How Kadine Went From 19 Years in Corporate to Purpose-Driven Coaching

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We spent a transformative week together, soaking in deep conversations, sunshine, sisterhood, and we couldn't resist sneaking away for an hour to record this podcast episode for you. It was just too good of an opportunity not to. Now, let me introduce you to the powerhouse that Kine is. Kaine is a leadership development coach for women in corporate, and let me tell you, she is the real deal.

rk focuses on enhancing your [: 00:01:00

They are. Don't. We just love that. In today's episode, we are talking about what it really means to own your worth, how your spark type can light the path to meaningful work, and what happens when you stop settling and start creating opportunities for yourself. This ones are right. Let's dive in.

Theresa: Welcome to Career Clarity Unlocked. I'm so excited you on the podcast. I'm excited. Thank you for having me. You are very welcome. So you're in beautiful Cancun.

Kadine: Breathtaking.

Theresa: Yes, breathtaking. It's been a beautiful, I feel like we've already been here for a week, but it's been like, what, 24 hours?

Don't rush

Kadine: it. Yeah. Don't rush it. I wanna still it all in.

Theresa: Yes. Um, but let's start with your professional journey. Yeah. Can you share your professional journey in as much of a nutshell as possible?

Kadine: Sure. So I have a [: 00:02:00

Mm-hmm. But I knew I didn't wanna do that anymore full-time. So yeah.

Theresa: And that's where I'm at right now. That's amazing. And I guess let's start with the Sparker type, because I feel like that ties in so beautifully. Okay. So the Sparker type assessment, it's been developed by Jonathan Fields.

s what we're good or bad at, [: 00:03:00

Beautiful. Love it. And your primary sparko type showed up as a nurture. Mm-hmm. The nurture, the phrases. I got you. It's that taking care, being this others, supporting others. I've got you. Yeah. That resonates.

Kadine: That resonates. Mm-hmm. Definitely resonate. I love, um, just always been, I don't know if it's being an only child, but I just love helping and supporting people.

Like I always say, if I know something that's gonna benefit you, business, career, whatever, I wanna share it with you. Whatever you choose to do with it, that's on you. I'm not tied to anything. Um, just like we were having a conversation last night and I was just like, I felt like I was receiving certain downloads or messages and I was like just dropping the little seats for, if it resonates, great.

-hmm. And so if you can just [: 00:04:00

I guess hence being in hr. Yeah. Right. And when there's that disconnect from the organization not being that for employees, that's what was the disconnect sort? That's what the disconnect was for me. Right. When we no longer we're displaying that to employees that we cared.

'cause you're not just a number, you're not just a butt in the seat. Um, that's when I had a problem with it. Oh my God, that

Theresa: makes so much sense. And does it feel like for you that when you are with someone, you're just there for them? Mm-hmm. You care for them, you support them. That that

Kadine: fills you? It does.

It really does. Like and seeing people know their worth, seeing people feeling like they're seen and they're heard. Yeah. Just providing that safe space and container for them to just be whatever is here is here. There's zero judgment with it. Yeah. Whatever is here is here. That's, that's what I love to do, provide that space.

to do that and provide that [: 00:05:00

Theresa: Yeah.

Kadine: I didn't have it coming up in my career, you know, it felt like I had to compartmentalize. Mm-hmm. Parts of me. Now I'm just kade, but you seize what you get. Love it.

But it took a long time to get here. Yeah. But now I'm here.

Theresa: And that ties in so much with your shadow spark type, that your shadow spark type showed up as the advisor, which is that love for coaching, mentoring, guiding. Mm-hmm. And you were already talking about it of. Being there. Yeah. Giving that space for someone to be seen, to be heard.

Mm-hmm. And also guiding and coaching them. Does that resonate with you too? Absolutely,

Kadine: it does because I, I always say we're all a tenant something. Mm-hmm. Right. So I love helping people figure out what they're a tenant at. And I mean, I'll give you an example when I. Quit my job. I learned very quickly not because you can do something, means that you should do it.

Theresa: Mm-hmm.

I could do it. But I learned [: 00:06:00

Yeah. So is it time, is it freedom? Is it money? Is it flexibility? Like, what do you value? Because if you're receiving what you value on like a. 30 day, week, 40 day week, you're gonna show up as your true, authentic, and best self. Oh, for sure. And for me, that's what I wish for everybody, is that you would, yeah.

Just be doing work that you love to do. Yes. Because can you imagine how amazing our world would be if everyone was doing work that they love to do?

