Kerry-Ann is a passionate individual who has always had a strong interest in helping organizations and businesses thrive. She believes in bringing big ideas to life and sees strategy as the key element in making that happen. However, through conversations with podcast hosts, Kerry-Ann has also realized that her drive and passion for entrepreneurship stems from her childhood experiences. As a child, she witnessed firsthand the value and importance of business owners, particularly those who own local and small to medium-sized companies. She saw how these business owners play a crucial role in supporting local communities through their investments in programs and organizations. Kerry-Ann recognizes the impact that small and medium-sized businesses have on the tax base, job creation, and the overall development of the middle class. With a deep understanding of the significance of entrepreneurship, Kerry-Ann is committed to helping organizations and businesses grow and succeed.

Key Moments

[06:11] Entrepreneurship’s importance in supporting local communities.

[08:37] Hard moment, but found own vision.

[13:36] Belief in purpose, creation, love, existence.

Find Kerry-Ann Online

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-ann-powell/

https://trafalgarstrategies.co/

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Transcript Provided By Castmagic.io

Seth [00:00:00]:

Entrepreneur’s Enigma is a podcast for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, so the wins and the fails that we all face being entrepreneurs, how we learn from adversity. Every week, I talk to a different entrepreneur with a story to tell. I’m Seth Goldstein. Come with me on the journey. This is Entrepreneur’s Enigma. Let’s get started. Hey, everybody. Welcome to another edition of the Entrepreneur’s Enigma podcast.

Seth [00:00:34]:

I’m as always The past almost 200 episodes, Seth, your host. Today, I have an awesome person, Karrie-Ann Powell of Trafalgar Strategies, I think I said that right, to Trafalgar Strategies. And also she’s a a world renowned speaker, global business strategist, Podcast guest, that’s actually listed here. So she’s actually official podcast guest. Champion for the small and mid sized businesses. She It started her journey over 20 years ago at in Washington, DC as an attorney, lobbyist, and fundraiser. And one of her biggest things is she raised 120,000,000 to build the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial. That’s awesome.

Seth [00:01:13]:

That is really cool. That is a that’s that’s a good resume builder. It’s a very good resume builder. And I was just there on, in August and we saw this we just went to see the MLK statue. It’s really nice. I like it. So anyhow, so she does when she’s not speaking, because she just speaks all around the world. She runs her business, working with her clients.

Seth [00:01:34]:

She also likes to travel, Practice her Spanish because I know she galvants over to Spain every now and then and loves a good meal with good people. Hey, Carrie Anne. How are you?

Kerry-Ann [00:01:44]:

That’s my man. So good to see you. Thanks for having me on.

Seth [00:01:47]:

Oh, this is fun. We finally got to hang out, which is fun. So

Kerry-Ann [00:01:51]:

Yeah. Absolutely.

Seth [00:01:52]:

So how does someone go I mean, obviously you’re a lawyer. You’re an Esquire. Esquire? Nice. So you grew up in and around DC. Is that correct?

Kerry-Ann [00:02:04]:

Yeah. My my early well, just my early years, was not DC, but DC became home Very, very early in my career, so in my early twenties. And

Seth [00:02:14]:

Oh, it’s a it’s

Kerry-Ann [00:02:15]:

a fun city. Oh, fantastic. Absolutely fantastic.

Seth [00:02:19]:

And and you guys should cross the street without getting hit because they give you, like, 20 minutes to cross the street. It’s more

Kerry-Ann [00:02:24]:

like 20. Cool.

Seth [00:02:25]:

Because they they take a minute. They not only in most cities where it’s, like, you have 10 seconds to get across the street. They see you have Right. A minute to get and start walking, then they give you another 10 seconds to get across when it starts turning red.

Kerry-Ann [00:02:37]:

You know,

Seth [00:02:37]:

I’m not talking about anything like that.

Kerry-Ann [00:02:38]:

That, but you’re so true. Oh, true.

Seth [00:02:41]:

I was then in August, I was like, wow. They attribute time limit on the walking side too. It’s it’s amazing. It’s incredible.

