When you know what you were born to do and pursue it, there’s not a lot that can keep you from it. As early as 16 years old, Kellé Thorpe knew she was supposed to be an accountant. Little did she know how far that career path would take her. Kellé’s story is one that even when we know what we were meant to be doing, when God steps in, He will put a totally different spin on it, beyond what we could have imagined. I recently had the pleasure of talking with financial genius, Kellé Thorpe for my podcast and am totally blown away by her story.
Embarking On a Purpose Journey
Starting as an accounting clerk, Kellé eventually worked her way up the ranks of the financial career path to C-suite employee of some of the most prestigious law firms, profiting $2M - $3M annually. Then, on the same day the world shut down in 2020, Kellé started a more prestigious position as Chief Administrator Officer at the #11 lobby firm in the country. She was the only Black woman in the firm and the only woman in the C-suite.
Following Where The Journey Takes You
As Kellé was navigating her new role during the pandemic, her former employer called on her to help them out rather than hire someone new. Then another group of lawyers called on her to help them out with their new venture. Reluctantly, Kellé agreed to help them all when she could, working around her new job. Understand that ‘help’ is the operative word here for that is all Kellé was trying to do. She knew these people and wanted to make their lives easier. She knew she had the skillset to do it, so it was just a matter of navigating her schedule to make it all work. This was not easy for a full-time employee and single mother, but she managed it.
After months of doing this, Kellé finally took the time to analyze her financial situation. She realized that by December of that same year, she had doubled the income of her full-time job. Unbeknownst to Kellé, she had a business venture in the works. Now what? Realizing she had the potential to help even more companies, she quit her new job. But, by the beginning of the new year, you guessed it - they decided to come on as her client also.
This all sparked the launch of Kommas with Kellé, a business that serves entrepreneurs and senior-level corporate executives, unlocking the narratives hidden in their financial numbers, optimizing productivity, and driving revenue growth through her proven 5-Step Profit Acceleration Methodology. In short, Kellé is a fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who keeps companies’ finances flowing through strategic financial planning.
Navigating the Challenges
It’s true that early in this business, Kellé didn’t realize she even had a business. So once this was realized, she knew there was a lot to get caught up on. With the personal challenges in her life, her biggest problem was navigating a divorce as she was transitioning to her new business. COVID was still a problem and proved to be a huge bump in the road for her as she was trying to put the legal structure in place, and everything that didn’t get done during the foundational stage of the business. Nonetheless, her strength never wavered and she put in the work to do what needed to be done to adhere to the nuts and bolts of her business. To those who hesitate to get it done, her advice is:
Jump . . . take the jump . . . jump out there and do it and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you take the jump.” –Kellé Thorpe
Listen to the full episode of my discussion with Kellé Thorpe. Don’t just listen and keep on with your life but take the time to really listen to discern your next steps to fulfill your purpose.