Kimberly Brown

Kimberly Ann (Harkola) Brown was born in 1974 in Rochester, New York. She then went on to The State University of New York at Geneseo gaining a BS in Business Management. Thereafter Kim moved to San Francisco and met her British Prince, Simon (at an Irish Bar - of course!). Simon Brown swept her off her feet and brought her to London, England where she remained for almost 20 years. While in England she climbed the business ranks, went from employee to employer and eventually built two very successful companies. During a higher education degree at Cranfield University in 2011, Kim discovered that the life she was living wasn't working for her anymore. Although her companies were very successful, she felt trapped, frustrated and physically unwell. The time had come to take a leap into the unknown and the Programme helped her to make an extremely emotional exit. If it wasn't for her mid-life-challenge, as Kim calls it, she might have remained on the mother land, but itchy feet and a desire to lead a new life caused a massive lifestyle change. The year before her 40th birthday, Kim and her husband sold everything they owned (the business, house, car, small boat and possessions) and purchased the largest yacht they could afford. The plan was to take their daughter, at the time 3 1/2 years old, for an adventure of a lifetime. The Brown's purchased a 56' Oyster sailboat and named it Britican. The name comes from Simon being BRITish, Kim being amerICAN and their daughter, Sienna, being both. Over the past few years, Kim has changed her values and lifestyle. The old Kim sought out wealth and riches failing to consider whether the journey was worth it. The new Kim now seeks higher levels of fulfillment. Through Kim’s transitioning she’s wrote the book, ‘How Life Really Works,’ in addition to writing about the trials and tribulations of becoming a full time sailor. Additionally, Kim has also published reference books for new and seasoned sailors alike. From Kim Brown: "Hello – welcome to my Amazon Author Page! Let me cut right to the chase… After living for almost 4 decades I've had the fortunate (or unfortunate?) privilege of succeeding in the eyes of society. Throughout the years I've worked hard, played hard, taken risks, sold my soul (several times), struggled and found bits of adventure and flow. I've had ups and I've had downs. I've made a reasonable amount of money and have built up two medium sized companies but it hasn't been easy and it certainly hasn't been a blissful experience. Mixed bag - eh? After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad (and many other similar books) I realized that a job keeps you 'just over broke.' I needed to start my own companies. I followed the advice within the books, started my own companies, worked hard to create my 6-figure income and became 'successful.' The process certainly didn't help me leave the rat race...After eight years of hard work, I realized that I was more involved in the rat race than ever before but simply getting a lot more money. The road hasn't been smooth and the journey hasn't exactly been fun. But is that what life is about - overcoming adversity, struggling until I retire and can relax, working hard and then enjoying the fruits of my labor? I don't thinks so. I'm not sure if it's my age or my experiences or the higher frequency of planetary vibrations (that the woo-woo people talk about), but it's actually dawned on me that life is no fun if the journey is crap. And who the heck wants to struggle for years in return for the elusive pot of gold at the end of the road? I finally get it. Finally! It's all about the journey. It's all about aiming for more days filled with purpose, fun times, challenges, exciting events and love and laughter. It's about contribution, adding value to the people around you and feeling a part of the flow of life. I'm learning and growing every day and I always will be. I don't have all the answers, but I've learned that life can be fulfilling and it can get better and better. If any of this makes sense to you, please join me on the journey and let's see where it takes us! Read my book on ‘How Life Really Works,’ and if you’re a sailor, make sure to check out my sailing reference books AND visit my website at SailingBritican.com.