If your business is working—but feels heavier than it used to—you didn’t fail. You outgrew the structure.

In this solo episode of Real Talk with Katie Kim, Katie pulls back the curtain on a truth many high-performing women business owners face at their next level: growth doesn’t break your business—unfocused growth does.

This episode is about focus—not as limitation, but as control.

Katie shares how The Kim Group revisited its own clarity while pursuing a bold, long-term vision, why complexity is earned but cannot become a hiding place, and how intentional focus becomes the most powerful growth strategy available.

Through real client stories and lived experience, she explains why adding more offers, services, or “shiny squirrels” often dilutes momentum—and how an assessment-first approach creates calm, confidence, and bank-ready clarity.

This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about doing what matters—clearly, intentionally, and with confidence.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – 00:27 Focus forces honesty (why clarity is uncomfortable first)
00:27 – 00:48 This isn’t about doing more (it’s doing the right thing on purpose)
00:48 – 01:20 The Kim Group BHAG (2045 vision + why it matters)
01:20 – 01:42 If people can’t explain what you do, it’s a focus problem
01:42 – 02:33 Unfocused growth costs more than intentional focus
02:33 – 02:56 The quiet danger of going wider too soon
02:56 – 03:51 2015 reset + why Jeff Staeker’s Bakery mattered
03:51 – 04:33 Red carpet, full-service support (and why that can overwhelm)
04:33 – 05:19 Scarcity mindset: “If I focus, I’ll lose opportunity”
05:19 – 06:17 Getting the meeting + the 5–10 year vision question
06:17 – 07:23 Custom roadmap + the “bathing suit conversation” (bear it all)
07:23 – 08:04 Why banks say no: you can’t get financed without clarity on paper
08:04 – 08:44 Shiny squirrels + clarity comes from subtraction
08:44 – 09:32 Accountability call: profitable core got diluted
09:32 – 11:04 If it feels heavier: did you break it or outgrow it?
11:04 – 11:42 The calls Katie gets: crisis, urgency, and brand clarity
11:42 – 13:16 Holiday story: mold issue, 48-hour turnaround, and “path to peace”
13:16 – 14:23 The “I’m already pregnant” call + the “crazy or brilliant” idea call
14:23 – 15:34 Access without structure doesn’t scale Letting go, SOPs, and accountability
15:34 – 16:33 How the assessment focus was born
16:33 – 18:45Why founders feel alone at the next level
18:45 – 20:50 The assessment isn’t a quiz or gimmick Why it’s being beta-tested
20:50 – 22:30 The questions most people skip
22:30 – 24:55 Economic incentives + client example
24:55 – 26:27 Roadmap framework: feasibility signals + bank-ready steps
26:27 – 27:42 Meeting you where you are (and helping you come back prepared)
27:42 – 29:46 City workshops: strategy + incentives + case studies
29:46 – 30:48 Invitation: take the beta assessment + reclaiming Main Street
30:48 – 31:44 Closing: focus is control + share with a woman at the edge of growth
31:44 – 32:45 Community CTA + book a call (clarity aligned with goals, numbers, life)
32:45 – 33:25 Legal/financial disclaimer (risk + consult licensed professionals)

🔗 Connect with Katie Kim

🌐 Website:
https://www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platform
https://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group

📱 Instagram:
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup

💼 LinkedIn:
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

📘 Facebook:
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

#WomenInBusiness
#StrategicGrowth
#BusinessClarity
#WomenEntrepreneurs
#CalmGrowth
#LeadershipDevelopment
#RealEstateStrategy
#EconomicIncentives
#ScaleWithControl
#RealTalkWithKatieKim

If you're scaling your business, buying a company, expanding locations, or bringing in partners—this episode will save you money, time, and emotional exhaustion.

Katie Kim sits down with mediator and negotiation expert Alice Shakina to unpack the hidden conflicts that derail deals long before they’re signed. From unclear expectations to unspoken values, founder transitions, and family investments gone sideways—this is the clarity every entrepreneur needs before making their next big move.

Alice reveals the emotional subtext behind negotiations, why alignment breaks down, and the proactive conversations smart owners must have before committing to any deal.

