The ROI of Trust: How Kim Russo Turned Deep Relationships Into Four Years of 2,000%+ Returns from her Dames Membership

Nobody stumbles into a 2,395% ROI.

You don't get there from a business-card exchange at a networking happy hour, a five-minute "let's collab" DM, or one well-timed introduction. You get there from relationships you actually invest in — the kind that take time, require vulnerability, and ask you to show up for other women before you ask anything of them.

Dames member Kim Russo, Founder, CEO, and Lead Designer of On Brand Designs, has the receipts. Since 2022, she's built award-winning branding, packaging, and web experiences for boutique, home goods, floral, food, fitness, and experiential brands — the $750K+ companies whose physical space or in-person experience has outgrown a website and brand identity built years ago. And every year since she's been a Dame, her return on that membership has been staggering.

But the numbers aren't the whole story. They're the byproduct of one.

Here's Kim, in her own words.

What solution were you looking for when you joined The Dames?

"When I joined The Dames, I was looking to learn how to grow my business from women who had already done it, while also finding a community of women I could grow alongside. It was after COVID, I was still fairly new in my business, and I was starting to get back out into the world and think bigger about what was possible.

At the time, I felt incredibly empowered that I had built a six figure business, but I also knew I did not really have the systems, structure, or support in place to take it where I wanted to go. When I found The Dames, I could see a vision for what my business, and honestly what I, could become by being surrounded by this kind of community."

What have you valued most so far?

"What I value most is having a safe space where I can be completely authentic. There is no judgment, just support, encouragement, honesty, and women who genuinely want to see each other grow.

Of course, The Dames has supported my business growth and revenue, but what I did not expect was how much support I would receive in so many other areas of entrepreneurship. From hiring and leadership to finding mentors and navigating the challenges that come with growing a business, I have never felt like I had to figure everything out alone."

This is the part that doesn't show up on a spreadsheet — and it's the part that makes the spreadsheet possible.

What's been the primary result of being a Dame?

"It is honestly hard to choose just one result because The Dames has impacted both my business and my life.

I have gained amazing friendships, community, love, laughter, and so much personal development. I have grown in my confidence and leadership skills, and I have become more comfortable being visible and putting myself out there.

That increased visibility, combined with the relationships and connections I have built, has directly led to more opportunities, referrals, clients, and increased revenue. So while the financial results have been incredible, the personal growth and lifelong relationships have been just as valuable to me."

What's your ROI been since you joined?

"The financial ROI from my Dames membership has been incredible.

2022: Not a full fiscal year for me, and I was still getting into my groove — approximately breaking even.
2023: 2,395.58% ROI
2024: 2,026.04% ROI 2
025: 2,299.81% ROI
2026: 2,276.90% ROI, January through mid-August

And those numbers only represent the measurable financial return. They do not fully capture the value of the friendships, introductions, visibility, collaborations, mentorship, personal growth, leadership development, and future opportunities that have come from being part of The Dames."

Four years. Four separate years above 2,000%. That's not luck, and it's not one big referral that happened to land — that's what compounding trust looks like.

What would you say to other qualified, amazing women considering The Dames?

"Joining The Dames was one of the best decisions I made for myself and my business.

I truly believe it is one of those communities where what you put into it is what you get out of it. Come in open. Show up. Be willing to connect, contribute, be vulnerable, collaborate, and build genuine relationships.

When you do that, you are rewarded with so much more than business growth. You can find incredible friendships, collaboration, support, personal growth, and women who genuinely want to see you succeed. Some of the relationships I have built here I know will be lifelong."

The ROI You Can't Rush

Kim didn't earn four years of 2,000%+ returns because she worked the room better than everyone else. She got there because she showed up, invested in relationships before she needed anything from them, and let trust build the way trust actually builds — slowly, consistently, in rooms (and DMs, and coffee chats) where women were genuinely rooting for each other.

That's the difference between networking and The Dames. One is a transaction. The other is a track record.

If your brand and website stopped matching the in-person experience your customers get a while ago, go see what Kim and her team at On Brand Designs can build for you: www.onbranddesigns.com.

If you're a woman business owner at the 6-, 7-, or 8-figure level who's ready to build the kind of relationships that actually move the needle — not the kind you forget by the parking lot — we'd love to meet you. Join us for a complimentary virtual Dames Connect Experience or a 1:1 conversation with our team.

Register here: thedames.co/roundtable