If you’ve ever felt the pull to shift gears in life but were terrified to take the leap, Kim Rogne’s story will speak right to you. From running multimillion-dollar real estate brokerages to becoming a keynote speaker, high-performance coach, and bestselling author, Kim’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. And it all started with something she never expected—a forced slowdown.
On a recent episode of the Boss Mom Podcast, Kim sat down with Dana Malstaff to share how a traumatic skiing accident changed everything and pushed her toward her true calling. Let’s dive into her incredible story of resilience, reinvention, and redefining success.
A Life-Changing Moment on the Slopes
For 25 years, Kim Rogne thrived in the fast-paced world of real estate. She spent the first 15 years in sales before stepping into leadership roles, managing massive brokerage teams, and overseeing financials. Hustle and high performance were second nature to her—until the universe forced her to slow down.
While skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado, Kim suffered a serious accident, breaking her tibia, fibula, and fracturing her ankle. What she thought was just another fall turned into a complete lifestyle shift. She found herself unable to move, stuck on the couch for ten weeks, navigating daily life on a walker while her family adjusted to this new reality.
At first, she resisted the stillness. Like many high-achievers, slowing down felt unnatural. She even jumped on Zoom calls just seven days post-accident, trying to recruit agents while barely able to function. But eventually, reality sank in.
One month later, she had a pivotal conversation with an investor at her real estate firm. Sitting in a wheelchair, she admitted something that felt terrifying:
“I’m not okay. I think I need to take a break.”
For the first time in decades, she allowed herself to step back, asking for a six-week leave of absence. What she didn’t realize at the time was that this decision would be the catalyst for her next chapter.
The Identity Shift: From Real Estate to Entrepreneurship
Many of us tie our identities to our careers. We think, “I am my job title.” So, when Kim stepped away from real estate, she had to ask herself—who am I without this?
During her time off, she did something profound: she gathered every personality and strengths assessment she had ever taken—StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, DISC—and printed them out. Then, she read them as if she didn’t know the person they described.
This exercise wasn’t about confirming what she already knew. It was about rediscovering who she truly was and where her joy and energy lived.
She realized that at her core, she wasn’t just a leader in real estate—she was a teacher, mentor, and speaker. She had spent her career empowering others, but she had never given herself permission to do it on her own terms.
That’s when the idea for her personal and professional development company, For the Love Of, was born.
Betting on Herself: The Leap into Business
Starting a business from scratch is no joke, especially after spending decades in a stable, salaried career. Kim wasn’t sure if she could do it—until a conversation with a successful entrepreneur changed everything.
When a friend, who was already thriving in her own business, told Kim, “I would hire you as a coach in a heartbeat,” something clicked.
Even though Kim had spent years coaching others, she hadn’t yet fully believed in her own ability to turn that into a business. That moment of external validation gave her the push she needed to trust herself and take the leap.
In January 2022, she officially launched For the Love Of, stepping into a new role as a keynote speaker, high-performance coach, and bestselling author of For the Love of Self.
She went from managing real estate teams to helping solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and 100% commission-based professionals thrive—especially working moms who are balancing it all.
Slowing Down to Speed Up: Why Rest is the Secret Weapon of High Achievers
One of the biggest lessons Kim learned through this transformation? Slowing down isn’t weakness—it’s strategy.
High-achieving women often feel the pressure to constantly produce, achieve, and keep pushing forward, but true success comes when we allow ourselves to breathe.
Kim now practices intentional stillness—whether it’s taking a shower without a podcast playing or embracing moments of boredom so that new ideas can emerge.
She encourages other women to stop measuring their worth by how much they accomplish and start honoring who they are beyond their work.
The Power of Journaling: Kim Rogne’s Accidental Discovery
We’ve all heard about the power of journaling. Maybe you’ve read The Miracle Morning or listened to a podcast that swears by the habit. But how many of us actually stick with it? Kim Rogne calls herself inconsistently consistent when it comes to these personal development hacks—until she found a simple, life-changing system.
And let’s be real—who hasn’t gone all-in on a new habit for a few days, only to fall off the wagon when life gets busy? But Kim’s story proves that when you actually commit to self-reflection, it rewires your brain, shifts your mindset, and changes your life.
Kim started small. No fancy planner. No elaborate system. Just three questions she copied from a podcast and a commitment to showing up for herself daily.
She figured, They say this works. So I’m going to do it. Every day. No matter what.
And for a while, it was just her and that little notebook. But then, about three weeks in, something unexpected happened—her friend Cindy reached out.
