some way. But like nerding out about coding, because, you know, I played Neopets, and that was like my introduction to coding. And I just think that’s so fun that like you just kind of gravitate towards things from an early age I think you know, not always but in your case. Definitely. How fun is that? I think they still sell those by the way. I was looking at getting my daughter one recently. Yeah V tech. They’ve evolved But you’re cool.

Karyn Paige 05:01
Okay, So Kim, kind of like thinking about who you are as a person and getting started just on your journey into business, like, what kind of things were you doing before you started your business?

Kim Brock 05:15
Yeah, so I am currently a manager to doggy daycare. And I I’ve kind of had, like, I’ve had two lives where, you know, I went to college for graphic design for a little bit, and kind of found out that wasn’t the path I wanted to go down. And like, you couldn’t really go to college for web design. You know, back in that day, we won’t say what, what year that was. But yeah, I just found that, you know, that wasn’t the path I was gonna go on. And I really loved animals. And I had started, you know, working part time working at a pet store, and just ended up falling in love with, you know, all the animals and all the dogs and following that path, which eventually led me to where I’m at now, which is, you know, managing a doggy daycare. So that’s kind of what I’ve done. But then I’ve also really loved web design. And I’ve done that kind of on the side just more for something fun to do, you know, a little extra money and just kind of stretching that muscle, because I just couldn’t stay away from it. I’ve loved doing it. In high school, I started doing web design, just for fun. That was like the days of Claris Homepage, in Dreamweaver, and geo cities, and you know, all that kind of stuff. And, you know, he’s doing it for fun, but then I was connected with someone who was doing a lot of websites for local businesses, and he needed some help. And so I was helping him kind of develop some of these sites. And, you know, I kind of put that away for a little bit. And then when I was really looking for wow, I miss miss doing that, and being able to really, you know, nerd out and see, you know, type some code and then turn around and see it, make something cool that you can use

Sam Munoz 07:05
Isn’t that the coolest part about writing code is especially like this kind of code, because obviously, there’s different levels, right? There’s like the way back end stuff. There’s like, you know, the databases, and the sequel and all of that. But then there’s the stuff that just makes things come to life, like you just write this piece of code. And now the thing is blue. I feel like those are two different types of coding people. So would you put yourself more on like that user interface? But like, there’s the very front end? And then there’s the back end of the front end? Would you put yourself like that? Like, that’s your your sweet spot?

Kim Brock 07:36
I think so.

Sam Munoz 07:37
Nice. That’s cool. And how did you I’m really curious, because I don’t think that I knew that you had studied graphic design, like what do you think? Not necessarily like the difference between like, the web designer and the web developer, but maybe where do you gravitate towards now in your business?

Kim Brock 07:54
Yeah, for sure. I definitely, right now gravitate more towards the developer, you know, I worked on the designed in a little bit. And I felt like that was a harder muscle for me to stretch where you know, the code and a little bit of stuff on the back end, and just making all of that come together. And work is just right where I want to be, and then that design part, I love seeing it. But I just that’s a skill, I’m still kind of developing.

Sam Munoz 08:23
I think that is such a helpful thing for people who are listening to here is like, you don’t have to do all the pieces, you can have like the piece that you’re really interested in, that you’re really good at, and you naturally gravitate towards. And that can be the thing, right? And then maybe later on as your business grows, you can either grow in those other areas, or you can partner up with other people. And you can even do that at the beginning partner up with other people who do have those strengths. And then together, you can create a final product. And I think that there’s this tendency, we talked about this, I want to say it’s Episode 17, right, Karen or episode seven, I feel like there’s a seven in there about not offering everything as a web designer. And Kim is a perfect example of offering like the thing that you’re good at, and letting that be your business model. And I just think that that’s so cool. And it’s just again, it’s a reminder that this is a possible path for someone that’s listening. So thanks for sharing that.

Karyn Paige 09:19
One of the things that I loved about working with you in the mentorship Kim is like, you had a pretty clear idea of like, what you’re interested in what you weren’t interested in and like what you desired to do, and like what really didn’t let you up. And so I feel like watching you kind of go in the direction of like, really determining I like the web development part. So that’s what I want to focus on. And then it was like you have this like context for yourself. And so then the decisions that you made, were always like, having the idea that web development is the thing would you agree that like that helped you kind of figure out what avenue you wanted to go down with your business?