Kerry-Ann [00:02:46]:

They’re like, you know how to run and hope your dog will be, like, save your life.

Seth [00:02:49]:

I know, especially because they’re lots of big streets in DC. So

Kerry-Ann [00:02:53]:

Yeah. There’s some wide ones. Yeah.

Seth [00:02:54]:

There’s some wide ones. Constitution Avenue. I I rode a scooter down that. That was terrifying. That was terrifying. Oh my god.

Kerry-Ann [00:03:01]:

It’s interesting. There are some pretty wide ones, but it’s always the wide ones close to, like, you know, the White House, the Capitol, that kind of a thing.

Seth [00:03:08]:

Yeah. They they need wide ones so they can land a plane on it or something like that. Who knows?

Kerry-Ann [00:03:12]:

Yeah. Or like a major motorcade.

Seth [00:03:15]:

Yeah. Something like that. They need some big streets. Otherwise, it gets jammed. That’s jambal. New Yorkers always know how

Kerry-Ann [00:03:20]:

to like, there’s an ambulance coming. They’re so used to ambulance as well. And DC was so used to the presidential motorcade that will, like, okay.

Seth [00:03:26]:

No and so is out again. Oh, boy.

Kerry-Ann [00:03:28]:

Yeah. Oh, boy.

Seth [00:03:29]:

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Oh, alright. They’re done. We can keep go going now. Exactly. So So you were a lobbyist, an attorney, a fundraiser, a fundraiser person. I don’t know if there’s a term for that, a fundraising

Kerry-Ann [00:03:42]:

Fundraiser, it is.

Seth [00:03:44]:

Fundraiser. And so what was it like raising money to build the Martin MLK statue? That’s that’s pretty wild.

Kerry-Ann [00:03:51]:

Well, you know, it was one of the best, most fulfilling, things out of my life and in my career as a whole. It was just such a very cool thing to do. Obviously, it was a big mountainous path. Right? And I’m gonna love. But,

Seth [00:04:03]:

he’s also a mountainous man. I mean, he’s a he he’s larger than life.

Kerry-Ann [00:04:07]:

It’s larger than life figuratively and in the statue.

Seth [00:04:11]:

He yeah. He was tall too, so he was he was a big dude.

Kerry-Ann [00:04:14]:

Yeah. Yeah. For sure. One of there are definitely some people in the world that have made significant impact and Yeah. You know, generations to come will remember them, and he’s definitely one.

Seth [00:04:24]:

Oh, he’s definitely one of them. And the memorial is gorgeous. It’s not over the top. It’s low it’s low ish key, which I feel like he’d be proud of because it’s like I

Kerry-Ann [00:04:34]:

think so.

Seth [00:04:35]:

I feel I feel like it’s it’s it’s enough. It’s not over the top, which I think is a good thing. So Yeah. And I and I think one of the things too One thing that

Kerry-Ann [00:04:43]:

too when we were designing it was this idea of being able to allow people to be able to reflect there

Seth [00:04:49]:

Yeah.

Kerry-Ann [00:04:49]:

As opposed to I mean, yes, obviously, You know, he it’s the memorial to his life and his impact, but it’s also an opportunity for people to just sort of come and and reflect. And I think It’s

Seth [00:05:00]:

very meditative. Yeah. Is very meditative. At night? What? Oh, night. We were there at night. It was, like, it was very lot of people there, but calming. It’s a very neat memorial. Yeah.

Seth [00:05:12]:

Unlike the Lincoln Memorial, which we went to afterwards, which was, like, jam packed and people taking pictures and there’s Abe sitting there all big and proud. Yeah. That’s Yeah.

Kerry-Ann [00:05:20]:

Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, to the lighting, I mean, a lot of people don’t know the background. I mean, I didn’t know it until I started, you know, being a part of the project. Mhmm. I mean, to determine the lighting scheme For the at night, I

Seth [00:05:31]:

mean, that took the team a good week and

Kerry-Ann [00:05:33]:

a half of going down there at night testing different lighting options and Oh, wow. Kind of a thing. Mhmm.

Seth [00:05:38]:

Oh, it’s everything. Let me think.

