Kim Walls: Co-Founder & CEO of Furtuna Skin

Episode 358

Few people can truly say that their craft runs in their blood, but for Kim Walls, Co-Founder & CEO of Furtuna Skin, this certainly is the case. Kim and Co-Founder, Agatha Relota Luczo, believed that they had a clean beauty formula for skincare that we all would love. Furtuna Skin was born. An entirely vertical supply chain coupled with wild-foraging ingredients from their estate in Sicily. Elements plus unique extraction practices with powerful blends create a beautiful range of products that tackle multiple skincare concerns for all. Hear all about Kim’s journey as an entrepreneur with of course lots of lessons and stories. This episode is inspirational and filled with ideas that will surely have you motivated. On this episode of #TheKaraGoldinShow.

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Transcript

Kara Goldin 0:00
I am unwilling to give up that I will start over from scratch as many times as it takes to get where I want to be I want to be, you just want to make sure you will get knocked down but just make sure you don’t get knocked down knocked out. So your only choice should be go focus on what you can control control control. Hi, everyone and welcome to the Kara Goldin show. Join me each week for inspiring conversations with some of the world’s greatest leaders. We’ll talk with founders, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and really some of the most interesting people of our time. Can’t wait to get started. Let’s go. Let’s go. Hi, everyone, it’s Kara Goldin from the Kara Goldin show. And I am so excited to have my next guest here we have Kim Walls, who was the co founder and CEO of Fortuna skin. And if you do not know what Fortuna skin is, you are going to be in for a super pleasant surprise, to learn all about the backstory, and they are absolutely incredible products that you actually have to get your hands on. So again, Kim walls is the co founder and CEO, few people can truly say that their craft runs in their blood. But for Kim wall’s co founder and CEO for tuna skin, the certainly is the case, I was really, really excited to hear all of that story, and I can’t wait to get more into that. But she’s actually co founded this company with Agatha. We’re lotto loser Liuzzo as well. And you should definitely look at her bio very, very interesting. So they partnered together entirely vertical supply chain coupled with wild foraging ingredients from Agathis. State in Sicily. Hopefully I have that correct. Very, very cool. elements plus unique extraction practices with powerful blends create a beautiful range of products that tackle multiple skincare concerns for all so like I said, I cannot wait to get into the backstory here. So without further ado, welcome, Kim.

Kim Walls 2:11
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, totally,

Kara Goldin 2:14
really, really excited. So I’d love to hear the backstory like what was the main inspiration for for tuna skin? And how did it all get started?

Kim Walls 2:24
Huge question. The main inspiration there. And there are many ways to answer it really, because this is a it was a kaleidoscope of inspiration and ideas coming together not only individually from Agatha and for me, but as we emerged our visions, it just kept getting bigger. So you could say that the the gracious Olive is a source of inspiration because that olive oil is connected to everything we do. And it’s connected to the legacy and history and heritage of the brand and connected to our individual experiences. So you could just say the olive is one source. Another would be the whole idea of regenerative beauty. And personally for my career, having seen all the different ways that beauty brands can come to life and the different messages they can hold on the types of products and all of these things. My whole life I’ve had an an idea, I guess you could call it a vision or just a wish that we could address whole body health through skincare. And I’ve seen it happen many, many times and how transformative to people’s lives. Skin care can be especially somebody who might be suffering from call it acne or eczema or some of these different issues. The and the farm that a state in Sicily, that 100 acres of It’s a magical place with plants that have incredible potency. And we’ve been able to transform those into finished goods that create amazing results for people skin. So seeing the farm, walking through the land, looking at those plants, feeling the energy of that space and understanding the power and the resource of the land itself and what was happening there in the space of regenerative beauty and agriculture. That was personally an explosive moment for me standing in the middle of this space and being surrounded by these plants. So many triggers many sources of inspiration and and I think probably the the truest answer is that I like most people in this world of entrepreneurialism, I’m inspired every day in different ways.