Theresa: I see that all the time. It would. It would be, yeah. The most amazing. That is my vision. My business vision is exactly that. Can we please get everyone into the position that's aligned?

That's amazing because I really believe that there are, there's a million different roles out there and a million different companies, and the problem is not that there's not the right roles for the right people, but people are in the wrong roles. And it's hurting everyone. It's hurting the people that are unhappy.

hat are not getting the best [: 00:07:00

Kadine: as a coach or human, I feel like that's our, that's our job.

Theresa: That's our role. Yes. That is our role.

Kadine: Right. That's what we're supposed to do.

Yeah. That's what we've been brought in to do. And I agree. When we're not doing it, I'm like, there's, there's a disconnect there.

Theresa: Yes. Right. Yeah. So yeah, it's, the world is gonna be better if everyone gets to actually do work they love. Yeah. And I

Kadine: think sometimes, I mean, I'll speak for myself. I think sometimes there's a little bit of fear in there too, or you just get so into a, 'cause 19 years in recruitment, I could have pursued, I mean, I did makeup artistry.

I was a fashion merchandiser at one point. Wow. So I've done a couple different things, but I know that this is it for me because I. This fills my cup and lights me up. Yes. But all of that to say with you, like I, I knew that those things possibly weren't right for me long term. Yeah. But they were what I probably needed to get me to where I'm at right now.

and ever and ever and ever. [: 00:08:00

But if it's not serving you, you shouldn't be doing that. Yeah.

Theresa: Yeah. And it's the fear, right? It's the security. The security, yeah. What you're supposed to do. Mm-hmm. All the shoulds, all the should. I should have coulds. Yeah, exactly. Instead of what do I want?

Kadine: What do you want? Yeah. And that's the space that I love to hold, Theresa.

It's holding that space so you can really identify what you want. Mm-hmm. What do you want? Yeah. Then let's figure out how to get you what you want. Mm-hmm.

Theresa: Yeah.

Kadine: Yeah. And it's possible. And it's possible. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Once we know what we want, it's possible we can create our blueprint, our framework, or stream, like

Theresa: whatever

Kadine: we need to do to get there.

Yeah.

isor and nurture that really [: 00:09:00

Kadine: No. No, but I kind of put it in wherever I could. Um, 'cause for example, I'll never forget when we were going through a lot of transformation and change.

They were like doing employee surveys to get like a pulse check of the employees. Mm-hmm. And they're like, oh, send Kade, because Kade knows everybody. People are always around her desk and I'm like, guys, we should all know everyone, but just, I just generally cared. Mm-hmm. You know, I was generally invested in the talent that was coming into the organization.

Yeah. Right. So I knew about their pets, their moms, their dads, their cousins or sister, their trips that they went on, because I was just curious mm-hmm. As well too. So part of it was curiosity and part of it was just like, I generally cared about that we spent how many hours a day with them. So I knew our people.

o, I reached out to a couple [: 00:10:00

They're like, it's because of you that we're still here and they've now been promoted to certain, you know, other different roles and opportunities. And I'm like, amazing. Wow. So maybe, but I don't, I, I wasn't doing it or looking at it because I wanted to be liked or just, just, just to be me. Yeah. Like treating someone.

I never had a coach or a mentor or someone really kind of guiding me along in my career. I wish I had. Um, so I think if that can be that for somebody else, then maybe, yeah. So it wasn't an intentional, I'm doing this because it was just. I would do it because I would wish I had it. Yeah.

Theresa: And often type a sparko type is the work that we, that is so us that we just cannot not do it.

Yeah. It seems like you cannot not care about people. You cannot not wanting them to feel safe and heard and seen and supported. Absolutely. It's, yeah. It's against your nature to not do that. And then when you work for an organization that doesn't align with that.

to be like, um, what are the [: 00:11:00

No, I'm done. Right. I was like, I'm, I'm tapped out. I'm doing myself a disservice and the company disservice by being here. So I was like, yeah, this isn't it anymore.

Theresa: And it makes so much sense. When you told me about the role that you were in last, where you were wanting to go into coaching mm-hmm. And it was like dangled in front of you, that opportunity.

Right. But they didn't give you that opportunity to step into it and the timelines were not aligned. Yeah. And I was you like, no, I know who I am and what I want and this is not it.

Kadine: That's the other, I think, empowerment piece that I want for women. I mean men too, but women to know is that we don't have to settle.

If you know what you want, let's figure out how you're gonna get it. Yes. And that's what I was looking for. I wanted the support and the guidance to say, so I started putting out feelers. Where do people go get their certification? Which ones are more recognized? What type of coach do I wanna be? Do I wanna leverage my HR experience and do career coaching?

when it wasn't supported, I [: 00:12:00

Theresa: How was that shift for you? Because I, like you were in the, in that last role, right?

