Colleen Kranz, a fractional CMO and growth coach, shares how she went from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, only to discover that success without freedom can become its own trap. We talk about burnout, building a business that supports your life, and why being "deep" may be a bigger advantage than moving fast.
Check Out These Highlights:
What happens when you've built a successful business, but it no longer feels like freedom?
In this episode, Colleen Kranz shares her journey from growing up on a sheep farm to leading marketing teams in corporate America and eventually launching her own business. But after leaving corporate to create more flexibility, she found herself facing a second burnout, this time inside a business she had built herself.
Colleen opens up about the realization that she'd created what she calls a "golden cage", a business that looked successful from the outside but left her feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the freedom she originally wanted. She explains why profit matters, but should never be the only measure of success.
We also dive into one of the most unforgettable stories ever shared on the podcast: how Colleen and her husband built an airplane in their garage despite her fear of heights, claustrophobia, and motion sickness. The experience became a powerful lesson in conviction, confidence, community, and tackling seemingly impossible goals one step at a time.
Along the way, Colleen shares why "You're not slow, you're deep" became one of the most transformative lessons of her life, and how slowing down can sometimes be the very thing that helps you grow.
If you've ever wondered whether the life you're building actually supports the life you want to live, this conversation is for you.
About Colleen Kranz:
Colleen Kranz is a fractional CMO, growth coach, and creator of the Grow On Purpose System (GPS). She helps consultants, coaches, and expertise-based business owners build profitable, sustainable businesses that prioritize purpose, wellbeing, and freedom alongside growth.
Connect with Colleen:
🌐 Website: https://www.catapultnorth.com/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenkranz
🎁 Free Resource: https://www.catapultnorth.com/grow-north-thursday-newsletter
The Grow on Purpose® System (GPS): https://www.catapultnorth.com/gps
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About Me: https://tobymyles.com/about/
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Hey everyone, I am so excited to share this episode with you. My guest today is Colleen Krantz, a fractional CMO and growth coach who helps consultants, coaches, and other experts build businesses that support their lives instead of taking them over. In this episode, we talk about the moment Colleen realized she had built herself a golden cage, and how a second burnout led her to rethink what success really means to her. She shared that profit matters for sure, but it's only one piece of the puzzle. One of the parts that really hit home for me was when a friend told her, "You're not slow, you're deep," and how that changed the way she saw herself. I've always thought I move way more slowly than most people, and now I know I'm not alone. Then Colleen talked about the airplane she and her husband built in their garage, and how she's claustrophobic, gets airsick, and is afraid of heights. I was like, "What on earth made you build an airplane?" So we talked about that whole thing. This might go down as one of my favorite episodes, so let's get into it
Toby Myles: Hey Colleen, welcome to the podcast.
Colleen Kranz: Thank you. Thanks Toby.
Toby Myles: I'm excited for this conversation. Um, we were laughing a little bit because this always seems to happen before I press play, we sometimes talk about the strangest things, s- funny things I think, like, I wish I would've captured that. So I don't know if we will talk about the donkey in this episode.
Um, but it... You just never know what is gonna come out of these conversations, and that will be true for this, this episode I'm sure. Um, but we- I usually share how we know each other, and we have been LinkedIn friends for a few years now at this point, I think.
Colleen Kranz: Yes.
Toby Myles: And, um, I have always enjoyed your content because I feel like- I can see the real you, right?
And I, me personally- Yeah ... I think that's what people are craving online. People are kind of tired of just the very polished, um, you know, "I make 50K a month," and all those, you know, just things that are just, for a lot of people, not relatable. Mm-hmm. And, um, and t- and that's why I've always enjoyed what you write about, because it's just very real.
It's, um, you know, m- you in the plane with the headphones and the s- the sauna and on trips with your family out in the middle of nowhere. And so anyway, I, I think that's why I wanted to connect with you all those years ago. Um, and so I, I know that, um, this conversation will just be a carryover of just the real, the real conversation behind Colleen and what all goes on in her life.
So I'm excited for this. Thank you for agreeing to be on the show.
Colleen Kranz: Oh, of course. Thank you so much for having me. And it's, uh, it's both ways. I feel the same way about you, and it's cool, um, that I, you know, we're hopefully creating safe spaces to be yourself and-
Toby Myles: Yeah ...
Colleen Kranz: share the, the wins, but also things that you learn.
So- Yeah ... I'm, I'm excited about it. Let's have some real talk.
Toby Myles: Okay, awesome. Yes, let's do it. So I would love for you to take me back to a moment in time that you feel like really kind of put you on the path that you're on right now.
Colleen Kranz: Yeah, that's a great question. Um, I was really thinking about, like, there's certain moments in my life that have really given me deep perspective, and I think where I wanted to start with this conversation was, um, you know, kind of m- my, my growing up.
You know, we had a, a chat right before we hit record. I grew up on a sheep farm in, um, rural, uh, south of St. Paul, and I grew up with two older sisters who were super smart, super quick-thinking. They were valedictorians. Um, my mother was incredibly talented. Um, she organized all of the, um, music for our church growing up.
My dad was an engineer. Very, very intelligent, um, family. And so, uh, I always tried to, like, follow in their footsteps, especially with, with my sisters, and because they were so quick-witted and so smart, I thought that that's what I should also be. So it was almost like, you know, growing up I thought that I was- successful and doing it right when I was showing those qualities.
And, you know, fa- fast-forward, fast-forward, um, I, I married an amazing man, uh, Ed Kranz, and, um, he is different from me in all, like, the opposite ways that are compatible. Um, but he's also, I think he's very brilliant man, and he's very quick. And then we had two boys that are also, uh, very smart. My, my, both of them very intelligent, move quickly.
And so through my life and career, you know, grow- growing up through the corporate ladder, achieving more, um, you know, being on the executive team of a fast-growing company in St. Paul, uh, in, in 2020 I just, um, I realized that I was moving so quickly my whole life, and I had a dear friend, um, 2023 really reflect something back to me that, that changed that perspective.
And I think that I was talking about how something was so hard for me, and that I just, you know, why am I so slow? And she, you know, gave me a gift and she said, "You know, Colleen, you're not slow. You are deep." And I was like, "Oh, I am deep." Because Toby, like, thinking slowly and doing things slowly to me is almost like, like a delicacy, you know?
Mm-hmm. Like, just like, like, uh, enjoying a piece of your favorite cake- Yeah ... or just, like, slow coffee, and I'm like, "I do love going slow." Yeah. I love just thinking about things, and I think that that's why I love the strategy work that I do. You know, I, I grew up do, you know, doing the tactics, learning the tactics, but, um, you know, in growing B2B marketing for small-medium companies, I really gravitate toward, like, to that strategy layer.
So I think that one of the biggest epiphanies I've had in the last five years is that going slow is something that sets me apart. It's like my superpower-
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm ...
Colleen Kranz: and that I don't have to fit into that mold of fast growth, grinding growth. Um, so I've just been really indulging in that over the last few years, and just more deeply understanding myself.
And I f- I-
Toby Myles: Yeah ...
Colleen Kranz: I think that likely shows up on LinkedIn, because I write slowly Mm-hmm. And I just kind of enjoy it. So yeah. Yeah. That's something I've learned.
Toby Myles: I, I j- I love that. I am very much that way. Yeah. And when I read that about you, I, it also was like a gift for me, because I have often thought, like, the goal is to be fast and keep up with everybody else, and I've had people Um, you know, relationships that have ended because I, you know, supposedly couldn't keep up or I wasn't, you know, a type A enough and always felt like that was somehow a negative reflection on me.
But I am very much that same way in like almost everything in my life, right? Like I eat slowly Yeah. Mm-hmm I drink slowly. I process things slowly. Um, I take a lot of time to thinks, think things through. S- I can be impulsive, don't get me wrong. Like I ca- I do have that with certain things, right? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
And that feels like very exhilarating and almost dangerous. But I'm more so- Yeah ... like you are, like just a deep thinker and, and taking my time. So I love, I love that you realize that and you've got that gift, but I also love the way you talk about it because it's, it, there's nothing wrong with it. It's, it's just who you are.
It's the way you are, right? Mm-hmm,
Colleen Kranz: mm-hmm. Um,
Toby Myles: and so it's, um, I guess like I wonder how that- When you left corporate and kind of went on your own, um, and were trying to figure out what it was you were gonna do in your business- Mm-hmm ... how did that, like, pro- um, slow thinking, that piece of it, play into, like, how you, you know, started out as an entrepreneur?
Colleen Kranz: Yes. Um, yeah, so I, um, I had a moment, um, during 2020 that really changed the trajectory of my life. Um, I, you know, COVID was very difficult for many, many of us, and I would say that, um, you know, during that time I was just trying to keep up with the same pace that we had always done things. You know, we were working from home.
I had two little kids at that time. Um, you know, I was trying to, like, homeschool and keep them going on a level, and I remember I was in a call, um, with my executive team. I was very much like a gap filler, um, leading the team and trying to fill the holes, and I was, um, trying to explain a concept. And I remember the dog started barking during the call, and the cat, you know, we were just talking about our, our little kitties.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And the cat started, like, throwing up under my desk.
Toby Myles: Oh, no.
Colleen Kranz: And it was like everything happened at, at once. And, um, and my son came in, it was so sweet, he came in with this fireman's hat, and he was, like, coming up on my lap, and I just... I was, like, trying to reach this unreachable thing and keep up with everything when the world was shutting down.
Mm-hmm. Like, why would I do that? And I had to stop the meeting, and I was, um, you know, j- I was the only woman on that team, only one with kids, um, and so I felt like a complete failure that I had to stop the meeting.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Let me shut the laptop. And I, I don't know if you've ever had, like, a panic attack moment, but-
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm
Colleen Kranz: like, I shut the laptop, and all of a sudden I just, like, zoomed out of my body, and I'm like, "What are you doing? It's a pandemic. You think you can, you know, like, you have to reach all these unreachable goals? What are you doing?"
Toby Myles: Mm.
Colleen Kranz: And, like, and I realized, like, I, I didn't want to be forcing myself like that anymore.
Yeah. I didn't wanna live like that anymore. Yeah. Um, so I, um, that's really what- inspired me to start my business in late 2021.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: So I started, um, pivoted to fractional chief marketing officer work in a fractional capacity, um, marketing advisory, and then I also started doing one-on-one growth coaching with entrepreneurs and consultants and coaches, people with deep expertise.