Kara Goldin 4:29
How did you and Agatha Connect? Did you know each other? We didn’t we were

Kim Walls 4:33
introduced by her pediatrician, Dr. Alan green. He had been the medical director of a brand I founded previously and had since sold and I’d been working in the makeup industry, helping another entrepreneur grow her business. And when Agatha was talking with Dr. Green, who’s the pediatrician of her children, talking about her state and the incredible olive oil they had there and saying we really need to make an oil for skin out of this all of oil. And he was like, oh Agatha. If you want to make skincare, you need to meet my friend Kim. And he set up a phone call. And it was just absolutely fantastic conversation out of the gate completely aligned visions, ideas, level of energy and enthusiasm for what we could do. You could say we founded the brand the day we met.

Kara Goldin 5:20
Wow, that’s wild. I’m dying to go to this farm and Sicily. doing the research on it. It’s looks amazing. I mean, it looks absolutely incredible. So when you think about, you know, the backstory, I mean, it’s very different than what your father was doing. It was similar, and it’s different, right? I mean, you obviously grew up. So your father had founded an amazing brand as well. Do you want to talk a little bit about that, and the inspiration you got just from being around him?

Kim Walls 5:50
Yeah, absolutely. So his name was Robert Hyman. And he founded a brand called epicurean, out of a personal need. He had a skin disease called vitiligo, and before that had been in agricultural engineering was his education and working construction doing specialty coatings. And then this disease started emerging. And what happens with vitiligo is that the melanocytes don’t produce melanin. And so you end up with white patches, starting on your joints and kind of moving throughout the body. And he wanted to stop it. So he there’s a long story, a long founding story there. But essentially, with no experience in skincare, just a drive and a desire to do something different that help improve his health. He started that brand worked out of the garage. I mean, I was the sticker girl, right? I’d put labels on the eye creams and the and the anything round, he would have me do because he said I had an incredible attention for detail. And I would actually get them right in the middle. Yeah. And over the years, he really ended up being kind of that it’s a really classic entrepreneurial story where somebody from the outside sees things differently. And so he would read all of this research about things like probiotics and colostrum. And he introduced many of these ingredients into the industry for the first time because he would see what they were doing in areas of healthcare and wellness, and then think, Well, how could we apply that into skincare, and the people who are already within skincare just had blinders on to some of these things. So a lot of innovation and really an approach to innovation that was just about being being open minded, being open to in fact, he even created something called CIO, which stands for sense inspiration, openness and essence as a sense of appreciation, inspiration, openness and essence. And it fundamentally was about what what can come to you from the world? And how can you harness it just an incredible, incredibly inspiring person. So I got to grow up seeing him function, and admiring his work and watching how when you put one foot in front of the other, you eventually go somewhere, and maybe sometimes you get knocked over, but you get back up and you keep going. It was it was an incredible example.

Kara Goldin 7:57
Well, I think also, I, my father was an entrepreneur as well, he had working inside of a large company, but I think he was a frustrated entrepreneur working inside of a large company, he had a brand called Healthy Choice. And so I never thought I was gonna go into the food industry. And in some ways I, I guess I am and I’m not in the food industry being in hand. But I’m so curious, did you always think that you were going to become an entrepreneur?

Kim Walls 8:27
I don’t think I had to think it because I just always was, I mean, if if I wanted something, I was just gonna make it happen. That was that was, there wasn’t really a choice there. And when it comes to skincare, I was especially inspired by the health care aspect. And I think it helped that my dad came in with a disease essentially, and ended up working with doctors. And after school, I studied biochemistry and nutrition, skincare, became an esthetician and started really having the chance to observe how those areas of health and wellness could come together and shift somebody’s absolute level of vitality and longevity, and implementing what I was learning into medical practices, working with doctors working in NICUs, to try to help shift the way people think about health into a holistic view, treat the whole ecosystem treat, you can’t tackle the skin, for example, as the surface of the body. It’s completely integral and integrated into our entire health system. And that’s the philosophy that is fueling Freycinet skin and our entire approach to how we are trying to help people treat their overall vitality and really improve longevity at the end of the day. Quality of life.

