Winter 2019

46 REAL-LEADERS.COM / WINTER 2019 By Chris Davis Where does inspiration come from? Many people assume that it comes frombeing happy or frombeing inspired by others, but often it comes from restrictions being imposed on you. Obstacles in life have away of laser-focusing the issue at hand, and if dire enough, can result in life-changing action. We look at twowomenwho each faced an obstacle and found a creative way around it. In each case, they dug deep and discoveredwho they really are. 01 Turning Passion into a Lifesaving Patent KimHighfield is a lifelong entrepreneur and founder of SportPort — a producer of women’s athletic apparel. After becoming aware of the potential dangers of cellphone radiation, she developed a patent for protective pockets in clothing that blocks electric and magnetic fields (EMF). Her technology recently went national and proves that intelligent design, paired with women’s health, can be profitable. MINDFULNESS ENTREPRENEURS CHANGING LIVES FOR THE BETTER ANYTHING I SET OUT TO ACHIEVE COMES FROM THE HEART.” KIM HIGHFIELD Highfield first learned to be an entrepreneur at six-years-old dancing at family events. “Dad paid me a quarter per dance because I was good at imitating Shirley Temple,” she recalls. “It was my first lesson in business — don’t be afraid to put yourself out there if you feel you have something to share.” As proprietor of women’s athletic apparel company SportPort, Highfield is now scaling operations based on her patent for EMF- resistant clothing design and her original patterns and florals. She spent nearly a decade in personal study and two years in formal R&D to create the first EMF-resistant SportPort bra. “Entrepreneurs face intense obstacles every day and adaptability is key to success,” Highfield notes. “I don’t have a fashion or legal degree. I was successful in the world of design and patent