Jackie Zach
October 17, 2024
In this engaging conversation, Christopher Nolte, founder of Kayana Virtual Assistants, shares insights from his diverse career, which began in finance and transitioned into real estate. Starting as an analyst in New York, he adapted to various challenges, including the impact of 9/11 on his entrepreneurial aspirations. Influenced by family and mentors, Nolte highlights the importance of believing in oneself and the role of delegation in business success. His company, Kayana, was born from a desire to connect talented individuals with businesses needing support, promoting the idea that talent is widespread, but opportunity is not.
Nolte also emphasizes the value of networking and personal branding, particularly through platforms like LinkedIn, for business growth. He encourages entrepreneurs to be authentic and share their journeys, leveraging the vast talent pool available. As he evangelizes the benefits of outsourcing and virtual assistance, Nolte reflects on the untapped potential within Wisconsin’s business landscape, advocating for a proactive approach to utilizing global talent. Through his experiences, he inspires others to embrace opportunities and the impact of supportive relationships on their paths to success.
Podcast Transcript:
Jackie Zach: Hello, everyone. This is Coach Jackie Zach, and I’m thrilled to have Chris Nolte, founder of Kayana Virtual Assistants, with us today. Chris is also the founder of The Topaz Group and a partner in several real estate ventures. His career started in finance and strategy, and each role helped build his expertise in technology, real estate, and business operations. You’ve got quite the background! From an analyst in New York to leading multiple innovative companies, Chris’s journey has been driven by curiosity and a strong commitment to learning and adaptation. He also created a brand called “The Can-Do CEO” to support startup, nonprofit, and business-to-business leaders, helping them unlock the potential of people, processes, and platforms.
Chris, I know you love to travel! You and your wife met in France when you were 20, and you’ve been bitten by the travel bug ever since. You recently visited Japan and have trips to Iceland and Greece planned. I’ve been to Greece, and it’s wonderful! You’re most proud of your family and children, and professionally, you enjoy creating business cultures that push boundaries and allow great people to work together. I’m delighted to welcome you to the show today. Hello, Chris!
Chris Nolte: Thanks for having me, Jackie.
Jackie: I’m excited you’re here! Let’s dive in. Tell us a little bit about your personal journey.
Chris: Sure! I’m originally from New York and went to William & Mary in Virginia, right near Colonial Williamsburg. Some students even worked there, dipping candles and wearing colonial garb. After college, I worked in New York for several years. Just before 9/11, I left New York for business school at Northwestern—9/11 was actually the first day of classes. It was a unique time because everyone came in expecting a bright future, but that’s not how it felt at first. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but the events of 9/11 forced a lot of us to reevaluate. I decided to go into real estate, influenced by my dad, who was a plumber and invested in real estate. It was a great end game for him, and I thought, why not make it my middle game to avoid messing up my end game? Real estate allowed me to work for others while learning to work for myself.
After business school, I worked for the Marcus family in real estate. At 32, I was running their family office, even though I didn’t feel entirely ready. But I had a strong finance background and made a good impression. That’s how my professional life in Milwaukee began—it’s been quite a journey, and I’ve lost a lot of hair along the way!
Jackie: Well, they say grass doesn’t grow on a busy street!
Chris: Exactly! Even though my career may seem shiny, it’s been filled with mistakes. But I’ve been fortunate to work with people, like the Marcus family, who trusted me enough to let me learn from those mistakes. After 17 years with them, in 2020, I started my own investment firm. Now, I’m using all my past experiences in a new, entrepreneurial way, which I love.
Jackie: Great! Now, do you have a funny family story you’re willing to share?
Chris: Sure! My family teases me about being highly self-critical, which I think has contributed to my success. But it doesn’t stop with me—I can’t help but notice things about the world and comment on how I think they should be. My kids even gave me my own word for it: “chrisicisms.” I don’t criticize—I “chrisicize.” It’s not something I necessarily want to be known for, but it’s a family thing now!
Jackie: That’s hilarious! So, you’ve shared some of your journey to becoming an entrepreneur, but at what point did you feel confident enough to run your own business?
Chris: Honestly, I’ve always wanted to. My first business was in fifth grade—I sold candy and even had runners to help collect orders! I was so successful they shut me down and made me write, “I will not sell candy in school” 1,000 times. That entrepreneurial spirit stuck with me. The challenge was figuring out how to transition from employment to doing my own thing. The world tells you to follow a certain path—college, grad school, marriage, kids—there’s never a perfect time to go out on your own. Even after a successful career, I left at 46 and still didn’t feel fully ready. Maybe that’s the takeaway—you never truly feel ready, you just have to jump in.
Jackie: That’s huge! Sometimes, you just have to take the leap. Tell us a bit more about your company.
Chris: I’m a serial entrepreneur, and I’ve started and bought several companies. But the one I’m most excited about is Kayana Virtual Assistants. The idea for Kayana came a couple of years ago when I responded to a cold message on LinkedIn. It offered to connect me with talented people overseas who could help with my business needs. I interviewed a few candidates and ended up hiring a brilliant material scientist as my executive assistant. It was amazing—I found someone highly skilled who was a perfect fit for my business and eager to work remotely. This experience changed how I viewed work, and I realized many small and medium-sized businesses could benefit from the same model. That’s how Kayana was born.
Kaya means “can do” in Tagalog, and “na” means “now,” so the full meaning of Kayana is “can do now.” It reflects the company’s mission of connecting businesses with talented people who can get things done. We’re focused on finding great talent because if you have the right people, the business will follow.
Jackie: That is wonderful.
