Executive Visibility

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Welcome back to the Cheat Suite Society, the podcast where we celebrate the real, the raw, and the remarkable journeys of women who chose to bet on themselves.
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I'm your host, Dahlia, and today's guest is someone who grew up in a funeral home and will tell you that was one of the greatest gifts she ever received.
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Katie Rattle is a PR powerhouse entrepreneur and the founder of a firm that specializes in executive visibility.
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But before she was helping leaders get seen, she'd spent years climbing a corporate ladder that was never really built for her until a midlife awakening made her put it down for good.
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From Cincinnati to Nashville, from corporate finance to PR, to running her own firm for seven years, Katie's path is proof that the mess, the pivots, and even the pandemic can all be part of the plan if you're willing to do the inner work to see it that way.
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She's also the person who will tell you straight up that you can't read the label when you're stuck inside the jar.
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And honestly, she's not wrong.
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This one is full of quotable moments.
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I promise you.
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Let's get into it.
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Thank you, Katie, for meeting me.
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I'm excited for our listeners to be able to hear your story so they can hear again how no one's path is the same.
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We all end up in different places, similar titles sometimes, but just no path is linear.
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And it's nice to be able to share that with those that are coming, also those that are just a little lost right now.
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It's you just never know where people end up.
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So thank you for being here today.
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And let's get started.
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Uh what let me turn everything off.
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You're fine.
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Okay.
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Katie, what would you say?
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How would you describe your life today?
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Sure.
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Well, to describe my life today means I would have to go back in time and talk about what led me to today and how I'm living a much better life now.
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Uh I have a unique story.
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I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Go Midwest.
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Uh I now live in Nashville, Tennessee.
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I've lived here for a long time.
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But grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and was the uh daughter of a funeral home owner operator.
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And it is actually still existing to this day.
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It's uh family owned still.
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And I would have been fourth generation.
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I was going to take over the family business and decided it wasn't my path.
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But um, the lessons I learned from that upbringing, I lived in the funeral home for a long time, um, worked for my dad for a while and was exposed to the fragility of life every single day, really led me to where I am today.
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And I didn't know it until I was, gosh, in my late 30s.
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I uh had moved to Nashville.
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I had a corporate career, I call it very corporate y corporate.
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Um I was doing finance.
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Like what were you doing that was so corporate?
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Finance explains it.
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Finance and um healthcare.
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I I did a long stint in a healthcare organization and I was always in marketing and PR, and I still am.
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I fast forward to today, I have a PR firm and I've had it for seven years.
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Um, but in in my corporate experience, I I always gravitated towards marketing and PR.
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And I had an event planning business at one point for a few years and um always kind of went back to corporate.
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And I'm so grateful for that because I learned so much.
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But over time, I think I realized when I when I grew up, we're all still growing up, right?
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Over time, I realized that I wasn't wired that way.
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I wasn't wired to be in a corporate environment.
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And for a long time I thought it was corporate's fault.
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But now looking back, I'm like, hmm, a lot of that was me.
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A lot of that was me because I just wanted to achieve and climb the ladder and you know, on to the next.
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It was always on to the next.
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And what can I do bigger and better?
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And um, you know, how can I grow and achieve?
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And what what is the next thing?
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And boy, is that exhausting after a while.
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So I I was, you know, especially when the bar keeps moving and the carrots keep moving, and you're like, oh, there's no, and you're never enough.
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It's never gonna be enough.
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Never, never.
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And frankly, that's how I'm wired.
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And you know, being in that environment in my late 30s, I like to describe, you know, after I had my son, um, and life happened for me, which was wonderful.
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I kind of got back after maternity leave to the corporate world and I looked around and I'm like, this doesn't work for me anymore.
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And I I lovingly refer to that as my midlife awakening, not crisis.
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I like that.
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Thank you.
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I think midlife crisis needs a rebrand or a refresh.
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I think that completely agree.
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I could not agree more with that statement.
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Yeah, let's let's not use a negative word such as crisis, let's use it as an opportunity.
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And for me it was, it was such an opportunity.
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And, you know, I had to do a lot of personal work and development.
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I still am.
