Some people think that the key to success lies within their daily routines. Do you agree with this, and if so, what is your daily routine?
Constraints and guardrails are a key to productivity and effectiveness. So many of the most successful people in the world seem to have a routine where they wake up early, meditate, work out, and do deep thinking work before anyone else is awake. Sometimes it can feel like figuring out how to follow this model is the singular key to success! Candidly, I’ve never been able to effectively get on that schedule, and I don’t have a standard daily or weekly routine. For me, it’s about being proactive and intentional with my time, and following through on my intention. Otherwise, it’s easy to end up moving from one task flying at you to the next. So the key is planning, setting intention around what you are trying to get done, and being transparent with your team and family about what you are prioritizing and how you are spending your time.
Looking back at your teenage years, did you have any entrepreneurial interests?
I was an incredibly active teenager between school, sports, journalism, and my political and artistic interests. I was a joiner who said yes and often found myself in leadership roles, because I have always been passionate about facilitating others to step into their excellence. I also always had a voracious appetite for learning about the stories of entrepreneurial people and writing about them. The more I was able to learn about the different types of entrepreneurs out there, the more I could see there was no one size fits all path, and I became encouraged to pull the threads of my own creativity and entrepreneurial instincts.
Is there a specific time of day when you feel most productive?
Late morning and late afternoon.
Do you think there is one character trait/skill that is important to have in order to become a successful entrepreneur in todays world?
Do you think there is one character trait/skill that is important to have in order to become a successful entrepreneur in today’s world?
Resilience. You can create the most air tight strategy and execution plan, and then COVID hits or SVB fails, and things you could never have anticipated or controlled require you to climb new mountains you didn’t know existed. Showing up and adapting day after day, week after week, is such a critical component of being a successful entrepreneur. The more reps you have navigating things that seem impossible and tackling that next challenge, the more confidence you will gain that you can always find a path forward.
Has being a woman in the business world affected you positively or negatively, and how so?
Our identities affect how we are perceived in every setting. Being a woman affects everything from the likelihood of raising capital for your business to how you are perceived as a manager, and that has certainly been true for me. In the earlier years of my career, I spent most of my time in environments where men were in charge and the cultural norms and standards were set by men, and I learned to deftly adapt and navigate through those spaces through the lanes that felt available at the time. In recent years, I’ve specifically sought out and spent more and more time in rooms of women actively supporting and advancing other women and working together to build the world we want to see. This has empowered me to believe I can make a difference not just by working within existing systems but by building new ones in partnership with likeminded people.
What is one major goal that you wish to achieve by 2030?
I want to have made a dent on the future of work and how humans are able to not just survive but thrive off of the work that they do.
Who is your biggest influence, and why?
My kids. I have 9 and 6 year old daughters, and I find inspiration to take risks as an entrepreneur in part to give them a model of trying and failing and trying again, while always learning and growing. In addition, I find so much overlap between being an excellent parent and being a world-class leader who coaches your employees into showing up as the best versions of themselves.
If you could pick one female entrepreneur, who would you say is your biggest inspiration?
I’m incredibly inspired by my good friend Susan Sierota. Susan has done it all from lead growth at large consumer companies, to found and sell her own companies, to coach leaders from seed through IPO to realize their full potential. Her ability to create business growth through culture and leadership is unparalleled, and she seems to always instinctively know the right next thing to do no matter how difficult the challenge. I am inspired daily by her resilience, kindness, and pure excellence!
What has been the most formative advice you have received and why?
Trust your divergent thoughts. If you think something is not quite right, pull the thread. No matter whether people think you are asking a dumb question or feel like a problem is solved, trust your gut to dig deeper. Finding a way to build a business that is non-consensus but right is where the biggest opportunities lie!
What has been the most impressive/memorable question anyone has ever asked you?
Tell me about something outside of work you are passionate about and why. You learn so much about how a person’s brain works by hearing them talk about something they love to learn about or do.
If you have siblings, are they also entrepreneurs?
Yes, both of my siblings are successful entrepreneurs and a huge inspiration to me. My sister founded and sold her own company and is now a successful venture capital who co-founded a women’s professional soccer team and is investing in women’s sports and leagues. She is changing hearts, minds, and culture through sports. My brother is a seasoned executive in ticketing, sports, and entertainment who has led multiple companies through massive revenue expansion and acquisition. He was a born entrepreneur and creative strategic thinker who has been starting businesses since our childhood. I could not be prouder and more grateful to get to travel this entrepreneurial path with them.
Do you think the drive to become an entrepreneur is born with or is learned?
Despite the fact that it is clearly in the blood in our family, I would still say both. 🙂 Ultimately, there are so many paths to becoming an entrepreneur, and so many styles of leadership that can successfully create and grow a company. There is some innate element of risk tolerance, but even that can be learned through career and life experiences. I started my career as a writer and a lawyer, and I never expected to be an entrepreneur or the CEO of a tech company. I have learned so much along my journey that has empowered me to take this leap.
CONTACT INFORMATION & SOCIAL MEDIA CEO at Astral website: https://tryastral.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-nortman-a5257429/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/tryastral/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tryastral