Kerry Simon on Building a Business with Heart

🎙️EPISODE DESCRIPTION Find Your Leadership Confidence Podcast Host: Vicki Noethling Guest: Kerry Simon Episode Title: Building a Business with Heart What does it take to build a business rooted not only in strategy, but in heart, grit, and lifelong curiosity? In this inspiring episode, I sit down with serial entrepreneur and creative visionary Kerry Simon, whose journey spans from launching his first business at age 11 to becoming the co-founder of Nowhere Coffee Club, a marketing strategist, retail leader, storyteller, and brand builder. Kerry’s entrepreneurial spark ignited early with Homeboy’s Lawn Care, and by his mid-twenties, he was running three successful retail stores specializing in vintage fashion, skate culture, and streetwear — along with his own clothing line. After years of building brands from the ground up, he and his wife hit the road for a year-long RV adventure that reshaped his approach to life and leadership. His career then took an unexpected turn into the corporate world, where he rose from a social media director at a snowboard shop to the Chief Marketing Officer of two international retail clothing chains with more than 200 locations combined. Still driven by creativity and connection, Kerry later founded a marketing agency and partnered with a former customer (and now best friend) to co-create Nowhere Coffee Club, a coffee brand rooted in community, belonging, and the magic of shared stories. In this conversation, Kerry opens up about risk-taking, resilience, collaboration, and how every chapter of his life — from fashion to coffee to leadership — has shaped the way he helps brands and entrepreneurs grow today. Some questions explored in this episode include: • What pivotal moments shaped Kerry’s entrepreneurial path? • How did launching his first business at 11 influence his leadership as an adult? • What challenges did he face launching three retail stores by age 26 — and how did he overcome them? • How did a year-long RV trip change his mindset about life and business? • What lessons from small business ownership carried over into his role as a CMO? • How does he bridge experiences across fashion, snowboarding, retail, and coffee? • What inspired the creation of Nowhere Coffee Club? • What low-cost, high-impact marketing strategies does he recommend for new entrepreneurs? If you’re a dreamer, builder, or creator looking for practical wisdom from someone who has lived multiple entrepreneurial lives, this episode will both ground you and inspire you. Use this link to visit Kerry’s websites. https://nowherecoffeeclub.com/ If interested in their agency… https://www.kcsstrategy.com/ Subscribe to Our Podcast Connect With Our Guest Website: https://nowherecoffeeclub.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrysimon/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowherecoffeeclub Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/nowherecoffeeclub/ The post Kerry Simon on Building a Business with Heart first appeared on The Find Your Leadership Confidence Podcast with Victoria Noethling.