Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalyn Romaine.
Hi Kalyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was tired of dealing with bureaucracy and work politics, so I went home one night to start my first business. I worked in-house full-time, attended graduate school full-time, and grew my business simultaneously because I knew my career deserved more. My goal is and has always been to experience the freedom of owning my results, my style, and my methodologies. Being an entrepreneur makes that dream a reality. While the years I spent doing triple duty were grueling, they built a hedge for me and a resilience that I couldn’t have forged any other way.
I grew my career for over 15 years through in-house business transformation, HR, and organizational development roles. I’ve worked in public-facing roles building leaders’ competence, and I’ve served as an executive strategist to C-suite leaders growing their confidence in decision-making with the right data and systems. Both sides – on the ground and at the top – have been equally important to the work I do as a consultant and coach.
I love that I get to choose my clients, build authentic relationships with them, and get a front row seat to their evolution. I was very successful in my in-house roles at companies like Amazon, The Walt Disney Company, and Zapier, but I knew I wanted to widen my impact to more regions around the world, more industries, and more emerging leaders. I’m blessed to keep growing my global impact through the comprehensive services I offer at Forward Collective Group.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
NO. (smile) The road has been bumpy, but I’ve navigated the challenges through my faith, intuition, and commitment to strategic thinking. I try to plan at least three years ahead and pay attention to trends in my own industry and the economy at large. Since starting my company nearly a decade ago, I have navigated four major struggles. The first was choosing a focus for my services. I originally thought my firm would only provide coaching services, as coaching is one of my favorite and most demanded skills. I tested career coaching, mindset coaching, and even tarot card reading but realized that only being a coach was too limiting. I didn’t want to ignore my consultant side.
The second major challenge was deciding where to settle my business. I relocated three times in as many years with each state having different requirements and costs to operate a business. Each relocation forced me to restructure and retool, and the changes slowed down my progress. I was also working full-time and in graduate school, so it was very difficult to get grounded in entrepreneurship during those years.
The next challenge was a positive one. My business grew exponentially during the pandemic. I was serving up to 10 clients (as individuals and companies) at once across a range of services in addition to working full-time and finishing school. My revenues jumped and my reputation grew quickly. I faced the challenge of managing financial success and setting boundaries to protect my company’s reputation. Learning to say “no” was tough, but I taught myself to say it with grace and mutual respect. I said “no” to overspending and invested my revenues into intellectual property protection, professional development, and business development. I remained humble and didn’t price gouge prospective clients, as well as keeping the same standard of excellence regardless of the positive press I received.
This strategy has helped me navigate the fourth challenge: ongoing economic uncertainty. The demand for consulting and coaching services has shifted dramatically over the past three years. I’ve watched revenues dip and market demand dip even lower as leaders grapple with an uncertain business climate. I was faced with a choice: keep my offerings the same and hope for a market pick-up or restructure and launch with new services and products. I chose the latter. The investments I made during the pandemic have been invaluable: I’m able to leverage mutual respect and trust for repeat business and reinvest my professional development to launch new services with ease.
I renamed my company, expanded into global exporting, and increased my small business advising services. These changes have forced me to confront my own limiting beliefs. I now see myself as more than just a coach and consultant, but rather as an expert. That shift has meant everything to me. Even though the outside uncertainty hasn’t stopped, my inner world remains steady.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Forward Collective Group is a global management consulting firm that helps to build companies people love to work for and buy from. The firm specializes in business transformation advisory, small business advising, and executive coaching. Forward Collective Group is different because I care about my clients, as people first then as professionals second. That difference means I look for ways to grow them and their business. Consulting and coaching firms have a well-deserved reputation for price gouging, pushing self-serving solutions on clients, and spending a ton of time to produce little to no meaningful results. I hate that. I didn’t like it when I worked in-house, and I knew I’d never allow my company to operate that way.
I’m proud of Forward Collective Group’s values: efficiency, intimacy, and creativity. They represent my commitment to moving intentionally in client engagements without wasting time and develop high-impact solutions that solve real, root problems. I’ve built the antithesis of a typical consulting firm, and I’m proud of it!
I want the world to know that Forward Collective Group is their single stop to build the company of their dreams. The firm’s services include CEO and C-suite development, as well as business growth services like brand design, business development and matchmaking, and sales strategy development. I’ve worked hard to be a comprehensive partner, and I see the results in my clients every day.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
People don’t know how multifaceted my background is. I grew up as a musician and singer, studied sociology and urban planning, and have worked all over the country in multiple industries. The layers of my experience and expertise are what informs my working style. I look for connections and patterns, and I build complete solutions. Before I became an organizational psychologist and executive coach, I was a woman with an eye for transformation. I still carry that eye proudly.
Pricing:
- 6-Figure Business Readiness Workbook ($49)
- 80-Minute Business Accelerator Course ($149)
- Entrepreneur Persona Playbook ($19)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://4wardcollective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkalynromaine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/4wardcollective
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkalynromaine
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@4wardcollective
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@6figuresolosuccess
Image Credits
RaQuita Weathers (Belle Rouge Company)
