GRIT with Kate Gray

 Welcome back to another exciting episode of the Milk and Honey podcast. I am so excited today because I have my friend Kate Gray on here, and she is so incredible. Like I wait till I read this bio too, because you’re gonna. Be deceased when I tell you Kate’s background. So Kate is one of the most influential speakers on marketing business and personal Mastery in Australia.

She embodies a unique blend of business and life mastery, which by the way, since she’s from Australia, wait till you enjoy this act. Cuz it’s my favorite thing. Kate here has created multiple online seven figure business via her organic marketing strategies and was one of the founder and CEO O of the seven figure impact coach in 2021.

She was named by Yahoo Finance as one of the top 10 CEOs to watch. Y’all. Did you hear what I just said? Top 10 CEOs to watch buy Yahoo Finance. That’s wild. Then in 2022, she closed her coaching business and launched Disrupt the anti Agency. She experienced endless gaslighting as a customer in the agency space and couldn’t find anyone who had integrity to deliver what they promised.

After spending a high six figure amount in them and getting zero results, she felt lost. Then God called her to witness in the agency space by starting an agency. That was the expectation and embodied kingdom values, and so she did. She has been blessed to speak on global Summits with Lisa Nichols.

Tony Robbins, like Deepak Chopra. Like she, she’s incredible guys. She’s incredible. In the past 17 years, she’s been lucky enough to learn alongside mentors like Grant Cardone, Gary Vaynerchuk. Frank Kern and an unconventional mentor, her dog’s Sunny, which is that the dog I just saw behind you? Yes,

Yes,

yes.

Oh my gosh. Kate and I both have the same dog. Hers is older than mine. I’ve got a puppy dog, but I’m so excited to have you here. Kate, thank you so much for being here.

It is an honor and a privilege. Thank you so much for having me.

Oh my gosh. It’s an honor for me. I cannot believe that we are friends because you are so incredible and you.

I truly think one of the most incredible stories that I’ve ever heard in my entire life. So And can you tell us a little bit about your story, friend?

Sure. Yeah. So I was saved around, it’s. A time I think after you’re saved has a whole different meaning to me. I’m pretty sure it was around 18 months to two years ago.

I got baptized around 14 months ago, but the journey was a little bit be before that when I declared Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I just didn’t get baptized for a little while due to circumstances and timing. Growing up I always knew that there was a God and I just didn’t necessarily understand much.

What God was, who he was, how I could build a relationship with him. So I started going, I don’t even know if we’ve spoken about this. I started church hopping as an eight year old. I would make my mom and dad take me to different churches. So I went to the Catholic Church. I went to the Presbyterian church, the Uniting Church, pretty mu Oh Pentecostal.

Pretty much all of them. And then by the time I was 15, I actually ended up with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, which is really interest. And now looking back, I can see how I got detoured there. Like the enemy was like, oh no, let’s just take her off. And the reason I was attracted to that was, if I’m fully honest, one, because there was a guy that was really cute, that was a Jehovah’s Witness, and I was 15

And two because they were giving me definitive answers. Even though the answers were incorrect, and I understand that now they’re heretical. However, at the time as a 15 year old that deeply just wanted to cement in this sort of truth, that was clear to me and the other lot of troops didn’t feel clear.

I ended up getting baptized at Jehovah’s Witness. I got married at 18 into being a Joe’s witness. Yeah. And then at 21, I remember reading. In the New Testament in the gospel cuz they use a version of the Bible. It’s called the New World Testament. I think I can’t really remember, I’m old now, but there was something about, God being love and I was like, hang on a minute, these people are telling me that God is love, yet I’m not allowed to speak to.

Anyone that’s not a Jehovah’s Witness. And I said, how am I supposed to share the message of God’s love with people if I’m not allowed to speak to them like I’m allowed to witness and knock on doors, which I did, which as an entrepreneur has served me really well. That was really good training. But it didn’t make sense and my family wasn’t Jehovah’s Witnesses, so they pretty much made me cut contact with them.

And that made me go, oh, this is not right. And so God saved me. Then he’s been with me the whole time and if I think about the amount of things he saved me through, so he got me out of that. And then I got derailed by Satan again, and I went straight into the New age. I have the tattoo to write home about.

I’ve got, some people say, get the show bag. I’ve got the tattoo. I’m still figuring out how I can cover this. It’s a work in progress or it’s also a good reminder. There’s nothing attached to it. I got it all completely and utterly. Delivered. So it’s all clean. The point is, and Satan totally took me into the new age, 17 years, I scaled three successful businesses.

I spoke on all those stages that you spoke about the virtual stages with some really big names in the new age as well, like Deepak, Gabrielle Bernstein, Maryanne Williamson, you name it, all of them. And. 18 months ago, I had divorced myself from the new age because I came to the realization that everyone that was in there that was seeking solutions was endlessly looping and suffering, and it.

It just seemed like the more they clung on to trying to find healing per se, the more unhealed they became. I was like there’s something wrong with this then, because surely as human beings, we have the potential to find solace and just relaxation in, in, in this reality. There has to be a, and it’s funny, I, all of my clients that were new age, we, I ended the contracts with.

I, I haded contracts with my new age clients. I got rid of all of my new age friends. It sounds a bit harsh, sometimes harsh action is required when we just intuitively know because God’s whispering it in our ear. Even though at the time I didn’t know it was God and who was left. I had three really good friends around me.

They were all Christians. So fascinating. Anytime we write isn’t a wild, God has been so patient with me, he must have been up there going, oh my goodness. Even though he knew what was gonna happen, obviously, cuz he wrote it before we were born. But he must have just been, it must have been a very entertaining journey.

My life for him, he would’ve been like, oh, there she goes again. The plant medicine ceremony. Here she goes again, like another yoga retreat.

Oh man. Isn’t that so interesting too? I think about it like as parents, right? I’m like, when I watch like my kids do something, yeah. I’m like, guys, this is not the correct choice, but it’s a choice you have to make.

Yeah. And I’m like, this is not the right one. And I’m just imagining like God being like it’s sucks. Watch your child walk through this thing that you know is gonna be painful, but you’re like, I know on the other side, like there will. Something good that comes out of it. My husband always prays about perceived bad times, and so cuz he’s I know God’s gonna work it out in the end anyway.

So it may be terrible right now, but doesn’t mean it always will be. And so I’m just picturing God, like sitting up there watching you like, all right, like she, she’s gonna go through a time and then I’m gonna pull her out of it. And then she’s gonna do something big with

that. Yeah. And he totally pulled me out of it and.

Knowing that the people that were around me, they didn’t witness through preaching to me. They witnessed through who they be and the way they lived their life. And that was enough for me to be curious. And when I became curious, then they started sharing the gospel with me, but they never outwardly shared it.

And because if they did, I probably, God knew who to put around me, right? Because I’m so stubborn that if they. Reached out to me, I would’ve been like, nah, get away. Don’t wanna listen. And during that time in the new age space, I scaled three seven figure businesses. One was actually a plant medicine health retreat business where I’d take people to.

Do extremely demonic things now. I know. And that’s something that I have had to, I know I’m forgiven for, but some from God, but it’s something I had to forgive myself for. And the other two were coaching businesses. One was a spiritual development, coaching business, and the other was a a business coaching.

And I helped amplify. We spoke about the Islam and I helped amplify a lot of people that were bringing the Devil’s Kingdom forward. And that’s why now there’s a really big focus on me. I still work with non-Christians that are more on the secular, more neutral that, that aren’t necessarily bringing forward like.

AC ancient codes and voodoo boards, I dunno, of. So I, we’ll work with secular neutral Christian non-Christians and Christians, but I’m really focusing on making sure I use my skills, which are weaponry skills. I help people make money. I’m really good at getting people leads that they can. So good and that I was using that skill to weaponize Satan’s kingdom.