Kerry-Ann [00:05:40]:

Granted, when you go to a place at nighttime and the lighting is really cool, there’s a lot of work that went into that.

Seth [00:05:47]:

We’re gonna take a quick break, hear from our sponsors, and get right back to the show. And God forbid, a light bulb go goes out, then it’s like it’s all cold.

Kerry-Ann [00:05:53]:

I know. Right?

Seth [00:05:54]:

Oh my god. So so you did that and then you left and you decided to become a speaker and you started your Trafalgar Strategies, which is your strategy company, which is very cool. Tell me a little bit about that, like, actually, let’s start let’s start at the beginning. Have you always wanted to work for yourself?

Kerry-Ann [00:06:11]:

You know what? I think I have. So, you know, I I I hope for time, you know no. Because it’s one of those things where I always thought that it kinda evolved over time because I really enjoy Helping, organizations, you know, make big things happen sort of being big ideas to life and obviously strategy is an important element to that. To me, it’s the strength it’s the most important part of that. But, you know, as I’ve been having conversations with different podcast host that sort of asked me that Question I realized very early on, I had some positive imprinting as a child Yeah. Around what, You know, entrepreneurship was like, what does it mean to be a business owner? You know, I really, saw firsthand the value and the importance and the The necessary role that business owners, particularly those that own local companies or the own small and medium sized companies that really, you know, when you think about the folks that are on board of directors of nonprofit in the local community, these are folks who are small and medium sized business owners that are investing money Into these programs, into these organizations, we think about the tax base of a local community, a small and medium sized businesses that are supporting that. You think about the employer employees And how folks are being able to raise the middle class. They’re being hired.

Kerry-Ann [00:07:24]:

I mean, 2 thirds of employees work for small for small, medium sized companies. So I think I saw this very early on because my dad’s friends, people in our community, the pillars of our community. And I and I knew that I kind of realized that Entrepreneurship, business ownership was something that was to be that I actually thought was holy and good as opposed to sort of a different perspective where It looks like, oh, they’re ruining the environment, blah blah blah. Right?

Seth [00:07:49]:

Exactly. And I

Kerry-Ann [00:07:50]:

so I think that was and then, of course, when I was in junior high school, I was the president of the future business Leadership America.

Seth [00:07:56]:

Everyone knew everyone knew ahead before you did. Right?

Kerry-Ann [00:08:00]:

Right. So, but I think consciously though, probably when I was, towards the latter part of the memorial, I a lot of folks were inviting me to do retreats and conferences. Like, I started a business Kind of doing that for leaders. Right? The spiritual conferences as well as leaders, leadership conferences for women to

Seth [00:08:19]:

be leaders

Kerry-Ann [00:08:19]:

and the different things. But and then when I eventually finished it, I was like, okay. You know what?

Seth [00:08:24]:

I wanna go for 1. I mean, what do you

Kerry-Ann [00:08:26]:

do after you build the memorial? How do you get

Seth [00:08:29]:

none just knowing those are the school, but it could be my ass. That’s just any memorial, the MLK Memorial. I mean, you kind of like, it’s kinda hard to top that.

Kerry-Ann [00:08:37]:

It was very hard. It wasn’t to be honest, you know, it was a moment in time and I think hopefully your some of your listeners will will understand this. The things don’t just always run smoothly in life. I had a moment when I was like, wait. What next? Yeah. You know, I had headhunters reaching out. I had different opportunities, but I just couldn’t land. I couldn’t figure out really what it is that I wanted to do next until I realized, Actually, I have a vision of what I wanna do next, and that requires me stepping into my own zone of zenith and doing it on my own.

Seth [00:09:11]:

That’s wild. So because you’ve done a lot, I was gonna say because you I always say because you’ve done the corporate grind and all that stuff. I mean, both with the MLK Memorial. Like, since you’ve built a memorial, you’ve been a lawyer, you’ve been an advocate, you’ve been a fundraiser, you’ve been a lobbyist in DC. I mean, that’s a lot, You know, you you’ve had a Yeah. Storied career so far. What’s the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

Kerry-Ann [00:09:38]:

Oh, wow. I find there are many things, but if I were to be honest about it, It’s me being able to decide how much I want to impact the world. Because I think you have the capacity when you are working for someone. Right? Your role is is and as it should be, Should be the role that you’ve been hired to do.

