Kris Mathis is a Grand Rapids, MI native who transformed his childhood vision of escaping poverty into a million-dollar business portfolio. An entrepreneur in every sense, he is not only a business trailblazer but also the Writer and Executive Producer of the business reality series Let’s Help Her Win. He is an award-winning entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a highly sought-after keynote speaker and business coach.
Kris has been featured in some of the world’s most reputable publications, which have shared his insights and celebrated his accomplishments. His work has appeared in SUCCESS, E! News, The New York Weekly, Business Insider, Benzinga, Business Insider Africa, Benzinga Pro, Newsweek, and CEO Weekly, among others.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
Great question. Ha ha! I’d say our mascot would be a bear. I say this because a bear can do it all. After a bear sets its sights on what it wants, there’s no stopping it from getting it. A bear can climb a tree, swim across a river, and run fast through the woods. They can take down animals their size and bigger with no fear. They can also go long periods without food during hibernation and then wake up ready to go! In other words, they know how to withstand all conditions and still survive and win.
I see our business the same way. We have survived and shown so much resilience that nothing can stop us from reaching our win. We’ve overcome many obstacles, from our startup challenges to navigating the pandemic. We will always find ways to win—just like a bear does.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
Honestly, I don’t believe a “healthy work-life balance” is possible when building a business and striving for big goals. If you want to be successful at a high level, it requires an imbalance during the building phase. This means making sacrifices that friends and family may not understand, leading to heavy work and little time for life—for a while. One must be willing to commit to this temporarily while working toward the dream. Once the goal is reached, a healthier balance can be created by deciding how to spend time and sticking to it. Then, the cycle repeats when it’s time to go after the next goal.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
Pivots in business are healthy. They are a part of the process when pursuing goals. When you decide to build a business, you’re going to encounter unexpected detours, challenges, setbacks, etc. This is simply part of the journey.
The way to move forward during these times is to remember your “why.” You must recall why you’re doing this. Why is this goal so important to you? Why do you feel you have to be the one to achieve it? Remembering your “why” will sustain you during the most difficult times, even when you feel like you have nothing left. It’s in these tough moments that resilience is built, and you learn how to keep moving forward despite hardships.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
Great question! I’ve learned that there is something beyond financial success in business—it’s called “significance.”
Significance is the value we gain beyond money and material achievements. It comes from how many people we can help, serve, or assist in their journey.
Being successful in business has allowed us to help people all over the world—through community engagement, donations, and investing in good people who need a little support on their journey. We work daily to live out our significance by serving others.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
When I look back at my career, I remember writing my first book, From Success to Significance: The 8 Keys to Achieving Any Goal or Dream.
This was very early in my career. I was just a guy who wanted to help people win. I wanted to share the lessons about life and business that had helped me achieve success. No one really knew who I was when I started. I didn’t have a big name—only my friends and family recognized me.
Then, I wrote my first book and held a book signing at Barnes & Noble, one of the major book retailers. As the event went on, I noticed the line of people growing longer and the crowd getting bigger. A friend came over and told me that all these people were here to see me! As they came through the line to get their books signed, they shared stories about how my work had impacted their lives and businesses. Each story reinforced that the work we were doing was creating the change we wanted.
Since then, we’ve seen our reach and impact expand to millions of people worldwide. To this day, that book signing remains one of my most cherished memories.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
Mentorship is the cheat code for winning in business. The most successful people I’ve met and read about all had someone in their corner, supporting them through the process of building their businesses. If you really want to win and reach new levels, you do it with a mentor.
Mentors have been a big part of my journey. The beauty of mentorship is that the person mentoring you doesn’t have to be physically present. You can gain mentorship through their books, their speeches, or even by knowing them personally. Mentorship comes in many forms, and I’ve been fortunate to benefit from a variety of them.
Mentors have helped me avoid many mistakes on my journey. However, an essential part of mentorship is that the mentee must be mature enough to receive it. You have to be open to constructive criticism and feedback, understanding that it’s meant to help you grow. This mindset has changed how I build my business and how I guide others.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
Across all the businesses I’m involved in, our number one goal is simple: to help people win in life and business. My passion for helping others has taken me all over the world. I get to help people start and grow their businesses, scale to new heights, and live the lives they’ve always dreamed of.
I didn’t begin this work to make millions—I did it to help millions.
After all these years, I am just as passionate today as I was when I spoke in front of my first audience. Today, we reach thousands of people every month with our positive messages, services, and innovative ways to help people win. This is why we do what we do.
Social Links:
- Facebook: Kris Mathis
- Instagram: @krismathis
- LinkedIn: Kris Mathis