Kim Brock 09:57
Yeah, for sure. Just knowing, you know, all the parts that I loved, and, you know, at some point I’ve heard, like where you don’t have to do all the things. And really, you know, you want to work in your area of expertise, and you know, your zone of genius and all that. I’m like, Well, I, you know, I know a lot of people who they’re great at design. And so it’s a lot easier to collaborate. And then I’m like, Well, I have someone who’s great at design, they’re doing that part, I can collaborate, and I can work on the back end, and, you know, do the development for them. And then whatever we come up with is going to be greater because we’re both using our strengths, which is really cool.

Sam Munoz 10:39
Yes, that’s so awesome. Like you’re both using your strengths. In fact, I think that this is a perfect time to have you tell us like what your identity statement is. And obviously, this is something we’ve worked on in the mentorship and you’ve been continuing to cultivate, but do you want to take a minute and like, tell us what your identity statement is, and who you work with, because this directly relates to what you just said,

Kim Brock 11:02
for sure. So I work with women, web designers, making sure that they are supported. So a lot of times that is going to be really focusing on helping them develop something, so they might create a mock up, and then I will bring that to life for them.

Sam Munoz 11:18
And that is so fun. Because your client is different than maybe someone who works with another business owner, like a service provider, or a florist, or you know, this is where it really becomes important knowing who you want to serve. Because the person that you want to work with has a different understanding of what you do than someone who is not in like the world of web design and development. And that is critical, right in order to communicate your services communicate what you do, how valuable it is, all of the packages and all that stuff. So knowing the the client, and the ideal client, the person that you were wanting to work with is absolutely important. So Kim works with web designers, women, web designers, which I love that specificity. Do you want to talk a little bit about how you came to center on women web designers? Because you know, we have a special place in our heart for those women in this industry? Yeah, for sure.

Kim Brock 12:11
So I part of it is I have followed a lot of, you know, really awesome women, web designers, Sam and Karen being two of them. And just seeing, you know, they’re very woman focused business. And I’m like, that’s so cool. And, you know, there’s not, there’s just not a lot of that competition. It’s more helpful when I’ve seen like, all these very women centered businesses. And then I’ve had just some bad experiences over the years where it’s always any negative experience I’ve had usually has been, you know, a dude, a tech, bro, where they’re like, Oh, well, you know, are you are you a web developer or a lot of the tech bros are very centered on saying, you know, who gets to tell you that you’re a web designer, or web developer and claim that title? And I’m like, Well, if you’re doing it, you are Amen. You don’t need someone to come but so that on you, but they have a very, you know, you have to hit all these you have to be a full stack developer to be able to use this title. And you know, it’s just a little crazy. It’s

Sam Munoz 13:21
a bit arbitrary. Yeah. Like, if

Kim Brock 13:22
you’re building a website, there, you’re, you’re there.

Karyn Paige 13:26
Yes, Kim. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Like you really set it in literally the simplest terms I’ve ever heard it like, if you’re doing it, you are like, if you’re, if you’re building a website, you’re there. And we can all relate, like, anyone who’s listened to this podcast can already knows that, like, yeah, we’ve had bad experiences in the space, like not really feeling welcomed or feeling like, we have something to prove, because other people want to put labels on us or whatever. And it’s just like, you don’t have to accept that as your reality. And then you can choose to say, I want to work with this type of person or this community because it’s a safer space, it’s a more inclusive space, like I can be myself and like be supported and celebrated. And it is okay to make a decision like that in how you want to run your business.

Sam Munoz 14:16
And I think that something this brings up for me, too, is just this idea of the thing that we talked about on the podcast all the time about, like you get to decide what’s right for your business, and just moving in the space and in the direction that just feels good. I don’t know, I was drawing up this diagram today about like, what’s working and what feels good. And the intersection of that being what you focus your attention on. And I don’t know there’s something in me that’s like, maybe this is wrong, and like my mind is telling me that like, it shouldn’t be so easy and maybe you shouldn’t move in the direction of what feels good but you know what, I’m sure that there’s some societal capitalism. Patriarchy stems there that are just saying like, it has to be hard. You have to not like your John, all of those things, but the fact that you’re now moving into a space where you’re like, I’m working with women web designers, because that feels good, because that feels right for me. And also choosing to work with web designers versus doing that whole thing, like we just talked about, like, all those small choices that you’re making are creating a business that is in the most direct alignment with how you want to run it, instead of making it be based off of all the shoulds. Because if you were shooting on your business, you might say, well, I should also do web design. And if you’re shooting on your business, you might also say, well, I should be working with men too. Because why should I exclude men? You know what I mean? But you’re allowing yourself to just move in that direction, which I just think is so cool, and so powerful to just do business the way that you want to do it. Totally. So Kim, what platforms do you typically develop in and in collaboration with for web designers?

