Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Butler Willis
Hi Kimberly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
After the tragedy at Mother Emanuel in 2015, I recognized that I wanted and needed to do more meaningful community-based in Charleston outside of my hospital administrator role. From the eight ladies that were invited to my home to discuss this “epiphany”, it whittled down to three who agreed to meet every week to fine-tune the dream. Kellye McKenzie, Dr. Ebony Hilton, and I shared meals, laughs, and deep conversations to unpack what was missing and what we could offer to the intersection of healthcare and social justice in the South.
In June 2018, GOODSTOCK Consulting was incorporated as an equity-centered organizational development firm specializing in strategic planning, project management, training and facilitation, and community engagement. Our primary mission is to change how organizations interact with and in marginalized communities. Every challenge has strengths. It’s our job to help our clients find them and leverage them strategically for mutually beneficial growth of the organization, its staff, and its consumers.
We originally launched the company as a ‘side hustle.’ At the time, we all had demanding corporate jobs in public health and the medical field. Dr. Hilton, who made history at the Medical University of South Carolina in 2013 when she became MUSC’s first African-American female anesthesiologist, worked at the University of Virginia-Charlottesville. Kellye A. McKenzie, who once traveled the world working for the Peace Corps, worked in public health and philanthropy, specializing in training and project management. I, a Hollywood, SC native, worked as the director of Community Health at Roper St. Francis Healthcare. In February 2022, I left Charleston for a newly-created position with Planned Parenthood in Michigan as the Sr VP of Patient Care Operations. However, my experiences in Michigan made me realize the importance of home and what could be accomplished by investing more time and effort into GOODSTOCK.
It took less than a month for Kellye and I to make a life-altering decision to commit full-time to GOODSTOCK. Since then, we significantly multiplied our client portfolio and professional impact.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our greatest struggles were work-life balance and business sales. Most entrepreneurs would probably attest to the 24/7 nature of self-employment. Your work is a product of your expertise, skill, and connections, so you constantly work, learn, and network to improve. If left unchecked, the drive to be a premier and preferred consultant can conflict with family responsibilities, quality time, and interests.
Moreover, we were trained technicians – not saleswomen. Learning how to humbly promote your services and negotiate fair rates were learning curves that required support from mentors and business advisors.
It has not been a smooth road, but I imagine it would be even harder without my partners.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
GOODSTOCK Consulting was incorporated as an equity-centered organizational development firm specializing in strategic planning, project management, training and facilitation, and community engagement. We are most known for our ability to add a sense of levity to complex social and organizational issues. We pride ourselves on using authentic connections and “edutainment” to actively engage clients and consumers in conversations and processes that are typically seen as unorganized, daunting, and/or emotionally overwhelming.
We prefer to work with clients in the Southeast as the cultural and social issues tend to be comparable and familiar. This allows us to engage with some familiarity while still curious about the nuances. This comforts our clients because we understand their strengths and plights and may have experienced them ourselves.
Though we specialize in healthcare/public health and social services, we’ve found that our strategies are transferable and agnostic to the industry. We have worked with educators, philanthropists, manufacturing plants, marketing firms, and even infrastructure companies. Our bench of expert subcontractors has broadened our horizons and given us access to opportunities beyond our 2018 dreams.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I am consistently and unapologetically Kim. I’m naturally ambitious yet grounded in traditional family values with a passion for community – especially marginalized communities. It’s my purpose to be an advocate for those who may not have the words, access, or opportunity to live in their own purpose; and a bridge to connect them with those who do. We all come from good stock. It’s our collective duty to harness it at all times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goodstockconsulting.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodstockconsulting
