Welcome to Transform’s Founder Spotlight Series, an exciting journey into the minds of innovative leaders who are disrupting the now and next of work.
In each Q&A-style article, we’ll introduce you to founders like Kristen Brun Sharkey of Emboldify, who are redefining the boundaries of their industries with forward-thinking ideas and transformative approaches.
About Kristen
Kristen Brun Sharkey is an executive coach, speaker, and facilitator who previously spent 15 years leading teams in advertising tech and marketing at companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 100. Today, she helps leaders advance their careers, make better decisions, execute change effectively, develop innovative solutions, and successfully engage their teams. Her unique approach combines evidence-based business and leadership frameworks with principles and skills from improv theatre to help her clients and audiences accelerate their impact. She has a Master’s degree in Management, Strategy, & Leadership from Michigan State University. She has spoken at recent conferences such as the California Conference for Women and the Chief in Tech Summit.
About Emboldify
Emboldify is a leadership development company specializing in applying improvisational theater techniques to the workplace. Using our proprietary AdLib Leader™ framework, we help leaders navigate complex roles with agility, overcome challenges, and unlock their full potential. We offer a comprehensive suite of services, including executive coaching, dynamic workshops, team coaching, meeting facilitation, and speaking engagements. Our mission is to empower leaders to enhance collaboration, adaptability, and innovation through the transformative power of improv theatre.
Let’s dive into Kristen’s founder story and learn firsthand about his inspirations, challenges, and breakthroughs that marked his path to success.
The Startup Journey
Q: What gave you the idea to start Emboldify?
A: I had known for a few years that I wanted to start a coaching and facilitation business. In fact, my father was a coach and facilitator for small businesses, so I learned a lot by osmosis. However, I didn’t know what my unique angle would be until after I started taking improv classes in 2016. At first, I just loved how much fun it was and the amazing community, but after several months, I realized it also dramatically impacted how I showed up at work. This was the missing puzzle piece that ultimately inspired me to start Emboldify.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages?
A: I was hearing mixed advice from so many people, which left me confused me about things like my sales and marketing strategy. I learned it was important to figure out what truly felt authentic to me and let go of the rest. There is no one right way to start a business—at the end of the day, you need to figure out what works for you.
Product Development
Q: Who benefits from Emboldify?
Leaders and teams across various industries looking to enhance their adaptability, collaboration, and innovation skills. Executives, managers, and emerging leaders gain from the personalized coaching and dynamic workshops, which equip them with practical strategies to navigate complex roles and foster a culture of creativity and resilience within their organizations.
Q: Why is this so important, and what are some examples of companies leveraging Emboldify?
A: Our approach is crucial because it addresses the increasing need for agility and innovation in today’s fast-paced and unpredictable business environment. Traditional leadership frameworks often fall short in preparing leaders to handle real-time challenges and effectively inspire their teams. By leveraging the principles of improv, Emboldify equips leaders with the mindset and skills necessary to adapt swiftly, think creatively, and foster a collaborative work culture. This not only enhances individual and team performance but also drives long-term organizational growth and resilience.
The majority of our clients are in tech, but we’ve worked with companies across a variety of industries. Our signature program combines workshops, individual coaching, and team coaching for a cohort of leaders over a six-month period. The results are truly transformative.
Q: What have you learned from your Emboldify users and customers so far?
A: I’ve learned that imposter syndrome happens at all levels – even with people who may come across as very confident. Addressing it in coaching and workshops is so powerful.
Scaling & Growth
Q: How do you build a strong company culture while scaling the business?
A: I’ve learned it’s critical to truly understand our company values and make sure they are integrated into everything we do. It’s not enough just to write them on a whiteboard – values should be a guidepost that helps us make critical decisions, especially in the early stages of a business. This extends to everyone we work with as well.
Team Building & Leadership
Q: What are your strategies for attracting and retaining talent?
A: At this stage, I primarily work with contractors and rely heavily on referrals from other business owners. This is one of many reasons why having a strong community of peers is so critical.
Q: What leadership skills do you believe are critical in the current environment?
A: I surveyed a group of 250+ women in tech recently about where they think employers should be investing in leadership development programs, and the overwhelming winner was emotional intelligence (followed by adaptability and innovation). It’s so critical that leaders be present, aware, empathetic, and a positive influence for their teams when everything is changing so quickly. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent, agile, and able to foster a culture of innovation are the ones who are going to flourish right now.
Marketing & Branding
Q: How does Emboldify differentiate from competitors?
A: Emboldify is differentiated through our approach to leadership development, which intregates evidence-based business frameworks with the magic of improv theatre. There are many companies that can deliver leadership workshops, but improv adds an element that makes the experience more interactive, playful, and memorable. Participants regularly say they can’t believe how fast the time goes! We also use principles from improv in one-on-one coaching to help leaders uplevel their presence, tackle imposter syndrome, and trust their instincts.
Our branding aligns with the playful improv theme through bright colors and bold fonts – which I absolutely love. The goal is to be bold, playful, and approachable.
Challenges & Lessons Learned
Q: Can you share any specific lessons or mistakes you made during the startup journey and how you overcame them?
A: When you work for yourself, your to-do list is never-ending, and it’s entirely up to you to create your own structure. I realized after a while that I have a strong tendency to procrastinate on the tasks that have the greatest potential impact on my business – which likely cost me months of revenue. Now that I’m aware of this tendency I actually leverage it as an indicator of what I should be prioritizing. I’m a fan of the “Eat the Frog” model – identifying the hardest, most important task for the day and jumping into it first thing in the morning.
Q: What advice do you have for other founders?
A: You NEED a support system from other founders who have faced or are facing similar challenges. Don’t underestimate how much value you can get just by continuously building new relationships and maintaining your existing ones. Starting a business can feel very lonely, but these relationships will help you avoid critical mistakes.
Industry and Market Insights
Q: What is one significant trend or prediction that you believe will drive the transformation of work?
A: The amount of upskilling that will need to happen across organizations in the next few years is mind-boggling. Employees are fatigued from dealing with so much change in the last several years, and there is a lot of anxiety in the workplace about how individual jobs may change. Retaining and motivating employees in this kind of environment requires leaders with top-notch change management skills and emotional intelligence – so investing in leadership development is more important than ever.
Company Vision
Q: What’s next for you and Emboldify?
A: There are many exciting projects ahead, including launching a leadership podcast this summer! I’m excited to expand our reach and be able to help a greater number of people.
Q: What would you like to say to People leaders who are thinking of using Emboldify?
A: Don’t waste your L&D budget on one-off traditional leadership trainings that participants forget about the next day. Improv is an incredible learning tool and can be integrated in so many ways. Our workshops and coaching sessions are designed to foster a culture of collaboration, adaptability, innovation, and psychological safety, which are crucial in today’s environment. Working with us means investing in the growth and resilience of your leaders and teams, ultimately driving better performance and success for your organization.
Sleeping in, meditating, and enjoying a pancake breakfast with my husband. Then, an afternoon at the pool spent swimming, reading, and soaking up the sun, followed by a delicious dinner with loved ones.
On a Personal Note
Q: What is your personal mantra?
A: “Bloom where you are planted.” My late dad and grandmother loved this saying, and I keep it close to my heart. It’s a great reminder that you can’t always control your external circumstances, but you can find ways to learn, grow, and flourish wherever you are. The plants that thrive in difficult conditions are often the most beautiful.
Check out other inspiring Founder Spotlights on the Transform blog.