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It's a never-ending journey, but I had to make the tough decision of like, okay, if this corporate world thing isn't working, um what will work?
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And what does that look like?
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Good questions.
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And those were really good questions to ask myself.
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Um and so where I found myself almost 40 years old is I decided to start, left the corporate world, and I decided to start a PR firm six months before the pandemic.
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So really terrible timing.
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Oh, great timing.
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Great.
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Awesome time.
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How could you have predicted that?
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I mean, but you know, in a way, I'm so grateful for it because what I needed at that time, I didn't realize it.
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I needed a break, I needed a reset, I needed to do some really deep work on untangling a lot of those behaviors and thoughts that I had while I was in the corporate world climbing and behaving in a way that wasn't serving me.
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Um so I, you know, I had a lot of time.
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We all had a lot of time during COVID to think about that.
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And, you know, I really had to get real with myself and get honest and ask myself questions about how do I want to feel when I wake up every day?
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How do I want to be as a human being?
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And I think luckily, I had that reminder of growing up, you know, in a funeral home and being surrounded by the fragility of life and by people on their worst day.
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I suddenly kind of realized and put two and two together in my late 30s that, like, wow, this life really is short.
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And what am I gonna do about it?
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Um, I've always felt this sense of accountability to do better.
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Yeah.
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You know, I've never, I've never thought, I always I never thought of it from that viewpoint.
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I always thought like it had to be you that lost the person that meant the world to you.
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And I'm not saying you didn't.
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I don't know, I don't know.
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We haven't gotten to that yet.
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Right.
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Um, but the fact that you were so observant and empathetic to be able to be in that environment and already understand from that sense, that angle, what a unique perspective, just a unique perspective.
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It has served me well.
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It has, I have leaned on that experience and how I grew up.
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I mean, it's kind of lucky in that way.
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A lot of people were no, I know it's like hindsight, it's hindsight looking.
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But it was truly is still the biggest gift because that is the lens that I look through things now and how I live and show up and have relationships, and what I say no to is even more important than what I say yes to now.
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And just continually learning from okay, don't forget that you were given this gift of remembering.
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Why do you think you're like that?
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I'm sorry.
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Why do you think you're like that?
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Remember, you said in corporate you weren't wired for that, which I'm not I have not met anybody I believe is wired for, whatever the hell that is.
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But you are wired a different way, I can tell.
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And why do you think you're like that?
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Two reasons.
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Uh, number one, I think inherently I'm an entrepreneur.
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You either are or you aren't.
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I've learned along the way.
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Right.
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And I looking back, it's so clear to me now.
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Looking back on my corporate career, I'm like, oh no, you were not, you were not meant for that.
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But again, I'm so grateful for it because boy, did I learn a lot about politics and boy did I learn a lot about empathy and you know how to how to be a professional.
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And my my job now, my PR business is, you know, I make a living helping executives raise their profile.
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And so it's it's been really, really cool.
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And I learned a lot of that in my corporate career because I was thrown into these environments of um, you know, these these executives who are under-resourced, understaffed, they don't know how to promote themselves.
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Um, most people don't.
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And they don't have time, they don't know what lane they're in, and they are multi-talented and multi-passionate.
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And what my job has become is okay, let's find out what your zone of genius is and really get to the heart of like what makes you unique and empathetic, and um, what is your superpower, and and how are we using your powers for good?
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And what do you want to be known for?
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And that has been really cool to kind of use what I've learned along the way, working with executives in my corporate career today in my PR firm.
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Um but but to go back to your question about why you think I am the way I am, I think it's you know, inherently in my DNA.
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Um, I'm an entrepreneur.
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You either are or you aren't.
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And also going back to empathy, not everyone is empathetic, but that is my number one superpower.
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Um, and I don't know if that has to do with growing up in a funeral home and being surrounded by that, but maybe it does.
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And um I'm not sure, but I'm glad that you are that way.
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Thank you.
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Um, it's also being able to really tune into people and be able to read a room, and that has served me well um along the way too, because I've gotten it down to a certain point in my you know midlife where I can walk into a room and and I can I can almost feel the energy and I can sense kind of what's going on.
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And um it's it's a superpower that I've really learned to lean into.
