Today we’d like to introduce you to Kellie Hodgson.
Hi Kellie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I wanted to share a little bit about myself, my story and my why for starting Pathway to Prosperity. I’ll go way back, all the way to high school. I grew up in a family of hard workers who valued what we had, worked for what we wanted, and tried to make everything last. We didn’t have a lot of extra, but we had all we needed. I started babysitting at 12 and had an after-school job as a freshman in high school. I grew up in Iowa and spent a couple of summers detasseling corn. Up at the crack of dawn, out to the fields by sunrise, and done by lunchtime. I enjoyed working and having money to buy what I wanted (including my first car – a 1966 Mustang my dad & I restored). My mom pushed me to take accounting in high school so that I would know how to do a budget & balance my checkbook (does anyone still do that?!? 😊). Turns out, I loved it, it was easy for me and made total sense. So I took the business & accounting courses offered and knew that’s what I would do in college.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself bit by the bug of Colorado. The weather, the scenery, all the activities, it’s intoxicating. At the age of 26, I packed up everything I owned, and moved to Aurora. I had no job and a few weeks’ pay saved up. I landed in healthcare and stayed there for 18 years. I moved up the ladder, learned a ton, and became a leader of a fantastic team. I was driving 2 ½ hours every day towards the end of my time in healthcare, but I was so fulfilled with what I was doing. I was leading & mentoring my staff, teaching healthcare leaders about the financial side of their department and growing myself in the process. I was also traveling to Longmont, Frisco, Westminster and sometimes Durango. I felt good going to work, and we were managing life at home with 2 young boys.
At the start of 2017, my entire career trajectory changed suddenly. My boss, who I had worked for most of my career, was leaving and moving out of state. So, going where he was going wasn’t really on the table. I can now see this was the beginning of a significant shift in my career, values and perspectives. While I did stay for a while, eventually it was time to move on. I moved to a different, smaller healthcare company and took on significant challenges. Staffing, systems, processes – it all needed an overhaul. About the time we got things running, it was 2020.
2020 was life-changing for nearly everyone I know. Being in health care at the time was beyond difficult. Even in the finance realm. Trying to keep staff supported & work progressing in an environment where almost everything was unknown was probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced. Truthfully, without a staff of dedicated, amazing people I wouldn’t have gotten through it. We stuck together, faced the challenges, and kept moving. However, there was also a lot happening within me that I really hadn’t had time to process in 2020. We were simply surviving.
Life at home in 2020 was vastly different. We had 3 kids trying to do school virtual/hybrid, no after-care programs, no summer camps, very little extracurricular activities to keep them busy. We had to find other ways to manage kids, home and work. Fortunately, my husband was in a role that allowed him to work remotely 100%. As I was in healthcare, I needed to be in the office most days. What I didn’t realize at the time was how much I longed for more time at home. Life goes by incredibly fast and the years with my kids were passing faster than I could imagine. By the middle of 2021, I knew something had to change.
Were it not for COVID, I don’t know where I would be today. I am incredibly glad we were forced to slow down, spend more time at home, and reevaluate our lives & priorities. By the end of 2021, I knew I could no longer work in healthcare. It’s an incredibly stressful environment and was not where I was supposed to be anymore. However, after nearly 20 years in the industry, I had absolutely no idea what was next. I vividly remember turning in my resignation letter, quitting my executive position with no real plan. I am a planner. This was terrifying and liberating all at the same time.
It’s taken some time, and a lot of spiritual prodding, but I am now doing what is right for me at this time of my life. I am thrilled to use my skills & experience to help small business owners. I love numbers, spreadsheets and all the nerdy things most people hate. I am also passionate about helping small business owners to understand what their financials are saying. It’s so much more than the bank account balance. I love to do budgets, watch what happens and make adjustments. Projections are a fun challenge to see how close I can get to reality. Helping people change their lives by changing how they manage their money is so rewarding.
