Meet Kari Mills

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

Kari , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I think I’ve always known my purpose, it’s anything around sports and fitness. It’s what lights me up and the work I love. However, for me to get really clear on my purpose, it did require some soul searching to be able to clearly articulate how I could turn my passion into a business. 

There were three questions I reflected on, as I worked to clarify and articulate my purpose. The questions on repeat in my head were:

  1. What am I good at?
  2. What am I passionate about?
  3. What does the world need?


After contemplating these questions here’s what I landed on. I’m good at empathizing and understanding people in the sports and fitness space. I’m passionate about all thing’s sports, fitness, and human potential. I believe the world needs more people who are standing inI their power, doing what lights them up, and living authentically. 

Having answered all those questions, I believe my purpose is to empower people in the sports and fitness space to live their life and tell their stories in the most authentic way possible. I even landed on a personal mission statement for me, which is the filter I use to guide my work. My personal mission statement or mantra is this: “move with purpose, on purpose.” In my mind everything begins with an intention, and once you know what you want, and where you want to go, then you can be super intentional about the things you do to achieve that goal. For me, this holds true in business, athletics, and life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Kari Mills, I’m the founder of Sweat Marketing Lab. I’m working to build and scale Sweat Marketing Lab. We help sports and fitness brands with business strategy and marketing.

The thing that is special about this work for me is that I truly believe sports and fitness brands have the power to change the world and inspire others in a unique and powerful way that only sports, and fitness can. Not only do people love sports and fitness, but it is also a powerful catalyst that stirs something in the human spirit of what can be possible. Anytime I can be around that, or a part of it – it just feels like magic to me.

We are currently taking on marketing and business consulting clients and plan to launch additional offerings in the fall.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d say the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that have been most impactful in my journey are:

  1. Optimism – the belief that things will work out for the best. I’ve never met a pessimist doing big things. I really feel like it’s important that you have a strong belief that positive outcomes are possible. 

  2.  Confidence – knowing that I have the skills and experience to figure things out when it gets hard. Confidence is earned, so having put in the work, and having the credibility with myself to know that I have a track record of being able to overcome adversity and do hard things is imperative to my success. 

  3.  Competitive drive – the intrinsic motivation to compete and continue moving forward even when things are difficult. Building a business or a body of work is hard work, nobody is going to do it for you. I think it’s important that you have a fire inside of you that can’t be put out by external forces. 

For people who are early on in their journey, I’d say it’s really important to do some self-reflection on who you want to be and how you want to show up. Examine your strengths, and where you can utilize those skills, and then be honest about areas that you need to improve. For areas that you need to improve, put a plan in place to develop those skills, or find others that can support you in the areas that you lack.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
The characteristics that make someone an ideal client is:

  1. Commitment to the mission of their business.
    2. Willingness to learn.
    3. The drive and discipline to do what is needed to grow the business and trust the process.
    4. You want to build a successful sports or fitness business.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Kristen Karhio of Karhio Creative Website: https://karhiocreative.com/

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