Katrina Owens (00:00)
I truly believe that in business ownership, at one point or another, something is going to ask you to take a risk. Something at some point is going to require you to do something, to make a choice, to make a decision without knowing what's on the other side. And I think that's why entrepreneurship is this really, really special journey where quite honestly, not everybody succeeds. If you've ever looked at creators like Alex Ramosi or Cody Sanchez and thought,
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Is up, you guys. Welcome back to Fame Ready, the podcast to show you that anything is possible, including fame, obviously. I'm your host, top personal branding and public relations expert Katrina Owens. Thank you for listening to the show. Thank you for coming on back. If you're new here, welcome. this you know, this podcast is a journey, and what's really interesting is earlier this week.
We actually ran one of the book club sessions for the six figure summer book club in anticipation of my book coming out this August called The Six Figure Personal Brand. And you know it's funny, like we have the book club and we did our initial Zoom and there were about 12 people that joined for the book club live session, which was really, really great. I had no idea what to expect, honestly.
I know 70 people have signed up to receive early access to the book, which is fabulous. The the live interactive sessions are really just like a little bonus feature. So I had no idea how many people out of the 70 were actually going to come up live, but 12 was amazing, honestly, and also like anxiety inducing a little bit. simply because like it.
It doesn't matter how much content I create, how much writing I actually produce and put out on the internet, like the thought of somebody reading this book and getting to judge this book, which is almost 200 pages of content written solely by me, is anxiety inducing.
And so many of my clients and community members go on to write their own books. So I just share that because I I mean nervousness is a part of entrepreneurship for me. but it takes a lot to like really make me nervous. I don't really get nervous about public speaking. I mean, sometimes I share things on this podcast that I'm nervous about people hearing or listening to.
Sometimes I share social media content that makes me feel a little bit nervous. But most of the time I'm just like, at this point, I've been doing this for like what, three, almost four years. So like it takes a lot. Like I've taken a lot of risks in this time. So the nervousness of like someone reading something that I wrote or listening to me speak, either on this podcast or on a stage and feeling a certain way about it.
That's not something I really think about anymore. But I will say it is something that I started to think about a lot when it came to realizing that people were finally going to actually read this book. And I think it's because to me, like writing a book, you're now similar to an event, I guess, in a way, where you're not just asking people to like buy something, right? Like, you know.
If I buy a hair product, it's like what? Like a $40 hair product. If I have a bad experience with it, I'm really not thinking about the founder and being like, God, what a bitch for creating such a terrible hair product. I might return it and move on. But a book requires you or requires the buyer to not only buy the book, but to invest time and energy into reading it. And so if it's
Bad, you've not only wasted someone's money, but their time and their energy. And that feels different. I think that really hits different. So that's been part of my journey with this whole thing. But I will say the feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive. So thank you. Thank you to everyone who is reading that so far. But in that in that book club, what was really, really funny is
There was like the main book club. And then what I wasn't expecting is like when we wrapped it up, and then like a couple members like stayed on to just kind of like chat a little bit more, which was really fun. And one of them told me how she is listening to all of my podcast episodes. Yes, even the ones titled under KO Your Brand, which was the first iteration of this podcast. And if you scroll back through the episodes, you'll find those ones that are.
introduced differently. And so she's just listening to to all of them and was like, wow, it's so powerful to hear your journey like through your podcast is almost like an audiobook. Because I talk about so many of the stories that are in the book actually on this podcast at one time or another. But the other thing that she mentioned was it's amazing to witness your growth in doing the podcast. Like if you scroll
All the way back and listen to the very, very first episode I ever did. I think it's called like overcoming perfectionism or something. or if that's not the first one, that's one of the first ones. The energy is different. And I never thought it would be necessarily hard to record a podcast. I will say the act of recording a podcast to me is far more challenging than I actually thought it was going to be.
And I'm not entirely sure why that is. I think, well, I shouldn't say that. I know why that is. Like for me, it's a couple different things. Speaking is an energy drain for me. regardless of how much speaking I actually do, like it takes a lot out of me to sit here and talk to you for an hour.
Okay, so most of my episodes are maybe more like between 30 and 40 minutes. But like, you know, I I mean today it's Saturday, for example. I I have to I was debating whether or not I was gonna say this on the podcast because I'm like, at what point is this too much information? But I'm assuming most of the people that listen to this podcast are women and it's only right if we acknowledge some of the unique experiences that women have that actually make things fucking hard sometimes. so
For those of you who are women, you'll understand this entirely when I say I just had a 37-day cycle. Yeah, my period was almost what's the math on that? Like 10 days late. There was not ever a moment when I actually thought that like I might be with child or anything crazy. I just think over the last month of like.