And, um, I loved the freedom. I loved being able to focus and take work and experiment and try new things. I- no one in my family ha- was ever an entrepreneur.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Um, so I absolutely loved it. And things were going great until I started taking on more and more and saying yes, and my entire book of business, my time, was completely gone.
Yeah. I was, I was, I built the business around... I allowed the business to build around me.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And, um, and I was completely burned out. But this time I'd done it to myself.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: I did it to myself in corporate, but I really did it to myself this time, and that deeper, that second burnout like forced a deeper question, and that is- What does success really mean when you're successful on paper and you feel terrible, you feel stuck, and you- Mm-hmm
feel like, "Oh, what was the point of this?" Yeah. And so I... That is what really prompted my realization that for me, and a lot of people, profit is not the sole metric of success.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And I think that I'm realizing for me, it was like a carryover from a different way of work that often doesn't support modern human flourishing-
Toby Myles: Yeah
Colleen Kranz: um, for people, and especially for women.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: So that second burnout really forced me to, again, like slow down, take a hard look at what success meant to me.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And I realized that, yes, profit is important. Like, profit is fuel.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: But fuel also is doing work that is in an aligned direction with what you wanna do, work that fills you up.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And also, especially for solo businesses, you know, consultants, coaches, people whose business is based on their expertise and time, we are the lead asset in our business. And wellbeing is just as important as profit, and just as important as direction. So that second burnout really forced me to redesign my business in a way that could grow in those three areas.
Mm-hmm. And so I've been, um, I've been, uh, living a very different life since that second burnout, and I couldn't be more excited about it.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Yeah. So you, um... I think this is what you were talking about, but you did- but you used the term the golden cage, and I, I think that's really kinda what you were talking about.
Like it's- Mm-hmm ... you know... Well, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna explain it, but you explain it, because I think, like you touched on it without actually really calling it that, and I think that is such a, a visual, such a spot on visual term. So, um- Yeah ... you know, go into that a little bit more.
Colleen Kranz: Yeah. Um, you know, I think that my realization was when I left corporate, um, I knew that I wanted the idea of freedom.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And, um, in, in allowing my business to build around me, without being intentional about how I wanted it to grow, um, it was very successful. Um, I'd made more than I'd ever made in corporate. Um, but it was chaining me to my desk, both in my time, and taking the work that people wanted me to do. Um, so from the outside it looked great.
Yeah. And from the inside it felt like I was- Not free.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And, um, it's, it was a great cage. It was super comfy. Mm-hmm. It was all... It was like, you know, all of my favorite things were in there. Um, but I also wasn't stretching.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: I wasn't, um, pushing myself. Um, and I think that it's like it really instilled in, in me that I wanted stability, but I also really wanted freedom- Yeah
both in my time and what I was doing. So I think that this is something that happens with a lot of people that leave corporate and go and start their own thing, um, which is very courageous and very noble. And in the beginning, we all just try things, just- Mm-hmm ... just experiment. But I think that there comes a point when you just allow the business to just grow around you.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, you reach this point where you realize you didn't build it in the way that you really wanted to. Yeah. And so for, for me, that was getting really intentional about, like, w- what's a day in my life look like that- Yeah ... I really feel great about? And-
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm ...
Colleen Kranz: and how do I design my business to feel that way very intentionally?
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, and, you know, on, on the other side of that, I think that people feel that, you know, maybe they're not at capacity and the business is taking over their life. Maybe it means that they're on this, like, roller coaster of getting work and then doing the work, and it's super emotional, and so they're allowing their business to just, you know, kind of sway them around in this reactive mode.
Mm-hmm. So there's a lot of different ways I think this can show up. Um, and it also is for the expert who doesn't know the right things they should be doing to grow, or they don't maybe know how to explain their value. Um, then they're really beholden to the stress of their business, like, and the, um, uh, the urgency around I have to make this work.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: So the... It, it, it can show up in a lot of different ways than just a golden cage.
Toby Myles: Sure.
Colleen Kranz: Um, but those are... That's, that's how it happened to me, is that pretty cage I needed to break out of.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think it's so interesting because like you said, when we start out- Unless we've had businesses before, it's very easy to just, like you said, try this, try that.
People are paying us, so that's exciting. And we say yes to things because sometimes you don't know, like, is something else gonna come down the road? I better say yes- Yeah ... to this because I don't know. And very quickly you can box yourself in to something that- Mm-hmm ... does not feel good. I've had it happen multiple times.
I was in a situation a few years ago where, um, I was working for a client on an hourly basis, which is the worst possible thing to do, in my opinion.
Colleen Kranz: That, yep, yep.
Toby Myles: And, um, and this client was very reactive, very last minute, and I was making great money and I was miserable. I was- Mm-hmm ... every time... And I had to be part of their Slack channel, which I absolutely hated.
That's a whole other thing. But- Ooh ... I, I just, I thought it, you know, it was probably, I don't know, I would say it was probably, like, a good six months where I just kept thinking, like, "I need to let this client go." And it's so hard, right? When you have a- It is so hard ... a big client like that and it's, you know, m- adding to your revenue goals, um- And so I'm curious, like, in the work that you do now, um, how do you, how do you coach people and advise people to not get in that place in the first place?