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It really is.
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Um, so that had to be scary, I'm assuming, for you to choose to leave and then start your own thing.
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I know you're an entrepreneur by DNA.
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Freaking love that.
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Um, but I would assume an ounce of fear had to be somewhere in there.
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Oh, a hundred percent.
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Um, it's always scary to choose you.
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It's always scary to choose you because of all the, you know, uh imposter syndrome.
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I hate to get that air, I know air time.
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But it's true.
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I struggled with that for many, many years.
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I'm still recovering from that.
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Um, fear of failure, uh, fear of success, which is imposter syndrome, which seems bizarre to people who don't really understand that or haven't ever heard of that.
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But um, it's the truth.
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Uh, but I thought to myself, what is scarier staying stuck in this place that doesn't work, clearly, or knowing that I tried and that I took a chance on me.
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And you know, I wasn't getting any younger.
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You're so funny.
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Did you know what you wanted to do?
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Did you know, like without a shadow of a doubt, you're going to do PR?
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I knew that I just wanted to be an entrepreneur.
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I knew that my skill set um over time, I was really good at PR naturally.
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Um, I also had a marketing background.
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So at first I was a generalist and it was very much like, oh, I do marketing and PR.
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Well, the big lesson in that is that over years I would sit across from people and tell them what I do and about my business.
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And I was such a generalist, and I would just say, Oh, I do marketing and PR.
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I worked with this healthcare company and I worked here and here, and it wouldn't let it land.
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And again, that was on me to figure out like, hmm, what am what am I communicating incorrectly?
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It was a me problem, not about.
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So over time, I realized I wasn't being clear enough on my own messaging, um, which is so ironic because that's what I do for a living.
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And well, it always works like that.
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Right.
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Always, right?
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Like always does.
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Um, and I like to say it's, you know, it's hard to read the label when you're stuck inside the jar and you're swimming and you're just trying to never heard this saying before.
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I really like this saying.
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Say it one more time so I can get it.
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It is not mine, but I say it all the time and it really resonates with a lot of people.
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So sometimes you need someone to read the label of the jar that you're in because you can't see the label.
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That is really good.
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Thank you.
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Never heard that.
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I really love that.
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Don't know where it came from, but as soon as I heard that, I was like, Yes.
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So who read your label?
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Hmm.
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Great question.
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I think I, you know, a really dear friend of mine, she has a branding agency.
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She's totally brilliant.
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And I'd had my business for maybe four years or so, and I was really stuck.
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And she was kind enough to, you know, have lunch with me one day, and we kind of whiteboarded some things.
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And she's like, Well, tell me about this client.
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What do you really love?
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And I mean, she asks a million questions a million different ways, which is what I do with my clients.
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And she's like, Katie, have you ever considered, you know, specializing in thought leadership?
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A lot of people know it is thought leadership, but really like executive visibility.
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And it was such an aha moment for me.
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And I have her to thank for that because it unlocked, like, oh my gosh, you're absolutely right.
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That is what that is.
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It is thought leadership, it is PR, but it's executive visibility making executives more seen and known and visible to the right audiences.
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When you know, someone sits down to Google them or the company because they're both so intertwined.
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What comes up?
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What does that look like?
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And ever since I've run with it and it's served me well because it is way more specific than marketing.
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I do marketing and PR.
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It's like it is, yeah.
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No, it's okay, cool.
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But what does that mean?
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Because I don't know what marketing is, I don't know what PR is.
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Very vague, very broad.
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Um, but when I say executive visibility, we raise the profile of executives to in turn raise the profile of the organization.
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We do that through PR, getting people on podcasts, getting people speaking engagements, contributing articles, writing, you know, long-formed uh thought leadership articles.
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There's that aha moment and that light bulb moment.
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Yeah.
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That is a lot better than like, oh, that's cute.
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You do marketing and PR.
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And people, you know, were very kind to me, but at the same time, it wasn't resonating.
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And again, that was on me.
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So once that clicked for me, it got a lot easier to have my business, to have a focus and a niche.
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Um, and it's it's been great.
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How long did it take for you to get to that point from when you first initially set out?
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Gosh, I was truly a journalist for about four years, and I'm about to celebrate seven years.
