Meet Kim Miller

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim Miller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kim, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

I get my generosity from the people who raised and surrounded me. I grew up in a home and a village where giving was simply a way of life. My parents constantly opened our doors to others, especially the many “honorary grandparents” whose families lived far away and who became part of every holiday, birthday, and backyard BBQ. At the time, I didn’t realize how formative those moments were, but looking back, they taught me what it means to make people feel seen, included, and cared for. I also watched my parents help anyone who needed it, whether it was family, friends, or strangers, because giving was woven into their DNA and became part of mine. As an adult, that mindset shaped how I lead my teams and how I show up for my clients, my family, and my friends. Supporting others, personally and professionally, truly fills my cup, and I believe that if the world spent more time helping rather than canceling, we might find greater satisfaction in all things.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Almost two years ago, an unexpected layoff completely changed the trajectory of my life. After more than 25 years in corporate marketing roles, I suddenly found myself at a crossroads, one that forced me to reimagine who I wanted to be not only as a professional but also as a mom and a wife. I never planned to become an entrepreneur, but life clearly had plans for me. So, I chose to listen, trust, and step forward into something new. That leap of faith ultimately led me to build the most meaningful work of my career.

Shortly after, I founded Heart and Revenue, where I now serve as a fractional Chief Marketing Officer for nonprofits and corporate partners. I love this work because it allows me to blend strategy, creativity, and purpose every single day, helping organizations clarify their voice, strengthen their marketing foundation, and grow in ways that truly matter.

Around the same time, I followed a lifelong calling: teaching. Today, I have the privilege of serving as an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business, where I get to pour into the next generation of marketers. I find great joy each time I step on campus as I feel like I learn from my students just as they are learning from me.

As I settled into entrepreneurship, I realized how naturally I resonated with a phrase that I recently say in a Fast Company* article: the multi-hyphenate leader. Becoming an entrepreneur gave me the freedom to embrace all the parts of myself: strategist, teacher, community builder, mentor, creative, and advocate. Instead of fitting into one lane, I now lead across many, and that expanded identity has been both liberating and deeply energizing.

Through my work at Heart and Revenue, I began to see a consistent theme: countless women business owners were craving community, collaboration, and a trusted space to grow, not just as entrepreneurs but as whole humans. Their needs awakened something in me, and out of that calling, the vision for FemFoundry was born.

FemFoundry is designed to support, strengthen, and accelerate women-owned businesses. Our membership brings together education, mentorship, strategic resources, and connection in a way that meets women exactly where they are. It’s a community for any woman who either owns her business or dreams of one day building it. We believe that when we lift one woman, we lift all, and that shared strength has the power to change everything.

We officially launch in February 2026, but opportunities for pre-launch memberships at special prices are currently available. (https://Femfoundry.com/membership) Building this venture has been one of the most purposeful and fulfilling experiences of my life.

One of our most unique offerings is The FemFoundry Collective, a vetted network of highly experienced professional service providers across marketing, customer success, PR, copywriting, finance, HR, operations, branding, and more. It gives businesses looking for support high-quality, trusted, and vetted partners to lean on, while also giving our women-led service providers meaningful visibility, referrals, and the opportunity to more easily scale.

For prospective clients, the FemFoundry Collective provides something invaluable: hands-on guidance to identify what they truly need. Many businesses and nonprofits come to us believing they have one problem, only to discover that what they see is the result of a deeper challenge not yet uncovered. Because the FemFoundry Collective crosses disciplines, we can help diagnose root issues and match clients with the right expert service providers to solve them. In many cases, they may need support in multiple areas. Our Collective members collaborate closely with one another, partnering seamlessly to support clients through a multi-disciplinary lens. This creates tremendous ease for business owners, who can scale a team up or down with trusted partners who already work well together and are fully aligned in achieving their goals with excellence.

As a woman who is an adjunct professor, fractional CMO, consultant, mom, board member, and entrepreneur (and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few), I embrace the term “multihyphenate.” It is not a drawback. It is a superpower. Multiple roles do not divide your focus; they expand your empathy, sharpen your instincts, and deepen your ability to lead with both precision and heart.

In a world where business feels more like shifting terrain than a steady climb, where markets evolve overnight, goals pivot, and purpose matters more than ever, the leaders who rise are those shaped by variety, not uniformity. As Fast Company notes, multihyphenate women bring resilience, adaptability, broad experience, and a rare capacity to navigate complexity with clarity.