No more. Like now it’s for God’s kingdom. God’s using me in that capacity and he doesn’t need us. I realized the other day after church yesterday, I said to my husband, I’m like, God doesn’t need us to help him build his kingdom. He’s got it yet. The journey we go on to build his kingdom allows us to receive the gifts of building a closer relationship with him.

So really it’s for us. It’s not even for him. He doesn’t need it. He doesn’t need money. He doesn’t need any of that stuff. He’s got it. He’s already finished the book. He’s won already, but it’s for us. And isn’t that like the most ultimate. Loving kind thing that you can do for your children. It’s mind blowing.

I love that It almost brings you back, like to write the Jehovah’s Witnesses being like, God, it’s love. But it was like a different perspective on what it means to love your children. Yes. Yes. And allowing them, no, I love this so much because I had a business too that, my partner brought in all age all new wage clients and I started getting so sick and all these things that my husband was involved in Paganism and satanism before he was saved, and he immediately recognized that as soon as I told him what was happening, he’s no wonder you’re so sick and no wonder these things are happening.

You’ve got demonic like influences over you. Like you gotta go. And he is do not take another paycheck. Do take nothing. Leave. Take nothing. And that’s scary. So what was that like for you to be like, all right, I’m gonna give up all of these businesses that are quote unquote successful, right?

By the world standards that are successful. So what is it like for you to walk away from that and then do something where you’re like, no, I’m gonna honor God with what I have.

It took a lot of faith because I had to step into something I couldn’t necessarily see. So all of my businesses that I’d scaled in the past.

They were always very clear to me like A to Z was clear. And I always believe a good entrepreneur starts with an exit strategy. Like my, I’m reading this right now, which is Exit Rich by my mentor, who’s also a Christian, Sharon Lecher. I don’t know if many people know that she was the CEO in. The inspiration and creation behind the Rich Dad Poor Dad brand.

So I’d always had a very clear path, but for this, I jumped with because that was what I was told to do without any like idea of what it really looked like and what my exit would be, or really anything. So it took faith. But one thing that. It took, which I actually feel based on my conversations I’ve had with a lot of Christian entrepreneurs, is that it took faith to jump, but then I had the wisdom to know I had to take action.

I didn’t just sit back and wait for God to build it for me. Like he showed me the path. But now I have to actively participate in that path. I can’t sit down on the side of the road like thinking I’m gonna get to, Ohio without actually moving towards Ohio. So it was scary. But I was able to alleviate my stress in focusing on the actions that I needed to take.

And then praying every day like, okay, God, if I’m not supposed to take that path, just make it really clear. Just shut that door. Make it super clear. I want to be doing what I’m supposed to be doing, what you’ve called me for to do. So just make it clear and I’m unattached to what that looks.

And I’m just willing to go where he is calling me to go, and I’ll figure it out as I get there. But I’ve never done that before. And the success we’ve had, I say is a hundred percent supernatural. Sure, my skills have been helpful. However, there’s no way that the things that have happened in our business, like it’s pretty new.

It’s five months old. Like we get sales calls booked outta nowhere. I don’t know where they come from. Sometimes sure we have appointment set, but there are people. Our appointment says, I haven’t even spoken to. It’s very strange, like we are making and closing deals and our clients are closing deals that only can happen with God’s support.

There’s no way this would happen without it cuz it’s just a little hard yet at the same time, easy. If that makes

sense. Yes, I totally get that. I stepped into something similar, right? So I left my business with no exit. And I was like, all right, we’re just gonna figure it out. And I knew I had a skillset set, right?

I have a master’s in marketing and all these things, and got my start in blogging. So I’m like, I’m just gonna go back to doing that. And it was that obedience, right? Without knowing what the future looked like, that landed me where I am now about a year later, and I’m in a completely different place and we’re doing different things, yay.

