Hillary A Golden
Hillary A. Golden, Founder and Keynote Speaker, is dedicated to empowering individuals to advocate for themselves with confidence and resilience. Through one-on-one coaching, consulting, and keynote speaking, she helps clients embrace self-care, navigate life’s challenges, and take control of their personal and professional journeys. With a focus on mentorship and personal growth, Hillary’s mission is to teach others how to “take up space” and unlock their limitless potential. Her work inspires individuals to stand strong, challenge the status quo, and lead with purpose.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
A bumble bee because they work hard and learn from many resources or ‘pollen sources’. They use those resources and create honey which can be used to ‘sweeten’ or give back to the community at large. They also stay busy and communicate well while designing elaborate hives. They have a plan and they follow it and adapt to circumstances. On a larger scale, they help to keep humans alive by pollinating our food supply. Such a small creature does incredibly big work for the greater good.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
I take really good care of myself. Working out regularly and walking an average of 8,000 steps a day helps me to clear my head. Taking time out for family and friends is critical for me to maintain connections. Exploring hobbies like travel and writing are also important to maintain an equilibrium of work-life.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
I expect to have detours so when they happen I am not surprised. I take time to understand what happened and the implications then I come up with a plan to move forward. Sometimes this takes a couple of hours and sometimes it takes a couple of days. I think it’s important to analyze what happened to understand if there is something that I could have done differently. Most things we don’t have control over and giving myself grace in understanding that is paramount. Anyone starting a business is going to fail. The key is learning from the failures so you can do better next time. A favorite quote of mine is from Maya Angelou “when you know better, do better”.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
Beyond the numbers is where the soul of any business lives. When you are making a difference you feel it. People tell you but there is also something inside that says this is what I am supposed to be doing. When I help one person and they express to me how much of an impact it made on their life it fuels me to keep going in the tough times. When I feel like giving up or asking ‘who am I to think I can do this’ I look back on my small wins. These successes keep me motivated and light my way forward.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
I spoke with a client who was having a really hard time dealing with a diagnosis. I calmly walked him through the scenario and broke it down into steps asking questions along the way. We went step by step and he calmed down. At the end of our call he totally turned around his thought process and accepted the situation for what it was. No longer desperate and disillusioned but hopeful and with a plan. After that call, I totally broke down and cried. It made me realize what an impact one person can have. Never in the call did I question my ability to help this person. I knew I could help. There was a need and I filled it. Never had I felt such purpose and the impact left me blown away. I am driven by something deeper now and that drive is consistent.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
I have read so many books on starting your own business. I have taken courses. I am part of a speaking club. I am constantly learning. Looking for someone who is ahead of me so I can ask them questions and learn from them. All you need is someone who is doing 10% better than you at one thing and you can learn from them. I ask lots of questions. My mind is constantly putting things together and coming up with strategies. Business leaders are ideal mentors, have made mistakes, learned, failed again, and got back up to keep fighting. Everyone fails but not everyone can get back up. Consistency and obsession beat talent every time. Mentors show you what’s possible and make getting back up a little easier when you have seen them do it.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
My work is about teaching people how to advocate for themselves. I do this by one-on-one coaching, consulting, and keynote speaking. The most important thing we can do for ourselves is to take care. If you don’t take care of yourself you can’t take care of anyone else. We have to be able to stand on our own two feet. What I have learned is no one is coming to save you. You can ask for help and you can research but ultimately you have to save yourself. Once that hit me, everything shifted. I learned how to advocate for myself as a patient and learned I could teach others how to advocate for themselves as well. In a doctor-patient scenario this can be difficult because we are taught to listen to doctors and not question authority. Giving myself permission to question everything has allowed me to ‘take up space’. Learning to be comfortable taking up space and teaching others has made me feel limitless. My mission is to help others ‘take up space’ and fell limitless as well.
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