Cindy was looking for a way to create a new habit. She wanted to do the 66-day challenge, based on the idea that it takes about 66 days to form a new habit.
Kim saw an opportunity. “Why don’t you do this journaling thing with me?” she suggested. “We’ll send each other pictures and hold each other accountable.”
But Cindy’s story added a whole new layer to the journaling experience.
Finding Strength in the Midst of Adversity
Cindy isn’t just any friend—she’s a warrior. Four years ago, she was sent home with an ALS diagnosis and told to prepare for the worst. Instead of accepting that fate, Cindy chose to fight.
Today, she communicates through an eye-gaze system, typing out her words despite being fully in a wheelchair. But her spirit? Unbreakable.
Journaling became a bridge between them—proof that no matter the circumstances, mindset matters. Kim began sharing Cindy’s story when she spoke at events, using it as an example of the power of mindset shifts.
And then, something wild happened.
From Scrappy Notes to a Published Journal
People started sending Kim unsolicited photos of their own journal entries—scribbled on napkins, scratch paper, whatever they had.
She hadn’t asked for this. She had simply been sharing her experience.
And then, someone told her: You should turn this into a journal.
So she did.
Kim took her personal journaling experience and the research she had done and created For the Love of Self—a guided journal that helps people rewire their thinking, just like she did.
The Year of the Phoenix: Rising from the Ashes
Kim isn’t just journaling about daily wins and losses. She’s journaling through real life.
She and Dana Malstaff (founder of Boss Mom) had a raw and honest conversation about how 2024 felt like a dumpster fire—one of those years where everything seems to burn to the ground.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve had a year like that, too.
For Kim, it was a year of massive personal growth, whether she wanted it or not.
Her ex-husband was forming a new family, her close family members were battling health challenges, and she was in a long-term relationship where big decisions needed to be made.
“I told my best friend, ‘I don’t have time for all this personal growth!’” Kim said. “And she just laughed and said, ‘That’s not how personal growth works.’”
Because the truth is—growth doesn’t wait until it’s convenient. It forces itself on you when you’re least prepared, when you feel like you have nothing left to give.
And journaling became the lifeline.
The Reality of Building Something New
Kim knows what it’s like to build something from scratch, not just in personal growth but in business.
Last year, she launched her first six-week course for entrepreneurial moms called From Overwhelmed to Organized: How to Live a Balanced Life.
“I had no idea what I was doing,” she admitted. “I studied funnels, I took courses, but honestly? I was creating the content a week before delivering it.”
That’s the messy middle of building something new. It’s uncomfortable. It’s intimidating.
But here’s the thing: everything great starts messy.
Even the most successful entrepreneurs started out as their own interns, figuring things out as they went. And now? Kim’s refining her course, getting ready for its next launch, and making it even better.
She’s in what Dana calls the janitor phase—cleaning up, organizing, and preparing for scale. Because before anything becomes polished, it has to be messy first.
And that’s okay.
The Art of Pushing Past Your Comfort Zone
So, how do you grow when everything feels overwhelming?
Kim has two big takeaways:
- Stop reinventing the wheel. Follow those who have already done what you want to do. Learn from them. Take what works and leave what doesn’t.
- Embrace the discomfort. Growth is never comfortable. If it were, everyone would be doing it.
It’s why she’s continuing to show up, even when things feel uncertain. It’s why she’s learning new technologies, leaning into AI, and surrounding herself with mentors who are a few steps ahead.
Because she knows that discomfort means she’s on the right path.
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Power of Reinvention
Kim Rogne’s story is a reminder that your career doesn’t define you—YOU define you.
Sometimes, life forces us to slow down, whether we like it or not. And when that happens, we have a choice: resist the change or embrace it as an opportunity to step into something even greater.
Kim chose the latter, and now she’s helping others do the same.
- So, if you’re feeling stuck, unsure, or afraid to take that next step, take a page from Kim’s book:
Pause and reflect on who you truly are.
Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
Give yourself permission to take the leap.
Because the best chapters of your life? They’re the ones you give yourself permission to write.
Want to learn more about Kim Rogne?
Kim Rogne isn’t just talking about personal development—she’s living it, journaling through it, and creating tools to help others do the same.
If you want to connect with her, here’s where you can find her:
Website: KimRogne.com
Instagram: @KimRogne
Free Journal Download: flow.workingmoms.com
And if you loved this episode, be sure to subscribe to the Boss Mom Podcast for more inspiring stories of women making bold moves in business and life.
What’s one area in your life where you need to slow down to speed up? Drop a comment below!
March 12, 2025