The client i turned down this thanksgiving week

I had coffee last week with someone who seemed like a dream client.

Ten businesses. Multiple exits on the horizon. High-stakes decisions happening simultaneously.  The kind of complexity that requires both strategic thinking and operational precision—literally what I do.

We met at a networking event, hit it off, and scheduled a follow-up to explore working together.

That's when she said it: 

 "I'm only in this to make money. I want to maximize my wealth in the next six months. That's all that matters to me."

No interest in leadership development. Team dynamics? Not her concern. The kind of impact she'd make or fulfilment she'd find along the way? She was transparent—none of that mattered.

And I realized immediately: we weren't aligned.

Not because her goal was wrong, but because my work requires caring about the journey, not just the destination. And she'd made it clear the journey was irrelevant.

The Hidden Cost

I've sat across the table from founders who got exactly what they optimized for.

The exit happened. The number in the bank account had all the commas they'd dreamed of. 

Mission accomplished.

Except.

The marriage had ended somewhere in year three of the push. The kids barely knew them. Team members were disguised as friends but weren't real friends.  

And the feeling they described most often? 

Empty. 

Like they'd spent years climbing a ladder only to realize it was leaning against a façade wall.

"I wish I hadn't focused solely on the money," one told me. "We all think everything will fall into place after the exit. Instead, I celebrated for about 2 days and then wondered “now what” with no one to celebrate with when the dust settled and a feeling of vast emptiness that caught be by surprise and I truly didn't expect."

So many leaders focus on one variable and lost sight of all the others not realizing they are all interconnected.

Both… Not Either…

Here's what twenty years of working alongside leaders and building my own businesses has taught me: the best outcomes happen when you refuse to choose between profit and purpose.

Revenue and relationships aren't opposing forces. They're interdependent.

My work sits at the intersection of emotional intelligence and operational systems because that's where sustainable growth actually happens. 

Yes, I help leaders make high-stakes decisions and increase revenue. But we do that while simultaneously strengthening relationships, improving communication, and building something that feels fulfilling to lead.

When you build with both in mind, you get stronger vision, better systems, improved bottom line AND more freedom to focus your energy where it matters most. The journey itself becomes something worth experiencing, not just enduring until you hit some arbitrary financial milestone.

Three Questions for This Week

Thanksgiving seems like the right moment to pause and ask:

WHY are you doing what you're doing? 

Beyond the targets and the growth metrics, what makes this meaningful to you?

WHAT is your purpose beyond your business? 

If everything disappeared tomorrow, who would you still be? What would still matter?

WHO do you want to become through this leadership journey? 

Not just what you want to achieve, but who you want to be while achieving it.

These aren't soft questions. They're strategic ones.

Because the leaders who answer them honestly? They're the ones who build companies worth leading and lives worth living. They make decisions that compound in every direction—not just financially, but relationally, emotionally, purposefully.

They reach the summit, feel a deep sense of purpose, and actually have people they love standing there with them.

That's the kind of success that lasts.

If this resonated with you, I'd love for you to share this week's “in your corner” message with another leader who might need to hear this message this week. 

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on WHO you are becoming in your leadership growth journey.

Cheers to a Happy Thanksgiving Week!

As always, I am in your corner,

~ Kasey

P.S. If you're navigating a transition or high-stakes decision and want to build something sustainable in every sense of the word—not just profitable, but fulfilling—let's talk. I work with a small number of leaders each year who are ready to do both. Reply to this email or reach out, and let's explore if we're aligned in what true success really means.