But I had to take that step forward without knowing what happened. And I really love what you said. If this isn’t for me, then just shut the door. And I think that’s really hard to give up the control a little bit. We wanna control the outcome. We want to be the, and that’s a very new agey thing, right?

Like we wanna be the masters of our destiny. And to relinquish that control, I think can be really scary. So how do you deal with. The relinquishing of control and like getting through moments that maybe are

hard. Wow, that’s such a good question. And it’s so hard. I’m an A type personality overachieving human, so giving up control was very difficult.

And not only difficult, I didn’t know what it looked like, cuz I’d never done it before. I was always in uber control of everything in my life. So God helped me, he put me in the wilderness. So before I la launched the agency like. Nothing was working in our company. It went from Uber awesome to really, like nothing would work.

It was like trying to put on an item of clothing that was too small for you. It just didn’t fit anymore, and that not fitting in My ability to be self-aware made me realize that the only way Ford. Was to be obedient to God. There was no other way, and I didn’t wanna struggle anymore. I was over it. I just wanted to surrender.

Yet God had to really take me out into the wilderness where things were not working, things were not going, how they should have gone. And. If he didn’t do that, he pummeled me. If he didn’t pumble me, I would not have been obedient. Like I’m, I just wouldn’t have, it’s not my personality. So I guess through the grace of God, I learned to be obedient.

He schooled me in a very hardcore way.

Oh my gosh. No, I’ve definitely been there where God like smacks you with a two by four. I, we could have done this easier, you chose not to. Yeah. What I really love what you said is you’re like, I was struggl. So either way it was like I’m gonna struggle in some capacity.

And I think we hold on to that struggle so often. And I would love for you to talk about the struggle that I think people in, like intentionally put themselves in as business

owners. Yeah. The brain we’re wired to go towards if there’s two painful. Human beings will go to the option that’s the least painful.

So the option that’s least painful is the option that’s comfortable. What’s comfortable is what’s familiar. So often what happens is people who have these beautiful purposes and missions, God-given missions on their heart, that God really wants him to step into, that would require a lot of unfamiliar, unsafe, extremely painful.

So what happens is they keep going, yes, I’m gonna do it. And then it’s oh, it’s scary cuz it’s unfamiliar. I don’t know it. I’m just gonna choose this pain here, even though this pain is really bad, but it’s familiar. I know this pain. I’m just gonna stay here and suffer. So I think the awareness of. And prayer, asking God to show you, like literally am I choosing the pain right now?

That’s familiar because it’s familiar and that’s how the brain is wired. Can you please just give me a supernatural something and supernatural vision so I can see that even though this pain’s unfamiliar, this is the way that you want me to go. Just the awareness of knowing how our brain is wired. Is a game changer like that is how I was able to move out of it.

And I think a lot of, I see a lot of Christians who have beautiful missions that God has given them such wonderful purposes that does loop through familiar pain, constantly looping through familiar pain. So my invitation to them is that, Reflect fast, pray and ask God to show you that even though this pain, this mission he’s calling is unfamiliar, he’s got you so you’re still safe.

There’s no such thing as unsafe suffering when we have God on our side, cuz if God is for us, who can be against us, right? But just knowing that you are gonna wanna sabotage yourself cuz it’s how you’re wired, is the first step. For me, it was a first step to transformation and change and to get through that struggling.

Ooh. I love that. This is probably the worst example, but it’s the one that came to my brain. Have you seen that show The Handmade Tale on Hulu?

Okay. People have told me about it. I haven’t seen it.

Okay. It’s a te, it’s a terrible show. It’s really good, but it’s terrible. The content is terrible.

But the very first season, it was like episode one, one of the characters, she said, ordinary is just what you’re used. Because they were in the middle of brainwashing the community and there was some pain involved in that brainwash. And she said, ordinary is just what you’re used to. Yes.

There’s no set standard for what is ordinary. And that’s like breasting. I’m like, listen, like they were torturing people. That’s why they were like, we’re moving you to a new direction. And so it’s a terrible thing. But that quote from her stood out to me. Yeah, you’re right. Ordinary is just what I’m used to.