Kara Goldin 9:45
I love that you only have a few products as well. I think that you know Gone are the days where people are feeling like they have to launch with lots of skews in any industry frankly, I think that People are back to kind of simplicity. That’s what I’m saying. We’ve had some various brands on our podcast where they definitely believe that but I love that story about you all. And obviously, you’ve been in the industry for a long time, what was the first product that you developed?

Kim Walls 10:17
The very first product we developed was our by phase oil. They were kind of CO CO development really by Faizal oil and face and ICM. We never had the approach that one product can do at all, really because of that. But my background with dermatology and esthetician is that you’ve got fundamentally the skin has needs. Some of them are oils, some of them are water, some of them are microbiome related, like again, like really started from the beginning for what’s that ecosystem? And how do we give the skin the building blocks that will make sense to it that are bioavailable, all those sorts of aspects. So we came out of the gate with a complete system. And it’s a very concise system. It’s modular, you can include other products and from other brands if you want, it’s that foundation, it’s that these are the healthy building blocks that will put skin in the game. So it can put its best foot forward and recover and heal in the way that it knows how. So while we did have a first product, it really was always part of our plan to come out with, with a complete system as quickly as we could. And that today is what we have

Kara Goldin 11:20
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Kim Walls 13:45
Yeah, yeah. It’s well, there are two replenishing balm was that for me from the very beginning, but it’s actually footholds. So the the one right now would be our micellar essence, that product is extraordinary. A lot of people, especially in our country, don’t know really what micellar is how they cleanse what they do. And so it kind of doesn’t make sense to some rigid a lot of people in this country about how they work functionally to clean. But that is all of our products are multi beneficial, every single one of them hits on lots of areas to improve the health of skin. But that micellar essence is really it’s very special. And it’s really unusual. And anybody who has any kind of skin sensitivity, dryness issues. It’s a it’s a beautiful light cleanse and makeup remover that infuses the skin with moisture and antioxidant potential and allows for it’s, in fact, one of my one of the estheticians, who we work with quite a lot is a man named Ivan Pol, who has the beauty sandwich on Instagram. He calls it the gentle giant of cleansers. That’s a really good description of it. Yeah.

Kara Goldin 14:56
I love it. And that’s your newest one, right? It’s actually

Kim Walls 14:59
not It was one of their core originals. We are launching a new product in March, which I am over the moon for, which is also a cleanser but a very different type of cleanser. Do want me to tell you about that a little bit? Yeah,

Kara Goldin 15:10
I’d love to hear between the two.

Kim Walls 15:13
Yeah. many differences between the two. So that one in particular is it’s a triple technology, a triple texture technology, that where it starts as an as a bomb, transforms into oil on the skin, and then you add a little bit of water, and it turns into a milky lather. So it rinses off without any residue. So this is it’s a, it’s a very gentle and deep cleanse that you use with massage techniques. And lifts the skin lifts all of the debris out of the skin helps combat environmental aggressors, whether they’re biological, intrinsic or extrinsic, any tons of aggressors in the skin. And we like to say it’s, it’s time to double down with cleansing, there’s too much going on too many increasing levels of pollutants the body is taking on such a huge body burden with toxins and a single cleanses is no longer enough. So we’re recommending the bomb in combination with the micellar. Because the micellar is other benefits, which I didn’t talk about before, are huge support for the microbiome. Toning, so bringing the skin into the correct pH and preparing it for additional steps that whether it’s from our line or anyone else’s line. So the micellar is completely liquid, it’s an olive leaf water base, and the balm the new cleansing balm has the triple texture technology. So really, it’s sort of like doubling down on cleansing, but then also a Double or Nothing attitude toward how can we shift what’s happening in our environment, in our climate, in our in poverty levels, and like the entire spectrum of all the problems in the world, leveraging our personal choices, and skincare or any other category to support the businesses that are leading the way and pioneering these ideas of regeneration of not just doing no harm, but how can we really take, take things to the next level and create more and better in the world through whatever we may be doing?

Kara Goldin 17:12
Very, very cool. Well, I’m excited to try that for sure. So what was one of the biggest challenges you faced when you launched? I mean, you’re a serial entrepreneur. So you you definitely had this was not your first rodeo and you lived around entrepreneurs. But would you say that there was like a big challenge that you faced? Had you ever done a company with a co founder?

