INTERVIEW | Make Money by Leading with Humanity and Knowing When to Let Go with Kristen Hadeed

Kristen Hadeed believes authentic human leadership can change the world. She helps leaders and teams build cultures rooted in connection, courage, and humanity, and her work has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, TIME, and NBC Today. Her first book, Permission to Screw Up, has sold more than 50,000 copies worldwide. In this episode, Kristen shares how an accidental college cleaning business became a leadership development company, the difficult lessons she learned from carrying more than $300,000 in business debt, and why great leadership sometimes means being honest about your own needs and having the courage to change direction.

On this episode we talk about:

How Kristen turned a college side hustle into a cleaning business that doubled as a leadership development company.

Why discovering what you don't want to do can help you find the right career path.

The lessons Kristen learned from accumulating more than $300,000 in business debt and paying it off five years ahead of schedule.

Why transparency and vulnerability can help leaders build stronger, more supportive teams.

How to recognize when you've outgrown your business and find the courage to pursue a new direction.

Top 3 Takeaways

Your path doesn't have to be linear. Sometimes, discovering what you don't enjoy is just as valuable as finding what you're passionate about. Kristen didn't set out to become a leadership expert, but running her cleaning company helped her discover where she felt most alive.

Transparency gives your team the opportunity to help. Kristen initially tried to protect her employees from the full reality of the company's financial struggles. When she finally shared the true debt number, her team rallied around a plan to pay it off. Leaders don't have to carry every burden alone.

Your business should evolve as you do. It's easy to tie your identity to the company you've built, even when your interests and priorities change. Kristen's experience shows that letting go of one version of success can create room for a more fulfilling one.

Notable Quotes