This episode is especially for you if:
✔ You’re growing but want to protect your business and vision
✔ You’re considering buying a business or merging with a partner
✔ You’re tired of surprises in deals, partnerships, or negotiations
✔ You value clarity, control, legacy, and smart growth

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

- The hidden cues that reveal misalignment

- Why high-level agreements fall apart later

- How to structure ownership transitions with clarity

- What to document before an LOI ever hits your inbox

- Why founders staying involved can become a silent deal-killer

- The business prenup every entrepreneur needs

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: why Alice had to come on Real Talk
00:51 – Alice’s background: mediator, arbitrator, negotiation coach
01:11 – Negotiation is “higher-level communication” (daily examples)
01:51 – Her origin story: theater → reading emotions → mediation
03:57 – The “subtext + objective” skill (why people aren’t saying what they mean)
05:10 – Why Alice loves variety (and why that matters in conflict work)
06:15 – Divorce vs workplace conflict: the “same goal” problem
08:56 – Cleaning up stakeholder messes: boards, exec teams, nonprofit conflict
10:36 – Co-founders misaligned: when growth visions collide
12:30 – “Selling your baby”: why acquisitions get emotionally messy
13:32 – Staying on the board = beware the “strings attached”
14:24 – Positions vs interests vs values (Mexico vs Iceland framework)
16:04 – “Legend of Bigfoot”: how tradition blocks change in transitions
18:08 – Prevent conflict BEFORE the deal (vision, staffing, implementation)
20:09 – The ED title story: intentions vs narratives (document everything)
23:03 – “The devil’s in the details” (why high-level agreement isn’t agreement)
24:41 – Consultant vs board seat: how to keep knowledge without losing control
26:33 – The tradeoff: do you want the heartbeat… or the steering wheel?
27:45 – Build the exit plan BEFORE you start (time, role, transition)
29:04 – Negotiation coaching: using “closet questions” like a business prenup
33:25 – “Prenup is about what grows” (business prenup framing)
34:01 – Why some deals should end after the hard questions get asked
35:47 – Katie’s JV structuring meeting: 110 questions + “die 20 times”
38:08 – Family investing warning: trust ≠ business alignment
40:27 – When to bring a mediator (before yelling starts)
41:43 – The “would you be happy?” question (the hidden truth in conflict)
43:34 – Where to find Alice + closing
45:17 – Katie’s closing: send to a founder who needs clarity + book a call
46:00 – Disclaimer

🔗 Connect with Katie Kim

🌐 Website:
https://www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platform
https://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group

📱 Instagram:
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup

💼 LinkedIn:
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

📘 Facebook:
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

🔗 Connect with Alice Shikina

🌐 Website:
https://www.shikinamediation.com/

💼 LinkedIn:
Alice Shikina
Public Speaker, Negotiation Consultant and Mediator

#KatieKim #TheKimGroup #RealEstateDevelopment #BusinessAcquisition #DealStructuring #Negotiation #Mediation #WomenInBusiness #LegacyBuilding #EntrepreneurMindset #CommercialRealEstate #Partnerships #RiskManagement #Leadership #BuildYourLegacy

As we step into 2026, this is not another “new year, new goals” episode.
This is a spiritual reset.
A strategic recalibration.
A call back to the voice you’ve been too busy — or too burdened — to hear.

In this episode, Katie Kim brings you into a moment of divine clarity.
She confronts the truth ambitious women rarely admit:
You don’t struggle with focus. You struggle with noise.
And noise is the enemy of alignment.

For the woman who leads, builds, carries, and loves deeply —
this is the message that restores your vision and recenters your soul.

You will walk away understanding:

- Why your spirit feels crowded
- Why your vision feels divided
- Why your pace feels punishing
- And how to step back into the calling God never revoked — only waited for you to return to

This is focus as God designed it:
clarity, peace, obedience, pruning, presence, and the courage to choose one thing with conviction.

If you are entering 2026 with the desire to simplify, align, and rise —
this is your word.

🕓 Timestamps:
00:00 Focus as direction, not discipline
00:27 A kind of focus that brings peace, not burnout
00:53 Why this message was prepared through Advent
01:19 Focus redefined: obedience, clarity, and peace
01:43 Doing less to hear God more clearly
02:09 Why capable women lose focus
02:36 Focus is clarity, not intensity
02:59 The Noise Audit: what drains your attention
03:45 Quiet the noise so God can elevate your signal
04:12 Naming your one thing for 2026
04:32 You can’t carry clarity and clutter
05:01 What needs to be cut, closed, or simplified
05:34 Overwhelm is over-obligation
06:23 Pacing your soul with God’s pace
06:44 Trusting what you already have
07:09 Focus as a commitment, not a feeling
07:39 Declaring your vow for 2026
08:03 What you really need this year
08:35 Share + next steps
09:18 Disclaimer

🔗 Connect with Katie Kim

🌐 Website:
https://www.katiekim.com – The Katie Kim Educational Platform
https://www.thekimgroup.com – The Kim Group

📱 Instagram:
@thekatiekim
@thekimgroup

💼 LinkedIn:
Katie Arnholt Kim, CCIM
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

📘 Facebook:
The Katie Kim Educational Platform
The Kim Group

#Focus2026 #KatieKim #RealTalkWithKatieKim #ClarityOverChaos
#WomenWhoBuild #BuildYourLegacy #FaithAndStrategy
#StrategicClarity #AlignedLeadership #FounderClarity