Kim Brock 15:58
Yeah, right now my focus is WordPress. I’ve loved working with that good, really customize it. And I just love all the options it has. But I’m also a huge nerd. So I love learning new stuff. Someone that I’m working with right now, I was asked like, Oh, do you do Squarespace? And right now I haven’t, but I’m like, I can. I was like, yeah, like we could do that. So I’m definitely interested in learning, learning more stuff. And I’m pretty open to learning anything new, but my focus is WordPress.

Sam Munoz 16:28
Very cool. Really quick. Have you guys seen friends? Are you guys friends? Watchers? Oh yeah. Okay, great. You know, Mr. heckles, who, like, you know, comes up from coolers of stairs? He lives downstairs, right? Because they are always stumped.

Karyn Paige 16:41
Does he know cuz he’s, yeah, cuz he’s already has the he’s always been with the broom, right? Yeah.

Sam Munoz 16:44
But he goes, you know, he comes up and he complains. And he’s like, Oh, my cat can’t sleep or whatever. And they’re like, you don’t have a cat. He’s like, I could have a cat. The way that you said that was like, I can do that. You need squared like, I could do that. And that is something that I totally got from you over these last six months in the mentorship was like, Kim is so much more than WordPress. Kim is a problem solver, right? Like you are, I think part of your like tagline is like, back end goddess, right? So it’s like you you see a problem and you solve the problem. And I think that that is a super versatile skill. And would you say that, that means that you kind of prioritize the client or the project in terms of like, deciding if you want to say yes,

Kim Brock 17:28
yeah, typically, if you know if there’s some solution that the client needs for a project, and it’s not WordPress, I’m definitely open to it.

Sam Munoz 17:38
So like, right client, whatever they need. Yeah. And that’s something that we talked about, right is like, you kind of have to decide in order to really niche but not really just own the whatever space you want, you kind of have to decide, like, do I care most about working with this particular client? Or do I care most about like doing this particular project? Let’s say like a membership site, but I don’t really care who it’s for. It could be for floristic? Why is it keep coming up? I don’t know. It could be for florists. It could be for coffee shop owners. It could be for linguists, it doesn’t matter, or I want to work specifically with coffee shops, but I’ll do anything for them. Having like one or the other, I think can be very helpful. So it sounds like you’re on the client side. Okay, for sure.

Karyn Paige 18:17
And I remember to like getting started with you in the mentorship. Like one of the the first, like statements you made was just like, you know, what, if I don’t know something, I’ll figure it out. Like, I’ll find the solution. I’ll get to the bottom of it, you know, and so that that attitude is definitely served you well, but can also see that now like in what you said, like yes, WordPress is the the platform that I’ve used the most. And also, yeah, I can get into some Squarespace and get to the solution that is so true about your story and how you run your business and just your approach to everything.

Sam Munoz 18:50
And when that happens when you come across a problem that you don’t know the answer to like, what is your process for solving that problem? Like, what do you typically do?

Kim Brock 19:00
The first step is, for me is usually just kind of take a step back, take a little break, and come back to it because sometimes that helps. And you’re like, oh, wait, I forgot that semicolon, or you’re like, oh, wait, it was it was just some setting that I had wrong. But you know, after taking a step back, and you’re like still having that problem, I would start Googling it. Try to find a resource. Sometimes that’s going to be you know, reaching out to a pal who knows more than you about it. And they’ve probably already encountered that problem. And just really, you know, Google it, crowdsource it, and you’ll be able to figure it out. Awesome. Yep.

Sam Munoz 19:37
Yeah, that’s very sound advice.

Karyn Paige 19:39
That is like the developers way, you know what I mean? It’s like, take a break, check your syntax, check your grammar,

Sam Munoz 19:46
and then hit up Stack Overflow,

Karyn Paige 19:48
and then just Google it because that’s that literally is the developers way.

