In this episode of The Rhonda Swan Show, Rhonda welcomed a dear friend and sorority sister Kortney Murray. She’s not only a close friend, but also a successful female business leader and CEO of Coastal Kapital – a company that provides financial services and equipment financing to businesses. Recently Kortney was nominated to the board of the American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers. Kortney is a self-made woman who uses her position at Coastal Kapital to help business owners navigate the challenging world of lending.
Rhonda Swan:
The things we’ve been creating have been amazing and they happened so fast. You and I connected and it was like, “We’ve got this book, I’m doing this!”
And it’s the same thing that happened with your company as well. Let’s talk about the growth of Coastal Kapital. What’s been happening with you since then and let’s shine a light on this so people can see the real growth.
Kortney Murray:
I think I’ll probably start by saying that this has been a really long but fast growth for me. As an entrepreneur, there are times when we can hide and give up our voice because we’re giving it to the people around us. We’re visionaries, trying to put something together that is meaningful, but then we lose our voice in the process.
When you and I reconnected, something that happened to me was that I came out from behind the curtain and started having a voice again. And one of the things that was so moving about this project, the book, and everything we’ve been doing – is that it has allowed us to not just have a voice, but to partner with extraordinary women and the collaboration between all of us and the uplifting positivity has allowed us to realize that we do have people who care about what we’re doing.
And if you’re not setting yourself apart, then your product is just as good as the other person’s. So one of the things I’ve realized in my growth to assist women – is that we are a financial segment for businesses to grow. We do have the ability to lend big amounts for heavy equipment and offer asset-based lending at Coastal Kapital, but why aren’t we reaching out to the people who need to understand the financial aspects so they can make good decisions as entrepreneurs?
That’s where I feel like I’ve really grown as a person and also been able to grow with our hiring process – by bringing on people who have the same values and beliefs. It’s taken some time to find the right fit, but I do feel like this growth in being able to assist women in business and helping them with financial literacy in general has brought a lot of great business for us and it’s an attraction that attracts a lot.
Rhonda Swan:
It is important for people to realize the value of being upfront. As you said, when you step out and show yourself, amazing things can happen. You’ve gone from focusing on heavy machinery to offering various forms of financing.
Kortney Murray:
As a woman CEO in the heavy equipment financing industry, it can be hard to feel feminine. But I’ve realized that there are many women out there who run businesses, whether it’s heavy construction or a food truck, who have a lot of voices that need to be heard. Some of these women have created a foundation or have a successful business, but they don’t have the resources for additional marketing or publication.
That’s where I feel like we’re failing in our industry because our underwriters tend to think inside the box. My goal for Coastal Kapital is to be a story-based lender, really understand the capabilities and growth potential of a business and lend based on the risk of what they’re doing, rather than just looking at it like a bank would. We have also branched out and created our own internal line to do some things we believe in. As we grow, we’ll keep adding to that and assisting women in business, hopefully crossing borders soon. With the internet, it doesn’t matter where you’re located, we can really help everywhere. The masterminds and things we can do together have created growth and awareness.
I’m very transparent when it comes to my business experience. Before starting Coastal Kapital, I was a business owner who undercapitalized myself and my business because I didn’t understand the two arms of financing. If I had known that, I might have succeeded more and not had to close the doors after five years. It’s important to look at people outside of their credit score because failure doesn’t mean they don’t know how to succeed, it just means they might not have navigated the waters properly or been educated enough. At Coastal Kapital, we want to look at someone as a whole and consider their sweat equity in the business. It’s hard to give away any part of your business and what you’ve created, so I’d rather pay a higher interest rate if it makes sense to keep the equity in the business. Our goal is to educate and allow people to make sound decisions for themselves, but if they don’t know where to turn, they won’t get the proper education.
Rhonda Swan:
Let’s talk about this new journey, the expansion of Women Gone Wild and the book – not only the experience, but how it’s impacted you and how you see it continuing on with the Intuition edition. How do you see it changing or shifting things for you?
Kortney Murray:
Embracing the face is something that I’ve had to learn to do. When I was asked to contribute a small chapter to the Women Gone Wild book, I never could have imagined that my face would end up on a billboard in Times Square. But that’s exactly what happened, with my 40-foot face appearing on two sides of a Coca Cola ad. It was a hilarious and unexpected moment, but it taught me to welcome the unknown.
The Women Gone Wild book itself was an incredibly profound experience. It created a sense of sisterhood and a space for intuition to flourish. The four-part series that is in the works is sure to be amazing as well.
This whole journey has truly changed my life, from how I view my business to how I’ve found my voice. I’ve come out from behind the screen and started educating others, which has attracted the right people to my journey through the law of attraction.
The partnerships and relationships that have formed as a result of this book have completely transformed my business. It’s not just about getting your brand out there, it’s about creating a circle of trust and relying on each other instead of tearing each other down.
As a woman, I feel like this movement is incredibly strong and empowering. It’s an experience that I would recommend to anyone, but it’s important to be at a certain stage in your life to truly benefit from it. It’s been an amazing way to grow and evolve, both personally and professionally.
Rhonda Swan:
How do you think – what people can apply by actually listening to the intuition, in a matter of their financial literacy?
Kortney Murray:
Intuition plays a huge role in decision making, especially as an entrepreneur. It’s important to listen to your gut, but also educate yourself and seek advice from others. Failure is a part of the journey, but it can lead to success. At Coastal Kapital, we want to help people make informed financial decisions and navigate the waters of business. Asking questions and educating oneself is key to financial health and wealth. It’s important for all individuals, not just women, to take pride in their dreams and be proactive in seeking out information before making financial decisions.
Rhonda Swan:
That’s amazing! Can you tell us, what’s next for you and for Coastal Kapital?
Kortney Murray:
Coastal Kapital is an exciting company to be a part of right now. We’ve grown significantly, with a team of nine people and a 2500 square foot facility. We have created a small internal line to fund projects for clients that we feel may be a fit to service in house, this will allow us to grow our internal balance sheet and lend more dollars in the future for businesses we believe in. It’s been amazing to see how much we have grown in 11 years and I can’t wait to see what our team can do in the next coming years.
Be sure to tune in to the full episode of The Rhonda Swan Show episode with Kortney Murray on YouTube to hear more and get inspired by her insights and advice! Click the link below: