Are you curious about the Director of Operations (DOO) certification program, but hesitant because you have been on a completely different career trajectory?
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This week we have a DOO spotlight, and we are joined by Kahlie Welch.
Meet Kahlie
Kahlie Welch is a Certified Director of Operations who specializes in helping small businesses scale while maximizing productivity, efficiency, and profit. Kahlie is the owner of Optimize My Business which offers small businesses strategic operations support in a fractional and project-based capacity.
Kahlie Before the DOO Certification
- Started in Nursing, then got her Masters as an Occupational therapist
- Also worked in admin for a non-profit
- When she got pregnant with her son she realized she wanted to find a way to work from home
- Started as a virtual assistant and was able to make enough money to leave her OT position
- Was maxed out on capacity and started to search for a way to uplevel
- Realized she was suited for operations when she started reading through a job description for an operations manager, and thought “that’s me!”
- Learned more about operations from finding The Ops Authority podcast
“I knew I had more to offer, I just didn’t know how to approach upleveling.” – Kahlie Welch
Changing Career Trajectories
- Kahlie and Natalie had similar career paths starting in healthcare with advance degrees and thinking that was going to be it for them
- Were fortunate to have our “aha” moments, and realized we could course correct to get the life we want
- They were able to actually define their future, and who and what they wanted to be
- Looking back, Kahlie really was a person who required a lot of permission in order to do something
- She never knew how to look inward and ask questions about where she fit in in society
- She has transformed over the last two years starting with the birth of her son
- Life offers these opportunities for transformation in different ways:
- As something that happens to you, or
- By way of opportunity
- This program has transformed her and her family’s life
- She’s making twice as much as an OT
“I had the chance to say yes to this certification and to allow it to transform me.” – Kahlie Welch
“I feel like I can hold my own in a room of executives… people who I would have been previously been intimidated by and needed affirmation from. Now it’s coming from within.”- Kahlie Welch
What was it about the certification that allowed you the permission to step into your next best self?
- This is built so intentionally and the way you (Natalie) speaks really does connect with the ideal audience
- When you are speaking from an authentic, intentional place… you are attracting an ideal person, so there is a connection
- It was offered in a very safe, secure way, and it offered her mentorship that I never had
- It continues to provide opportunities because business owners are now becoming aware of it
- There is an alumni community who she can go to with questions; an ever evolving community support system
“This offered the tools that I needed to become my best self, and it was all encompassing and a holistic program.” – Kahlie Welch
How different are your clients now vs. when you were a VA?
- So different. Before she was constantly saying “Yes” to whatever they needed
- That is not good for the business, or me as a whole
- She didn’t have a framework, or the language for what she wanted
- The clients that she serves now are high quality, with an intentional, valuable working relationship and partnership
“This certification gave me a framework and the language to step into who I am and to ask for that to be valued.” – Kahlie Welch
What kind of clients do you serve and what services do you offer them?
- I have one VA client who hired her on as a DOO because she saw the value of the Strategic Mapping
- She’s taken on a leadership role in the business
- They have created new income streams and grown her 2x’d her business
- It has allowed her to have a holistic picture of a business
- She feels like she could start a business because she knows how to make a business profitable
- She offers value based pricing, and it is evident in her reporting
“If you are wanting to elevate your business and to be very intentional, it is so key to bring in that strategic thought partner… who can really take the reins and help drive results and allow the CEO to be the creative visionary…” – Kahlie Welch
How does the project-based part of your business work?
- After she started the Strategic Mapping Module, she offered this so she could get her ROI
- She’s able to take on 1-3 VIP days
- She’s had the opportunity to specialize in other things now like hiring, onboarding, KPI management in an advisory capacity
What would you say to those considering the DOO program?
- This is possible… you often hear promises of transformation, but this is true with this program
- If you have an inkling of desire for this program, do whatever you can to seize this opportunity now!
If you are ready to step into your next best self, check out The Director of Operations Certification, as we are taking applications now!
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