Sam Munoz 19:53
And okay, so I would love to transition a little bit into talking kind of like bridging the gap between you professionally you as a whole And then more about like your experience over the last six months working with us, we don’t want to just like just talk about like the mentorship, but more. So like your transformation and like how you came in working with us and where you are now. Because I do want to make sure that the listeners understand that you are coming into the mentorship, not brand new from a skills perspective, but you are restarting your business. Right. So do you want to talk a little bit about that? And like, maybe what made you say, you know, what, now is the time for me to get back into this. So can you tell us a little bit about that? And give us you know, more of the backstory?

Kim Brock 20:36
Sure. Yeah. So I had been subcontracting for someone fantastic. And she decided she was going to kind of put that part of her business aside and focus on other stuff. So she wasn’t doing any one on one client work anymore. And at that point, it was right when I was buying a house, and I was like, okay, like, I’ll put this on pause, you know, focus on buying my house and focus on life and stuff. And then I’ll come back to web design, you know, come back to web development. And it had been on pause for a while there was a couple times where I was like, Oh, I’ll try to do this, I’ll try to do that. I didn’t really give it like a great go. But I had always had that goal to restart and be doing web development. And so it was always kind of a goal in the back of my mind. And then when you both had reached out about the mentorship, I was like, Yep, this is exactly what I need. And I really just signing up for it. I was like, Yes, this is such a good chance just to kind of hit the reset button, and go full speed ahead and reboot and just really give it my all

Sam Munoz 21:45
you would use that phrase reboot. Yes. So how long had it been from the last time you did any web development work to when you join the mentorship? Do you know?

Kim Brock 21:58
Yeah, I mean, doing any thing official that I think that was 2018 when I kind of put everything on ice. And then you know started up the mentorship in 2021.

Sam Munoz 22:09
Nice. Okay, so you were coming in kind of fresh. And another thing that’s really interesting about Kim and I just love this because you’re such a testament to the value of relationships, which we’re going to get to when we talk about like, what’s happened since you joined the mentorship. But you were also coming into the mentorship with no, like, social media presence for your business, right?

Kim Brock 22:32
Yeah, yeah. didn’t have anything that was one of my goals. I was like, Okay, I’m gonna set up probably an Instagram, maybe a Facebook, get something set up and get going. But that was one of the things where in my business, I didn’t really do a whole lot of marketing or outreach or, you know, I just used a couple connections, I had to be doing work, and that was about it.

Sam Munoz 22:55
Do you feel like you gravitate towards that kind of thinking about that same idea of like, what’s working? And what do I you know, what do I gravitate towards naturally? Do you feel like you gravitate towards those kinds of kind of more one on one connections? And do you think there’s a reason you might? For sure,

Kim Brock 23:10
I’m not sure what I’m sure there’s a reason. But I don’t know. I’m just a very loyal person. And I’m a very, you know, I, I feel like I make pretty strong connections to people. So it’s like, once I’ve decided, you’re my person, you know, we get along great, then that just tends to be what I gravitate towards.

Karyn Paige 23:32
Yeah, I feel like that in and of itself. What I’m hearing there is like, Kim’s really good at like, one on one connections. It’s not a superficial connection. Like it is a very like personal like, deeper connection. And it’s for the long haul, which is no surprise then that you’re like, Yeah, social media is not really the place where I make those types of connections. Because it because it can be challenging to actually get to the one on ones when you’re spending a lot of time like marketing and things like that. And I don’t know, I just I feel like hearing what you just said is it kind of reinforces stuff that we’ve talked about on the podcast before where it’s like, there’s another way to to make connections with people. And it doesn’t have to be on social media. If you’re like, that’s just not my thing.

Kim Brock 24:21
I mean, social media can be a great way to kind of start that connection, but you’re, I don’t think you’re going to be able to dive too deep on there. Yet

Sam Munoz 24:30
so something that you did, and we and we saw you go out and try was putting yourself out there. How did you do that? Like what what were your when you said okay, like today, I’m gonna like make a connection. Like what were some of the strategies that you tried that helped you make that like initial touch point, so then you could create a deeper relationship with someone because I know that that’s something people struggle with is like, I just don’t know where to like find people to talk to. Do you have anything that worked for you?

Kim Brock 24:57
Really just letting everything When I know that, hey, I’m doing web development, I’m on the prowl for it if you know anyone, send them my way. And that really just kind of connecting with those people, seeing what they need, and then cultivating that connection, getting them on a discovery call just to be able to kind of chat and that was where I made a lot of my connection.