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Yay! Congratulations.
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Thank you.
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Thank you so much.
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Um, yeah, that for those first few years were a little rough with uh the pandemic, COVID.
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But again, I'm so grateful for that time because I wasn't going physically into work, I wasn't working for anyone else.
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I I was responsible for me.
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And boy, did I do a lot of learning and growing during that time, and I still am.
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Yeah, I find that um a lot of people that I've talked to that time is something that in the middle of it, nobody loved it.
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But in hindsight, they see the gift that so much of it really did give you.
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Uh unfortunately, if you lost somebody during that time, I'm sorry.
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That's I don't I don't mean to downplay that.
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I just know that I just watched an episode, I don't remember the show's name exactly, but it covered the pandemic so perfectly in terms of all the different realities that existed, like the overwhelmed person at home.
00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:58.400
Personally, for me, I was the mom who was full-time working, also full-time teacher, also full-time being it was drowning in too much.
00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:06.319
And then it went to the next person who like was drowning in complete loneliness, just not surrounded by anybody, nobody calling and checking on them.
00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:08.720
And it just really covered the gamut of things.
00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:20.640
It's interesting to hear you say you started a company, and then you really got to dive into yourself and build it during that time and do kind of inner work.
00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:23.279
I'm assuming you had to do a lot of inner work because we all do.
00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.359
If you're an entrepreneur, you do inner work.
00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.279
Um it never goes away.
00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:30.720
It it doesn't.
00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:33.200
And it it never goes away.
00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:44.480
I feel like we should just say that out loud for any because there's a lot of entrepreneurs listening, and for them to know that it's okay to feel that way and to constantly question yourself.
00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:57.920
Years ago, when I first started my business, I was talking to someone, and she said, Being an entrepreneur is one of the biggest spiritual journeys you'll ever go on.
00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:59.839
Oh, yes, it is.
00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:01.200
And I will never forget that.
00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:03.279
Elaborating what that means.
00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:07.519
I know that to be true based on my experience.
00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:10.640
Uh, when we say spiritual, it can mean a lot of different things.
00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:19.920
And for me, what spiritual means is unwavering faith in myself and another friend.
00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:21.599
I'm pulling in all the quotes today.
00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:35.680
Another friend, entrepreneur friend has a quote on her desk that says, Being an entrepreneur is like waking up every day knowing that everything's gonna be fine, but everything might fall apart.
00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:46.880
And actually, that to me relates so much to that spirituality of being an entrepreneur because it's it's faith.
00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:52.160
It's faith in yourself, it's faith in what I lovingly refer to as business magic.
00:19:52.960 --> 00:20:02.799
Just when you think things are falling apart, and they are just when you think you might have to apply for jobs on indeed or whatever, been there, yeah, right.
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:09.039
Um something I call it business magic happens.
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:19.119
Someone reaches out, someone DMs you on LinkedIn, something happens where there is movement and it always kind of works out.
00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:22.079
And that again is faith.
00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:25.440
Whatever that is, that is faith, that is spirituality.
00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:30.480
And don't you feel like there's a there's a part of that quote that's missing though?
00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:31.599
Like to end it.
00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:37.920
Like being an entrepreneur means yes, everything's going to be fine, but everything could also be falling apart.
00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:38.559
Right.
00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:41.279
But it will always work out.
00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:42.000
Yeah.
00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:44.240
I like that's what you just said.
00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:49.200
I'm just dealing with words, I'm just adding to the you're not wrong, and I think we need to amend that.
00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.000
Yes, right.
00:20:50.319 --> 00:21:05.599
Like we we need to reword that, rephrase that, but um it it boy is it a journey, and I it's spiritual because it requires, I don't care who you are, what you believe in, it requires inner work, it requires healing.
00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:19.759
That's very it requires self-awareness and unlearning, unlearning, untangling, um therapy with a capital T.
00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:24.720
Um, I am a huge believer in therapy.
00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:34.400
Um, I've gone to therapy for many, many years, and it's truly such an important relationship I have in my life.
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:40.240
And gosh, I mean, I realize that I need a lot of support.
00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:43.920
I am off the charts extrovert, if you couldn't tell.