Colleen Kranz: Mm-hmm. Yes. So I think that, um, you know, it isn't for, for me, it wasn't one day my business was this- Yeah ... and then the next day the business was that.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, for me, it was defining what I wanted to move into.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And then as my commitments rolled off, kind of allowing new opportunities to filter through that lens.
Yeah. So I think that oftentimes, you know, whether it's in someone choosing to move their offer stack or make a big change, I don't think it always has to be so cut and dry. It's a... It can feel like a bit more of a gradual shift in that, okay, once my commitment with this client ends, we're gonna let it, we're gonna graduate that client, and as new opportunities come in, they can filter through the, the new lens.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: So oftentimes, um, when I work with experts, it's really getting clear about that core direction that they want to move in. That, that really means taking a beat, taking a step to really look at what your raw signal means about the, the problems you're drawn to, really the unique knowing that you have.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And aligning that with a core problem. Mm-hmm. You know, what is, what is a very real problem that needs solving, and who is that for?
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And why does that core br- problem matter to that person? Yeah. And also- Yeah ... why does it matter to you? Yeah. I think that that's super hard work. It's like, and, and sometimes it just doesn't always get fixed right away.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: But it's almost like, you know, when, when you're putting together a story, it's like- Mm-hmm ... here's a piece here that I understand. Oh, someone asked me this question. I understand that better now.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: So it's something that w- as I'm working with folks, they are going to keep evolving through their whole career.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: But I think, um, one step forward in defining both the direction and also the direction you don't wanna go in-
Toby Myles: Yeah. Yeah ...
Colleen Kranz: is really im- important. Um, from, from there, uh, tying that to a very clear offer.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Offer stack, more of a, a, a ladder that builds over time. Yeah. And this goes back to the point that, um, you know, again, in the beginning, it's good to try different types of work, see what you like, but in this kind of, um, the journey of the expert, there comes a point where they're ready to align their offers to- Yeah
create that momentum over time.
Toby Myles: Yeah, yeah. And I do think that too, like- At, at least the way it worked with me was that it just became so obvious, like this is the work I have been moving towards, even though I didn't know it at the time- Mm ... by peeling away things that were not in alignment and moving towards the one thing that was in alignment, which is the s- the story coaching work that I do now.
Because storytelling has been part of my copywriting forever, since the beginning, right?
Colleen Kranz: Yeah.
Toby Myles: Um, but I realized that I am, I'm a much more valuable to my clients in helping them see the stories in their own experience, right? Mm-hmm. Not necessarily writing for them. But I, I, this is my seventh year in business, and I did not know that on day one, right?
It's taken me- Yes ... many years. I think 2025 was when I really kind of said, "Yeah, I'm a s- I'm a storytelling coach. That's what I do." And so I do think, like, there is that piece of like you do have to try things on, like what seems like the best fit right now. And, and you also talk about, and I think this ties in with that, the idea of, like, finishing something kinda gives you the confidence to move on to the next thing.
And you also talk about shrinking timelines, and I... That just, like, blew my mind. I know, I knew it was a thing, but the way you describe it is so... It seems so simple, but I think a lot of people don't think about it that way. They just think they should have this confidence on day one, and I think that it plays into this kind of, uh, you know, really, like, honing in on, on what do you do better than anyone else, or what are you, like, uniquely qualified to do?
But part of that comes from, like, finishing things. So I'm gonna stop talking- Yes ... 'cause I wanna hear it in your words. You describe it much better than I do.
Colleen Kranz: Oh, okay. Well, one of these times I feel like we need to turn the tables, 'cause I have so many questions I wanna ask
Toby Myles: you-
Colleen Kranz: Oh ... about your storytelling thing.
So maybe at some point, like, I should interview you on your podcast. Um, um, yeah. I think that, um, the, the idea that- I always thought that I didn't have the confidence because it was something that you just had or you hadn't.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And I think, um, I, I read a lot, but I think going through the experience of building our airplane was one that, like, we grew a lot, but I also realized, like, what it takes to com- to finish something big.
Yeah. And so, like, the audacity of building an airplane in your garage. Who, you know, like, who does that? Um- Mm-hmm ... but I think the idea that confidence doesn't happen, but I think what it starts with is a little bit of conviction that I've done hard things before-
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm ...
Colleen Kranz: and I have conviction that this problem is worth me working on.
Yeah. That this problem is worthy of my time and attention.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And creating and allocating time towards this problem, and that's really what I think it starts with, is the idea of conviction. Yeah. This is worthy of my time- Yeah ... and I'm gonna schedule time to work on it.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And because we create habits around that, then we build some momentum.
We're not gonna finish it all, you know, we're not gonna figure it all out right away, but we cr- we have some little wins, and we figure some things out. And then we're, we have some aha moments like, oh my, yeah, my, my offer's like this, my... You know, so then we create that momentum.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And when we are solving these little problems, that is where the confidence comes in.
That-
Toby Myles: Yeah ...