Chris: Yeah, well, talent is everywhere and uniformly distributed, but opportunity is not. Ironically, this is why I started my company. As an entrepreneur, I always felt the opposite—I thought opportunity was everywhere, but talent was not. I couldn’t find enough talent to take advantage of the opportunities. I used to dream of driving a bus to the coast and bringing back people who didn’t care about work-life balance. I needed help! That’s the genesis of my company, Kayana Virtual Assistants, HireKayana.com, where we find talented virtual assistants. I see incredible people every day and think, “I can’t hire all these people myself!” That’s the story.
Jackie: Tell us about a time when someone pushed or inspired you to realize you could make this kind of impact.
Chris: Wow, big question! Honestly, my wife. She knew I could do it, and you can’t underestimate how important that is. Whether it’s a spouse, a business partner, or family, having someone believe in you makes a huge difference. That belief is what pushed me to keep going. I wake up every day thinking, “You’ve done this before for others, now do it for yourself.”
Jackie: Fabulous! What’s been your biggest lesson as a business owner?
Chris: First, shoutout to business coaches!
Jackie: Thank you!
Chris: My wife is a therapist, and I think everyone should have one. Likewise, every entrepreneur should have a business coach. When I got mine, he asked me, “Why do you think you need to do everything?” I didn’t get it at first. He was telling me to delegate, to work on the business, not in it. If I could give one piece of advice, that’s it. Delegating is harder than I thought. Twenty years ago, I would’ve said I’d be great at it, but it’s tough.
Jackie: Right. Many people are good at it when working for others, but when it’s your own business, things change.
Chris: Exactly. Every investment—whether in people, skills, or resources—feels like it’s pulling you further from retirement, but it’s actually what buys you time. Time to invest in yourself and your business. It may feel like downshifting, but these are the critical investments that move you forward.
Jackie: If you could pick three people who’ve been most important in your business journey, who would they be?
Chris: Great question! I haven’t told any of these people yet, but here goes. First, Bob Zizka. Brilliant guy, center for the Harvard football team, could probably bench 300 pounds, and is also a genius with spreadsheets. He took a chance on me at a company full of Ivy League grads. I didn’t fit in at first, but his trust made a huge difference. Second, Greg Marcus. He took a chance on me multiple times. I sold him on myself, saying I was a five-tool player, and he gave me those opportunities. Third, Chuck Stadler. He was the CFO of Goodwill when I met him randomly at an event. We built over 100 Goodwill locations together, creating a quarter billion dollars of enterprise value for a great mission. These people took risks on me, and I’m forever grateful.
Jackie: Sounds like people have consistently seen something in you and taken a chance.
Chris: Yeah, and eventually, I took a chance on myself.
Jackie: Right, exactly. So what’s the next big thing for you and your business? What do you see as your number one growth opportunity?
Chris: I’m in evangelist mode. I’m spreading the word about what I do. If I knew then what I know now, I’d probably be sitting on a beach, but I’d still get antsy and want to do something. Delegation is essential, but more importantly, we live in a world filled with incredibly talented people. It’s hard to grasp how hard these individuals work and how talented they really are. Every day, I wake up thinking about how to crack this nut and explain to others that the world is vast, and there are many people benefiting from it. You’re competing with all of them.
Jackie: Right.
Chris: And maybe you should try to leverage that. I want to connect this to the broader business landscape in Wisconsin. After spending nearly 21 years here—almost half my life—and raising my kids in this state, I’ve seen many companies sold to others. Every one of our sports teams and manufacturers is getting sold. I can only come up with one hypothesis: it’s not that we lack great people or business acumen. We are fantastic business people. Madison is the biggest feeder of CEOs in the country. UW-Madison produces many talented individuals, but we don’t push ourselves to find the lowest costs or drive productivity to the highest levels. Others see the potential in our companies, thinking, “We could really cut costs here. We can re-engineer this.” They recognize the value where we don’t.
As the evangelist for outsourcing and virtual assistants in Wisconsin, I see this not as a job-stealing exercise but as a business growth opportunity. Find a way to look outside your business and leverage the world’s intellectual and human capital. It’s accessible and affordable, and the ROI is almost immediate. That’s what I’m doing—evangelizing outsourcing and the opportunities it presents. I love this job because I get to meet incredible people doing amazing things, and connecting them is just fun. It’s a great way to spend my time, and I truly enjoy it.
Jackie: Awesome. What advice would you have for business owners who are trying to do it on their own?
Chris: It really depends on the type of business, but let’s assume you’re in B2B. It’s essential to remember that there are platforms much larger than you that can help you stay connected with people. For B2B, that’s LinkedIn. If you’re B2C, it might be Instagram or Facebook. If you’re not actively building your personal or business brand on LinkedIn, you’re missing out. Just be yourself and share what you’re doing and why it matters. The algorithm will help people find you. It’s like dating sites, in a way. You have to get on LinkedIn, put yourself out there, and don’t worry—it’s okay. You deserve to be heard. Start creating content and engaging with your audience.
Jackie: Awesome. That’s perfect. Chris, it sounds like you’ve had many incredible people support you on your journey. What would you like to say to them?
Chris: I want to tell them that I believe the answers are within them. We’ve come to think that some people can succeed while others cannot, but I don’t subscribe to that notion. The real difference lies in those who took risks and put themselves out there. I encourage everyone I meet to consider this. If you’re exploring a side hustle or starting something entrepreneurial, I say go for it, especially if that’s where your passion lies. Not everyone has that passion, but if you do, pursue it.
Jackie: Excellent. Well, Chris, it was such a pleasure speaking with you today. Thank you for being on the show. Our viewers have a lot to consider and some great tips for running their businesses.
Chris: My pleasure. Thank you, Jackie, for having me.