00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.359
I have all this energy, and I work I work from home.
00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:54.319
I work for myself and I have a small team, but I require a lot of resources, I've learned.
00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.519
So we're talking, I have a mastermind.
00:21:57.680 --> 00:22:02.880
Um, I am doing A program through EO Nashville.
00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:05.359
I do yoga.
00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:06.799
I go on walks.
00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:10.000
I have, you know, friend circles that are amazing.
00:22:11.279 --> 00:22:13.759
It requires support, at least for me.
00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:15.119
That's been my experience.
00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:23.359
So not only is it inner work on me, but it's like I have to be smart enough to pull in those resources so I don't lose my mind.
00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:25.440
And brave enough to ask them.
00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:25.920
Right.
00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:30.880
I feel like that takes a little bit of bravery to step out and just you know that you need this.
00:22:31.039 --> 00:22:32.240
You don't know if they do.
00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:37.599
So to come out and ask, like, hey, can you and we schedule all these walks or do you go and walk?
00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:37.920
Right.
00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:38.400
You're great.
00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:40.799
Oh, yeah.
00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.359
Uh recently, now that the weather's kind of nicer, kind of.
00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:47.279
I live in the south, so it's really humid now.
00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:49.759
But um, I've been doing a lot of walk and talk.
00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:54.160
So, like, let's go on a hike because we gotta, you know, we gotta go on a hike and get fresh air anyway.
00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:59.599
So let's go on a hike and catch up for an hour, hour and a half during that hike.
00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:04.480
And it is so much better to me than than being on Zoom.
00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:08.640
You know, sometimes Zoom is required or virtual meetings are required and that works.
00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:18.000
But if you have the opportunity to meet in person and actually enjoy each other's company for an hour outside, um, even better, bonus points.
00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:19.599
All day long, bonus points.
00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:21.279
You know, I do want your take on this.
00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:25.920
It has nothing to do with any of this, but I'm very curious because you have uh different insight.
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:37.920
Um, for from my perspective, uh during COVID, I met a lot of people, as we all did, using Zoom and whatever platform Teams, I think, finally stepped it up at that point in the first Google Meet really came out.
00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:41.440
Um, I didn't feel disconnected.
00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:47.680
Meeting with people in this capacity, it felt very comfortable for me as if we were in the same room.
00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:53.200
And then when I saw them, the only thing that was different was they were either taller or shorter than I expected.
00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:58.720
Uh, which was funny because I always seemed to be the same height they expected me to be, which is it's fine.
00:23:58.799 --> 00:23:59.920
I'm a short person.
00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:01.599
Uh me too.
00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:05.680
But I I didn't feel as disconnected as others did.
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:15.440
What I hear is a lot of other people when they connected through Zoom, they felt very disconnected and they really needed the more human interaction to be connected.
00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:17.599
Do you have a take on that?
00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:21.440
It's a personal preference.
00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.839
And for me, I like to say that I'm a live show.
00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:28.559
A lot of people are live shows.
00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:33.279
So it you kind of ignite when you're in person.
00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:36.480
Um, if you're an extrovert, you get that energy off of other people.
00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:40.079
And absolutely I could I I did receive that from Zoom.
00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.599
That was all we had.
00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:42.400
It's all we had.
00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:56.240
So, you know, sometimes it it was just such a such a gift to be able to have a Zoom with even girlfriends for for 30 minutes to catch up um and have that screen time instead of a phone call.
00:24:56.559 --> 00:24:59.839
But it I think it's different for everyone.
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:05.440
Um, and also I think it it depends where you were, what space you were in during that time.
00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:06.400
That makes sense.
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:12.160
I think at least for me, it has evolved a lot since we've been able to have that opportunity to be in person.
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:18.160
Do you prefer to this day to be to do you have a preference to this day or no, no preference at all?
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:22.079
I prefer to be in person if if I if I can help it.
00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:25.200
Um Zoom has sorry, uh virtual meetings.
00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:26.880
I shouldn't say just Zoom, but it's okay.
00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:28.240
We know there's plenty platforms.
00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:29.839
There's plenty.
00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:31.599
It serves a purpose.