Colleen Kranz: is when, when I can articulate what I did and the problem that I... And, and I start speaking that with my- Yeah ... mouth, that, that's where the, that's where the confidence comes in. And I- Mm-hmm ... Toby, am not a, I don't think of myself as a speaker, but with our airplane story, I've been asked to speak about, like, what that big project felt like and- Mm-hmm
and getting stuck just kind of in the messy middle of that. And I think- Because we went through that and conviction, momentum, confidence, the more I speak about it, the more confident I am, and it's less scary. Yeah. And I'll also point out that you can have conviction and be terrified.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Yes.
Colleen Kranz: That- that's okay.
I'm- in fact, most of the things I do I am a little bit terrified.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, and I, and I think that with big projects, whether it's, like, a work project or a home project, um, the idea that I have this direction... And with, with the airplane build, like, we had tech counselors that guided us along the way.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: We had, you know, a plan in place, and sometimes there were, like, little things that came up. But part- Mm-hmm ... of that, sometimes that big project is so daunting. Yeah. And my human brain, it's sometimes hard to, like, get wrap- wrapped around how I'm actually gonna get there. And it's- Yeah ... really heavy.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And, um, so again, this idea of, like, deadlines are lifelines.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: I'm gonna get, like, this chunk of it I'm gonna focus on right now, and it's gonna be the only thing that's in front of me.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Deadlines are lifelines. And taking that big project and just shrinking it down, um, I think that sometimes with entrepreneurs and pe- you know, people working on big projects, sometimes the biggest challenge- is just what's in our head, and that mindset so that we can inspire ourselves enough to actually do the thing we said we were gonna do- Yeah
each day. And also it wasn't, it was not us alone building the airplane, it was literally a community of people that were- Mm-hmm ... supporting us. Um, and you know, part of that journey was, um, that I think was helpful was having, um, we did time lapse videos of the build and- Mm-hmm ... put it on a YouTube channel.
Mm-hmm. So kind of creating a community around the build that was like, "We're tuning in. We're gonna see the time lapse video. What are they working on today? Oh, good job- Yeah ... on the," you know, so and so. Um, it was just so great because we knew that people were watching and that, that just community of accountability I think really-
Toby Myles: Yeah
Colleen Kranz: helps a lot.
Toby Myles: Yeah. I, I just, I mean, I can't let this... I, I have another question for you. Yeah. Um, but I can't move on from the airplane topic without asking you, like, what, like, what the heck? What was it that was... You just woke up one day and said, "Let's just build an airplane." I really need to know, like, how did this...
Was this like a, "Oh, we should do this one day," or, "We like to fly," or what... Walk me through how you even got to that to begin with.
Colleen Kranz: Yes. Good question. I'm glad you asked. Um, okay, so this is what went down. Um, let me just start by saying I am claustrophobic, airsick- Oh. Oh ... and I'm afraid of heights.
Toby Myles: Yeah, of course.
An airplane- Let's- ... sounds perfect.
Colleen Kranz: Let's just put that out there. Um, and but- My quick-moving husband has always been fascinated with aviation, completely fascinated. He grew up, like, like flying airplanes in simulators, and just the idea of airplanes was always cool. Mm-hmm. He, he didn't end up going into that field, but he always, like, wanted to.
And when he turned 30, he was like, "I always wanted to get my pilot's license, and I, and I'm just gonna do it." And so he got his, um, V- VFR, his private pilot's license. And, um, I was like, "Great. Go, hon. You got this." "You're doing good." And then, um, we decided to become part of, like, a, an airplane flying club so that we could rent, you know, rent these airplanes.
Um- Mm-hmm ... the first flight was completely, like, I had these wristbands, and I had, like, my meditation track going- ... um, and my breathing techniques. Um, and Ed was so kind and supportive, and he's a really talented pilot. Um, and so I got through the first flight to the Apostle Islands. And we got there, and then we were, like, right on Lake Superior, and we-
Toby Myles: Ah
Colleen Kranz: went hiking, and we... It was, like, this remote airstrip. And I was like, "This is amazing. This is so... We never would've got here if we didn't fly. This is so awesome."
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And then a headlight went out And you can't just replace a headlight on an airplane. You need someone, like a certified airplane engineer to replace the headlight.
Oh, okay. So we were stuck there. Um, and so we had to have s- stuck there for a night. Someone had to replace it, and we came home. But that is what prompted this research of my husband into you can build your own airplane. Mm-hmm. And there are kit planes. And then he came across this blog of one of our now friends in Wisconsin that built his own airplane and flew to a remote desert island in the Bahamas.
Toby Myles: Wow.
Colleen Kranz: And Ed, like, really painted this vision for me of, like, think of all these amazing adventures we could have. Mm-hmm. And we hadn't started our family yet, so we're like, think of like, we could ha- we could just experience life together in all these places people never go. And so his vision was so awesome, and I had started to experience it.
I was like, "Okay, what's the worst that can happen?" Yeah. The worst that can happen is we buy the kit and we finish the first, um, the, the... It's, it's the tail kit. So we finish it. We're like, "This is not for us. We'll just sell it." Mm-hmm,
Toby Myles: yeah.
Colleen Kranz: So it's like the, let's just dip a toe in the water.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, but then we ended up doing the tail and the wings and the fuselage, and I riveted.