Kim Walls 17:39
No, it was the first time I’d always solo. Yeah. That is, that is definitely a great example of, you know, sum of all parts are greater than any individual saying there’s the same for that I forget what it is. Yeah, certainly the different ideas that we’ve been able to bring together, I think we’re really kind of amazingly graceful at navigating and like wanting to see the best and like stop and pause and be like, Okay, this is different than what I’m thinking, but why? And how and how could it be better and sort of that evolution of ideas and concepts and really having great respect for each other’s experiences and position and all of that? I wouldn’t call that the number one problem by any stretch. I think if it’s customer awareness, it’s really it’s I think it’s the same in every business, it’s how do you find a way to communicate with people who are going to care, and then turn around and support that idea with their shopping habits? Finding them customer acquisition, it’s, you know, it’s who are they first of all, because that’s what right, like audience identification, and really understanding who is this customer who’s aligned with our values, and loves our products for what they are, and, you know, we’ll come back and we’ll share with their friends. So going through the process of identifying who that customer is, has certainly been a challenge. It was a challenge in the beginning, and it continues to be a challenge to find them, which is why opportunities like this, you know, the graciousness of you bringing me onto this podcast to be able to share these stories. That’s what makes the biggest difference. So thank you.

Kara Goldin 19:19
Yeah, totally. Well, I think just getting the word out about it. And I’m such a huge believer and actually telling your why and your story because that is what people remember. I always use myself as an example that I’m terrible with names and even brand names. I’ll be like, you know, it looks like that in the bottle. And I’m I’m very visual and very descriptive. But I forget names and as they go and anyway, I feel like I never forget stories though. And yeah, and I think that that’s a really powerful thing. And I think that whether you’re getting press through through a magazine, or through newspaper or doing podcasts, I mean, people are getting information from all over the place, or social media or whatever it is. And so I think the stories really kind of set with people and, and bring a lot of trust to I think people just a lot of people don’t, you know, read ingredients, they have a hard time seeing the ingredients or understanding ingredients. So I think the more that you kind of share your example of why you did something and where it comes from, I think it’s a power. It’s a super powerful thing. So for sure. And

Kim Walls 20:43
you’re making me want to share the genesis of the farm, actually, yeah,

Kara Goldin 20:47
yeah. Notes. So go for it. I’d love to hear more.

Kim Walls 20:51
It’s, well, it’s this longer format, right? I guess it’s your original question. Like, what are the challenges? What we know is that there’s so much complexity and depth, and so many layers to our story and our heritage and that legacy that that comes from generations before us that podcasts and long format media, these storytelling opportunities are really the best. So I this is this, it just gives me chills every time I will do the short version. But I get this husband to Steve Steve Luiza. And he has Sicilian roots. It’s his Nona who came from Sicily, and they had to leave for economic reasons early in life. So as Steve was growing up as a little boy, she would tell him all these incredible tales about Sicily in this place where she grew up, and he could see and feel how she missed it and and wanted to understand the love and passion that she had for this land, and made her a promise when he was a little boy Nona. Someday I’m gonna go find that land for you. And I’m gonna buy it back. And he did it he and Agatha. Okay, they did it, they went to Sicily. And they found it, it was this quarter acre parcel that had the rubble of the foundation of the home she’d grown up in and, you know, to even find like, who lived were in a place like this, in Sicily, rural back country, middle of the island, do work with the churches, like who keeps the records, right? Like it there’s so such an investigative process that they had to go through. And they did it. And at the time, looked around and saw that there was still poverty there, there was still young children who needed to be educated families that wanted to get married, but couldn’t afford two children who were leaving to go send money back, like incredible cases of of struggle and strife. And so he and I get that made a commitment to each other, and to the people in the place, that they would regenerate that. And that’s what they’ve done, they’ve had, you know, brought incredible people who all have different skill sets in different areas. But it all comes down to this promise, this promise that we’re going to create good in the world. And we’re going to see through see our promises keep good with our commitments, like there’s so much love and value in things that are worthy of pursuing that come from that Genesis it generations ago, and to be able to play a role in bringing that forward, especially now with what’s going on for us with wars and economic climate and the fear that people have and the fighting that’s going on, like, let’s let’s put some love into the world.