Mm-hmm. You were hired into for recruiting. Mm-hmm. You thought you were gonna get, also get to do some coaching, but that didn't happen. Right. And the easy thing to do is to say, okay, this is where I am. This is safe. This is how I know what, this is what I know how to do. Yep. I have a steady paycheck. Mm-hmm.

Yes. It's not great, but I can do it. What gave you the courage to one day say

Kadine: no? That's such a good question. And honestly, I think they say when a woman is fed up, she's fed up. And I think for me it was just like I was in my forties. I'm like, I wanna spend the rest of my career and my life doing work that I love to do, and that's more meaningful to me.

o waste any more time. Yeah. [: 00:13:00

I was like, no. And that's when I kind of came up with the CEO term, meaning create every opportunity. Mm-hmm. So the other thing that I love to do is talk about, you know, becoming the CEO of yourself, becoming the CEO of your life, taking like self-leadership. That's because I think I feel so passionate about it because that wasn't me.

Mm-hmm. I was working my butt off, I guess, but working my butt off to get to the next level. And even when I did that, it was like the, it kept moving. Oh yeah. It kept moving. I had to keep doing, jumping through different hoops and I was just like, okay, it's exhausting. Yeah.

Theresa: You jumped through all the hoops there are, and

Kadine: still not good enough or not the right timing.

So I think for me it was just like, no, I'm not gonna. You don't get to tell me that I'm not ready or that I'm not good enough. I'm so, I'm gonna do what I need to do to get to where I wanna get to. Mm-hmm. And I'm still not there yet, but at least I know I'm on my way. Yeah. To becoming, you know who I wanna be and how I wanna help and serve people.

Yeah. [: 00:14:00

Theresa: You know what you just said, what came to me this. We're so taught to go after something like this, this, this, and this. This role, this promotion, this company. But what you are actually going after is more into who you are. Yeah. It's not going about something externally. It's like, how can I get closer to you?

Kadine: To me, to me, what I really want to do, and then helping others to do the same. Yeah. As well, when I quit my job, it may have seemed like I quit my job and like to everyone. But it was a process. Mm-hmm. I went through my own personal, and I'm still going through my own personal development journey, and so it was in that journey.

The more I was in the journey, the more I realized this is not it. Yeah. You gotta get out. Yeah. Right. Otherwise, it would just be a blind eye. I would just been like head down in my cubicle, you know, pushing the paper around doing the work, but it was during the personal development journey, it was just became so much clearer to me that this is not where you're supposed to be.

Yeah. Why are you here? Yeah.

dience it wasn't, that's not [: 00:15:00

Kadine: Oh, no.

Theresa: Like it's not, um, oh, no. So it's not like that Somehow you just had this, oh yeah, let me do that. Oh, no. And you're like, okay, let me do it. No, it's, it's, it's an inner battle that I don't know how long that had for you.

Percent,

Kadine: I would say maybe six months to a year.

Theresa: Yeah. Yeah.

Kadine: Six months to a year I was going through, you know, different workshops, different courses, different programs. Um, and also what I felt like I was doing it for me, but also for others.

Theresa: Mm-hmm.

Kadine: Like, I felt like, because whatever I'm learning. I can apply it and share it with others to healthy boundaries.

Making effective communication, like saying what you want, how you want things, right. Not being afraid to speak up for yourself. Mm-hmm. So now I feel like I can educate others on those learnings. Yeah. Right. And so like they can take inspired action to do whatever they need to do, right?

Theresa: Yeah. And that is so beautiful.

What that is, what your Spark type is about is it's that service driven nature is so,

Kadine: it's aligned it. [: 00:16:00

Theresa: And I'm also really curious about the anti sparco type. So the anti sparco type is not something we're bad at. Okay. Absolutely not. We can actually be really good at it. Um, but it is that heavier lift that if we had to do it all day, every day, it drains our battery.

Mm-hmm. Even though we're excellent at it oftentimes. Mm-hmm. It's that energy drain. Mm-hmm. That heavy lift. And for you, that showed up as the maker. And the maker is someone who. For someone whose primary spec architect is, they love to take an idea and create something to build and create. Yeah. A maker.

Oftentimes. When, um, when you're given, um, IKEA furniture, do you get excited to put it together? No. No. Yeah. I just

Kadine: want it done.

Theresa: That is why the maker is your anti. I, I just wanted the maker would be like, yes, this is the best thing I've done all week. But does that feel like a heavier lift? Yeah. It's just draining your energy.

