By Catherine Martinez
Kim Borchers is a successful public servant, business owner, podcast host, and community volunteer, but she credits her role as a mother for bringing her this far in life. “My children are the reason why I’m sitting where I’m at today doing what I’m doing,” she said. “Having kids opened a floodgate of opportunities I would never have considered.”
When she left her corporate job after becoming a mother, Kim never expected the journey that would follow. After getting involved in a community project to protect children, she ended up working on Sam Brownback’s campaign to run for Governor of Kansas.
She became a trusted volunteer, bringing her kids along on the campaign journey while leveraging the skills she developed in the corporate world. When Governor Brownback won, she became his transition director.
“I did all of the personnel, and it was like creating a Human Resources and recruitment shop from nowhere,” she said. And as she went back to work, she was able to be there for her kids, bringing them to the Capitol after school to do their homework in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.
“I managed all the cabinet secretaries’ hiring and then helped bring in senior staff and then all of the boards and commissions,” she said. This experience helped her realize that it can be difficult for governors to find top-level C-suite talent in such a short time.
“I thought that if someone needed to create a talent bank for governors to help them when they get elected, because sometimes they were fighting to hire the same people,” she said. That’s when the idea for Bird Dog Recruiting & Consulting was born, and she officially launched her business in 2019. Now, she works to build top-level staff for Republican administrations across the country. Kim finds people who are not only talented but whose values align with those of the elected officials who want to hire them. It’s a winning combination that has helped her deliver a valuable service to her clients.
Giving Back with Financial Literacy
Kim has never lost the spark that started her journey in helping her community, which is why she’s committed to empowering women with financial skills to help them succeed. “If you love your community, you have to give back,” she said. “It’s like a bank account—you can’t keep withdrawing and expect it to deliver anything to you.”
We know that when women have financial security, it gives better quality outcomes, not just for health, but for families.
She serves on the Advisory Board of the annual Women and Money Conference in Kansas, a project that started two years ago in partnership with Treasurer Steven Johnson.
“We’re just opening up a forum for women to feel more comfortable,” she said. “We know that when women have financial security, it gives better quality outcomes, not just for health, but for families.” The Women and Money Conference provides women with a safe place to ask questions and learn, regardless of age. “It’s never too late to start building financial security,” she said, noting that women at all stages have made their way to the conference.
Kim recalled the story of a woman who approached her at a recent conference and asked her to host another event so she could bring her daughter and pass on wise financial management to the next generation of her family.
“We think our kids learn about money through osmosis,” Kim added. “They don’t. You have to teach them.”
Advice to Other Women
Kim’s vast experience in the corporate world, public service, entrepreneurship, and motherhood gives her a valuable perspective to offer for women at all levels of their careers.
“Women are most productive from 55 to 75, because you know what you like, you know what you’re good at, and you know where the resources are,” she said, encouraging them not to retire in those years when they have so much left to give. “You have to stay engaged, keep using your brain, and keep contributing.”
Women are most productive from 55 to 75, because you know what you like, you know what you’re good at, and you know where the resources are.
And for women who are in their early years of the workforce, she encourages them to learn as much as they can now, “Always look for opportunities to learn. Even in a job you don’t like, you learn something.”
“What matters is figuring out what you really care about, what you’re good at, and what kind of legacy you want to leave,” she continued. “Take your time, talent, and treasure and pour them into others.”
“I hope to be able to do with my legacy,” she said. “Not just for my community, but for my kids, and that they will carry that on wherever they choose to live.” Kim is proving that putting your family first and making community service a priority can open unexpected doors that lead to great things.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catherine is a full-time copywriter for a nonprofit organization and a freelance writer. She spends her days writing, chasing toddlers and learning how to master her money. Catherine lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and their two young children.