Kara Goldin 23:18
And I can see how that story would bring you in right and to wanting to do something that you know had meaning and, and plus was a great product on top of it. So the beauty industry today has access to technology that is, you know, not what it was way back when even when your dad was launching his company. Can you tell us about some of the cutting edge technology that you’re using? I was fascinated by some of that conversation too, because people think the beauty industry just put a few things together and then sell them to people. And I feel like there really is some science behind many of the best products even though they look simple. And they’re not as many ingredients, all of those things, but there definitely is some technology behind it. I’d love to hear a little bit about that. Yeah, you bet.

Kim Walls 24:11
All well, I will say that the vast majority of products out there really are pretty simple. And it is company. There are extraordinary companies, some of them you’ve interviewed on this on this podcast, who are really truly pushing the envelope and the boundaries and doing different things when it comes to for tuna skin and the technology that we’re bringing to the forefront. Some of it is our own, and some of it is really pulling in from other industries. So probably the best example I could give you is our sound bath extraction method. So when you start with these incredibly potent plants, you then need to turn them into raw materials that can be used to formulate skincare. And the process that we’re using is it’s an ultrasound technology that we actually found in the pharmaceutical industry. So we haven’t, we’re not using the same methods of process same ingredients as everybody else. And what that means with sound bath and with sound waves is that we can use low heat, essentially very no heat protect the potency, right, everything is going to come back to protect the potency, because in the end, that’s what drives the skincare results. And our entire goal is to create products that deliver on their promises, and that drive fantastic results for our skin and our longevity and our health. So by using ultrasound, we’re not having to introduce any solvents or solvents, the chemistry language of that solvents, is our olive oil, and then our olive leaf water hydro glycerin infusion. So you take imagine a giant stainless steel that you put these whole plants in whole plant nutrition is a very important aspect. There’s synergy and different nutritional levels and ratios of ROM of vitamins and minerals, and micro and macro nutrients, all these things, the plants kind of have that figured out, right, they’ve been around a lot longer than as the Magnolia oil 100 million years. They’ve got they’ve figured out how to survive. And so we want to protect those ratios protect the potency, and we’re able to accomplish that by using our sand bath extraction method. And then all of those raw materials go to Milan where the final goods are made. So that’s a really cool one. Another thing that I think is incredibly cool is we’re participating in the conversations around biohacking and genetic shifts in the body. So you’ve got fundamentally kind of this 4060 ratio that most people at this point I agree like, okay, 60% of how you will age and how your body will degrade over time is genetic. The other 40% is extrinsic. What are you what’s your environment? What are your stress levels? What are you eating? How much are you sleeping, kind of all the things you expect? Are you keeping good routines? Are you using high quality products are consuming high quality foods? What have you. So, historically, there’s been this idea like, alright, we can tackle 40% of the aging question. But in fact, we’re learning through modern technologies, science, biohacking. studies coming out of, for example, Yale and Harvard, that when you consume olive oil, as long as it’s high grade olive oil, it actually enhances telomere length. And telomeres are the covers on our genetic strands that allow the body to replicate its code without degradation. So if we’re protecting the telomeres, we’re protecting our bodies, genetic language, essentially, ability to replicate. And it’s genes that are connected to things like hydration elasticity. So for example, if you were to say you have super dry ice, you’re drinking tons of water using super hydrating problem products, but your skin just isn’t staying hydrated. Why? Well, the answer to that is because our genes aren’t working properly, the cells aren’t activated in a way where they can accept and then hold on to utilize that moisture. It’s its genetic break. And so olive oil is able to help restore some of those replication mechanisms that allow for things like skin elasticity, hydration, ability to defend itself against free radical damage. It’s helping address those things. So we’re able to not only work with the body internally and topically, also through the way we ask people to think about things like how they’re applying their products, the methods we’re using, all the different modalities of health, from massage to meditation, can be incorporated and educated about through how and when we use our skincare. Even things like Chrono nutrition.

Kara Goldin 28:41
Yeah, no, it’s so fascinating. And so. So just using your example, it’s not just about I mean, I guess if somebody has super dry skin, it’s not just about putting it on the skin, but you’re also suggesting that they should ingest more olive oil.

Kim Walls 28:57
Yes, absolutely. Yeah. And then the bioavailability of that topically is very important and helpful as well. So it’s it’s an entire ecosystem. And this is really how how, how we’re able to identify what regenerative beauty is, it’s taking the sum of all parts and making everything work together and work better through our choices and our habits.

Kara Goldin 29:19
That’s amazing. Well, I love, love that story. So you’ve raised capital for fortunately. Congratulations. How has that process been for you?

Kim Walls 29:31
It’s been amazing. It’s so I’ve raised I’ve raised capital and helped raise capital for many, many companies at this point. It’s something that I love doing actually, I feel good about doing it. Because I know that in all cases, we’ve been trying to create something and build something that people want to see in the world and raising capital is what makes that possible. And it also is what allows the people who have capital to fulfill some of their dreams, it’s an entire ecosystem. And in particular for for tuna skin, I so deeply believe in what we’re doing and how it can improve the future in so many ways and stand as an example for other brands, hopefully to pay attention to and look at and realize, like, oh, we can make great products, or we can have a sustainable business. And I don’t only mean environmentally sustainable and financially stable, too. There’s. So it’s really fun. It’s really fun to speak with these people who decide that they want to be part of the team to really, I mean, at the end of the day, that’s what they’re doing. They’re signing up to be part of the team. And I do love to grow a team.

Kara Goldin 30:40
Total, I noticed you share an investor with hint, Gingerbread capital. So when she’s amazing, she’s amazing. Yeah, she’s so terrific. So any words of advice to others who are going through the process of fundraising? Yeah, for fundraising? I mean, is there anything that you would suggest to people to make sure that they have the following ready, when they’re when they’re out pitching?

Kim Walls 31:12
You bet, know your numbers. I’ve seen it happen so many times that people walk into meetings, and they, you know, investors will say, so what do you know how much revenue you expect to generate less next quarter? And they’ll they’ll just draw a blank?

Kara Goldin 31:29
As your margins?

Kim Walls 31:30
Yeah, got to know the numbers. It’s, it’s not necessary for a lot of entrepreneurs, it’s not the natural thing, right? It’s that we have to exercise discipline and go through some hard knocks and have experience or what have you to actually really pay attention to that. I think for so many entrepreneurs, it’s about the vision and driving forward and bringing people into the idea. And, and it’s not as easy for a lot of people to pay attention to the infrastructure that really at the end of the day is supporting that idea and its potential to exist and to grow in the world. So that would be for anybody who doesn’t really know their numbers, that would that would be my best.

Kara Goldin 32:10
Yeah. And even if you have somebody who is the CFO or head of finance, or more the finance side of it, I totally agree, you still have to really understand, especially in the early days, every single aspect of the business, and I’m convinced that even if you’re, you know, don’t have that side of the brain that you’ve been working on, none of it is that hard, you just have to focus on really understanding how to explain it. Expensive. Totally, totally. So what is the thing that you’re most proud of? And building for tuna?

Kim Walls 32:46
Oh, wow, that’s a hard question.

Kara Goldin 32:53
Lots of lots of good stuff.

Kim Walls 32:56
I mean, it is it’s so so many good things, and so many incredible people, and I think I think probably am very people focused and extremely people focused. You know, it’s all about what the drive that people have, and what they can bring to the to the world and how they’re being fulfilled by their activities. Because when people are fulfilled by their work, they’re intrinsically motivated. And I think what we are all motivated to do is create extraordinary products that work, really. And so the products themselves, the quality of those products, the fact that in recent research that we were doing for our most devoted customers, the people who come back frequently spend a lot of money with us as things, I wanted to understand them at the at the core level as much as possible. And the most wonderful thing that I learned was that our most loyal customer base are the most knowledgeable people about skin and skincare. They’re not not necessarily professionals, we do have a really important and lovely and meaningful professional base. But I’m talking about the the girlfriend in the group who everybody goes to be like, Oh, my skin’s a mess. What do I need? Or? Oh, I just heard about this brand. What do you think like they’re the thought leaders in amongst their friends and families. And they’ve chosen us. That’s amazing thing in the world.

