Goodlife Institute - Women-Run Workplace of the Year

Company: Goodlife Institute, North Palm Beach, FL
Company Description: The Goodlife Institute created its flagship program, Corporate Women Unleashed, to teach executive women how they can protect their careers from burnout.
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Women-Run Workplace of the Year - 10 or Less Employees

Nomination Title: Kathleen Byars

In 2003, Kate burned out and left a successful executive career to live on an island. Although she loved the impact of her position, years of putting her personal life on the back burner while she leaned in had taken a toll.

She soon realized that her burnout was preventable. And that how she and other women were taught to succeed was unhealthy. The trade-off between the office and personal life caused women to either step back from positions of influence or prevented them from stepping up further into leadership.

Determined to find a new way, Kate returned to Corporate America and used her expertise in human behavior and sheer grit to discover a new approach.

In 2016, Kate shared her experience on LinkedIn and the article went viral. Women worldwide reached out to share their own stories of burnout and asked for help. Encouraged by the outreach, Kate launched Corporate Women Unleashed, which is now her flagship program teaching women how they can take control over their careers and simultaneously enjoy personal well-being.

To date, her company has trained over 500 women leaders on how to enjoy the challenges of their careers without trading off their personal lives.

Since founding her company, Kate has followed a Profit for a Purpose business model. Her vision is to put herself out of business by eradicating the suffering and sacrifice women are forced to make as professionals.

To serve the mission, she is constantly stepping outside the safe zone. In 2019, she invested in expanding the team, re-investing profits into growth, and attracting the talent required for scaling. She has established a company culture that allows our team to prioritize our own well-being even as we face challenges inherent in a fast-growth company.

The temptation for women to step down from leadership roles was exacerbated by COVID-19, and yet our clients were able to step up and be the leaders the world needed at the helm. Kate offered free coaching to every client, ensuring they had the tools and the support system in place to care for themselves, their families, and their teams in the face of this crisis. Our work directly impacts the retention and elevation of women as they learn how to balance their well-being inside a demanding career.

Kate’s willingness to put the mission before profits has paid off and our company was recently recognized by Inc Magazine in their Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for 2020 realizing a growth rate of 1,100% since inception. Thus far in 2021, her company is projected to grow by an additional 300%.

Kate is changing the narrative of what’s possible for professional women and the response has been inspiring.

What is unique about Kate’s methodology is that it’s filling a void. The traditional answer tells women what they need to do, not how to do it.

Women know they need self-care, boundaries, and delegation. They are already practicing mindfulness, gratitude, and meditation.

These strategies are wonderful, but they aren’t addressing the core issue – how women are taught to work isn’t working.

Women are too focused on proving their worth by WHAT they do instead of WHO they are. Using principles of evolutionary human behavioral theory, coupled with key human behavioral insights into women in the workplace, Kate is teaching women the art of mentally and emotionally disconnecting from the workplace so they can show up with energy and joy in their personal lives. It’s not about time management; it’s about doing what you need to feel vibrant and present, plus feeling confident to make alternative choices in how you approach your work.

Armed with the right tools and knowledge, these women are trailblazing a new path for success inside Fortune 100 companies, management consulting firms, and hospital and healthcare organizations.

We believe a better world is one that includes women in leadership. With Kate’s vision and knowledge, we helping these women re-write the rules of success to include well-being, balance, as well as influence and power.

Reference any attachments of supporting materials

In this video, Kathleen Byars talks about our flagship program, Corporate Women Unleashed: https://youtu.be/KV3YfKDCQxY

We believe that the proof of our impact is best illustrated by the success of our clients who have graduated from our program. Their words are more powerful than any we could choose:

Liz, Aerspace Executive: https://youtu.be/o1YUSIJ5xVQ

Shawn,-Non-Profit CMO: https://youtu.be/eHJ1tJikJW4

Danielle, Hospital Executive: https://youtu.be/BG-WbONE69k