SE1 E10 How She Turned Rock Bottom Into a Thriving Business | Katie Poole

Katie Poole, CEO and second-generation owner of The Chimney Guys, shares the powerful story behind rebuilding her family business, growing a team of 30 employees, and becoming the leader she is today.In this episode of Business Unfiltered, Katie opens up about restarting the family business after her father unexpectedly passed away in 2018. At a time when she was a single mother facing serious financial challenges, Katie rebuilt The Chimney Guys with little more than her father's customer records, a 40-foot ladder, and the determination to create a better future.Today, The Chimney Guys serves homeowners throughout Central Ohio, providing chimney cleaning, inspections, maintenance, fireplaces, stoves, inserts, remodels, and complete chimney rebuilds.Katie also shares valuable lessons on:• Growing a business from necessity into a thriving company• Leading and developing a team of 30+ employees• Setting SMART goals that create real growth• Identifying and developing future leaders• Learning from leadership mistakes• Balancing strategic leadership with day-to-day operations• Creating systems and setting clear employee expectations• Building a strong company culture• Overcoming the pressure of business ownership• Using faith to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship• Moving from survival mode to purpose-driven leadershipOne of the biggest takeaways from Katie's story is that your circumstances do not define you. Her journey from rock bottom to leading a growing business is a powerful reminder of what resilience, leadership, faith, and perseverance can accomplish.If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or someone navigating a major transition in life, Katie's story offers practical lessons and genuine inspiration.Watch the full conversation and discover what it really takes to rebuild a business, develop people, and lead with purpose.If this episode resonated with you, give it a like, share it with someone who would benefit from Katie's story, and subscribe to Ohio Business Unfiltered for new episodes every week.Connect with Rick Plasket on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-plasket-4b6a157Visit ActionCOACH:https://rickplasket.actioncoach.comListen to Ohio Business Unfiltered:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/033jtpIBICapFc5c0uLDjEApple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ohio-business-unfiltered/id1896769046Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/70038bf4-21c4-44ef-91a4-5fdca2d11607/ohio-business-unfiltered#BusinessUnfiltered #KatiePoole #BusinessOwner #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #SmallBusiness #BusinessLeadership #WomenInBusiness #FamilyBusiness #OhioBusiness #ChimneyGuys #BusinessGrowth #FaithAndBusiness #LeadershipDevelopment #RickPlasket #ActionCOACH #BusinessCoaching #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessStrategy #OhioEntrepreneur