Through her time at The Lola, Kafi has shown how she can live through her values in her interactions and in creating community.
The Lola Member, Kafi London values clarity, energy and belief; through her time at The Lola as a Founding Member and Community Manager at The Lola, Kafi has shown how she can live through her values in her interactions and in creating community. When she isn’t helping other women facing burnout through her company, Smart Women on Fire, you can find her dancing the night away!
Kafi London
Location: Marietta, GA
What I do: Business Coach and Creator of Smart Women on Fire
Life caught up with me. I became a workaholic. Overwhelmed, overworked and overweight, I eventually paid the price…BURNOUT!
I was born and raised in London and got a degree in Chemistry and Computing. My initial trajectory was to be a forensic scientist but soon realized I enjoyed wearing a white lab coat and watching chemicals explode in the lab more than I did studying atoms, ions and organic chemistry, LOL!
So, I ended up using the “computing” part of my degree to become a management consultant in the IT industry – and that is how I got to the US. I joined a management consulting company in the UK and was invited to work for their sister company in the US because they were short of managers. I jumped at the opportunity and only planned to be in the US for maybe a year or two (max). That was in 1992 and I am still here and oh what a ride it has been. In that time, I have lived in Houston, Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area and then in 1999 moved to Atlanta which is my US home.
I spent the next few years climbing the corporate ladder working in the fast-paced, high-demand world of management consulting supporting global training and organizational change initiatives for clients that included Shell Chemical, Hewlett Packard and The Coca-Cola Company. After almost three decades of disregarding my own needs, life caught up with me and I became a workaholic. Overwhelmed, overworked and overweight, I eventually paid the price…BURNOUT!
In the summer of 2016, I knew deep in my belly something had to change, so I decided to take a career break, with no real plan at the time.
I spent the first 12-18 months healing from the trauma of my job and focused on improving my own health and well-being.
Funny how things work out, because that led to being certified as a Schwinn Indoor cycling Instructor, a personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and becoming a licensed primal mind-body movement instructor under the Emotional Institute.
The following year, I launched Smart Women on Fire – a practice focused on helping leaders and managers recalibrate and re-energize so they bounce back before they burn out.
Specifically, we lead workshops and retreats to help people get fired up about who they are and what they do so they can take on the world. 😊 It’s taken the last few years (and a ton of deep work and personal growth) to figure out who I am and what I am doing.
For fun, I love, love, love to salsa dance – that’s my jam! Dancing is in my bones – throw on a good tune and there is no stopping me.
I’m an instructor at CycleBar in East Cobb where I love motivating people to exceed their fitness goals. I’m a volunteer Run Lead for the Atlanta Track Club where I lead seasoned and aspiring runners and walkers train for big events such as the Peachtree Road Race. I’m also Events Chair and a Board member of the British American Business Council, a nonprofit that helps businesses and individuals promote trans-Atlantic trade.
My big themes for the past 12 months have been clarity, energy and belief in myself.
- Clarity – Getting clear on the impact I want to make in the world
- Energy – optimizing my mind and body so I can be my best
- Belief – investing in my personal growth and development to overcome the belief blocks that keep most of us small.
Life is about choices. “Where there is a woman, there is magic” – Ntozake Shange.
We are responsible for the outcomes we want to create.
I’m grateful for my health, energy and well-being. The opportunity to share my gifts to help guide those who want more out of life than to be a statistic.
The pandemic forced me to question my goals and revisit them several hundred times, LOL!
I’m writing a book addressing the issue of leadership burnout.
I am currently working on writing my book called Fired Up! It is focused on addressing the issue of leadership burnout. Also, at this very moment, I am in a time of reflection. My father passed away about a month ago and it has left a huge hole in my heart. We had a special father-daughter relationship and while I know it is the circle of life, I am in deep thought about the meaning of life and what is next. The question that keeps coming up is am I fully self-expressed in who I am and what I do? If no, then what am I going to do about it?
I have spent the last few years creating my “ideal week.” It has not been easy, but I have been working at it for a while – that said there is always more to do, right?
I am excited to say, I have spent the last few years creating the “ideal week.” It has not been easy, but I have been working at it for a while – that said there is always more to do, right? My morning routine is both grounding and energizing for my mind and body. I have carved out the first couple of hours of the day for personal time that is non-negotiable.
I have learned over time that the mornings are prime time for me to think and my brain is the sharpest. I spend the time reading a book on personal growth which is then followed by writing or reading in my journal. Then either go to the gym for a workout or I will pull out my jump (skipping) rope for 15-20 minutes to get the blood flowing. For the most part, I try and eat healthy meals (I am not a saint) but I do try. Green smoothies are my thing right now ( to be honest, it is a great way to get my veggies in) .
I have discovered having a daily, weekly and monthly routine work best for me.
It’s been exciting to be a Founding Member and a Community Manager at The Lola. What the founders Martine and Eileen have created is both 1st class and so needed for Women to connect.
My favorite African Proverb: “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