I really Rosie'd that, you know, in, in, in, in there. Um, and so we did it, and then all of a sudden it was done. And, uh, we had the first flight with a trained test pilot over Red Wing, Minnesota, over unpopulated areas, and like it was the craziest feeling watching this airplane that you had built up in the air.
It, it was not painted at that time, so it was kind of ugly. Mm-hmm. But we finished it ugly, and it got up in the air and it, and it actually, um- We had it painted the next year, and it won an award at Oshkosh AirVenture for-
Toby Myles: Wow ...
Colleen Kranz: craftsmanship and the-
Toby Myles: Oh my gosh.
Colleen Kranz: So it... I s- I would be lying if I didn't say, Toby, that I still get in the airplane sometimes and have to just, like, breathe and-
Toby Myles: Yeah
Colleen Kranz: calm down. It is still, um, difficult sometimes. I, uh, I had a really difficult time flying over the Bahamas water, like, for the first time.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: But we took that Bahamas trip that we wanted. Yeah. Yeah. And it was so amazing. After I got myself pulled together and I saw- ... like, the island, I was like, "We really did it."
Um, so that's, that's how it all happened. I will probably get my pilot's license at some point. Mm-hmm. Um, but I... It's scary, and it's awesome, and I am so... I can't believe what we've able, been able to do because of
Toby Myles: it. Yeah. Ugh, it's so amazing, and I- I can relate to the... I'm cl- also claustrophobic. I get motion sickness.
Um- Okay ... we, a bunch of years back, uh, we took our kids in our RV out to the Grand Canyon, and we decided that the best way really to see the Grand Canyon is to take a helicopter and fly over. Mm-hmm. So we booked a tour. Um, we didn't fly the helicopter, but we booked a tour, and I was just so nervous about that.
I wanted to do it, but I was also nervous. But I, but the thing that kept me going was just knowing, like, this is the best way to do it. So I took my Dramamine, and they were all laughing at me because I just had this, like, game face on the whole time. Like, "Don't let me throw up. Like, just focus," and you know?
But it was amazing, and I would've missed out had I not just said, "You know what? I'm gonna take the, the medication. I'm gonna do it anyway," because sometimes, like, those are the best experiences. You would never ex- walking around the Grand Canyon would never have been the same as, like, flying over it. So.
Colleen Kranz: Way to go, Toby. That's so awesome. And now you'll always remember that. I love
Toby Myles: that. Yes. Yes, for sure. And I can relate to the fear too. I, I, uh, ride a motorcycle. Now I ride on three wheels, but when I started, I rode on two wheels, and every single time before I started, I just had to, like- mentally prepare myself, like sitting in my driveway feeling like I was gonna puke.
And then, you know, once the bike was in gear and we were off, I was fine because I was focusing on all the things around me, right? I wasn't thinking about- Sure ... like, everything else. And we have gone some amazing places that on two wheels are... It's like a whole different experience than if you're driving.
Oh, my gosh. That's amazing. So-
Colleen Kranz: Yeah, 'cause you're, you're breathing the air
Toby Myles: and you're just taking it in. You're smelling all the smells. Ah. You're exposed to road conditions and Mother Nature and, and e- you know, my husband likes to say every town smells different and, and all those things. But, you know, there's still a level of, like, real fear.
Like, this is a real risk, just like you going in an airplane. Like, y- y- this is... Like, I could die on this motorcycle.
Colleen Kranz: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. It's, um... I, I couldn't agree more. I, um, I, I went skydiving a couple weeks ago. Um, and I would never have done that.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Had my friend not wanted to go her whole life.
And, um, she'd, she had went through a health journey and was out the other side, and she said, "I'm looking for someone to go skydiving with me. Would you go with me?" She was so excited, and I was so proud of her for, for everything she went through. I was like, "Yes." Even though it's, oh, crap.
Toby Myles: No.
Colleen Kranz: I just... But you're, you're, you're so right.
It, there are some moments where it's okay to be cautious.
Toby Myles: Yeah. You
Colleen Kranz: know? L- but I think that, oh, man, I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be able to do that.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Ugh. Just, I just, I'm still, like, just building an airplane. I, it just seems like not many people are just gonna decide to do that. So I am so impressed, so inspired.
And I also do think, like, it's gotta leave you with a feeling of like, "Well, heck, we did this. What else can we do?" Or what else can I do? What, you know... Everything else seems- simple by comparison, right?
Colleen Kranz: It, it was, it was, um, the biggest project, I would say, um, but it actually taught us, I think my husband and I, how to, how to help each other.
Mm-hmm. Like, how to work through things together. Um, so a few years later we really got into contrast therapy or like, you know, the heat and the cold.
Toby Myles: Oh, yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And we loved, like, traditional Finnish sauna, and- Mm-hmm ... um, I have seasonal depression and, um, I just love, like, the feeling of the high heat.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, so we, we were like, "Well, we'd love to build a sauna." Like, and we were reading the book Rich Dad Poor Dad and- Mm-hmm ... I don't know if you've read that book, but-
Toby Myles: Yeah ...
Colleen Kranz: I don't agree with everything from that book, but he did make a good point that y- you should probably invest in things versus just spending money.
