Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Bolt.
Hi Kimberly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It’s a pleasure to share a bit about the journey. My career, much like a well-played baseball season, has been a mix of strategic moves, unexpected curveballs, and a relentless pursuit of something bigger than its individual pieces.
My story really starts with people. As a psychology major, I was always fascinated by why we think and act the way we do. That curiosity is the common thread that led me to marketing, where I found a way to create connection through understanding people.
After cutting my teeth in foundational marketing roles and earning my MBA at Wharton, I gravitated toward dynamic, high-energy industries—places where the stakes were high and the passion was palpable. That’s what took me to Google, ClassPass, and Lyft. During that time, I learned a crucial lesson: your day-to-day work has to align with your passion. While at Google, I was teaching 10 spin classes a week at Equinox, and I found myself more excited about that than anything else. That passion for building community and driving energy is what inspired me to leave Google and become an early employee at ClassPass. As I took on more responsibility and led teams at Under Armour and Disney, I never lost sight of that fundamental belief: it all starts with the consumer.
My path eventually led me to the Washington Nationals, and what an incredible journey that was. I had the privilege of joining the organization as their first CMO, and I poured my energy into shaping the brand, the fan experience, and our storytelling. It was about more than just marketing; it was about building a connection between a team and its city, creating memories that would last a lifetime for millions of fans. Every step, every campaign, every fan interaction was a building block.
But behind the scenes, there was another story unfolding. At the time I started at the Nats, my children were 2, 3, and 5. And 81 home games is a lot when there are young toddlers and children that miss you for bedtime. The pace was relentless. Late nights, weekends, early executive meetings, a long commute, and all the invisible labor of parenting that doesn’t show up on your calendar but fills your mental tabs. Most days we were just surviving. (Hello to kids brushing their teeth in the car. 🫣)
Then one morning, my 3-year-old asked: “Are you going to be nice Mommy today… or angry Mommy?” That’s when I knew something had to give. I loved what I was doing – but I didn’t love who I was when doing it. Always stressed, frayed and distracted at home. Glued to my phone, never quite present. And that, more than any title or big campaign, is what ultimately shaped my decision to step away from my role and take a scary leap to start my own marketing consulting business.
It turns out, ambition isn’t always a linear climb. True success and happiness don’t always mean reaching the next rung on the ladder; sometimes, it means redefining the ladder altogether. It’s about choosing impact on your own terms and stepping into a new chapter that allows for more alignment, purpose, and, yes, more orange slices on the sidelines of my kids’ soccer games.
That’s why I started Bolt of—a fractional marketing firm for sports and consumer businesses. For the first time, I have complete alignment between my passion, my values, and my experience. We offer top-tier marketing and strategy to businesses who need it, providing a powerful resource without the cost of a full-time executive. It’s a different kind of success, and it’s one I’ve never felt more proud of.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
How much time do you got? The road has been anything but smooth.
I have a picture I like to show at speaking engagements—it’s a perfect, beautiful family photo, the kind you’d see on Instagram. Then I show the dozens of other pictures it took to get that one shot: kids fighting, picking noses, runny noses. Sometimes you see the polished result, but you don’t see the reality of what it took to get there.
Ambition vs. Motherhood
The biggest source of duality I’ve constantly struggled with is ambition versus motherhood. I grew up as a reduced-lunch kid in an Asian American home, where the message was clear: study hard, get good grades, and climb the ladder to a stable profession like a doctor or lawyer. Success was about the hustle, the climb, and the next rung.
Motherhood hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a completely different world. It was a unique kind of heartache to leave my three-month-old to go back to the office, a frantic race to find a clean place to pump in a dirty airport bathroom on a work trip, and the impossible feeling of trying to be cool, calm, and collected while dropping off a tantruming kid before a 9 a.m. board meeting. It’s a constant feeling of needing to be in two places at once. It forced me to examine those deep-seated beliefs I grew up with and begin the painful, beautiful work of redefining what ambition truly looks like.
The “Messy Middle”
That feeling of being pulled in every direction only intensified. I’ve heard it called the “messy middle”—that chapter of life when you’re trying to excel in your career while simultaneously taking care of young kids and dealing with the reality of aging parents. The heaviness and grief of my own father’s passing after a decade-long battle with a neurodegenerative condition was added to the daily hustle of changing diapers and leading a team. It’s a lot to handle, and there’s no playbook for navigating it all. You just need to focus on one day at a time and remember that time is the most valuable thing we have. Especially time with loved ones.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Bolt Of empowers brands to achieve explosive growth through data-driven marketing strategies, innovative brand development, and impactful growth marketing initiatives. As your fractional CMO partner, I embed myself as an extension of your team, combining deep analytical expertise with creative vision to deliver measurable results and spark transformative success for clients in the sports, consumer, and other industries.
We offer brand strategy, go-to-market strategy, campaign management, and growth strategy for ambitious brands. Our current clients include a women’s professional volleyball league (LOVB), a private equity fund focused on sports, and a tech startup for live events.
An area of particular expertise where we’re finding a niche is helping emerging sports properties and leagues set up or optimize their technology stacks. This allows them to activate personalized marketing and engagement, which ultimately increases revenue. The use of AI and agentic AI is becoming an increasingly important part of this technology conversation.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Taking Adam Grant’s class at Wharton and staying in touch with him over the years has been an honor. His podcast, “ReThinking,” has been an invaluable resource for navigating leadership, career, and life.
There’s one particular episode on Imposter Syndrome that resonated deeply with me. The first female Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan, shared how she reframed her inner voice. Instead of asking, “Do I belong here?” she learned to ask, “Can I make a difference here?”
That simple shift gave me power and conviction and I rely on it often when starting new engagements or speaking on a big stage.
Pricing:
- Retainer based pricing available
- Project based as well
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.boltof.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolt-of/?viewAsMember=true