Planning big brand energy, doing big brand energy, navigating my business, and also like syncing up to a new rhythm of life has felt different. I feel different. And I think my body certainly felt that. there also was a round of golf that I played on about, I want to say that was like day 29 of my cycle. And I actually thought I was gonna get my period that day.
And then I played this round of golf that just about killed me. Shout out Ashley if you listen to this podcast. What the fuck was that? walkable golf course, not really. We were hiking and my body I think went into shock after playing this round of golf that was just so hard on my body. Not really because of the golf part, but because of like the hills and walking that course.
And so part of me is like, is that what delayed my period? Or was it, you know, that plus then like I played another round of golf like a couple days after that. And then I went to obviously my favorite band ever, the Arkells. I went to their concert. And like, if you know me, you know, if I'm at a concert, I'm in the floor, on the floor. I want to get pushed around a little bit. I mean, I was raised by a rock and roll dad. So like that lives inside of me. But anyways, you guys, so in this
Book club, we're talking about how how this podcast has evolved. And in the book club, one of the conversations that came up, which is kind of what I want to talk about today, is this concept of like taking really big risks. Because one of my clients, who is also in the book club, who is newer to her entrepreneurial journey, she had posed a question around like,
All of these like leaps and things that you do, Katrina, feel like big leap and big risks. And how do you really like do that when there's no proof waiting on the other side? And it's such a good question because today, earlier this morning, I was sitting on my couch and I was completing some questions for an interview that I'm doing for a publication. And
One of the themes that was coming up for me as I completed the questions were actually all around this concept of like big risks and leaps and just saying yes. And I wanted to just dive into this a little bit more because I think at this point it probably looks like from the outside that maybe I am a risk taker. And I think I am in this moment, but
I take risks in a very, very calculated way. and I just want to let you in on the behind the scenes a little bit because if you're someone who maybe has to take a risk or is thinking about taking a risk, this may help you look at that a little bit differently. Because I mean, I I truly believe that in business ownership, at one point or another, something is going to ask you to take a risk.
Something at some point is going to require you to do something, to make a choice, to make a decision without knowing what's on the other side. And I think that's why entrepreneurship is this really, really special journey, where quite honestly, not everybody succeeds. I think it's because people either get scared of the risk or they take too much of a risk and it doesn't always work out.
But I think getting comfortable with that is part of this journey. And if you can get really good at taking a calculated risk, I always think that the payoff can be so, so great as I've experienced. But the behind the scenes is really hard. So as I was completing this interview, one of the questions that came up was like, what are some of the defining moments of your career? So I really
There's really just two, two really, really big ones. So the very first one was when I graduated university, I went to McMaster University, shout out in Hamilton, Ontario. Home of the R Kells. Okay. Also home of Katrina Owens. Fuck. One day, you guys, when I am a famous Canadian singer, there's gonna be all this like random content of me floating around on the internet talking about opening for the R. Kells and how much I love them. And like it's gonna be epic.
And then we're gonna have to like put that into the documentary, I think. But I digress. That's a that's a risk that I think we'll talk about in a little bit because I think my singing career probably fits into this journey somehow. But when I graduated university, like any good graduate does, I knew I had to get a job. So I
just started applying to jobs like across Canada. I really wanted to work in the sports industry. So basically any entry level marketing job in the sports industry, I was the gal applying for those. So I applied for jobs in the golf industry. I mean, I was interviewing with like teams in the CFL, which is the Canadian Football League for all my your international friends. I actually interviewed for a job with Hockey Alberta, which is like a
A branch of Hockey Canada. and I honestly thought I would think I was gonna get that job, but I got my job with the PGA. they offered it to me first. So I just took whatever the first thing that came to me was. And honestly, the job, so the job with the PGA is what I eventually got. And I was like, never been to Vancouver before, but sounds like a fabulous place to live.
And the Hockey Alberta job was based in Red Deer, Alberta. And I think my life would have turned out very, very differently had I moved to Red Deer when I graduated at the age of 21, as opposed to Vancouver. So just know like your path, whatever the path you are walking, like it is meant to be. But, anyways, I got that job. I did not know anybody in Vancouver, the only
People that I knew when I said yes to that job were my like new co-workers at the PGA. So I took that job, I said yes to it, and moved across the country like days after I completed my last exam. And that was like a really defining moment for me, because I mean I had never lived that far from my family before. I moved out when I was 18, but I simply just moved to Hamilton to go to school. So I was still like an hour away from my parents.
But moving across the country really required me to be a grown-up really, really fast because I could no longer like call my dad when my car needed an oil change. Or like if I got sick, I had to figure out how to take care of myself. And so that really was like the first big risk I ever took was just saying, okay, I'm gonna start a brand new chapter.
