Episode 27 - Revolved: The Courage to Begin Again

Transcript

00:12 – Wendy
Hello Powerhouse Smart friends and colleagues. I am so excited to welcome you to another episode of our Powerhouse Cool Collabs podcast. As you know, the guests I select all share three core values. First, they are cool leaders. Second, they believe in collaboration. Third, they live with an attitude of gratitude and have a strong desire to give back to others.

00:49 – Wendy
Today we have an incredible guest. Since this is a 20-minute, commutable podcast, I always want to give my guests as much airtime as possible. We’re joined by Katie Johnson from a brand-new nonprofit startup called Revolved. Katie, I’ll let you share your story. Welcome.

01:06 – Katie
Thank you, Wendy. It’s truly an honor to be here and to spend time with you today. I’ll try to keep this concise. I was born and raised in Minnesota and went to college in St. Paul. My entire early career was based in the medical world. I was a gymnast my whole life, so I always envisioned myself in healthcare.

01:26 – Katie
After college, most of my career was in medical device sales, which had always been a goal of mine. My family had a business growing up, so I was raised with a strong focus on success and financial achievement. I had big goals for myself—financial milestones I wanted to reach before I turned 30—and I worked very hard to achieve them.

01:59 – Katie
When I was 26, my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He passed away within a year. During that time, my life began to change in profound ways. On his deathbed, one thing he said that stayed with me forever was that the money wasn’t worth it.

02:44 – Katie
I don’t think he meant that he regretted his life, but rather that he wished he had slowed down and lived more fully. He thought he would have more time to travel and enjoy life with his family. He passed away just before turning 50, and that was a major turning point for me.

03:24 – Katie
I left a job that was great on paper but driven mostly by money and prestige. I did something my dad always told me never to do—I quit my job before having another one lined up. At the time, I didn’t even like nonprofits. I had a negative perception of them.

03:43 – Katie
But life has a funny way of working out. I ended up joining a nonprofit and quickly moved from managing medical projects to leading global initiatives on a large scale. I went to Africa for the first time in 2021 or 2022, and once again, my life changed.

04:31 – Wendy
What a leap of faith. I like to call that an awakening—when something happens that causes you to rethink your values. I’m sure your father would be incredibly proud of you.

04:49 – Wendy
I know you had some early hesitation around nonprofits, but I’m so grateful you gave it a chance. Matter clearly recognized your talents and leadership, and Africa is such a huge part of what they do.

05:26 – Katie
It was absolutely a leap of faith. I took over a 50 percent pay cut just to explore this new world. I brought a business mindset into the nonprofit space—combining purpose and passion with responsible stewardship and real outcomes.

06:08 – Katie
That perspective is what Revolved was built on. We want to change the nonprofit landscape so organizations can operate with strong business practices while still doing incredible good.

06:43 – Wendy
That’s how I became connected to you—through Vicky Bachmann at Matter. Matter gave you incredible exposure and opened the door to Africa. Let’s talk about that first experience and what ultimately led you to start Revolved.

07:51 – Katie
My first trip to Africa was to Senegal in West Africa. I remember my first night on the continent—I cried because I was so uncomfortable. It was hot, there were bugs, and I was scared of malaria. It was completely outside my comfort zone.

08:28 – Katie
That discomfort represented something powerful. Growth only happens outside our comfort zones. Every awakening in my life has come from challenge—moments where I didn’t know how I would get through them.

09:11 – Katie
Right before that trip, I had a huge conflict with my family. I was struggling emotionally, especially with my mom moving on after my dad’s passing. When I arrived in Africa, my perspective shifted entirely. I realized how small my problems were in the bigger picture.

09:52 – Katie
I came home changed forever. The things that once consumed me no longer held the same weight. That experience reshaped my entire outlook on life.

10:26 – Wendy
You explained that so beautifully. Africa is life-changing. That’s why we’re inviting others through Powerhouse Smart to experience this kind of awakening.

11:14 – Wendy
So after Africa and your work with Matter, how was Revolved born?

11:33 – Katie
Two of our co-founders were on the front lines of the Ukraine war when the idea for Revolved truly took shape. The night before heading into a dangerous zone, they wrote letters to their families in case they didn’t return.

12:03 – Katie
That night, they asked each other, “Why don’t we do this for the rest of our lives?” That question became the birthplace of Revolved. All four of us shared the same desire—to revolve around forgotten and unseen people and stay longer than most organizations do.

12:40 – Katie
Revolved was born from a desire to do things differently and to center our work on the people we serve, not ourselves.

12:55 – Wendy
It’s incredibly beautiful and authentic. How can Powerhouse Smart help support Revolved?

13:11 – Katie
We’re brand new—we launched in March. Powerhouse Smart has helped us meet incredible people. We want to get the word out, build relationships, and collaborate. We’re planning to build a facility in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, within the next two years.

14:20 – Wendy
When we went to Africa, we visited Wild Hope, which is one of Revolved’s projects. Our group immediately fell in love with it and committed to supporting it.

14:52 – Wendy
Wild Hope is based in Victoria Falls and serves vulnerable children. Right now, it operates without a permanent building. Let’s talk about that project specifically.

15:55 – Katie
Wild Hope is our keystone project. We also operate a rural hospital in Zimbabwe for birthing mothers and babies, and we support medical aid for the front lines in Ukraine.

16:25 – Katie
Victoria Falls sees over a million tourists a year, but just beyond the railroad tracks is extreme poverty. Wild Hope currently serves 22 of the most vulnerable children, helping get them off the streets and into a safe environment.

17:12 – Katie
Our four pillars are conservation, mental health, English and literacy, and life skills. We believe these pillars give children the foundation for a sustainable and hopeful future.

18:01 – Wendy
Visiting Wild Hope deeply moved our group. We knew we had to do more, and we’re excited to help build a permanent space for these children.

18:34 – Wendy
This podcast will live on, and years from now we’ll look back and see how Revolved began in 2025 and grew into something incredible.

19:20 – Wendy
We’ll be hosting another Africa impact trip in 2026, and we encourage people to reach out to Revolved even if they can’t join ours.

19:56 – Wendy
Katie, you are a bright light. Thank you for sharing your story.

20:11 – Katie
Thank you, Wendy, and thank you to Powerhouse Smart. Your support allows us to continue this work and serve the people who need it most.

20:24 – Wendy
Thank you. We’re so grateful for our audience. Together, we are making a bigger impact.