Solving the Leadership Problem. From Chick-fil-A HR to Leadership Development Consultant.

What happens when you spend 8 months building something and nobody pays for it? That is exactly where Kyle Bowen found himself. He had a great idea. Businesses told him they needed it. Revenue felt committed. And then every single one of them said no when it was time to actually write the check. So he listened to what his market was actually asking for and started over. And what he built instead is working. Kyle is the founder of a leadership development consulting firm call Hourglass Leadership that helps small business leadership teams develop clarity, accountability, and the skills to actually lead. He spent 6 years at Chick-fil-A building a leadership development program from scratch, created a mentorship system where every single employee including 16-year-olds in the drive-thru had a dedicated mentor, and watched retention improve by 20% and turnover drop by 33% as a result. In this conversation Ashley and Kyle talk about what it actually looks like to pivot your entire business model after months of building something that was not working, why people saying yes to your idea means nothing until money changes hands, and how to price your services in a way that communicates value without pricing yourself out of the market before you have even gotten started. In this conversation: 💭 Why Kyle spent 8 months building something nobody paid for and what he learned from it 💭 How one honest conversation with a client who was leaving completely changed the direction of his business 💭 Why people saying yes to your idea means absolutely nothing until money changes hands 💭 The pricing trap that makes potential clients question your value before they even work with you 💭 What the emotional roller coaster of founder led sales actually feels like when you have ten people in your pipeline and none of them are moving 💭 How Kyle built a mentorship program at Chick-fil-A that improved retention by 20% and cut turnover by 33% 💭 Why talking to founders who are 1 to 3 years in is important versus only taking advice from someone 20 years in who has forgotten what the hard part felt like 💭 What Kyle would tell himself on day one of entrepreneurship Whether you are a founder questioning whether your first idea is the right one, a consultant trying to figure out how to price your services, or a small business owner whose team needs better leadership, this conversation has something for you. Connect with Kyle and learn more about his leadership development consulting at www.hourglass-leadership.com or email him at kyle@hourglass-leadership.com Ready to start building trust in your sales & marketing? Visit ponderthisconsulting.com to learn more or book a discovery call with Ashley. 💭 Subscribe for weekly Pondering Prompts, Pondering Lessons, and honest conversations with founders who are in the fight right now. #leadershipdevelopment #businesspivot #founder #founderstory #consultantlife