Kara Goldin 34:17
Yeah, no, that is absolutely amazing. I mean, and I think what you’re talking about too, is what you’ve done for consumers. So because I think that when they come to you and talk to you about their product to and, or about your product and how it’s helping them. I mean, that’s a really, really powerful thing. And yeah, I always share that if you don’t have that customer feedback loop built into your product, your company, then you’re really missing out because yeah, that’s where you gain so much of inspiration.

Kim Walls 34:54
It’s good, that couldn’t be more true. And I in this research that I’m telling you about, I give them all my cell phone number sent an email, please call me find me on Instagram, let’s have a conversation and the feedback that we’ve gotten has shifted the business. It absolutely know what these what these group of people have shared with us what they care about what they don’t, why they’re mad at us, why they love us like this information has meaningfully shifted the course of this business, not only things like your where will we go to distribute next, but who? How will we advertise and what converts wouldn’t? What educational information will we bring to the table? What features and benefits might our next product have? Like they have a huge impact on our choices, never out of alignment with the vision, of course, you know, that has to always be Rocksteady, the integrity of the business and the ideas. But within that framework, they have very meaningfully impacted our choices. And I am so grateful to them for what they’ve given us.

Kara Goldin 35:54
I love that response. So what’s the best advice? This is my last question, by the way, what’s the best advice that you’ve ever received?

Kim Walls 36:04
Oh, my goodness, I actually collect quotes there. When people tell me things at different times in my life, they’ll give me advice. And often it’ll come in the form of a quote, and either it’s quotable from them, or they’re recounting a quote that has been influential to them. And I collect them actually, it turned it started many, many years ago. But this woman wrote down this message to me on a piece of paper stored off an envelope from her purse. And since then, when somebody does something like that, I asked them to write it down. And on whatever they can find there was a entrepreneur I met not so long ago, or we could find was a cocktail napkin she wrote she wrote it on a cocktail napkin. So they’re really like my head is filled with with really, I love that I should put those up and share them. You could benefit from them. I’m struggling to give you a single answer because there’s just so much good advice in the world. I think it’s probably it comes down to you know, when you feel like this idea. When you feel like you’re it’s really time to give up. Don’t do it. Like that time when it’s like when you’re when it’s the hardest is when it’s just the winds right on the other side. It’s just it’s right there. So when it gets the hardest, dig in, and go harder.

Kara Goldin 37:36
Thank you so much, Kim. That was awesome.

Kim Walls 37:38
Thank you, Miss. Welcome. Thank you.

Kara Goldin 37:41
Thanks again for listening to the Kara Goldin show. If you would, please give us a review. And feel free to share this podcast with others who would benefit and of course, feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss a single episode of our podcast. Just a reminder that it can be found on all platforms at Kara Goldin. And if you want to hear more about my journey, I hope you will have a listen. Or pick up a copy of my book on daunted which I share my journey, including founding and building hint. We are here every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And thanks everyone for listening. Have a great rest of the week, and 2023 and goodbye for now. Before we sign off, I want to talk to you about fear. People like to talk about fearless leaders. But achieving big goals isn’t about fearlessness. Successful leaders recognize their fears and decide to deal with them head on in order to move forward. This is where my new book undaunted comes in. This book is designed for anyone who wants to succeed in the face of fear, overcome doubts and live a little undaunted. Order your copy today at undaunted, the book.com and learn how to look your doubts and doubters in the eye and achieve your dreams. For a limited time. You’ll also receive a free case of hint water. Do you have a question for me or want to nominate an innovator to spotlight send me a tweet at Kara Goldin and let me know. And if you liked what you heard, please leave me a review on Apple podcasts. You can also follow along with me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn at Kara Goldin. Thanks for listening