So we were like- Mm-hmm ... "Well, what if we built a sauna on a trailer- Mm-hmm ... and then, like, rented it out or did events?" And so it was kind of, okay, that's another big project. We did the airplane thing. Yeah. We can do this. Yeah. And so that ended up being, um, um, a custom build, like we bought the frame as an ice house, an ice castle trailer.
It's like a hydraulic lift- Okay ... and then designed the sauna on top.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Um, and it's a really unique design, but, um, now we kind of built a sauna business around it and host- Mm-hmm ... events at a local lake. And so it's like I really think after doing the hard thing, it's like, "Well, I can do anything now."
Sure. It helps your conviction.
Toby Myles: Yes. Yes, for sure. Many years ago, I did a, um, century bike ride out in Tucson, Arizona. It was to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma, and I do remember very clearly at that time thinking, like, it was hard. It was a lot of months of training, and you had to finish in under 10 hours, otherwise the van would come pick you up, and I was like, "Oh, heck no.
I didn't- Oh ... train all this to have the van come pick me up." So I was focused on, you know, on the training. But I do remember, like, a physical challenge like that also kind of spills over to other things. It's like, "Wow, I did that," and that was not just the physical piece. It was the mental piece, too, right?
Like, I can do this, and I'm gonna take the little steps, you know? Today you're gonna do this. The next day you're gonna do this, and you kind of chunk it down into little bite-sized pieces, and then it doesn't seem quite so daunting, I feel like. You were talking about, like, focusing on what's right in front of you, you know-
Colleen Kranz: Yeah.
Yeah ...
Toby Myles: that day, and I think, like, you know the old saying, "How do you eat an elephant?" I mean, it's very much- True, very much true ...
Colleen Kranz: one bite at a time. And now you can look back on that and say, "I did that, I can do anything."
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: I
Toby Myles: love that. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, um, t- talk about, like, what is going on now in your business.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I know the last time we talked you were working on something, um, new-ish that's coming out soon. Are you... Can you tease us with a little bit- Mm ... of what it is, please?
Colleen Kranz: I... Thank you so much for asking. Um, so I, in this shift that I had, I really loved and was drawn towards helping experts, solo business owners.
Um, it was so rewarding, so fulfilling. Um, so I help consultants, coaches, um, experts whose business is based on their knowing, their unique knowing, and their time.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: And so they're really good at what they do, but oftentimes they have... They feel like they have to grind to grow. Yeah. So these folks, um, on, on one end they've been doing so well that, again, that business has just grown around them, and they wanna grow but they don't wanna give up more of their time, or maybe they don't have any more time.
Mm-hmm. So we work to decouple their revenue from their time, and really redesign the business to be scalable.
Toby Myles: Mm.
Colleen Kranz: Um, and then we help create sustainability for that person going through this rollercoaster. Um, some people really just want an efficient and profitable business that doesn't eat up their life.
So, um, I've been helping these folks for a few years, and I'm very excited to launch a cohort, my first cohort, in January. And I really believe in, um, doing this work as a group for the accountability, for the community, and really focusing on real outcomes. I think there's such a, a power and energy in a group.
Um, so the first cohort, um, is launching in January. Um, and what was really a big project for me this year is taking this coaching, um, all the methods and the frameworks that I use, and putting it into a program. It's- Yeah ... was a very big challenge to take what you know in your head and how you help people, and actually put it into a program that goes step by step how to- Mm-hmm
do this. Um, so it's called the Grow On Purpose System, uh, or GPS for short, and, um, I'm so excited to... It's actually launching next week, so nobody knows about it yet. So I'm very excited- ... um, to announce it in my newsletter and on LinkedIn, and, um, I truly believe that when people with deep expertise are protected and supported- There are rip- unimaginable ripples of how they can impact our community.
Mm-hmm. So I'm really excited to support these folks.
Toby Myles: Yeah. That's amazing. And I do think that that is... I, I'm so glad to hear so many more people talk about this idea of, like, how do you, how do you wanna feel every day, right? Like, how do you- Yeah ... e- we go, we, we kind of break away from these corporate, you know, jobs and ties so that we can have more authorship over our lives, and somehow, you know, it, that doesn't always happen, right?
And so that idea that, like, h- you know, I could take off the whole week and the whole, and the business wouldn't come crashing down. People would still get what they need. Um, or whatever that looks like, right- Yeah ... to, to people. And so I just think, like, coming from a place of, like, how do I want to show up and feel every day in life- Mm-hmm
and in business, um, and how do we get there? And so it sounds- Yeah ... like that is exactly what you're gonna help people do.
Colleen Kranz: You bet. And it's different for everybody.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: You know, for, for, for some people, for, for us it's, like, a week and a half in the motor home in the summer.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: For other people it's, you know, working from Norway on, on a beach.
Um, so I think your point is so valid. It's really figuring out what your, what you want your work to feel like- Yeah ... and support your life at the same time.
Toby Myles: Yeah. I love it. Okay, I have two more questions before we- Okay ... um, close this out. Um, I'm always curious to know, like you talked a little bit about how you were as a child with two older sisters.
Mm-hmm. Do you remember as a little girl ever thinking about what you wanted to be or do when you grew up?
