Building Community, Trust, and Impact Through Conscious Leadership with Kim Bode
In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, Kim Bode, CEO and Founder of 8THIRTYFOUR, explains why conscious capitalism leadership starts with putting the whole before the self, and why she believes real trust with employees and clients begins with self-love before it can extend to anyone else.
Conscious capitalism leadership starts with a blunt definition: putting the whole before the self. In this episode of The Bliss Business Podcast, Kim Bode, CEO and Founder of 8THIRTYFOUR, a communications and learning company she has run for more than 20 years, joins hosts Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa to unpack what that looks like when the pressure is real.
In this episode we explore:
• What conscious capitalism looks like in practice
• Why communication is central to trust and connection
• How small businesses can advocate for their communities
• Why authenticity strengthens leadership and culture
• How failure, discomfort, and resilience shape entrepreneurs
• What it takes to build a business that reflects your values
Values Only Count When They Cost Something
Kim is direct about the gap between stated values and lived ones. She recalls a client who berated an employee on a call: "I pulled that phone out of their hand... I fired that client on the spot," she says. "I will find a way to replace that revenue. But I will not let you berate my employees."
Vulnerability Built the Trust Her Team Needed
At Zero Company, we call this Building Love Into Scalable Systems, B.L.I.S.S., and Kim's own leadership shows what that looks like. During a difficult stretch, her instinct was to protect her team by pulling away. When she finally told them the truth, their response surprised her: "we want you here, regardless of how you're feeling or the mood you might be in." That's the kind of authentic communication (the sort Zero Company helps organizations build) that turns a mission statement into something people actually believe.
Self-Love Comes Before the Empathy
Asked what role love should play in business, Kim didn't start with her team, she started with herself. "That love needs to start with you," she says. "Don't hide. Don't make yourself smaller for other people's comfort... It starts with self-love. Then I think what comes out of that is really empathy for others."
Kim's tattoo reads "find comfort in the uncomfortable," a mantra she says has shaped every hard decision she's made as a leader. Learn more about Kim Bode and 8THIRTYFOUR at bodespeaks.com and 8thirtyfour.com, or find her on her guest profile.
Key Takeaways
• (3:18-4:41) “Putting the whole before the self”: Kim’s plain-language definition of conscious capitalism
• (7:03-9:05) The hard stretch she hid from her team, and what they told her when she finally shared it
• (14:23-16:59) Firing a client on the spot for berating an employee: “people before profit” has to cost something
• (33:01) The “find comfort in the uncomfortable” tattoo and mantra
• (37:17-39:30) The Love Question: why self-love has to come before empathy for others
• (43:50-45:40) Her daily 45-minute reflection practice and quarterly letters to her future self
FAQ
What does conscious capitalism leadership mean to Kim Bode?
Kim Bode defines it as “putting the whole before the self,” setting ego aside and weighing how every decision affects employees, clients, and community rather than just the bottom line.
How does Kim Bode build trust through vulnerability?
During a difficult period, Kim pulled away from her team to protect them, then reversed course and told them the truth. Her employees told her they wanted her there regardless of her mood, an experience she says taught her that hiding struggle costs more trust than admitting it.
What does Kim Bode believe comes before empathy in leadership?
Self-love. She says leaders can’t consistently offer empathy, patience, and care to others if they don’t first believe in and stop attacking themselves internally.
🎙️ Hosted by Stephen Sakach and Tullio Siragusa
🎧 Produced by Martha Huerta
Read the full recap on Conscious Leadership Begins With How You Show Up, or explore the Featured Guest Series.
CEO and Founder
Kim Bode brings 20+ years of experience as the owner of communications and learning company 8THIRTYFOUR. Her work has earned recognition as a Forbes Top 200 PR Firm (the only Michigan firm on the list), Crain's Grand Rapids Top Leader in DEI, Michigan’s Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year, Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch, PRSA JEDI Communicator of the Year, among others.
A sought-after speaker, Bode has taken the stage at the Women in Defense National Conference, Small Business Association's ChallengeHER, American Marketing Association, HubZone National Conference, Michigan Manufacturing Association Workforce Solutions Summit, Michigan Celebrates Small Business Summit, Failure Lab, and more.
Her community involvement spans advocacy, policy, and nonprofit leadership. She serves on the board of the Small Business Association of Michigan, including its Legislative Action Council and Leadership Council Advisory Committee, and has held advisory roles with Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and Michigan Women in Defense. She’s also the founder of the Small Biz 4 Equality Annual Scholarship at Grand Valley State University, reflecting her long-standing commitment to small business advocacy and the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Bode’s work has been published in Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, HuffPost, Scary Mommy, Thrive, and more. She hosts the Happy Hour Hustle podcast, writes at BodeSpeaks – both pair best with Cabernet on ice – and is fiercely passionate about personal branding, real-world survival skills, and finding … Read More
