Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendy Kleinfeldt.
Hi Wendy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I never set out to start a business. I watched my parents struggle financially, and I’d absorbed every horror story about the downside of owning one. But eventually I overcame this fear because of I had this persistent gnawing sense that I needed to reach beyond my horizon and impact more lives.
Throughout my childhood, I was given a single narrative: get good grades, to get a good job, to get a stable, good life.
I walked the path.
Got my master’s in leadership psychology.
I spent over 20 years in leadership development. I’m published in academic and in business publications, and I’ve built over 500 leaders.
And I’ve always had a passion to elevate women into leadership, empowers those in leadership positions, and inspire women to go beyond the narratives they’ve been given.
That’s why I left the corporate world and started my practice of working with women. Today, I work with women founders, usually 35 to 55, generating somewhere between $250K and $500K in revenue. She built her business on her own expertise and drive, and it worked, right up until she hired a team. Now she’s discovering that the skill set that built her business isn’t the same one it takes to lead people, and she’s hitting a wall no operational system or peer conversation has been able to fix.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. While the path was linear, getting here was a mix of ups and downs and the occasional detour.
I’ve been in roles that weren’t right for me.
I’ve gotten laid off during COVID, when the world was thrown into panic and uncertainty.
Then I burned out being a mom and corporate leader, trying to hold everything together.
We’ve been impressed with Purple Tiger Leadership, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Purple Tiger Leadership is a leadership coaching practice for founders and business owners who’ve hit the wall that no amount of operational fixing can solve: their team isn’t performing the way they expected, and it’s not a hiring problem.
I specialize in the operator-to-CEO transition — specifically for women who built successful businesses on their own expertise and drive, then discovered that running a team requires a completely different skill set than running a business. My flagship offer is The CEO Recalibration, built around four pillars: emotional intelligence, people leadership and accountability, vision and strategy, and delegation for results.
What sets me apart is that I treat leadership as a field of intentional study, not a personality trait or a byproduct of business success. I have a masters in Leadership Psychology, 20 years in leadership development, and have coached 500+ leaders — this isn’t improvised from business experience, it’s grounded in the actual psychology of how people lead. I’ve also lived it myself: I built a women’s leadership program with that got 50% of participants promoted within 18 months, and I’ve done my own work rebuilding my leadership identity from the ground up. I’ve lived in 4 countries across 3 continents, the level of global exposure that’s helped me understand human behavior patterns.
What I’m proudest of, brand-wise, is the core conviction the whole business is built on: “if your team has a problem, you’re the problem; and that’s the best news you’ll ever get.” It’s not an insult. It means the thing standing between you and the business you actually want is something you have direct access to change.
What I want readers to know: this work isn’t about becoming someone harder or colder. It’s about becoming someone whose team’s success doesn’t depend on her being in every room — without losing the warmth or expertise that made her successful in the first place. I offer free 30-minute Clarity Calls for founders who want to talk through where they’re stuck.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Just about every major move I made in my life has been a risk.
I think that often what’s seen as a risk by others is seen as optimism by the person taking the risk.
When I look back at the risks I’ve taken, I never saw them as risks. And I’d be the first person to tell you that I’m generally risk-averse.
I took those so-called risks because I believed in the desired outcome. I believed it more than I believe that it would fail.
I took a risk moving to Thailand after high school. Many people thought I was foolish, and it turned out to be the one of the best decisions in my life that has had profound impact on me as a person.
I took a risk moving to NYC to start a master’s program. I didn’t have a back-up plan. I just knew that I had more to achieve in the field of psychology and human potential.
Then I took a risk moving to Oregon after I got my masters. I didn’t have a job at the time, and I went with just hopes of a new start.
I took risks in every career pivot I made, and it always ended up working out for me.
The pattern that I have noticed is that with every risk, not only did I believe in my self, but I became obsessed with making it come to fruition. That level of optimism and focus have been helpful tools throughout my life and career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purpletigerleadership.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purpletigerleadership
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/w3ndy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@purpletigerleadership