For me, being multihyphenate means drawing from the classroom when working with a client and pulling from agency strategy when mentoring a student. It means bringing empathy from being a mom, a partner, and a mentor into boardrooms and business decisions. It means believing that the many layers of who we are can coexist, inform one another, and ultimately make us stronger leaders.

So, to every woman out there toggling roles, balancing passions, raising families, building businesses, pouring into communities, and creating something that didn’t exist before: your path is not a detour. It is the design. And the world needs multihyphenate leaders now more than ever.

* https://www.fastcompany.com/91407481/your-companys-next-ceo-might-be-a-multihyphenate

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I look back on my journey, three qualities have shaped my path more than anything else: empathy, a growth mindset, and approaching challenges with optimism. These were not traits I mastered early; they were muscles I strengthened over time, often through seasons that stretched me the most.

Empathy has been the foundation of every leadership role I have held. Whether leading teams, supporting clients, teaching students, or raising a family, the ability to truly listen and understand someone else’s experience changes everything. It builds trust, deepens relationships, and allows you to lead with humanity instead of hierarchy. For those early in their journey, empathy starts with simple actions: listening without preparing your response, staying curious, and giving people the benefit of the doubt.

Having a growth mindset has allowed me to evolve through layoffs, reinventions, entrepreneurship, new roles, and new chapters. It means believing you can learn what you do not yet know, accepting feedback without letting it derail you, and staying open to the idea that your path will expand in ways you cannot predict. If you are just starting out, embrace being a beginner. Seek mentors. Ask questions. Stay humble. Never assume your learning is done.

And finally, approaching challenges with optimism has kept me moving when things felt uncertain. Entrepreneurship, leadership, and even personal growth are full of unknowns. But choosing to see challenges as opportunities rather than roadblocks keeps you from getting stuck. Optimism does not mean ignoring hard things; it means believing there is a way through them.

If you are early in your journey, start here: lean into empathy, stay committed to learning, let challenges strengthen you, and invest in the practical skills that help you show up as your best self. These qualities do not just make you a stronger professional; they make you a stronger human, and that will always serve you well.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

I believe there is value in both expanding your skill set and leaning deeply into your strengths, but if I had to choose where the greatest impact comes from, it is in being exceptional at a few things. Learning new skills or strengthening weaker areas is important, especially as the world and workplace continue to evolve. But when it comes to building your personal brand and shaping the legacy you will be known for, clarity matters. When people think of you, what do you want them to remember? What is the thing you do so naturally, so consistently, that it becomes part of your professional identity?

For me, I discovered one of my greatest strengths almost by accident. I have always known that I love connecting people, but I never labeled it as a “skill” or a “superpower.” It was simply something that brought me joy. Over the years, I’ve found myself instinctively connecting people, ideas, services, and opportunities, not because it benefitted me, but because it felt meaningful. Helping someone find the right partner, resource, or collaborator has always been something I’m wired for. It wasn’t until recently that I fully realized how powerful this gift is, and how much it has shaped the work I do and the communities I build.

So in this season of my life, I am intentionally leaning into this strength. I’ve embraced the title of “Connector,” even though it was never an official one. It shows up in my work as a fractional CMO, in my teaching at KSU, in the development of FemFoundry, and in my personal life. This isn’t a skill I had to force myself to master; it is one I’ve simply allowed myself to claim.

That said, leaning into strengths does not mean ignoring areas where growth is needed. For example, I am immersing myself in the world of AI so I can better support my clients and students. Am I trying to become the top expert in the field? No. But I want to be knowledgeable enough to ask the right questions, evaluate potential partners, and understand where AI can add value. You don’t need to be the expert in every area; you just need to know enough to contribute meaningfully and recognize when to bring in someone who is the expert.

So my advice is this: develop the skills you need to stay relevant and well-rounded, but do not dilute the things that make you extraordinary. Be unbelievable in one or two areas that differentiate you, and be conversant in the areas that support them. When you honor your natural gifts and pair them with a willingness to keep learning, you become not just well-rounded, but distinctly impactful.

Contact Info:

• Website: femfoundry.com, heartandrevenue.com
• Instagram: @joinfemfoundry, @kimenglehardtmiller
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimenglehardtmiller/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/femfoundry/?viewAsMember=true
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FemFoundry

Image Credits

KYNDAL JACKSON