Sam Munoz 25:22
Yes. Okay. Can I just, we can totally cut this out. But you said on the prowl, and that made me think of the conversation we were having before we hit record, which was about your amazing costume from Halloween when you were a child. Can you share that, Kim? Because I feel like this will help our listeners get to know you more deeply and get to know your true animal love, because I think we kind of glazed over how much Kim is an animal lover and the fact that you used prowl is no, it’s not a coincidence, in my opinion. Tell us please get in.

Kim Brock 25:55
So yes. I don’t even know how we got talking about that. Other than apparently, we’re all into animal prints. Yeah. But yes, as a child I had my mom was really into cheetahs. And my mom made this awesome cheetah costume, and I pretty sure I used it for a couple Halloweens. And we went to Goodwill just to kind of like figure something out to make. And we found is fantastic. And it was like a women’s turtleneck and pants like women’s sized. And it was like leopard print. But it also had like leopard faces on it. And my mom edited that down to you know, be a child size cheetah costume somehow because she’s magic. And I know I have a picture of me and I’m wearing the pants, but like I’m wearing them. I don’t know, as a jumpsuit, I’m not sure how you would describe that. Like just my full child body in the pants. My hands are in the pocket. You know, the the waist of the pants is around my neck. So yeah, that’s my childhood love of animals. And also I am a huge dork. So

Karyn Paige 27:01
the living your full childhood Cheeto fantasy? Yeah, it’s also that is totally legitimately part of your universe, right? Like, you are an animal person, you know, like, even work that you’ve done. And also in your personal life. Can we take a moment to talk about your hamster mom life?

Kim Brock 27:20
Oh, yes, yes. So I do have quite a few hamsters. I have seven right now. And then I think this is a few weeks before Christmas, when we’re recording this. There’s some babies that I know of that are going to be ready around Christmas. And so that’s probably a Christmas present to myself as a little hamster, baby. But I have seven right now. And I end up adopting needy ones or special needs. So I have one that’s Toothless. And she’s ridiculous. I have adopted a couple that are aggressive. You know, because I feel like a lot of people have hamsters as kids and the experiences. Oh, they bite. Oh, they’re mean. And like, you know, they have mouths, they can bite. They can be mean. But sometimes, I feel like a lot of people don’t consider them as pets for adults. So I have seven and I try to work with them. So they’re fairly nice. But then I also have a dog, I have a crested gecko at fish tanks. So I just I wouldn’t feel like myself if I didn’t have a household of creatures.

Karyn Paige 28:22
Yeah. And I remember we talked about that in the mentorship. Like we’re always kind of like, well, what’s your universe? Like? What is the thing that kind of like you, you can use a little bit of your personality at different touch points in your business, right? And it was like, Kim is like a hamster mom, she’s she’s a helper, like I’m hearing in the thing. Like you’re like, I work with women web designers. Because if that’s not your thing, I got you, I’ll support you. Like we’ll work on this together. And I’m like, I hear you in your personal life. And you’re like, I’m out here saving all the hamsters who have special needs and needed actually a little bit of love like with shoe businesses shoe in life and you see that in your journey and even on some of your your like photos that you’ve used for your online presence with like the hamster mom mug, like again, it’s like, you’re not putting on like a thing of like, Oh, I like hamsters, like, no, it’s real. Like we’ve been on cause and there’s a hamster in your hand. Like it’s part of your world as part of your universe. It’s part of your business.

Kim Brock 29:20
Yes, for sure. I had yesterday when I was working on some client work. I have a hamster named Nacho. And He’s crazy. He’s like the only one who’s going to kind of cuddle and hang out with me. And I always say that he’s my sour patch. Good because sometimes he’s like super sweet and snuggly, and then sometimes he’s crazy. And I was at my desk and I scooped him up. And he was just sitting in my lap snoozing. And I don’t think I’ve ever really had him hanging out at my desk before and man he woke up and he was like, where am I? Usually it’s like we’re chillin on the couch. But I was just like, you know, working on a project working away and he kind of woke up And I was like, Oh, you’re my helper, buddy. I love that. He ended up crawling around my desk. And he was just like sitting on my laptop. I was like, Yeah, I need that to work. I need that, buddy.

