Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Watters. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kelly, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from a combination of lessons from my parents, personal failures, and a healthy amount of sheer stubbornness. As a fourth-generation entrepreneur, I learned many of the hard truths of entrepreneurship as a child. Growing up, I watched my parents navigate the turbulent waters of business ownership for over three decades. Their relentless pursuit of excellence, coupled with their ability to weather storms with grace, laid the foundation for my own professional ethos.
They also allowed me to follow my own path make my own mistakes in life. Now that I am a parent I have a better understanding of how hard that is to do. I’ve tasted failure more times than I care to admit. But I’m grateful for every single stumble and fall (well most of them at least). Because it’s in those moments of defeat that I learned the most valuable lessons. It’s where I honed my resilience and developed a profound appreciation for the very sweet taste of victory.
I am also just naturally stubborn and curious, which can be helpful when channeled correctly. Telling me “no” is a great way to get me to figure out how to make it possible.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the Co-Founder and President of Western Rise. Western Rise is a digital travel brand that equips individuals on their journey to discover a more fulfilling life. We make the next generation of premium travel apparel, accessories, and content to support individuals on their journey so they can carry less and experience more.
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?
Looking back I think the three most valuable qualities that drive any skill or knowledge development are curiosity, passion, and action.
Learning is one of the most important things we will do throughout our life. Being curious to learn new things, actively listening to mentors, and be humble enough to realize that there is always more to learn goes a long way.
Passion is the driver that helps you get up and do what needs to be done even on the hard days. As an entrepreneur, there are just as many hard days as good days, if not more. Passion keeps you and your team going.
And haveing the courage to take action. Some of the best ideas will never come to life because people were to afraid to try. The more action you take the more chances at success you will have and the more knowledge you will gain along the way.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I absolutely love reading. You can pick up some great tips, but also get a lot of encouragement from other founders who have ben there. There have been some great ones that I always recommend to others.
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Extreme Ownership
Never Split the Difference
The Lean Startup
Built To Sell
Contact Info:
- Website: www.westernrise.com
- Instagram: @wester_rise
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-watters-3b872a5a/
- Twitter: @kellyrwatters
