Getting Connected with Kathy Bernard
Joining me for today’s podcast interview is LinkedIn guru Kathy Bernard, the delightful founder and CEO of WiserU, a company that specializes in helping people leverage the power of LinkedIn for business and career development. You’ll learn about her journey from a company layoff to helping colleagues who had lost their jobs, and how she parlayed that experience into a successful coaching, consulting, and training company. You’ll love hearing about the road Kathy has traveled; the valuable lessons she has learned about building connections and community; and the practical advice she offers for pursuing a passion or dream—or taking your game to the next level.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, knowledge, or insight, you’ve come to the right place. Simply click on the Play button above.
The Backstory
You cannot live in Saint Louis for long without hearing the name, Kathy Bernard. She’s legendary for being a LinkedIn whisperer and teaching people to leverage the power of the platform for everything from career development and marketing to sales, recruiting, and fund-raising. When I heard that she was giving a talk at the St. Louis Business Expo several years ago, I immediately signed up for the conference. Wow, did I learn a lot. Her presentation was chock full of great information, advice, and practical tips. Feeling overwhelmed but energized by her session, I immediately went home, updated my profile, and began to follow her advice.
As my business slowly grew, I knew I wanted to learn more from Kathy. After talking with a friend who was equally interested, we took the leap and hired her as a consultant to take us on a deeper dive into LinkedIn. Not only was she smart, savvy, and professional, but also exceptionally encouraging, supportive, and personable. That single session was a game changer for both of us and took our learning to the next level.
Flash forward to the making of Season Two of TSBF. Kathy had been on my “bucket list” of guests from the beginning, so it was time to move into action. Even though I knew she must be crazy busy, I reached out and invited her to join me for an interview. Magically, she said, “Yes!” I was over the moon—the fabulous Kathy Bernard would be joining us for the show.
The Interview
As you’ll hear in this candid, engaging interview, Kathy Bernard is one special lady. In addition to being the consummate professional, she’s kindhearted, caring, and wise. And our delightful conversation spans a wide variety of topics, from the interesting way she got started to the hardest and easiest parts of her job to what’s next in her life and work.
During the time we spend together, three moments especially stand out. The first is when she talks about the greatest challenge that she encountered in launching her business, and the role that her passion for helping others played in overcoming that challenge. The second is when she shares stories about the mentors and role models with whom she has worked to grow her business—and the surprising role that bartering has played in her success. The third is when she talks about her recent battle with breast cancer [her perspective is remarkable!] and offers thoughtful insights and advice for anyone who wants to follow a passion or dream.
Fun Facts
- Superpower: Connecting the right people with the right people
- Author of four e-books about LinkedIn and job searching
- Is ‘the shyest outgoing person’ she knows
- Is a bead aficionado – loves hanging them on her walls in clear containers in color order just to look at them
- Loves to go to musical theater and tour presidential libraries and museums with her 26-year-old daughter – just returned from seeing 7 different Broadway shows in 7 days
- Enjoys playing trivia games of all sorts with her husband and daughter
Cool Links
Kathy’s Four E-books about LinkedIn + Job Searching
Reddit, Where Kathy Likes to Participate in Discussions of Interest
Google Earth, Where Kathy Likes to Sightsee Cities Like Paris from a Distance
Quotes by Kathy Bernard
“I love working for myself…. The money doesn’t come in consistently like a paycheck, but it’s just so nice to work for yourself.”
“Sometimes there’s just areas where people can reveal something to me, and I can reveal something to them, and boy, that’s worth more than money because sometimes it can solve problems so much faster than paying somebody to do it, so bartering really works.”
“What I realized is whether they’re a big company or small, everybody has the same needs to get the message out in a way that people can hear.”
“The easiest and best thing for you to do is to like, comment, and share on what your clients are doing because they will immediately comment and share on what you do, and you just build up this community….”
My guest on today’s episode is Sarah Schlafly, the pioneering founder and driving force behind Mighty Cricket, whose mission is “to build a more sustainable food supply to feed the world’s exponentially growing population.” You’ll hear her remarkable story about launching a clean protein company with global aspirations—and crickets as its primary ingredient; the unexpected twists and turns she has encountered while navigating her journey; and her sage advice for entrepreneurs about following a passion and mastering the art of the pivot.