Kimberly Penharlow Consulting

08/04/2026

I'm walking and sharing insights into HOW I create elevated experiences for leadership teams. I love my work. Kimberly Penharlow Kimberly Penharlow

08/04/2026

Take a walk with me and learn about what kind of clients I work with and why! Kimberly Penharlow @

04/10/2026

Podcast Interview:).

I joined Coach Alli Felsenthal on Running the Leader Within to talk about the real work: growth mindset, resilience, movement as medicine, and what it takes to lead from your strongest self.

Honest. Elevated. Exactly the kind of conversation I love!

🎧 Listen now

Podcast Episode · RUNWITHALLI LIVE · January 5 · 39m

04/08/2026

We discovered some happiness in this abandoned bouquet today.

01/30/2026

New newsletter alert!

"The Future Depends on What You Do Today." Mahatma Gandhi

With major nationwide protests and economic boycotts currently targeting ICE and specific corporations, and demonstrators calling for a shutdown of work, school, and shopping.

My newsletter focuses on concrete ways we can all help protect our democracy. Please read it, share it, and take action.

The Future Depends on What You Do Today

Kimberly Penharlow

01/27/2026

Martin Luther King Jr. Taught Us About Leading in Frightening Times

Last week was MLK Day, and I struggled to find the right words. After miles of running and reflecting, here's what I want to say.

We're living in frightening times. People are being killed, kidnapped, or questioned simply for who they are. My coaching calls are filled with leaders who are outraged, exhausted, and disheartened.

Yet one thing remains true: people need hope.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

King's moral courage was rooted in a daily commitment to align his actions with his deepest values, even at tremendous risk. He showed us that integrity requires integration: bringing our whole selves, including our moral commitments, into every aspect of our work.

The Leadership Challenge
It's time for leaders to ensure they aren't treating organizational values as nice-to-haves for good times rather than commitments for all times. King showed us that moral courage means standing firm on principle precisely when it's easier and safer to stay silent.

As King warned: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Six Calls to Action

King taught us that "the time is always right to do what is right."

Listen and act. Utilize town halls and surveys to gain insight into what people need. Then respond. Listening without action erodes trust.

Create space for courage. Model values-aligned action. Protect employees who speak up. Foster cultures where dissent is welcomed.
Invest in people. Expand mental health, legal, and financial resources for staff, families, and communities. Values must translate into tangible care.
Bring your whole self to work. Stop separating personal values from professional decisions. Ask: Can I defend my choices to my children, my community, my conscience?
Lead by your values. When pressures push toward expedience, anchor yourself in stated principles. Your values are commitments that guide action in difficult times.
Use your voice. When rights are threatened, or truth is under assault, silence is a choice. Moral courage means speaking up.

My Commitment
I work with leaders who practice moral courage, stay responsive to staff needs, and provide resources for those facing rising costs and safety concerns.

I'm aware that I'm a white woman in her mid-50s writing this. My privilege is evident. This awareness makes it crucial that I show up fully as I coach leaders worldwide.

What does moral courage look like in your leadership?

Kimberly Penharlow

01/05/2026

At 84, my Mom's New Year's Resolution Reframed How I Think About Leadership

My mom is 84 years old, the matriarch and leader of our family. Some might discount her wisdom because of her age, but they'd be missing out. She's still actively leading and teaching the women in our family, my sister, her granddaughters, and me through her words, her actions, and her unflinching honesty about what it takes to live well at any stage of life.

She and I spent New Year's Eve together cooking a delicious dinner and watching Red Notice. Over breakfast on New Year's Day, I asked the classic question: "Mom, do you have any New Year's resolutions?"

I've known my mom for 53 years, and I know she has a healthy level of disdain for this kind of tradition. My expectations were not high. Perhaps something sarcastic, or very curt.

She looked at me and said, "To stay upright and keep moving. Sometimes it's the simple things."

I looked at her and said, "I fully support that."

True to form, mom's answer made me think. At 84—or any age—staying upright isn't always that simple. It takes a healthy body, nourishing yourself with the right food and drink. It takes commitment on days when sitting around would be easier, but getting up and moving anyway. It takes will when it's cold, hot, or just hard because of what's happening in the world​ ... to MOVE.