Sam Munoz 30:09
So speaking of which, Kim, let’s talk about some of the transformations wins. And not just the outcomes, right? Because we talk about that a lot on the podcast in the mentorship, it’s like, it’s not always about the final result. It’s about like, the wins, that got you to where you’re trying to go little things like, I sent out a discovery call link, etc. So can we talk a little bit about like, what your journey was like in the mentorship? Because we briefly touched on how you, you know, how you were before? And what led you to joining in the first place. But can we talk about like, what was your experience as a whole moving through it? And maybe some of your wins throughout? You know, those six months?

Kim Brock 30:48
Yeah, so a lot of my wins, were really just stepping outside of my comfort zone, and reaching out. So, you know, my business was on pause. And so I hadn’t really been looking for anything doing any outreach, talking to anyone that I liked web development, or that I wanted to do web development. And so that was my first step was just saying, Hey, I’m doing web development. Do you know anyone who was interested, you know, anyone that needs help with something, sending out my discovery call link, getting some calls booked and just talking to people. And I’m super introverted. And so that was something where that was outside of my comfort zone. And knowing that I was like, Okay, I got to do some calls, may or may not get the job. And just going into it with the goal of the end result. And my goal was, Okay, I’m getting on the call, and I’m getting experience doing calls. Not necessarily, I’m going to book every job that I get on a call for, and really, just, you know, stepping outside of my comfort zone and getting some experience talking to people and talking about it more.

Sam Munoz 31:56
Yes, consistency in the right spaces. Yeah.

Karyn Paige 31:58
And I gotta say, Kim, like, you know, we would check in every week how things go, and like, what was a win for you this week, etc. And it was like, I always knew when I got to your contribution to that conversation, it was gonna be like, Oh, I got on a call, I got a call. It was like, the amount of practices you have being on calls, the amount of connections that you were making, I was always like, asking you like, where are you? Where are these people coming from? Like, like it, it was such a delight. Because for someone like you said, Who is introverted, who was just putting it out there and going out of your comfort zone, you were seeing a lot of calls come in, and you’re getting on a lot of calls, which like, it never ceases to, to impress and and I always bears repeating, like you were you were doing the thing. And every week, I was like, talking to another person sending out a proposal, once you got that ball rolling, like it was going.

Sam Munoz 32:54
And let’s not forget that you were working and still are working a full time job at the same time. How are you? And how did you balance those things? Like how did you decide out of all the things that we taught in the mentorship? Like, these are the things that I’m going to focus on? Because I think that they’re going to give me you know, the best results right now with the limited time that I have, how did you like make those decisions?

Kim Brock 33:14
Yeah, just making sure that I set aside time, you know, I have a couple of set days offering usually off like Tuesday, Fridays. And so I usually try to set some time aside to be like, Okay, this is what I’m going to focus on my web development business. And just knowing that my first step was reaching out to people and making connections, that was kind of my focus, and then depending on where I would be, I’d be like, Okay, well, my focus this week is I made that connection, and they want a proposal. And now I need to focus on getting that proposal to them. So just kind of shifting and making sure, I was very focused on my next step. You know, if it was a current day, you know, dealing with sending out a proposal or if I hadn’t had anything, and I was looking to make more connections, or following up with someone who, you know, I talked to a couple of weeks ago, just really narrowing it down to what was going to be the biggest contributor to that, basically,

Sam Munoz 34:11
I love that it’s like, this is kind of a random relation. But there’s this concept of minimalism. And as you’re like reducing the clutter in your home to just like, go where you naturally go, and then declutter there. So what I mean by that is like, if you’re brushing your teeth, you’re like, decluttering, the medicine cabinet, because you’re there. And so it makes me think that as we were going through this program, you were learning everything, right, because every every other week, we were bringing in new curriculum, we were talking about pricing and proposals. And then we were talking about discovery calls and all these different pieces, but it was like, I’m going to get to the proposal part when I have a proposal to send because you’re that’s like where you’re naturally going anyway, and so you didn’t waste any effort. You know what I mean? Like you put in the effort at the time that it was required, if that makes sense. And I think that that It’s such a smart way to move through a program like that where it’s like, I need to get to the point where I’m like, having the opportunity to send a proposal first. So let me apply all the knowledge around discovery calls and networking. And that’s what you were doing. And you did have like a high volume of discovery calls which gave you more practice, which meant that you were able to send more proposals when that time came. And I think that was such a smart way to approach a program like that, because you took what you needed when you needed it. And I think that because of that, that’s why you have such an awesome, you know, result that has happened or results that have happened through the programs. For example, can I share one of your exciting wins? Or actually, you know it, Kim, I would love for you to share your super exciting when that happened, like right before the program ended.