Seth [00:10:05]:

Absolutely.

Kerry-Ann [00:10:06]:

And, obviously, I do believe that you wanna always go a step above what you’re hired to do, Not because of some sort of, you know, pay you to pay me kind of thing, but because I think that we, as humans, really do have something within us that wants to be bigger than Ourselves. Right? So Yeah. But you do still need to kind of fall within the range of what it is you have been hired to do. You don’t want it to be like, oh, well, guess what I’m gonna do? You know, all random.

Seth [00:10:33]:

You wanna have a plan of some sort. Exactly. So then on the flip side oh, go ahead. Keep going.

Kerry-Ann [00:10:38]:

But I think as an entrepreneur, I can decide, you know. That’s one of the reasons why, you know, I love working with the clients that I work with. I love taking on new clients in a bigger problem. The more the bigger the problem, the more scared I am. Like, oh, can we really fix this, or can we really help them? I’m like, yeah. Yeah. We can. And we dive a little deeper.

Kerry-Ann [00:10:56]:

It stretches us. And I not and I love the fact that I can also do that and speak, and I can do that and do podcast. I mean, you know, It stretches and it gives you the flexibility to do what it is, to how you wanna spend your day. We’re on this earth for a long time, Seth. You might as well do it all.

Seth [00:11:12]:

Exactly. Exactly. And so on the flip side, what keeps you up at night being an entrepreneur?

Kerry-Ann [00:11:21]:

Am I doing enough? And am I doing

Seth [00:11:23]:

Are you

Kerry-Ann [00:11:23]:

doing enough, Jean? Am I doing enough? And am I Doing what is uniquely what we can do in our business. I I I Definitely think it’s very easy to kind of look around and say, okay. This is what everyone else is doing. And obviously, this is a good business plan and this runs really well, so go that way. But I do like to sort of see, okay, what Skills do we have within the business, or what ways we can parlay to serve our clients more? Am I doing enough?

Seth [00:11:59]:

Yeah. And it’s and that’s something I feel like, you know, sometimes I say it to myself. I’m like, am I doing enough? And I look at, well, I have this podcast. I got the newsletter. I got the business. I’m like, I’m thinking I’m doing

Kerry-Ann [00:12:09]:

But I’m like, there’s always something else.

Seth [00:12:10]:

There’s always something else I wanna do. And I and I get that. Yeah. You wanna help out with people and stuff like that. Like, I’m coaching for, founders institutes, which is fun and exciting. So it’s, you know, always been something.

Kerry-Ann [00:12:21]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:12:22]:

So what is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

Kerry-Ann [00:12:27]:

What is the most important thing to carry with me all the time? A physical thing or a thought?

Seth [00:12:33]:

It can be it can be both. You can do both. We got time. You can get as creative as you want.

Kerry-Ann [00:12:40]:

I would say, I always like to have, My phone on me, not for the purpose of, you know, apps and stuff like that, but things come into my head all the time. And if I don’t have a place to put those notes on paper Or, you know, if they just go away. So and and what I have found is I mean, I’ve been on airplanes since I was born, so I’m very used to flying. And I a lot of people say this. Like, I’m not the only person, but my brain, like, up.

Seth [00:13:10]:

Yes. Some of the airplanes. Yeah. I don’t know what it is. I don’t

Kerry-Ann [00:13:13]:

know if it’s because we’re above and we can see we can have a better perspective of how You’re

Seth [00:13:17]:

also captive in the world.

Kerry-Ann [00:13:20]:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s true. Well, you know, you can have that in a dentist office too, you know. But anyway, but, yeah, by my brain, like, have I made some of the best ideas that I’ve come across come across when I’m on a plane. I write it down. Sure.

