An Idea is Born

Imagine being 6 years old and your Dad searching for you. Then finding you under the bridge by your house with his extra cement blocks stacked like a desk, "playing office". That's when Kathy decided she wanted to own a company or business. Kathy Binner is now the Owner and Administrator of Kathy Binner Companies including divisions known as; All About You Salon Suites, The Gerald Frederick Executive Suites, The Carraway Guest House Bed and Breakfast, Kathy Binner Mobile Notary and the Kathy Binner International Academy.

At age 17, Kathy had graduated from High School. She loved the world of travel and decided to go to St. Louis for training to be a flight attendant. She completed the course and earned her “wings.” American Airlines hired her, but the gas crunch of that time grounded many flights. Since only those with seniority in the business remained in the air, Kathy took a job at Buckeye Union Insurance Company where she soon became the supervisor of the rating unit. Kathy was chosen to be on the elite and coveted PCP Department team. This program was a new way of packaging all your personal lines insurance contracts together in one policy.

By the age of 19, Kathy had researched, studied, and passed all her insurance agent exams and started a career as a property and casualty and a life and health independent insurance agent. She supplemented her commission income during those early years by working weekends as a financial auditor for several local hotel chains and originating mortgage loans for a local mortgage company. She even taught under Cynthia Ware at Hondros College of Business for the Real Estate Finance Course. During the following several years, Kathy not only learned more about finance, contracts, sales, customer service, long hours, dedication and commitment, but she learned how to manage and grow her business. Her motto was, "I'm smart enough to figure it out"; and figure it out she did! Kathy now had developed the confidence to take the risks necessary to have the life she desired.

Along Came Jennifer

Kathy wanted to be home every night with her new daughter, Jennifer, so she sold the insurance agency and purchased her first house. Kathy’s decision was to take all the skills she had learned previously and join corporate America as the senior sales manager for the hotel chains at Port Columbus International Airport. She had the opportunity to focus on a degree program of Travel and Tourism. This was a perfect mix since her passion was travel and business.

During her daughter's teen years, Kathy wanted to home school her daughter, Jennifer. After watching a friend open a nail salon, Kathy had a vision of how she could earn income, hire independent stylists and nail technicians, and buy salon properties, all while home schooling Jennifer. She completed the fast track nail program at Ohio State School of Cosmetology and started working part-time in a salon while keeping her corporate sales position. Kathy discovered she liked being self-employed again and soon transferred all her efforts into growing her salon businesses and turning active income into passive income.

Just in Time

The passive income came just in time so that Kathy and Marc could take care of his elderly dad and her elderly mom. What started out as a "labor of love" soon turned into a healthcare agency that Kathy named Living Assistance Solutions, LLC. Upon realizing the cost of bringing help into their home, Kathy interviewed, hired and trained health aides to care for Marc's dad and her mom. Soon others in her community wanted her to help care for their elderly parents as well. Her daughter, Jennifer came on board to help with some of the aide and office work, and together they researched, applied, and were accepted to be a provider for private pay, Ohio's home and community based Medicaid-waiver program known as PASSPORT, Senior Options and the Meals on Wheels Older Adult Alternatives. For four years Living Assistance Solutions, LLC provided personal care and homemaking to seniors in Franklin, Fairfield and Pickaway Counties. Consumer Care Solutions, LLC was added in 2012 to provide services for the developmentally disabled. In June 2014, after the passing of both parents, the healthcare divisions of Kathy Binner Companies were sold to another provider.

Kathy is now managing her passive income businesses and is finally traveling as much as she desires. In addition to being a fully licensed cosmetologist, her daughter, Jennifer is also the administrative assistant for Kathy Binner Companies. Kathy offers mobile notary services for real estate closings, owns 2 commercial buildings and 20 residential units. She wrote and taught the program on "How to Build a Better Business" for the Ohio Board of Cosmetology. Kathy is currently writing her first e-book, "While I Sleep", where she shares her own financial journey. In her semi-retirement, she finally opened the Carraway Guest House Bed and Breakfast, her dream job.

Kathy lives in Canal Winchester with Marc in a 1920 historic house which they turned into The Carraway Guest House Bed and Breakfast. Her daughter, Jennifer and son-in-law, Matt live close by with children; Dakotah, Lily and Corbin.