Yeah. And if I don’t like what I have, that is my ordinary right now, then I have to do something different to get to whatever that other thing is that God wants for me. Yes. And and it’s not always easy, right? There’s times you wanna give up. So I’d love for you to talk about that. What happens when you wanna give up and you’re like, I can’t get out of this pain cycle that I’m in.

I just give it to God. I rely on him so much because I know, I believe that God gives us a purpose that can only be achieved through grace and his supernatural influence. Because that helps us build a relationship with him. It helps us strengthen our faith and draw close to him when we’re a struggling drawer and close to him when times are good.

Drawing close to him always. So when I feel like I can’t move on, I just surrender. I fall on my knees and I pray. Like I start every day in my business praying, okay, God, like what are we doing today? Where do you want me to go? That and reading other people who have walked before me who. Admire their relationship with God.

And I know that they’re integral with his word and with his values and their purpose that he has given them. One of them is John Bevere. He wrote a book called Multiply. He, it’s Great. And another one, it’s in the other room. I feel bad I’ve forgotten the name of the gentleman, but the book is called the Good Book Leadership.

It’s a gentleman, he’s one of the, he’s a billion. He’s a Christian and he built his whole business on Psalm 91. He was in that time that you were talking about where he was struggling. He was at his desk thinking he was gonna have to close his company. He was in the tech companies. And thinking he’d have to close his company, not knowing how he would pay his staff.

And his auntie rang him and she’s God has a message he wants me to share with you. He wants you to read Psalm 91. And in that moment he wrote, read Psalm 91 and Everyth. Changed for him. He restructured his entire business and now he’s a billionaire. He’s one of the only African American like there’s a small amount of African Americans in the billionaire list and he’s one of them like extraordinary man.

He’s in his seventies now.

Wow. That is, I’m gonna have to find this book now and read it, because that sounds so fascinating. I love that. It’s really just about giving the business up to God. And like you said, you’ve had supernatural. When you gave it up to God. And it’s scary because I think a lot of people think like you can’t book God first in your business and be successful.

I think because so much of it is new age. I know 95% of the mentors I have hired have ended up being new age. Like I remember one time I bought a course on blogging cause I’m like, I haven’t done it in a while. Let me see what the new things are. And literally the first module was about like tracking your moon cycle.

So you could figure out how to work better. And I was like, I’m sorry what does that have to do with me writing and scheduling blog posts? And so I came to this realization like, if people who are new age year can just sh stick it in anywhere, even though it has nothing to I don’t even know what a moon cycle is, right?

I know how to track the lunar phases, but that’s about it. And so if they’re comfortable sticking it in everything, then I as a c. Who knows the truth should be even bolder in putting Jesus at the forefront of what it is that I’m doing.

A hundred percent. I couldn’t agree. So how’s that been for

you?

Yeah. So how’s that been for you? Like now that like God has for like, how has it transformed the way that you show up in business? What is your day different? What does that look like for you

now? Yeah, it’s a good question. So firstly, it’s not my business. It’s God’s business. Like I like.

It was clear to me like when I got pummeled in the wilderness, it’s this is not even mine. So I’m just stewarding this for him. It’s not my money, so it’s not my business. It’s not my money. I’m stewarding it for God. I’m a steward. And so every day I start my day with prayer and I have Psalm 91 on the wall over here.

So I prayer Psalm 91 and a little app, the good version Bible app, whereas a. Scripture that you read every day. And of course it’s always pertinent to what’s happening in my life. So that’s how I start my day. I never used to start my day like that. I used to start. Meditation and breath work and all sorts of stuff.

I’d be completely disconnected from reality and then I’ll start work. So now it’s God first because God is first in my business. So I start my day with God and then I pray for wisdom, discernment. And I pray for doors to be shut that I’m not supposed to walk through cuz I’m a bulldozer. I’ll as bulldozed forward.