The latest jargon would describe that last piece as "mindset."​ I can do it. My mom would say something more pragmatic: "Even if I don't want to move, I'd better, because I'm not ready to ask you to help me out of this chair."

This resolution resonates regardless of age or position. If we're not moving​ physically, mentally, or emotionally,​ we miss out on connections with people, conversations, and landscapes that shape our health, work, and perspective.

From a leadership standpoint, staying in motion is even more critical. It means staying curious when answers feel certain. It means remaining accessible when isolation feels safer. It means showing up​ in meetings, in difficult conversations, on the floor with your team​ when it would be easier to retreat behind email or closed doors. Leaders who stop moving stop learning. They lose touch with the reality their teams face daily. They miss the signals that innovation, culture shifts, and emerging problems send. Inertia in leadership doesn't just affect you​ ; it cascades through your organization.

So here's my challenge:

What does "staying upright" mean for you as a leader this year?
Where do you need to move more toward your people, toward uncomfortable truths, toward growth?

Don't wait for the perfect moment. Start moving now.

If you want to talk about this concept, message me. I will do a 15-minute Sprint Coaching call with you for free.

09/02/2025

🌀 Finding Inspiration in Surprising Places

Leadership isn’t always about having the answers.
Sometimes, it’s about knowing where to look for inspiration — especially when it’s not obvious.
One of the most powerful traits a leader can have is the ability to inspire and motivate others.

In fact, a Harvard Business Review study (Zenger & Folkman, 2014) found this to be the #1 trait that separates great leaders from average ones.

But here’s the surprising part:
Inspiration doesn’t always come from strategy meetings, leadership books, or reports.
Sometimes, it comes from...

🌿 Nature, which teaches patience, adaptability, and balance
🎨 Artists, who show us how to communicate with emotion and vision
💥 Failures, which shape us into more grounded, empathetic leaders
🗣️ Our own teams, whose stories and passions can re-ignite our purpose

This summer, I spent time in Colorado working and training for the Transrockies Race Series
I left NYC feeling depleted — I was uninspired, creatively drained, and bored. The usual sources that used to fuel me had gone quiet.

But out there in the mountains, I began to see things differently again.

This is one moment I captured — a reminder that inspiration finds you when you’re open to it.

When I’m inspired, everything changes:
My energy shifts.
My sense of purpose sharpens.
Work becomes a magnet — people want to collaborate, and I want to give my best.

The more I lead, the more I realize:
✨ Inspiration isn’t a lightning bolt — it’s a habit. A way of noticing.
And it often shows up in the most unexpected places.

So, if you’re feeling uninspired, take a step back. Step away from your computer and your schedule.
Your next leadership breakthrough might be waiting in the most surprising place.

👉 Where have you found inspiration lately — especially where you least expected it?

Kimberly Penharlow TransRockies Running

08/01/2025

In my coaching work with global leaders, one theme keeps surfacing…

What are the rocks you're coming across as a leader right now?
🪨 Geopolitical shifts?
🪨 Funding cuts?
🪨 A team that's burned out or defeated?
🪨 A vision that no longer inspires?

Make your list of rocks. Get honest.
These rocks aren’t just obstacles—they’re shaping how you lead.

Currently, many highly skilled and experienced leaders are facing a significant challenge: not having the answers.

In my latest reflection, I’m sharing one tip that might feel counterintuitive—but if what you’ve been doing isn’t working, it might be time to try something different.

✨ Tune in. Take a breath. Rethink how you lead through your rocky moments.

Thank you to my sister, Megan Bizzarro, for encouraging me to share this message. Your affirmation that the content has value gave me the extra push to post it.

07/31/2025

🏃‍♀️ Running toward the unknown. Leading through the uncertain.
As a global executive and leadership coach—and an athlete—I see it every day:
👉 The connection between sport and leadership in women is real—and powerful.
📊 94% of female C-suite leaders played sports. That’s no coincidence.
Now, I’m stepping into my next challenge: the TransRockies Run.
⛰️ 3 days
👣 18–24 miles per day
📈 Up to 13,000+ feet in elevation
This time, I’m not chasing podiums.
I’m chasing presence, courage, and curiosity.
✨ What does your version of success look like right now?
Let’s redefine it—together. Full article in my bio