My Journey

My life is the best it has ever been.  I am blessed to be with someone I love, live in an amazing place, be of service to others, and have a career that brings me a deep sense of meaning.  I am in ‘flow’, and it feels fantastic.  I have realized, finally, that I can be both successful and happy.  I understand now that life is not supposed to be hard.  Living can be exciting and challenging and free and joyful, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found this secret for myself. 

And yet it wasn’t always this way.  I grew up in an emotionally challenged home where family tragedy, rage and abuse were the norm.  Being a naturally sensitive kid, I was deeply affected by these experiences and learned to cope in unproductive ways.  Eventually realizing that rebellious behavior was no way forward, I turned to hard work so that I would become ‘successful’ and forever escape the stress of my upbringing. 

Searching for my place in the world, I went from shoveling out pig-pens on a farm to advising the C-suite of Fortune 50 companies.  I worked on Wall Street and Capitol Hill, then boot-strapped a series of startups while eating ramen and counting pennies. In my last entrepreneurial venture I helped raise $50 million and managed the construction of one of the world’s largest private internet networks. Over the years I achieved 4 advanced degrees, but learned the most from the ‘school of hard knocks’. Each phase of my life tested me and taught me to embrace continuous learning.

My exploratory life changed in an instant, however, on 9/11.  I was in New York City at the time, and heard that one of the planes I had been regularly flying from Boston to LA was flown into the World Trade Center. I knew 4 people who perished that day, two on the planes and two in the buildings. In the years after that fateful event, I decided to make significant changes in my life.  I wanted to dedicate myself to the one thing I knew I loved:  Helping others.  Thus I became a coach.

Looking back, I can point to a few key ‘takeaways’ that guide my thinking to this day:

First, it is possible to be very successful and very happy.  We don’t have to suffer in our work!  Life can be fun, and we can make everything we do joyful if we choose to believe in that truth.

Second, every one of us has enormous leadership potential.  Introvert or extrovert, it doesn’t matter.  We all have the ability to make a positive difference in the world if we fully embrace who we are and how we naturally lead.

Third, emotions are essential to leadership.  For most of my life I suppressed my feelings through logic and analysis.  After 9/11, however, I realized that pushing back my emotions was not only making life painful but was also limiting my ability to inspire others.  I have since come to understand that emotions are the way we learn about ourselves and connect with each other…they are essential to living a full life.

Last, our human potential is largely untapped.  We all have an unlimited ability to change, adapt, perform and SHINE.  In my experience we very seriously underestimate ourselves and those around us.  Every one of us can do so much more and be so much more than we realize. 

My calling, my purpose in life, is to help people see and cultivate their Greatness.  Nothing inspires me more than participating in a client's growth process and witnessing the joy that comes as they step into a higher sense of self.  Whether it be through leadership, entrepreneurship or simply living a happy life, we all can be incredibly powerful.  If I can be of service to helping you create the life of your dreams, I would be honored and grateful.

Brief Bio:

K.C. Hildreth is a consultant and coach who works with executives and entrepreneurs to hone their skills and develop their unique, resonant leadership style. K.C. encourages his clients to become deeply self-aware, remove fear-based blocks, and encourage their natural leadership ability.

Prior to his 20 years as a coach, K.C. founded or co-founded eight companies including GoldPocket Interactive, a technology firm that was purchased in 2005 for $80 million. At GoldPocket he held roles of CTO, COO and was the principal driver in building a high-performance culture recognized for its superior management team. While at GoldPocket he also helped spin off two technology subsidiaries, both of which were eventually purchased by large technology firms.

Prior to GoldPocket, K.C. worked as a senior technology and strategy consultant for Renaissance Worldwide (telecom group), Sapient Corporation (banking group), and spent time on Wall Street and Capitol Hill managing large banking transactions and monitoring banking legislation.

K.C. has a BA in Political Science/Pre-Law from Ohio Wesleyan University, an MBA from the University of Virginia, an MS in Management Information Systems from the McIntire School of Commerce (University of Virginia), and an MA in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He also has a certificate in Mediation from Northwestern University and a Paralegal Certificate.

Currently, K.C. has 6 books in publication: The Evolution of an Ordinary Leader, Living into Your Highest Potential, Supercharge Your Startup!, Fund Your Dreams!, Lessons from the Startup Trenches, and The Power of YOU.