00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:39.359
And boy, does it make our lives easier to connect and have a quick meeting and catch up and you know one-on-ones and and all of that.
00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:45.279
But if I'm doing a strategy session with a client, I really want to be in person.
00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:45.519
Right.
00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:46.400
If I can help it.
00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:50.000
Are all your clients local or do you work with clients everywhere?
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:51.359
It's a it depends.
00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:52.559
Um, both local.
00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:55.680
Most of my clients are local, but we have some national clients as well.
00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:56.559
Nice.
00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:02.240
Do you have a type of client you work with primarily, or is it a wide range of people?
00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:09.680
I lean towards healthcare because that's my background, but it's mostly professional services.
00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:20.160
So accounting firms, law firms, um, you know, founders, executives who have small to medium-sized businesses who need to be seen for a strategic reason.
00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:24.559
Usually they're growing, they might want to sell.
00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:29.039
Uh, maybe they have private equity backing, uh, all of those reasons.
00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:30.480
Oh, lovely.
00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:32.720
Um perfect.
00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:37.759
Do you have do you have any clients that you just are like, nope, can't work with you?
00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:40.559
Like, what's your intake process like?
00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:41.759
Sure.
00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:46.559
Um, as far as you know, vetting or discovery or seeing if we're good fits.
00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:50.480
Because you're an entrepreneur, you can choose.
00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:52.400
Which is the coolest thing ever.
00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:55.519
But here's here's the other side of that.
00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.720
When you're starting out, here's here's a secret.
00:26:58.880 --> 00:26:59.279
Yeah.
00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:01.359
Sometimes you don't really have a choice.
00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:03.920
You do, but you don't, right?
00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:05.119
And let's just be fair.
00:27:05.200 --> 00:27:09.680
I mean, I'm gonna call it out because people don't talk about this side of being an entrepreneur.
00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:10.480
Yeah.
00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:14.640
Sometimes the need for revenue wins, and that is not great.
00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:17.759
It's not great to be in that position, right?
00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:25.119
So I I have learned so much in these seven years, and I can spot a red flag a mile away.
00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:27.359
It's all about, right?
00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:33.279
It's all about not working with people I don't know, like, and trust.
00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:35.920
It's all about knowing, liking, and trusting.
00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:39.759
So I can pretty much discern that right away.
00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:51.680
Uh again, it kind of goes to my ability to read people, my life experience, um, knowing what questions to ask, being curious, and just kind of seeing and just feeling feeling things out.
00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:55.359
Also, I have a business that I get a lot of referrals.
00:27:55.599 --> 00:28:03.359
Oh, so when a friend that I trust and no one like refers me to someone, I'm like, okay, you're not gonna refer me to a jerk.
00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:10.960
Um, but you know, sometimes it's not a good fit business-wise, because they might not be ready for PR.
00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:17.680
They might not be willing to put themselves out there completely as an executive to be seen.
00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:18.000
Yeah.
00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:24.160
And that takes vetting as well, because you can be a lovely human and know that this is important.
00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:39.039
But once we really get into the work, it's like, okay, well, we're gonna write this article and we need your help with that, or you have this interview coming up on TV, and then they completely shut down and they don't want to do it, maybe because for for whatever reason.
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:41.519
Uh, maybe they have their own imposter syndrome.
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:44.640
So we try to be as supportive as possible.
00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:47.599
Um, being in PI, you always have to be prepared.
00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:56.000
You always have to have talking points and be prepared and tell the story time and time and time again until they're confident about their own story.
00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:00.079
Um, because again, we're helping them tell it.
00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:00.960
That's right.
00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:05.519
In ways that land most importantly, with that audience.
00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:11.039
I'm seeing a rise, I'm thrilled about, of authenticity.
00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:18.960
People really only on um connecting with people that come off as authentic.
00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:22.960
And I I think that's the shift I've been seeing in the last few years.
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:24.720
I'm assuming you agree.
00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:29.920
Uh is is that how you're uh preparing people to talk to be as authentic as possible?
00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:31.359
Which is I love that you said that.
00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:37.359
Most people can't remember their own story, it's their story, there, it's their life, but they can't remember to say it.
