Karla Ballard: It's What We Do That Matters

My guest is Karla Ballard, the CEO and co-founder of YING, a peer-to-peer skill sharing platform that allows you to trade time rather than money for services (also known as a time bank).

Karla’s first experience in “banking” was of a much more traditional variety—after graduating from the University of Virginia she was hired by MBNA America and soon after was selected to participate in their management development program. This gave her the opportunity to rotate positions throughout the entire company, and while working in the marketing department in Wilmington, Delaware, Karla became involved in a community program to teach youth financial literacy as a way of combating juvenile delinquency. Karla was able to take the bank’s interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and combine it with her commitment to the community to produce real-life results beyond a simple donation.

Feeling the entrepreneurial itch, Karla created a consulting practice to work with local non-profit organizations on their strategy around sustainability. In 2015 Karla took the next step and co-created YING, a skill and time-sharing platform that gives people access to services in exchange for their own time and talents, creating a community around connection and engagement.

Join our discussion as Karla explains the intricacies of time banking, how “mucking and gutting” entered her lexicon, and what each of us as human beings have that creates value on a level playing field (hint: it’s about time).

More takeaways and links from this episode at: https://whitneyjohnson.com/karla-ballard