Paying Success Forward, One Book at a Time

Kimmy Brooke

Kimmy Brooke understands firsthand how a network of empowered women can change a life. Before she became a successful entrepreneur, author and leadership coach, Brooke remembers the isolation she felt as a single mom, struggling to move forward with a stagnant bottom line.

“I found myself at the age of 40 divorced and turned upside down financially,” she said. “I was so down and out and just needing a hand. The stress and the angst and the worry was overwhelming and then network marketing came into my life.”

By learning how to build her own business through word-of-mouth marketing and direct sales of health and wellness products online, Brooke was able to gain financial independence for the first time. Within four years, she grew her network marketing team to over 20,000 members and now leads coaching programs and leadership retreats to educate people about the burgeoning business model. She also makes it a point to pay her success forward by lifting up other women in need worldwide.

“It’s always been really important for me to live a life of service and to be able to help others,” Brooke said. “When we focus on the world outside of ourselves, it brings more passion and purpose.”

Since 2016, with proceeds from her book “The Four Year Career® for Women” and a movement known as Women United for Change (WUFC), Brooke has donated more than $28,000 to PCI’s Women Empowered (WE) initiative.

In 2014, PCI and Women United for Change formed a partnership around WE that is changing the lives of women and girls globally.

Through WE, PCI is currently helping to transform the lives of over 1.2 million women in 8 countries. WE provides women with skills and support to save money, start businesses that bring in much-needed income for their families, and develop a voice in their community through a comprehensive social and economic platform. For some participants, this program is their first opportunity to practice leadership skills, pursue work outside the home, or advocate for themselves.

“The thing I love so much about PCI is that it’s not just about giving a handout, it’s really more of giving a hand up,” Brooke said. “It’s about empowering people to then learn how to provide for themselves.”

While Brooke has not had the opportunity to see WE groups in action yet, other members from Women United for Change have interacted with participants in Guatemala and are planning a trip to Tanzania this year. Since partnering with PCI in 2014, WUFC has raised more than $250,000 for WE and helped support more than 5,000 women to go through the program.

“Women have a huge role in the world as leaders, but we’ve been so underplayed historically,” Brooke said. “I think the more that we feel empowered and become engaged and informed in the business world, we can create a huge change globally. It’s not just about us but about enabling future generations to play a role in where women have always deserved to be.”

*Lead photo by Melissa Flores.