00:29:37.440 --> 00:29:38.880
Is that how you prep people?
00:29:39.599 --> 00:29:40.400
Absolutely.
00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:47.920
And you know, we always like to err on the side of if it's a little scary, say it because it'll resonate.
00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:54.720
Because people buy from people, they relate to people, people connect with vulnerability.
00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:55.359
We all know this.
00:29:55.519 --> 00:29:57.039
Brene Brown, thank you.
00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:01.759
Um, vulnerability and authenticity are our true connectors.
00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:02.240
Yep.
00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:10.640
And when there is so much noise out there with AI and LinkedIn and all the different platforms, and all of it, I mean, it's so much noise, it's so busy.
00:30:10.880 --> 00:30:19.279
Um, what really, really stands out in my experience for my clients and for me personally is that authenticity piece.
00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:23.279
You can write, you know, the same AI slop or whatever it is.
00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:25.279
We're all reading about AI slop all the time.
00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:34.480
People on LinkedIn love to make fun of it, but what differentiates a message in a person is their own story, and you can't fake that.
00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:36.960
You just can't fake that.
00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:38.559
That's the whole point of this podcast.
00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:40.480
Get everybody's story out.
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:42.480
Um I agree.
00:30:42.720 --> 00:30:43.680
Well, thank you.
00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:48.799
Uh, we're coming up on time, and I like to end every episode the same, would you know?
00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:57.119
What is a piece of advice that you can give to our listeners today, whether it's from the heart or what you live by?
00:30:57.279 --> 00:30:58.720
I mean, you've given so many good quotes.
00:30:58.799 --> 00:31:03.839
I know I'm gonna keep, but what is what is a piece of advice you could give for us?
00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:09.759
You are the CEO of your life.
00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:13.519
Hire, fire, and promote accordingly.
00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:15.519
I love that.
00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.720
I love that.
00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:21.119
It took me a while to get there.
00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:28.960
It took me a long while to get there again through self-discovery and work and healing and you know, all the all the wonderful things.
00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:46.559
Um, but I realize again, kind of in my midlife awakening, that hey, like things could have been rough or you know, you've overcome adversity or whatever, but also at the end of the day, you you are in charge of you.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:32:03.680
And I think once I started stepping up and taking accountability, uh accountability for my happiness and my life and not wasting it and not looking back and saying, I wish I would have, um life got a lot better.
00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:05.279
Exactly.
00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:08.240
Time is the only thing you can't actually get back.
00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:11.440
Everything else you can get back, you can't get back the time.
00:32:11.920 --> 00:32:13.920
Um, and you can't get back the time with people.
00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.759
So I appreciate that you said that.
00:32:15.920 --> 00:32:18.160
Um, what a great lesson to live by.
00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:24.079
I hope people abide by it because it is truly the rule of your life.
00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:25.440
Um I love that.
00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:29.279
Well, thank you for spending time with us today and telling your story.
00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:30.559
We appreciate it.
00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:31.839
Katie, thank you.
00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:36.480
I could have talked to you for hours, and I think our listeners are going to feel the same way.
00:32:36.640 --> 00:32:44.400
If today resonated with you and you want to raise your visibility, tell your story better, or finally get seen for the work you're doing, Katie's your person.
00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:46.640
Her contact information is in the show notes.
00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:48.400
Reach out, you won't regret it.
00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:51.359
And here's what I want you to carry out of this episode.
00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:53.599
You are the CEO of your life.
00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:56.000
Hire, fire, and promote accordingly.
00:32:56.160 --> 00:33:02.319
That means taking full accountability for your happiness, your choices, and how you spend your time.
00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:05.920
Because time is the only thing you simply cannot get back.
00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:08.400
If this episode moved you, share it.
00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:11.759
Send it to a woman who is still waiting for permission to be herself.
00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:13.839
Leave us a review, tell a friend.
00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:19.039
This community is built one chair at a time, and I'm so grateful for every one of you that's here.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:21.759
Remember, your life is your story to tell.
00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:23.839
Why not make it extraordinary?
00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:25.759
Until next time, I'm Dahlia.
00:33:26.079 --> 00:33:27.279
Thanks for being here.