Together, Tim and Kelly dive deep into what it means to grow beyond success, the distinction between doing and being, and how understanding your “currency” in life—what truly brings fulfillment—can change how you lead and live.
Listen to Episode 65
• Watch on YouTube
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
Evolving Leadership: Beyond the Metrics
Kelly describes her coaching work as “holding a flashlight” for business owners who have found success but feel stuck or unfulfilled. Her clients—often leading companies between $5 and $50 million in annual revenue—come to her not for more strategy, but for space to reflect, realign, and grow.
She explains that coaching isn’t therapy or consulting—it’s a partnership designed to help people understand their habits, stories, and beliefs so they can lead with greater awareness and authenticity. “Often, the thing standing between where you are and where you want to be is your own damn self,” Kelly says.
The Turning Point: Shifting from Doing to Being
In their conversation, Tim and Kelly unpack the emotional side of entrepreneurship. Kelly shares how founders often hit a point where they’ve achieved measurable success but still feel disconnected. That dissonance, she says, usually signals an opportunity—not for another business pivot, but for an internal one.
Through personal reflection and coaching frameworks, Kelly helps leaders identify their “limited self”—the patterns and beliefs that once helped them succeed but now hold them back. “Who you needed to be to start your business isn’t who you need to be to lead it,” she explains.
Building Elemental: Lessons from Google and Beyond
Before launching her own coaching practice, Kelly spent nearly a decade at Google leading global teams, followed by several years running a growth marketing firm. Despite the success, she realized she was “dealing in the wrong currency.” That realization led her to leave corporate life, move back to Montana, and redefine what success meant for her and her family.
Her husband Marcus—a Bozeman-based attorney—played a key role in supporting that transition. “Having a partner who keeps you grounded in what matters most is everything,” Kelly says. Their story underscores the importance of alignment, communication, and shared purpose, both in business and at home.
The Edge of Growth
Kelly shares how endurance running became a metaphor for her work and life. From mountain bike guiding in Chile to completing a 38-mile run in Zion, she’s learned that growth often comes from being uncomfortable and leaning into the unknown. “Sometimes you’re not scared because it’s wrong—you’re scared because it’s new,” she says.
Tim and Kelly discuss how physical endurance and emotional resilience mirror the entrepreneurial journey: both require awareness, pacing, and recovery. As Kelly notes, “We measure our success not by how hard we push, but by how well we recover.”
Finding Meaning in the Work
Throughout the conversation, Kelly and Tim reflect on what it means to build a business with purpose. For Kelly, coaching founders is about helping them realign with what truly fulfills them—not just revenue or recognition, but impact, balance, and authenticity.
Her advice to business owners: “If you’re feeling off or stuck, check your currency. Where are you spending, and where are you earning? Do they match what actually brings you joy?”
To learn more about Kelly and her coaching work, visit welcometoelemental.com.
About Mountain Mule Media
Mountain Mule Media is a production of Mountain Mule Transportation, connecting Montana businesses through authentic storytelling.
To explore more conversations or partner with the show, visit mountain-mule.com.