Just get it. I just, just get it done.

Kadine: [: 00:17:00

Theresa: Mm-hmm.

Kadine: And. I'm so, I am embodying it.

Yeah. Right. So with that, yes. Um, but with building and tinkering with things, no, not so much. And

Theresa: there's nothing wrong with it. No. We all have things that drain us. It's just good to know which, what they are Exactly. And Exactly. It doesn't say you never can do that. If you have to put together an IKEA table, you will.

Yeah. But that could, might take me long. Yeah. Or would you wanna do it all day every day? No. Yeah. Um, and the makers of the sparker types, they also are on a spectrum of being very process driven to very service driven. Okay. So the nurture and the advisor are some of the most service are the two most service driven sparker types.

ice of someone else. Mm-hmm. [: 00:18:00

Give me a good problem to solve or give me IKEA furniture to build really, or give me a really, um, give me a funnel to build or a problem to solve. Oh, no, thank you. And as happy as can be. Happy as can be. And that seems like, that sounds like that would be the heavy lift for you. Oh my goodness. I

Kadine: would be like, if it's some, and I learned this very early in my entrepreneurship journey, if it takes you more than half an hour to do it, you're clearly not an expert.

Pay someone to do it or call a friend. So, no, I wouldn't. I wouldn't, I wouldn't. I would be like, I probably crying at a frustration. Yeah. Because then I'm also hurt on myself too. Yes. I'm like, I should know how to do this. No, I should be able to figure this out. But it's leaning into my strength. And I know that that's not one of my strengths, but, and it's,

Theresa: there's nothing wrong with it.

It's, there are people [: 00:19:00

Kadine: Yeah.

Theresa: And I wonder when you're thinking back to your HR career, 'cause there is.

Some level of process driven work in hr. Oh yeah? Mm-hmm. If that was the heavier lift for you.

Kadine: I would say yes, the administrative piece. 'cause I was like, oh my goodness, I have to do this. I have to document, I have to put this through, I have to enter this. It was, I'm like, can't I just find the people and then y'all somebody else deal with that?

You should have worked together.

Theresa: Because I was in HR and recruiting too, and I was like, can I just all day build the systems and processes and the form? Oh no. And someone else, lemme just talk

Kadine: to the people. Lemme talk to the people. Let me feel them out. Let me see who's the right fit for this. Let me look at their resume and ask them questions that that's you.

of the rule. Yeah. But it's [: 00:20:00

Theresa: That makes so much sense. And I feel like that's happens a lot when I talk to people in hr. They're very, very service driven. Mm-hmm. Because that's what attracts them to hr.

It's about the people. It's we wanna take care of the people. Exactly. And then you are in hr, and depending on the company, there's more or less of that. Mm-hmm. HR is a lot of process work of tracking, documenting, track, documenting. Yeah. Um, and then often there is that disconnect of I thought, I'm here to care and take care of the people.

Exactly. The disconnect, all I do is process driven work and little

Kadine: for the people.

Theresa: Yeah. And it sounds like in the last role, and you, uh, let me know if that's correct or not, that you were hired in as a recruiter mm-hmm. Or yeah, as a recruiter. And then where said like, okay, there's also that coaching possibility.

ecruiting that's has a heavy [: 00:21:00

Kadine: No. You can get there maybe in two years.

And I was like, I don't have two years. Yeah. And you're like, I wanna do this now. Yeah. And I would also get in trouble when I was sitting in interviews, talking to people, getting to know them. I was getting texts or you know, messages. How long are you gonna be in this interview for until I know this person is ready for this opportunity.

I'm sorry, I booked an hour. So maybe being over-friendly or, you know, just really trying to spend time to really get to know. Mm-hmm. But, and also very protective of my brand because if I'm gonna present a candidate to a manager, to an organization, I wanted to make sure that I could write a good buyer or a synopsis on who this person was, that I was present and why I thought they'd be a good fit for you.

Theresa: Mm-hmm.

Kadine: I wasn't just presenting anything.

ey care. If you could send a [: 00:22:00

Um. But they're doing the work. Yeah. They're the recruiter that you were, how many years ago was that? 19. Well, how many years ago? Five years. Five years ago. Five years ago. That was five years you Five years ago. Yeah. Um, knowing in your gut like this, isn't it,

Kadine: but there's fear. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And you know what I would say take a chance on you.