Colleen Kranz: Oh, that's such a good question. Um, you know, I... So I grew up on a sheep farm, and, um, I have, like, vivid memories of, like, falling asleep when my mom was doing chores in our old dairy barn, like falling asleep with these little lambs, like, on me, and I just loved being with my animals.
Um, I had some horses, and I was just, like, a horse girl. Um, so I, I think that I thought I would be doing something with animals.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Um, you know, or some- something like that.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Like with,
Colleen Kranz: with animals.
Toby Myles: Yeah. Yeah. I... And it... And knowing now what I know about you and how you just, like, do these big things, I could see, like, future Colleen having, like, a horse sanctuary or an animal sanctuary.
Who knows? Maybe it'll happen one day.
Colleen Kranz: You know, I, um, I do have a dream of having goats. So- Oh, okay ... and, and I heard that goats really take care of buckthorn. So-
Toby Myles: Oh, okay ...
Colleen Kranz: you know, maybe it's in my future, Toby.
Toby Myles: Yeah, yeah. It could be. If you could give one piece of advice to, um, our listeners who are maybe in that space of feeling like they're in that golden cage- Mm-hmm
um, or maybe they're just starting out, and you want to help them not get there, like, what would you say to them- Yeah ... to just kind of just s- a piece of advice from your wisdom?
Colleen Kranz: Yeah. Oh, thank you for asking. Um, I think that I would reassure them that even though they see these stories on LinkedIn or social media of people just super successful and killing it, and they feel like, "Well, I'm stuck," um- Please know that it is completely normal and everybody...
Like, entrepreneurship, e- making a change is so hard.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And so it is, it, it is completely normal to feel like you don't know what to do next, you feel stuck, everyone else has it all figured out.
Toby Myles: Right. And
Colleen Kranz: the reality is they don't.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: They, th- they don't, or it just looks like they, they do. So truly, truly you are not alone.
And I, I think one of the first things that we can do is develop, um, some trusted friends or people in our network, and, um, people that I trust, like, uh, you know, say what challenges that you're going through. And I think that when we can start to articulate what is weighing on our shoulders- Mm-hmm ... our heart, when we can start to find trusted spaces to share that, I think that that's the first step, is to really realize how you're feeling and the challenges that you're going through-
Toby Myles: Yeah
Colleen Kranz: um, is, is really that first step. Cultivating really strong relationships and asking for help.
Toby Myles: Mm-hmm.
Colleen Kranz: Um, asking for ad- advice. I think that, um, one thing that I've learned is I, a network can work in miraculous ways.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And so really starting the momentum of building a network and asking questions is a powerful thing.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, and you don't have to have it all figured out tomorrow.
Toby Myles: Right.
Colleen Kranz: Because really tomorrow is the first day of your next 10 years.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: And, um, and I think that, uh, we can help each other, um, and s- and start creating, like, ripples that we might not even realize. So-
Toby Myles: Yeah
Colleen Kranz: Um, that's... I, I guess that, that, that's what- Yeah
I would put out there.
Toby Myles: Yeah. I think that's great. I, I think that a lot of people do get intimidated or they measure themselves on what they see online. Yeah. And then the flip side of that is that there are also very, um, supportive, knowledgeable, amazing people that are online that are willing to help and not necessarily be in it for anything other than, like, helping someone who is, you know, starting out and, you know, I'm further along on the path and so I can help someone who's- Yes
not as far, and I reach out to someone who's ahead of me and ask for their help. So there are both. So even though we feel inundated with, you know, the things that we think we have to measure up to, there are also a lot of really supportive people.
Colleen Kranz: That is very good point. Very good point. Like, cultivating your feed with people that you want to hear their message is, I think- Yeah
a really powerful thing.
Toby Myles: Yeah.
Colleen Kranz: Um, I, I write about purpose, profitability, and wellbeing, um, in my newsletter every week. It is something that I, I really look forward to because I get a chance to articulate these, some of these things that I'm struggling with or that I'm going through. Mm-hmm. Um, so if anyone wants a little pick-me-up or a little bit of inspiration each week, um, if you f- feel called, you can sign up for my newsletter and get a little nugget every week.
Toby Myles: Yes, absolutely. And I'm glad. You read my mind, 'cause that was gonna be my next question, is where- ... can people learn from you, follow you. You're also on LinkedIn. Um, and um, we will put the link to your newsletter in the show notes. Um, this has been amazing, as I knew it would be. Um, I never know for sure where the conversations go, but it's always fun and I always learn something new, so thank you so much for, um, saying yes to today.
Colleen Kranz: Oh, it was such a pleasure, Toby. Thank you. And I'm gonna put it out there, if you ever wanna be interviewed on your podcast- ... you know where to go.
Toby Myles: Well, I did... For my 55th episode, which was our one-year anniversary, uh, Kristi Mitchell, who you know- Oh, yes ... um, we flipped the mic and she interviewed me. But that's not to say we won't do it again, 'cause you might have your own set of questions that she did not ask, so.
Colleen Kranz: Yes. Okay. We'll put it out there, maybe for your next
Toby Myles: birthday.
Colleen Kranz: Yeah.
Toby Myles: Okay. There you go. Next year. Thank you again, Colleen.
Colleen Kranz: Yes.