Official Biography of Kimberly Harkola Brown
After hitting the ambitious goal of a £500,000,000 GBP/year turnover in her own company, and instead of celebrating, Kim questioned her life purpose and motivation. She followed the program of being a kid, getting an education, attaining a job, getting married, rising through the ranks, starting her own company, and having a baby, yet she felt something was wrong. She wasn’t as fulfilled as thought she would be.
What about happiness?
Kim had climbed the ladder that society deemed worthy but felt it was up against the wrong building! At the age of 37 she sold her 50% shareholding and decided to turn her current life in for a new one.
The new life included selling all her possessions, buying the largest yacht she could afford (a 56’ Oyster) and setting sail around the world with her husband and 3 ½ year old daughter.
The job caused a mid-life ‘challenge’ but what happened before that?
Until the lifestyle change however, she spent 2004 to 2012 organically growing one of the UK’s most successful foreign currency exchange specialists – Smart Currency Exchange Limited. Privately funded with a solid balance sheet and no debt the company has exponentially grown through one of the worst economic recessions on record.
In addition to growing Smart, Kim also founded The Overseas Guides Company Limited (OGC), which was established in 2005. The OGC was created to hand-hold overseas property buyers through the step-by-step buying process in over twenty foreign countries. The OGC is strategically aligned with RightMove.co.uk – the UK’s number one property website.
Winning a multitude of business awards and featuring in various magazines as a successful and inspirational business woman, Kim has always created value for her employees, customers and anyone else she comes in contact with. She has authored several property guides and has been published in over fifty newspapers and magazines. She also contributed to regular columns in magazines such as Overseas Living.
What happens once someone leaves their own company?
After exiting her company, and while determine her next move, Kim wrote and published the book, How Life Really Works. At the time of writing, the book has over 25 five star reviews on Amazon.com and the Kindle version has experienced over 2000 downloads. Questioning her own life, Kim found answers and decided to share them with others.
What did Kim do before owning a company?
Previous to building her Smart empire and living in an exit void, Kim created and successful sold educational products online in addition being MD of and IT services company and working for high profile companies such as Deloitte and Touché. All in all, she’s had around 40 jobs including pumping gas, creating websites, copywriting ice cream cone packaging, greeting shoppers at the GAP, selling Sears auto insurance (by phone), assisting lawyers serving million pound trust funds, and serving consumers needing electric, plumbing and hardware parts – to name a small selection.
It seems like a long time since Kim left Rochester (West Irondequoit), New York, for England. And an even longer time since she graduated from Stat University of New York at Geneseo in 1998 but her degree in Business Management has taken her on some amazing journeys.
What’s next for Kim Brown?
Currently, Kim is focusing on creating a new life around meaningful connection, creative expression, freedom to be authentic, adventure and FUN. Rather than put money and society norms first, she’s decided to unleash the real Kim and climb a ladder truer to who she is. Her ambition is to demonstrate to others that it’s possible to do what you love and earn a living. Kim and her hubby have sold their 6 Bedroom house, given away most of their possessions and purchased a beautiful 56’ yacht to embark upon their next adventure. This website will showcase the journey.
Read Kim’s story about what made her leave land and take to the sea: Saying Screw It To My Life And Trading It In For A New One