Invest in you figure out, and I, I, I'm always, I'm not about quitting your job. That wasn't, that's never been my intention. That's not even how I coach or roll with people. But I'm like, once you identify that this isn't it, let's figure out what it is. Yeah. What it should be. What would you want it to be?

coach, someone that you can [: 00:23:00

Theresa: Yeah.

Kadine: What if you could channel that energy of things that you love doing and make money doing it, which is what I wanna help people do. Do. Yes. Figure out your why. Figure out your what you want. What do you want? Mm-hmm. And then going for it. That's.

Theresa: What we are here on earth to do. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

That's what we, I don't think we're here on earth to spend 40, 50 hours a week being miserable.

Kadine: No. And when you're miserable, it transfer on to other people. Oh my God. Yes. Right? Yes. And it just takes one person. I mean, I've spoken to so many and that, that breaks my heart too. 'cause that means that you're not happy, so you're gonna make other people miserable.

Yeah. That's

Theresa: not, and it impacts your family. Yeah. Your kids, everything. Everyone in your life. Everything. Yeah.

and our work than we do with [: 00:24:00

You know, we all have challenges and we're all gonna have days when we're feeling a little rough. But if 90% of the time you could be, I love what I'm doing, or I'm excited to go to work today,

Theresa: even 70%. Even 70%, I'll take 70% for most people, right? Yeah. Yeah. Like two thirds. I'm always a good two thirds. Of the time you're walking, you're energized, you're enjoying it.

Right. Then you can deal with the heavier lift. Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Then you can, but it needs to revolve around what lights you up. Mm-hmm. It needs to be aligned. I agree. I agree. Oh, that's so good. Mm-hmm. That's so good. What's next for you, or what is your, what is the next chapter looking for you? Wow.

can be like, I wish I could. [: 00:25:00

Theresa: Mm-hmm.

Kadine: So I think for me, the next step would be just getting, making more of an impact. Right. Shifting and shaking things up a little bit. And possibly in corporate spaces. Yeah. Right. Because that's, that's my background. That's where I come from. So I've been doing a lot of one-to-one, but I think I'm, I'm trying to get back into the corporate spaces to make those impacts.

Yeah. Whats the impact that you want to make? Oh wow. People to show up as their true, authentic, and audacious and bold self like I am becoming right now. That person, yes. Not the person that was in the box, head down, afraid to speak up. You know? I want them to be like, if you have something to say, say if you've got an idea, if you've gotta build a case or whatever, figure it out.

enough for yourself, you're [: 00:26:00

I love that. Yeah. I'm gonna be always enough for me. Yeah.

Theresa: Yeah. And I love what you said because that is something that I hear so often from my clients is that they feel they can't be themselves at work. Yeah. They're like a smaller version or a part of them that they don't feel like they can be all

Kadine: of them.

All of them.

Theresa: Yeah. And, and that was me a thousand percent. There was like a piece of me that showed up to work that fit into that. Square that I was squeezed into. . And I did it well. I performed really well. I did too. I did too. We're good actresses great. But there's so much of me that didn't ever showed up at work.

Exactly. And why don't we , create workplaces that allow people to show up fully to show up. But also empower people to find work that accepts them for . All they

Kadine: are Exactly. And who they are. And you'll get the most, I always say, if you treat your people well, they will do back flips for you. Yeah.

opportunities and give them [: 00:27:00

Theresa: Yes.

Kadine: And whenever individuals feel stagnant, it's like, that's like there's some resistance. Mm-hmm. It's just an uncomfortable feeling. Yes. But some of us learn to adapt in that uncomfortable feeling.

Right. So, but you don't have

Theresa: to.

Kadine: There's

Theresa: more. There's more. That's so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. My pleasure. Where can our listeners find you, connect with you, learn more from you,

Kadine: follow your journey? Oh my gosh, absolutely. So you can find me on LinkedIn as Kade Cooper. You can find me on Instagram as career coach K.

Um, or email me kade@careercoachk.com. I love that.

Theresa: Thank you so much for hearing here today. Make sure you follow on kine. You do not want to miss her content, and thank you again for being on the show.

Kadine: Oh, thank you. I appreciate you.

ng so powerful about hearing [: 00:28:00

She's a walking, talking spark of inspiration. And Kate Dean isn't just an incredible coach. She truly is a change maker. If you are in a leadership role or striving towards one and you want to lead with authenticity, courage, and impact, you need to follow her, trust me, and if this conversation lit something up in you, if you're ready to get unstuck and find that career that truly fits you, then let's talk head over to career bloom coaching.com and book a free consultation call with my team.

Together we'll bring your career clarity to life. Fast. Thanks so much for tuning in everyone, and I can't wait to see you back here next week.