Looking back I can see that I was unsettled in my career for several years. This new chapter allows me to challenge myself in new ways, support those small businesses who are doing amazing things, and be truly present at home. I’m no longer exhausted and drained when the workday is over. I can pick up my kids from school and not feel like I’m drowning all of the time. For so long, that was our reality and I didn’t even know it.
Starting a business was never on my radar, but God has a way of redirecting us and I’m so grateful.
If you or someone you know needs financial help, I’d be honored to walk beside you. This is a journey and it takes effort, time and education. I feel strongly that financial literacy is a necessity, whether for your personal or business finances. It’s very unfortunate that it is not taught very well or often in our society. I’d like to do my part to help fix that. Together, we can change our own lives & help change the trajectory of our families!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Navigating entrepreneurship, while also raising kids, managing a household and all the other things life has for us, has not been easy. After working in a fairly structured, corporate environment for most of my life, learning to manage myself has been difficult! While I love the flexibility running my own business affords me, I also have had to learn how to manage my time, keep myself focused and do the things I don’t really love. There’s no one to delegate those things to yet so it’s all on me.
We’ve had to adjust our lifestyle and personal budget to accommodate this new opportunity. When I left healthcare, I took a 50% pay cut for 18 months working for a small business. After that role ended, we were down to 1 income with a family of 5. We’ve learned a lot about how to tighten our budget, make things last, what is a need vs a want and more through this process. While we are still working at adjusting to this new, sometimes inconsistent, income, I also feel more equipped to help others in their financial journey. I’m living it and learning right along with them!
We’ve been impressed with Pathway to Prosperity LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I founded Pathway to Prosperity for 2 reasons. 1 – Small business bookkeeping: I want to help support small business owners so that they can be as successful and confident as possible. Financial literacy is a big gap for most people and business owners are more at risk to fail as a result. This is avoidable and I want to help fill that gap wherever possible. One of the things I am most proud of with small business bookkeeping is the education I provide. This is not a hands-off service where I manage the finances & never talk to my clients. I want my clients to understand their profit & loss statement at the end of the month and know what it is saying. My clients are involved in understanding what is happening so that they can make the best decisions for their business. By bringing over 25 years of experience to small business owners, I can provide a variety of accounting & bookkeeping services such as system setup, budgeting, forecasting, process improvement, insights, as well as the day-to-day transaction management. I am a QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor but also work in Xero. I want the system to match the client’s needs.
2 -Financial Coaching: I want to help individuals and couples find a different way to live. I firmly believe that we, as a society, are doing ourselves and the generations behind us a huge disservice with our consumerism, debt-driven culture. Buying more stuff, getting more in debt and hoping it all works out okay is not a life. It can be different and I love to help people map out their plan to get there.
My goal with both audiences is to grow financial literacy & confidence, ensure their finances are accurate, and develop relationships so that they are comfortable asking questions. I’m an accountability partner, with loads of business knowledge, connections to other experts and a desire to see each of my clients succeed! I’m also on this journey, both professionally & personally, so I can empathize with my clients & their scenarios.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Relationships: I truly value the relationship with my clients and I think they can see that. I will refer them when able, share opportunities I see that might be a good fit, provide options for cost-savings, ensure they have the appropriate professional support in other areas, and anything else I can to ensure they feel confident and succeed in their business. I love to hear what’s happening in their business and lives, look for ways to support them, and sometimes just be a listening ear. As an entrepreneur it can be a lonely road. Having other small business owners you can talk to can be a huge help.
I also like to foster relationships with other small businesses who can help support my clients. People like CPAs, health insurance brokers, payroll providers, commercial insurance brokers, financial advisors, etc. Knowing who I am comfortable with helps me to find the best fit for my clients when they need additional support.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pathwaytoprosperity_2911/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094919730652
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pathway-to-prosperity-llc/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: https://calendly.com/path-prosperity
Image Credits
Belonging Photo & Video
