Founder, Hite Digital, Scale With Stability
Karen Hite got where she is in life by trusting her gut and trusting God. Born and raised in Nicaragua, Hite came to Arkansas after receiving a Walton Scholarship from Harding University in Searcy. Applying for the scholarship, she said, was “the first step of faith into a new life adventure.”
“I remember talking with God and saying, ‘If I’m not going to get it, don’t let me even go through the first interview,’” she said. “When I was called for the first interview, I knew I had gotten it.”
After graduation, Hite returned to Nicaragua, where she crossed paths with her future husband, JC Hite, another Harding alum interested in starting a business there. The pair were quickly engaged and married before diving headfirst into a startup venture teaching English virtually.
“The only problem was that neither of us was a teacher, and we had never run a business before,” Hite said.
Every obstacle is a chance to learn, however, and the couple “failed forward” into their next adventure, Hite said. She spent three years learning as much as she could at a digital marketing agency before getting pregnant, at which point she and her husband decided to start their own business.
“We started from scratch from a spare bedroom with no real clarity other than just being able to afford the delivery of our first born,” she said.
A leap of faith paid off yet again. Over the years, the couple has experimented with multiple business models and businesses — including scaling a franchise to 27 locations across the U.S. in just two years — earned a place on the Inc. 5000 three years in a row, and, at one point, managed a team of 200 people. Those experiences taught them something bigger than how to grow a business: Growth alone is not the goal.
Today, the Hites use the lessons from building, scaling, succeeding, failing forward and evolving businesses to help other entrepreneurs scale with stability, growing their companies without forsaking their faith, family, health or the things that matter most.
Hite’s professional and personal journeys have taught her the importance of listening to her intuition, she said, as well as honing her spiritual gifts and putting people first. Hite has spent much time contemplating her unique talents, even creating an assessment this year to help reflect on her spiritual calling, which turned out to be discernment.
“When I learned that, I was not surprised, but it was like I had finally figured out my purpose,” she said. “I often thought discernment was me overthinking things, reading too much into people, when, in reality, it is a gift God has granted me. I feel called to share this with more people and created this assessment to be available for everyone at whatsmygift.com.”
In addition to her bedrock of faith, Hite attributes many of the values she holds most dear to her Nicaraguan roots. She and her husband now reside in Searcy, and Hite said living in the United States while carrying the lessons of her Latin American upbringing has had a profound impact on her worldview.
“My experience between these two cultures has taught me to value ambition and opportunity without losing the importance of family, faith and belonging,” she said. “I’ve learned that one of life’s greatest opportunities is not simply to build individual success but to create a life where people feel supported, connected and responsible for one another.”
The slower pace and tight-knit community in Searcy has been ideal for the Hites, she said, and they enjoy the small-town feeling while still being part of a growing area.
“You really need a community around you,” Hite said. “We are not meant to do life alone and act as if we have it all together. The sooner we remember this, the sooner we can raise our hand and ask for help. There’s always another person out there ready to help.”
