Meet Katie Volk | Life and Mindset Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Volk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
I think the most important lesson that my business has taught me is that my own beliefs and intentions are the driving force for my business and how I experience the world around me. This quote from Henry Ford sums up that belief has become more ingrained over time: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”

I have seen this play out time and time again with myself and with other business owners. It perpetuates the belief that I am in charge of my business and of my life, instead of being subject to external factors. This means that I am in charge of my business and the sales it generates – not the election cycle, not only when the economy is good, ALL the time. This belief has served me well in the 3+ years that I have operated my business and it’s something I would love to share with EVERY business owner. Without those empowering beliefs of agency, focus, and determination, I would have given up long ago.

Let’s say that a business owner knows she needs to raise her prices for myriad reasons, but she keeps thinking that her clients will be upset and that higher prices will discourage new clients from coming on board. Everyone in her life is giving her reasons why it’s completely appropriate to raise her prices, as well as other businesses who have successfully gone through that process. If she continues to believe that people will be upset by the price increase, that’s what she will find. Her clients will be upset, she will definitely be upset, and the business suffers.

If she comes to truly believe that raising her prices is the best move at that time and can feel entirely confident about the decision, the price increase process will go smoothly, and she’ll think, “Why didn’t I do this sooner??” In that case, everyone wins, and the business can thrive and operate at an even higher level.

I believe that lack of faith or willingness to follow through in business processes or confidence in one’s own abilities or business is the top reason why business fail. That’s why I operate my business (and my life) from a set of principles that serve as my north star. They are:

1. Focus on what you want, not on what you don’t

2. Refusal to make decisions from fear

3. For every problem there exists a solution, even if I haven’t found it yet.

These principles are simple, but that doesn’t mean they’re always easy to follow. The important part is that I try every single day, and that has taken me farther than I ever thought possible!

What should our readers know about your business?
I own a coaching business that focuses on supporting women in several ways. The first is helping fertility challenged women heal their emotions so that they can finally get pregnant. The second is helping women who are constantly putting everyone else’s needs above their own, and struggle with setting boundaries and communicating their needs. The third is supporting teachers and educational staff with the challenges of teaching post-covid, so they can avoid burnout and thrive in their position.

What sets me apart from others is that I take a holistic approach to my coaching, understanding the connection between our mental, emotional, and physical health. I am a yoga instructor, certified personal trainer, and certified behavior change specialist. With so many tools at my disposal, I am able to look at the scope of a woman’s life to see how one area may be affecting the other.

It was not easy to build my business to this level. It’s taken years of experience and working with many clients to gain the knowledge and expertise that I use in my coaching today. It was trial and error when it came to marketing, offering coaching programs, and best serving my clients.

I overcame my challenges by keeping an open mind and by not giving up. I believe those are the 2 biggest determinants of my, or anyone else’s, success.

I want the world to know that every single person I’ve worked with (and me personally) experiences dysfunction in one or more areas of their life, it’s not just you! While this is not ideal, it is normal. We have more control over our thoughts, behaviors, and habits than we realize. I show my clients how to access new levels of control over their own minds, so they can feel empowered to set healthy boundaries, communicate their needs well, and greatly reduce stress.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to Downtown Bay City first. There are so many different locally owned shops that a person could spend hours walking from place to place and admiring all of the unique goods and clothing. There are plenty of wonderful restaurants like Old City Hall, Gatsby’s, and Barque BC. There are salons, and yoga studios, clothing botiques, florists, and unique gift shops. A highlight is several antiques stores, including the larges antique store in Michigan!

We would walk along the riverfront down to Uptown. There we would find a pilates studio, more clothing botiques, great restaurants, and an ice cream shop. We could grab coffee at Live Oak before pilates and shopping!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to recognize my husband Matt, for all of his support, encouragement, and faith in me during my entrepreneurial journey. He has supported and trusted me, even when my ideas seemed crazy and out of reach. He has boosted me during times of stress and confusion and encourages me to keep going. I couldn’t have started my business without his support.

Website: https://www.katievolk.com

Instagram: @katievolkcoaching

Linkedin: Katie Volk Coaching

Facebook: Katie Volk Coaching

Image Credits
Photography by B. Breann Marsh