I'm gonna move across the country. I have no idea like if this job is even gonna work out, if I'm gonna like it, if I'm gonna like Vancouver. I did not know any of those things, but I knew if I wanted to change my life and dramatically change my life, it was going to require a really big risk. And I mean, here I am, I still live in the Vancouver area 11 years later. So I guess we can all say that it worked out in the exact way that it was supposed to.
What if the story you've lived is actually the strategy your business has been missing? This August, the six-figure personal brand officially launches to the public. Inside, you'll learn how to turn your expertise, experiences, and personal story into a business that creates more visibility, more opportunities, and more momentum, all without needing millions of followers or an expensive PR agency. Whether you're building a business, growing your credibility, or ready to become the go-to expert in your industry,
This book will show you how to build a personal brand that gets you paid for being yourself. The wait list is officially open, so don't wait until launch day. Head to KatrinaOwens.com/slash book and join the wait list today. The second defining career moment for me was leaving my corporate job to become an entrepreneur. And you guys know that story. I mean, it's in these episodes, how I really abruptly left my job.
If you want to know like the that actual story, it's also in the book, the six figure personal brand. And so I think it's probably time we start linking to that in that page in the show notes. so you can grab the six-figure personal brand. When this episode comes out, we'll just be a few weeks from launch. So you can get on the wait list for that. But in that book, I actually detail the exact thing that happened when I left my job really abruptly. And
You'll see through reading this book that, like, yes, that was a big risk. I had no idea what was waiting on the other side. But again, I knew that if I wanted to dramatically change my life, I had to do something dramatically different that time. And I did. And I can confidently say, I mean, entrepreneurship has been the fucking greatest gift I have ever given myself. My life is.
Forever changed because of this new path I decided to take. And that's the thing about big risks. They change your life in ways that you don't even know. They change your life in ways that you don't even know and you will never really be prepared for. And I guess that's the really hard part about doing that. But obviously, in this journey, you know, those might be the two like defining moments, but.
In between, there were much smaller leaps that might look big to people on the on the outside, but really it's the small things that like continuously add up to build confidence, like day over day, week over week, month over month. And someone said something really interesting to me in the book club the other day, which was around this topic of confidence, because I think people
rightfully assume that I'm a really confident person. I am. I am confident. in the Living Imbalance space, which is the mentorship program I've been in for the last three years. we have what's called a purpose statement. that's not really something I share with like the outside world, but like I'll just say like the purpose statement inside Living in Balance like includes a couple different words that basically define our life's purpose for us. So my life's purpose
has the word confidence, confident in it twice. So confident is something that I am. I would argue and say it's not something that I have always been, although someone maybe suggested to me in the book club that perhaps that part of me was just not at the forefront during my corporate career, which could also be true because I really
At the height of my corporate career, like in the weeks leading up to me leaving, I had this realization about how low my self-esteem and my confidence was. I'll tell I'll share this story. I know I've shared it on the podcast before, but frick, I've been doing this for almost a year now. So some of you may not know this story, and it's it's a really powerful one. So about a week or two before I abruptly left my corporate job.
Gabriel and I were like away for the weekend in the Okanagan. We had like stayed at this cabin about a four and a half hour drive away. We brought the dogs. It was like a little staycation for ourselves. after working really hard over the summer, it was the summer that we bought our house. So we had just spent a lot of time moving and we were like, we just need to like get away and like have a proper summer. So we went away for a weekend.
And on that drive home from the Okanagan is when Gabriel planted the seed of entrepreneurship like in my brain. I never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur before that. I never thought that it was something that I could be, but he was an entrepreneur by then. And he had just kind of offered up to me like, hey, this is something you could do too. And he was approaching it from a place of like wealth building, honestly, because I was in this.
Era of trying to negotiate for a higher corporate salary and all of that. But, anyways, in that car ride home, he was talking about a woman that he went to university with years ago because Gabriel's not that young anymore. And he was telling me about this woman who has a marketing company and she was just on a billboard in Times Square. And he said that to me as a way to be like,
Look at all the things that you could do. You could be on a billboard in Times Square. But my confidence and my self esteem was so low that I did not receive that that way. When he said that to me, I immediately was like, Well, I could never be on a billboard in Times Square. Like, what would I be on a billboard for? And then I heard myself react that way and I like fully cried because it was that moment that I realized just how.
Little self-esteem and confidence I actually had in myself and my ability to like do bigger things. And so that story alone should tell you so much about my journey. because really that's where I was not that long ago. And I mean, now I've been on the billboard in Times Square and I will be on one again very soon, I'm sure. And that really is the result of like taking a risk without really knowing.
what's on the other side. And one of the things that I tell all of my clients is that we build confidence through doing. So a lot of people will like wait to use PR because they think that they've got to have some like secret thing figured out before they start going on podcasts or before they like pitch themselves to be featured in the media. But all of those which I would call like smaller leaps and risks, because obviously they are uncomfortable things for some people.
