Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Bunnell.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2005, my life changed in a way I never expected. My husband, Byron, passed away unexpectedly, leaving me a stay at home mom with a three month old daughter. I had no income, no life insurance, and no job to fall back on. I eventually had to sell our home and figure out what came next.
Becoming a single mom meant starting over. I had never attended college. Before that, I had gone to cosmetology school at Paul Mitchell The School, so college was completely new for me. I went to Utah Valley University and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Integrated Studies, combining business and psychology.
After seeing what I had gone through as a single mom and going back to school, my sister, Shannon Golladay, came to me with an idea. At the time, she was working for our dad’s company, Paragon Wealth Management. She wanted to start a nonprofit that would help other single mothers build better futures for themselves and their children.
We started Live Your Dream in 2010. I’ve been involved since the beginning, and over the years, my role grew into leading the organization. I became President in 2014.
Our focus has always been education. Today, we provide scholarships to Utah single mothers pursuing college, technical training, vocational programs, certifications, and other education that can lead to better job opportunities and financial stability. We have now helped hundreds of Utah single mothers pursue their educational and career goals.
But the scholarship is only part of it. Once a woman receives a scholarship, she becomes part of our Live Your Dream Family. We want her and her children to know they have people in their corner. Throughout the year, we give our families opportunities to get together, serve, make memories, and experience things together.
One of my favorite things about Live Your Dream is seeing our scholarship recipients pay it forward. They know what it feels like to have someone help them, and then they turn around and help someone else. I love seeing that happen.
I never planned on becoming the president of a nonprofit. Looking back, I can see how one of the hardest seasons of my life changed the direction of my life. I would never say that someone needs to go through something hard to find purpose, but I am grateful that something good came out of what I went through.
Today, I get to help other single moms create a different future for themselves and their children. What started as an idea has grown into an organization that has helped hundreds of women and their families, and I’m grateful I’ve been part of it from the beginning.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and I think that’s okay. Life is full of pivots. That’s how you grow.
One challenge has been that donors have different ideas about where their money should go. Some believe 100% should go directly to the cause. Others understand that if you want an organization to grow, you need employees and you have to invest in the organization itself.
For me, one of the biggest challenges has been being a volunteer for so many years. I’ve been a volunteer with Live Your Dream since 2010. It has been a beautiful experience, but it has also been really hard. There have been a lot of sacrifices my family has made because of this role.
After receiving the Utah Philanthropy Award in November 2022, I felt so grateful, but I also really felt the weight of everything I was doing. I wasn’t sleeping. I was running the operations, being the face of the organization, working with donors and volunteers, and supporting our single moms and their families. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for me to do it all.
I talked to my board about it, and they knew I needed help. In February 2023, we hired our first part-time employee. That was a big step for us and allowed us to start looking at how we could grow the organization without everything falling on volunteers.
As a foundation, we decided to have three buckets for giving: Scholarships, Endowment, and Overhead. This way, donors can choose where they want their money to go. If they want 100% of their donation to go to scholarships or the endowment, they can do that. If they want to help us grow and support the costs of running the organization, they can give to overhead.
Another thing I’ve learned is that volunteer burnout is real. When you are managing a board and volunteers, you have to be careful not to ask too much. You have to remember why people volunteered in the first place. I never want to get to the point where we have so many requirements and so many asks that people stop enjoying it.
Being a volunteer myself for so many years has given me a lot of compassion for our volunteers because I get it. I understand that they have families, jobs, and their own lives. I want people to enjoy being part of Live Your Dream.
There have been a lot of pivots along the way, and I think that’s okay. You learn as you go, you make changes when you need to, and you keep moving.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As President and Co-Founder of Live Your Dream, I wear a lot of hats. A big part of my job is building relationships with donors, businesses, volunteers, and people in the community. I’m also involved in fundraising, events, working with our board, and figuring out what we need to do next.
I’m probably best known for being hands-on. If something needs to get done, I’m usually willing to jump in and do it. I like figuring things out, trying new ideas, and finding ways to make things work.
What I’m most proud of is the people who have become part of Live Your Dream. There are so many people who give their time, money, talents, and ideas to help us. I love seeing someone get involved and then find their own way to make a difference.
One of the greatest things I’ve learned along the way is that I want to be a curious person who is always willing to learn. I want to keep learning until the day I die. I think that is especially important as a leader. You don’t know what you don’t know, and there is always someone who can teach you something or a better way to do something.
I think that mindset is one of the things that sets me apart. I don’t feel like I have to have all the answers. I’m willing to listen, ask questions, try something new, and change my mind when I learn something I didn’t know before.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
My family matters most to me. At the end of the day, they are my why.
I want my kids to know that they are loved, that they matter, and that they can always come home. I want to be there for the big things, but also for the everyday things that probably matter even more.
My family has also been incredibly supportive of the work I’ve done with Live Your Dream. It has taken a lot of time and sacrifice over the years, and they have sacrificed right along with me. I don’t take that for granted.
I’m still a work in progress, and I’m really trying. I’m trying to be a good mom, a good wife, and a good example to my kids. I don’t always get it right, but I want my family to know how much they mean to me and that I’m always trying to do better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liveyourdreamfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourdreamfoundationutah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourdreamfoundationutah
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/live-your-dream-foundation-nonprofit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@liveyourdreamfoundationutah
