Sarah Benken is passionate about supporting women, specifically high-achieving businesswomen that are overworked and lacking community with like-minded women. Why? Because she’s been there – in the wrong rooms, stretched thin, and feeling like she was alone on the journey.
As an accomplished CEO of 12 years, Sarah built and scaled her own brands internationally. She’s an award-winning entrepreneur who knows first hand what it’s like to lack those connections. Her need to connect with ‘her people’ and then having trouble finding them was part of the reason she created the environment herself. Her mission is to provide space for dynamic female leaders to gather, collaborate, and celebrate their successes and hard work.
Active in her community, she teaches CEO classes to pregnant teens, works with women through ministries, and mentors women throughout the country. She’s always been enchanted by women who break the mold, even while working in male-dominated fields. She believes in bringing women together and is living based on her personal beliefs and the KNOW mantra to Lift and Rise.
Sarah has been awarded the prestigious Forty Under 40 Award, while Metro’s Other Woman (Sarah’s first business) was a Winner of Triangle Business Journal’s 50 Best Places to Work. Sarah was also recognized as a Mom of the Week by Charlotte Moms and Charlotte Observer. Both she and her companies have been featured in over 40 print magazines.
Tell us about your community and why it was so important to you.
KNOW is where I connect women and help them become more successful through community and network. I am a busy, overloaded 12-year bootstrapping Founder & CEO, proud mama to 2 [Sidnee 12 + Brandon 23], and a long time partner to a tall, dark, and handsome attorney [Michael]. Thus, I get everyday juggling and desire for real balance and authentic relationships.
I’m passionate about supporting women, specifically high-achieving women that are overworked and lacking community with like-minded women.
I know what it is like. I’ve been there – in the wrong rooms, stretched thin, and feeling like I was alone on the journey. As an accomplished CEO of 12 years, I built and scaled brands internationally [and with no outside investments!].
My mission to provide space for dynamic female leaders to gather, collaborate, and be celebrated for their successes. It’s my life’s work to help more women business owners become millionaires. Not through a costly coaching program, but through connections, tips, lessons, and inspiration.
I help more women achieve 7 & 8 figure status in their businesses by:
- Building a quality community for them to leverage.
- Offering REAL TACTICAL advice, tips, and hacks.
- Sharing my own stories along with stories from my community of who have walked the walk. We discuss the harsh TRUTHS about the journey, holding nothing back.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Why did you create KNOW?
My primary goal for creating KNOW was to bring more women to the table and to build a community around them. I want to amplify their voices throughout the globe. The truth is, we need more role models and to see women who are doing BIG things. And, I want all women to feel celebrated for the hard work they do.
Externally, KNOW was created for exposure, by showcasing our female leaders; but internally, we developed KNOW for camaraderie, building alliances, and community. The Good Ole’ Boys club has flourished long enough. It’s time for women to get serious about linking arms and rising together.
At KNOW, we are diversity-focused and work hard to elevate the voice of EVERY woman. In January 2020, we installed our first Diversity Advisory Team for KNOW. Our Diversity Advisory Team partners with me to advise on strategies that elevate KNOW’s core values of connection, collaboration, and community. This team is dedicated to asking hard questions, having uncomfortable conversations, and ensuring KNOW is a reflection of the diverse character of our local communities. Together, we work hard to improve standards, policies, and practices that create a culture of inclusion and equity.
Can you give us more detail about how your brand works?
KNOW is a female collaborative built for high-achieving women. We believe women deserve to be known for the work they do, the contribution they make, and the expertise they have achieved. We also want them to be surrounded by others who are just like them. We engage with businesswomen in three primary ways.
- KNOW Book. KNOW started to bring more attention to dynamic women doing remarkable things in their communities. Our goal is to get more women to the table. We knew there were an outstanding number of women impacting the community and making big strides in their industries. Our goal was to get those women from behind their computer screens and into the public eye. Thus, we created the KNOW Book, a carefully curated publication that features vision-led women in a glamorous and authentic style.
- KNOW Collaborative. As the momentum grew, we recognized the need for more. We launched our Collaborative around the women featured in our KNOW Book. Our mix & mingles soon ensued, and we witnessed incredible things happening. We saw our women doing business with each other, creating friendships, supporting each other, collaborating on projects together and so much more. What started as a fun project to spotlight women, has turned into a full-blown movement.
- KNOW Societe: KNOW launched Societe, its global digital platform for female business owners. Built for those in high-growth mode, Societe is the place for women to align through professional development, accountability, and community. Now, every woman can find their place, regardless of location or career level.
We’ve helped thousands of women get the education & results needed to take their business to the next level to become more successful. Our digital platform makes it easy to stay connected and accountable while receiving access to our weekly training, PLUS business, and personal hacks from leading industry leaders.
Do you have something to share with our readers?
We’d love for you to engage in our Free Weekly Masterclasses. We offer 60-minute masterclasses, on a variety of topics related to education and growth, every Thursday on Zoom at 10 am AZ local time. For more info, head to www.theknowwomen.com under the Events tab.
What challenges did you go through while creating the brand?
Cash Flow: As a bootstrapper, I know the true meaning of ‘cash is king’. Without hefty savings or investors, I have built two brands from the ground up and grew them into international brands. Bootstrappers like me get crafty. We learn quickly how to become master negotiators, collaborate, and establish partnerships and leverage our peers. When the cash flow is low, we have to be creative, or else we will lose it all.
My coined phrase is: A Cup of Coffee with the Right Person can Change your Life. The solution to this problem is to look into your sphere and find people that can help you get to the next level or phase. This could be through mentorship, connections, referrals, or support.
Everyday challenges are definitely balancing home and work life. As a mom, I feel like I am constantly juggling. It is overwhelming to be all to everyone!
How do you manage your business finances?
We are a cash-based business. No investors or big savings. We reinvest as much as possible to pay for our new initiatives.
Tell us about your future vision. What’s your next level?
Our goal is to be the leading female collaborative with reach across the globe. We aim to empower ALL women to link arms and build an underground network with a focus on our mantra: Lift & Rise.
KNOW Cares: Our newest initiative launching Fall 2020 is KNOW Cares, a 501c3 non-profit, which will engage, empower, and educate women and youth through a variety of local and global give-back programs.
A few of our programs include emergency relief for struggling female entrepreneurs, providing grants to aspiring female business owners through pitch competitions, leadership development, and mentorship opportunities, and ensuring sound education to youth in 2nd and 3rd world countries
What message would you like to give to anybody looking to create something and make a living through it?
It won’t be easy. You will have to do the work, but I am a firm believer that if you surround yourself with people who are smarter and wiser, you’ll learn way more than reading self-help books and taking courses.
Seek camaraderie with others who have already made it and ask them for help. Ask them to make connections for you. Ask their advice about your current struggles. And if it feels right, ask them to mentor you. I promise you’ll likely be surprised at what happens next.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
KNOW Tribe is a high-achieving culture that elevates and connects all KNOW women and their businesses, professions, and communities, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, socioeconomic status, or physical appearance. We are united by our differences.
Company name: KNOW
Website URL: www.theknowwomen.com
Instagram :@sarahbenken