Kim Brock 35:48
I’ve had lots of exciting wins. Right now I just connected with a new client and the hopefully it’s going to be an ongoing relationship. So we’re working on a project right now. So that is awesome.

Sam Munoz 36:01
But you’re right, Kim, you have had a lot of exciting wins. So what were some of the other things that happened to yeah,

Kim Brock 36:06
I’ve had a lot of exciting wins a lot of just making new connections and sending out proposals, and really just like planting the seeds and getting making the connections, and we’ve been following up with them. So that’s been awesome. And it’s

Sam Munoz 36:22
such a good reminder to that, like, Karen, we had an episode about like slow growth and like the value of things taking time and like building solid foundations, because it’s just like a relationship or normal like everyday relationship that has nothing to do with business. Things take time. And you cultivate something over time, and you plant a seed, and it doesn’t sprout immediately. In fact, that’s called like bolting right? When it like sprouts too fast, and then it dies. So sprouting, you know, in its natural way, and like the natural progression that it should, is the best, most flourishing way for a plant to thrive. And that’s exactly what you’re doing is you’re planting seeds and cultivating those relationships. And it again, it was so cool and impressive to see you just like go out and try something and do it even afraid sometimes. Right? You want to talk a little bit about that, like those moments when you were feeling outside of your comfort zone. But you did it anyway. And you did it afraid. Do you want to talk a little bit about that?

Kim Brock 37:19
Sure. So yeah, I’m a very introverted person. And that was one of the reasons where I really had my business on pause was because I knew that I would have to be stepping outside of my comfort zone, to keep it going, you know, and get that started. So going into the mentorship, and really having that support and having you know, Sam and Karen cheer you on having your fellow mentees cheer you on, and just being able to go in and be like, okay, you know, I’m scared to do it. But we’re gonna do it, we’re doing it anyway. And like, the only only way you’re going to get better at as it is, by practice is by doing it more. And just by gaining that experience.

Karyn Paige 37:56
And then what did you notice, like on the other side of it, like when you went into something, even though you felt afraid, and you did the thing? After it was done, like, what did you notice? How did you feel?

Kim Brock 38:06
Usually, I noticed it was not as scary as I made it out to be. And I knew, like, Okay, that was the first step. And the second step is going to be a lot easier, because I’m just gonna keep building on it. And keep gaining that experience and just getting that practice in.

Sam Munoz 38:23
Was there something that you would do? Or is there something that you would do when you’re feeling nervous about doing something and nervous about taking action? Do you have like a practice or something that you tell yourself that gets you moving in that direction, because you know, what the outcomes will be, you know, how you’ll feel afterwards, but you’re still feeling you know, your mind is telling you, this is something to be afraid of? Is there something that you do to get you through that?

Kim Brock 38:49
Probably just taking time and sitting with that? And just focusing on breathing? Like, um, no, it’s, it’s going to be fine. And just kind of talking myself through it, usually, depending on what it is, if it’s like, I’m nervous about getting on a discovery call, I’ll just make sure I’ve prepared as much as I can, you know, thinking going through and thinking, okay, what are they going to ask me? And how am I going to respond to that? And so just kind of having some notes, having an outline, and then trying to be in control of it. So I know where that conversation is gonna flow.

Sam Munoz 39:22
How would you say you felt about discovery calls and the idea of doing them before the program? And then now after the program? Yeah,

Kim Brock 39:30
before the program. I was like, Oh, my gosh, a discovery call. I can’t do that. I can’t do that at all. And now I’m like, No, I can do it. It still might be scary, but I can do it. And I’m a little more in the driver’s seat about it.

Sam Munoz 39:45
Yeah, in the driver’s seat, because it’s your call. You’re leading it, right. Yeah.

Karyn Paige 39:50
And that’s a huge transformation to make a huge like, basically saying, This is not for me to say I can do this and I’m in the driver’s seat. Like that’s it huge confidence shift another one of your many wins. Yes.

Sam Munoz 40:05
I know I just epic fail. And, you know, trying to create a singular win out of all of the things that you experienced over these because you’re a human is six months of your life has passed, and you’ve had all of these evolutions that have happened, you’re growing and evolving. That’s what we do as humans. Was there something that happened in the mentorship or that you took away from the mentorship that maybe you weren’t expecting? Like when you signed up? You were coming in for a very specific thing, right? You’re like, I want to restart my business, need some guidance and support? I’m looking for the tactics and the tools. But was there anything that you took away from the mentorship that was kind of surprising, and not necessarily what you signed up for but a positive outcome?

Kim Brock 40:44
Yeah, I mean, I guess I knew it would be transformational, but I didn’t know what I came in, you know, my end goal was going to be okay, I’m going to my future will be I will be quitting my day job someday, you know, maybe a couple years down the road. And now I’m at the place where I’m like, nope, 2022 that’s when we’re doing it. So, I know, I’ve said to you guys before, I’ve declared like, 2022 is the year of the web job. So, you know, I feel like, in a short amount of time, I went from going, okay, you know, in a few years, and now I’m like, Nope, we’re there. It’s it’s gonna happen. I’m like, right on the cusp of it. Oh,

Sam Munoz 41:23
how does it feel to have that clarity to know like, this is what I’m doing. And this is when I’m doing it.

Kim Brock 41:29
Really good.

Sam Munoz 41:29
It feels really good. Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s so fun. And I like, I feel like I have that mantra too. For you, Kim. I’m like, It’s the Year of the web job, the year of the web job. I love that. Can I ask you like a more personal question? Of course, what do you think you learned about yourself? Over the past six months,

Kim Brock 41:49
I’ve probably learned that I am a lot stronger than I think, kind of going into the mentorship. You know, I work at a doggy daycare. So it’s busy in the summer and busy in the holidays. And I was like, well, it might not be a perfect time of year to start it. And really just being able to know that. Okay, I did, you know did all my regular life stuff. I did the mentorship stuff I focused on, you know, really reaching out and rebooting my business, just knowing all the things that I was able to do. I just feel like I’m a lot stronger than I had given myself credit for it first.

Sam Munoz 42:28
That’s awesome to know that of yourself, right to know that and to know what you’re capable of. And just say like, Yeah, I did that. And if you can do that, what can’t you do? Yeah.

Karyn Paige 42:38
And we see that in YouTube. 100. You’re incredibly strong. And you are on the prowl, you are on the prowl.

Sam Munoz 42:50
Which Speaking of which, Kim, obviously, as you said, In the beginning, your ideal client is a woman web designer. So I want to give you an opportunity on a platform to just talk about 2022, who you’re looking to work with what you can do for them own this space. This is your space. This is your time right now to talk about your business, please.

Kim Brock 43:13
Yeah, I work with women, web designers, and really focus on that development part. So if anyone is looking for a partner to collaborate with, they need some help with the development, some help with the tech, taking that off their plate, so they’re able to focus more on the design aspect and focus on booking clients and staying busy. That’s what I’m there for.

Sam Munoz 43:36
And where and how can they connect with you? Like where do they go? What is your primary place to connect with new clients?

Kim Brock 43:43
My website is Kimberly dash, Brock, calm. And then my Instagram is It’s Kim Brock. All one word.

Karyn Paige 43:51
Yes. And we’ll put all that in the show notes too. So you can find the links there? Yes, can you set it You named it you claimed it you own that space? Nicely done.

Sam Munoz 44:00
And you know what we see in the future in 2022, we see the year of the web job for Kim. And I just you know we talked about this as we are closing out the mentorship you know at our graduation and farewell call just about like sitting down and honoring yourself and honoring all of the wins that you’ve experienced all of the winds and all of your transformations, all of that dedication that you put into yourself and dwelling in that and anyone who’s listening make sure you’re dwelling in your wins just celebrating yourself and you know there’s so much that you can we can look at Karen just said this to me recently. She was like all the things went right in this project and you’re focusing on this one little error you may and I think we have a tendency to do that right? We have a tendency to like focus on like the one thing we didn’t do, but just taking the time to think about all of what you did all of the energy that you put in and having that perpetuate you for the forward movement of your business because we see great things for you Kim and you know everyone listening like connect with Kim whether you want to be a client or whether you want to just get in her severe and know her and her brain like, she is a problem solver. She is a great person to just have fun with animal person or not. But if you love animals, Kim is the girl to talk to. And yeah, thank you so much for being on this podcast for sharing your advice about moving through, you know, things that you maybe don’t feel confident about and all of the things that you shared your story and your experience with the mentorship. It has been a pleasure working with you over the last six months. And again, we just see such amazing things in your future. Yeah,

Kim Brock 45:37
thank you for having me.