And if I don’t continually pray to be slowed down, I’ll probably make wrong decisions or I could get derailed by the enemy. So I’m constantly praying. Please shut the doors I’m not supposed to walk through cuz I’ll courageous. I’ll walk through all of them then. My day ends with giving thanks.

Like just thanking God for everything that’s happened and knowing also that, and this kind of sounds new agey, but it’s similar to what your husband said, knowing that even if I’m struggling, that this is a purpose for it. Makes everything more bearable. Things go wrong in business. Like it’s called being in business.

Like even though my business is God’s business and I’m stewarding it for him, it doesn’t mean that crap doesn’t happen. It doesn’t mean that I don’t get yelled at by clients or that a sales call that should have been closed, wasn’t closed, or that the lead flows slow or that the tax bill’s high. It doesn’t.

Of course, all that stuff happens. That’s called being in business in this world, like as a human, just knowing that I’ve got God on my side. And knowing that this is for him, I have faith that no matter what things look like, providing, I keep going to him and his word for guidance, I’m always gonna be okay.

That is a different way of running your business. I used to run it freaking out, being paranoid that I’d lose it. Being worried that it would, my money would run out. Being worried that everybody would hate me. Being worried I’d lose all my clients. I don’t have any of those worries anymore because I’m just doing God’s job.

Like he wants me to do this so I know he is got me no matter what. So that is a different shift in perspective and also,

I love what you just said because I think I’m very Type A too, and I am. I also am just, I’m the person who’s gonna walk through whatever doors and I think it’s counterintuitive to be prayed to, to pray, to slow down, right?

Slow my progress. If this isn’t where you want me to go. And I love that for you. And you’re like, yep, things still get bad. Things still hit the fan like, and it’s this perseverance and this grit that you have, at especially as you’re asking it to be slowed down, so that way you’re doing things in a godly way, which feels so counterintuitive to what the world is doing, and I think that’s why you’re successful.

Yeah. Thank you. I think that God created the universe, so surely running a business his way is gonna be far superior to, than any new age way. It just makes sense to me. I’m like, of course it’s gonna be better. He created the universe. Of course he can help me in my business. He’s like the ultimate business mentor.

Jesus is the ultimate business mentor. God is the ultimate ceo, E O. End of story for me I’ve been on the other side, I’ve sat at a table chatting to Gary V at dinner. I’ve been out for dinner with Gary v I’ve sat in Grant Cardone’s office. I’ve been on the other side and I can assure you there’s nothing like God being the c e o, there’s nothing like having Jesus’ event, business mentor like nothing.

It’s just you have to be willing to continually go back to them as a resource and to have the wisdom to continue the grip and perseverance. You can’t pay any ma. Tony Robbins got nothing on Jesus. I’m sorry. Like nothing.

Oh, I love that so much. Oh my gosh. Kate, I feel like we could talk for hours. This was so good.

Like I’ve just learned so much and I love your story. I think your story is truly an incredible one and I’m excited to see where you keep doing with God at the forefront.

Thank you. I’ve had so much fun. Thank you so much. And thank you to anyone that listened. I’m super. Yes.

Kate, where can I go connect with you?

Yes, so I am Kate C. Gray is my Instagram. It’s probably the best place. And then obviously I just connect with people through my personal Facebook page. I just like a personal connection. I don’t need to have a, I have a business page, but I never go on it. So they can just find me at literally Kate Gray on Facebook, add me as a friend, shoot me a message and say, listen to the podcast.

I’m more than happy to connect with any anyone.

Oh my gosh. Y’all do it because Kate is the best. That’s how we connected. It’s like it was just a friend request and immediately a message from her, which I loved. Like it, it’s the boldness in her, and I’m so grateful for you and this friendship and just you’re incredible.

You’re incredible. Your story’s incredible. I hope you guys feel inspired listening to this, to know that you can be really successful, but you have to put Jesus first. I love it. Thanks for

being here. Thank you. That was really fun. I appreciate it. I hope that it was okay.