Kerry-Ann [00:13:36]:

I can write it down. If I feel like if I feel like my phone is I also like, I’m old school, so I’ll always usually have a notebook as well Just in case my phone’s gonna, like, not charge. Because literally that’s how much my brain lights up. That’s one thing. I think also Sort of less physical, more, less less tangible is, I have to constantly have a belief that, that I am I am a creator I am a creation of of God and knowing that my existence is not just, you know, I’m not just some person walking around on the street That we all purpose. Yeah. Have I have purpose and that I have meaning to be on this earth and that I And that I’m loved and that I’m lovable and because I exist. Yeah.

Kerry-Ann [00:14:30]:

Because that that belief, brings me through many of the times when, you know, entrepreneurship is not easy. And and life is not always easy. And sometimes we get to dark places, but the belief and the understanding that I am that I’m a child of God and I’m loved of God and I am I’m here on this earth For a reason, for a purpose, it makes me go through the darker times much easier.

Seth [00:14:58]:

I love that. Yeah. It helps. It definitely helps, especially in today’s day and age. Jeez. Yeah. Exactly. So Carrie Anne, where can people, where do you hang out most online? Are you a are you a LinkedIn person? Are you a blog? Yeah.

Seth [00:15:13]:

Where is your where is your Waldron Hall online?

Kerry-Ann [00:15:15]:

I I hang out most on LinkedIn, and then I do quite a bit on on Instagram. So I think those 2 places are places if you wanna hang out and find me, you You can find their

Seth [00:15:25]:

We’ll have them in the show notes. Yeah. We’ll have them in the show notes. Absolutely.

Kerry-Ann [00:15:29]:

Yeah.

Seth [00:15:29]:

And then, obviously, check out Trafalgar. The I mean, Trafalgar strategies. It’s It’s the British words. Yeah.

Kerry-Ann [00:15:36]:

Yeah. Trafalgar strategies dotco. It was, one of the first battles So between the bricks was the bricks in Spain and France during the Napoleon explorers. And it was really the Oh, so the square too? Yeah. Well, the square was made up to the battle. Oh, the square was made up to the battle was what, was what, solidified the strategy, the no World Navy Strategy or or moral label position as a strategic, force. So, anyway, nonetheless, it’s an interesting story I like that

Seth [00:16:09]:

because there’s a strategy involved with it. I like, oh, I like that.

Kerry-Ann [00:16:11]:

You know, it’s like

Seth [00:16:12]:

during Goldstein Media, which is just saying my name with media at the end. I was like, I’m yeah. I like I like brand the the branding where it makes there’s a story behind it. Because I mean, you’re American who, you know, galvanize around Spain, but you’re you have a British named to your company. So it’s like, wow. Multiply dynamic. I mean, it’s very cool.

Kerry-Ann [00:16:31]:

Yeah. Well, you know, I tell you what, I happen to have been. When I was thinking about pivot, I was in the prospectively in the company, and I happen to have been in, Interfog with Square, during that period of time, in London, for those of you who haven’t been, it’s a huge square. Talk about up Lighting. Right? I mean, they have good up lighting. Yeah.

Seth [00:16:51]:

At night. I mean, whoever did their lighting, praise the lord. Good good

Kerry-Ann [00:16:54]:

good on them. But, but, yeah, I happen to have been at the spare of the time and, is a part of this sort of a transition moment in the business, and I decided to To reinvent the company from only doing large NGO strategy, but doing business comp organizations and businesses and so forth. And That’s where I ended up saying after the name. Uh-huh. So, yeah, you can find me at your progress strategies.co.

Seth [00:17:19]:

Or on LinkedIn or Instagram. I’m on LinkedIn.

Kerry-Ann [00:17:22]:

We’re on Instagram. Yeah.

Seth [00:17:24]:

Awesome. Well, Carrie Anne, thank you so much for making the time to be on the show. I really appreciate it.

Kerry-Ann [00:17:29]:

It’s been a real joy and a pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Seth [00:17:32]:

And we’ll see everyone next time. That was a great show. If you’re enjoying Entrepreneur’s Enigma, please view us in the podcast directory of your choice. Every review helps other podcast listeners find our show. If you’re looking for other podcasts in the marketing space, look no further than The Marketing Podcast Network at marketingpodcast.net. Goldstein hopes you have enjoyed this episode.