Summary In this episode of the Meet Your Inspiration Podcast, Rich and Meri connect with Kathy Hayman, an inspiring entrepreneur, coach, and founder of Conscious Living, a digital platform for personal growth and conscious living. Through their conversation, listeners gain intimate insight into Kathy's life, from humble beginnings in a working-class family to multiple career transformations, deep life crises, and her journey into the coaching world and development of the Conscious Living app.The discussion explores how early life decisions shaped by practical considerations led Kathy from secretarial college to Citibank, where she became one of only two global experts in revolutionary trading simulation software. Her first major life crisis at 23, when her boyfriend died in an accident, catalysed a remarkable international career training currency traders across the world. At 28, Kathy took the entrepreneurial leap, founding an event management company that grew to nine employees and major pharmaceutical clients, before 9/11 devastated the travel industry and forced painful restructuring.Kathy openly shares navigating divorce while maintaining a friendship with her ex-husband, pivoting through property sales in Spain and Cyprus during the 2008 crash, and confronting a profound personal crisis that led her away from her strict religious upbringing. Through coaching, Reiki, and intensive self-development work, she discovered tools for transformation that would become central to her mission. Despite facing multiple bereavements, serious illness, and COVID challenges, Cathy emerged with renewed purpose, earning coaching certification from The Coaching Academy and NLP training.The conversation reveals the rocky path to launching the Conscious Living app with business partner Amanda, including costly technology failures and eventual change to the Skool platform. When Amanda withdrew due to illness, Kathy chose to continue alone, refocusing on B2B mental health support for small businesses. She emphasises how the seven principles of Conscious Living – including releasing blame, judgement, and limiting thoughts – proved essential in navigating these challenges.Keypoints• Growing up working-class meant university wasn't considered an option• Entrepreneurship requires courage to leap without guarantees• Professional coaching differs fundamentally from friendly advice• Small businesses need mental health support as much as large corporations• Legacy thinking drives the mission to lift others through community• Conscious living principles provide practical tools for navigating crisisKey interview moments00:00 Introduction to Inspiration and Empowerment02:00 Kathy's Early Career Journey05:41 Transitioning to Event Management12:19 Challenges and Changes in Business15:45 Navigating Personal Relationships and Business18:09 The Impact of Market Changes and Personal Struggles18:39 Navigating Personal Struggles and Transformation21:00 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Coaching25:51 Building a Coaching Business and Overcoming Challenges30:27 The App Development Journey and Setbacks37:40 Lessons Learned and New Beginnings43:33 Building a Community Through the App45:47 Navigating Challenges in Business Partnerships47:59 Exploring New Business Opportunities49:57 The Importance of Coaching and Mentorship53:09 The Role of Coaches in Personal Development57:39 The Value of Experience in Coaching01:01:16 The Impact of Coaching on Personal Growth01:05:24 Facilitating Others' Success01:07:56 Supporting Mental Health in the WorkplaceTo connect with Kathy:https://consciousliving.apphttps://www.linkedin.com/company/conscious-living-app/Our incredible sponsors:Hempstead House Hotel – https://www.hempsteadhouse.co.uk/What's On in Kent – https://whatsoninkent.com/iTrust – https://theitustapp.com/ Quote BOD for a 10% discount on the first year's membership