All of those small things are actually what build your confidence to do the big things. And I'm learning this firsthand right now through singing. So I keep saying I gotta do a whole like podcast episode about my singing journey, but I'm not even sure that would be that interesting. But I think what I'll just talk a little bit about it now because I think it's probably made its way into some of these episodes organically. But if you don't know, I started taking singing lessons last October.
it was actually on the like big brand energy stage last October that I s announced to everybody that, you know, I am starting to take singing lessons. I really want to sing on a stage. And obviously that dream has gotten really, really big since October because I think when I said I would was gonna sing on a stage, when I made that claim last October, I don't think I meant like a stage with the R. Kells or a stage like.
At a concert, I probably just meant like maybe a stage in front of family and friends, like maybe at my wedding. I don't know. Gabriel and I have to sing at our wedding. He is like also a singer, and I just think that would be really, really cute. but anyways, I started taking singing lessons last October, and I was at my lesson last night, and my coach and I were just reflecting on this, but we're talking about how far I've I've come.
And I was like, yeah, like I like could not even sing in front of you. Like that was my biggest block when I decided to start taking singing lessons back then. And it was through the process of showing up week over week that I started to get more confident in my singing voice. And the thing about singing is the only way you get better, actually, this is like anything, is by doing.
And so for me, I have to sing out loud and be bad and try and make weird noises and not like it. I have to do that to be able to become a better singer. And so there's so there's this act of like dropping the ego fully. Like the ego has to be so fully on the floor for you to actually become a great singer. And in this journey, I mean, those of you that are listening to this and follow me on Instagram, you'll know I've started to.
share my singing lessons on Instagram. And that is something a previous version of me would think I'm clinically insane for because sharing these very unedited, unfiltered, like what I do is when I get to my singing lesson, I have a little tripod in my bag. I just put my phone in the corner. And so it's not like I'm recording specific parts of the lesson. I literally am just setting up my phone and then
Letting it kind of capture me, I guess, reality TV star style. And that has been really, really fun for me because it actually captures me and my lesson. Like I'm not performing for the camera. I'm not trying to sing for the camera. Like the camera is just watching me take my lesson. And why I wanted to share this content on social media was because I think it shows this act of becoming, because I think.
For me, I have built this personal brand on showing people what's possible for themselves by like taking people along on the journey. That is like building in public is, I guess, the technical term or what people call it on the internet. Building in public is the only way I know how to build a personal brand. It's literally processing, talking, and showing people that this is how I'm doing it. And that's why I have that in the book.
That's why the book is written because I wanted people to know that journey up until a certain point. And that's why this podcast is amazing too, because it really takes you behind the scenes and all the intricacies. And so sharing those singing lessons is really me sh showing you, I did not just go from never singing to a year or two later singing on stage, maybe having a a couple singles, maybe those singles like take off and maybe people use them.
On Instagram and TikTok or listen to them on the radio. I mean, thank God for Can Con laws, because if I can like get a good single out there, you know that shit's gonna be played everywhere. The power of being Canadian. but I wanted people to know when I inevitably do have a singing career, I want people to know that I didn't just like have this secret talent or
this like secret journey. Like I want people to know, she worked on that every single week. She showed up, she was her truest, most most authentic, vulnerable self through that process. And I think that's what makes the leaps look not so big. Because obviously if I just went from like business owner to like Canadian
indie rock music icon in a span of two years, that probably looks like overnight success. That probably looks like a really big leap. But it's showing and telling you guys this journey that actually like gives you all of the little building blocks along the way. So that hopefully for you you actually start to to see that the leaps aren't so big after all. That what might look like a big leap is actually like more like dozens of really small baby steps.
What a beautiful metaphor. But it's true. everything that I have done, even though it looks big and sparkly now, has been a series of small baby steps. Like, look at my events. My very first one was 30 people, a $2,500 budget. And then I did my next one, which was like somewhere between 60 to 70 people, and it was a $10,000 budget.
And then I just did this last one, which was a $25,000 budget with 100 people. And now Big Brand Energy 2027, I'm I'm hoping for 150 people and probably a $100,000 budget. Those look like big leaps to the outside world or people who might not follow my journey so closely. But I think if you've been listening to this podcast long enough, if you read my content, if you read my book, you're going to see that.
I've always tried to take risks in a way that just simply build up my capacity to do so. Even sharing my singing lessons online. you know, I I took people on that journey. And my very first kind of like singing lessons shares, like I would actually, I only did this a couple of times because I'm like, people are gonna get sick of this. I
Posted a couple videos of me singing, like on Instagram stories and stuff, but I removed the sound. So people could see that I was in fact singing, but you couldn't hear anything. The power of B-roll. But eventually I was like, well, this actually isn't that fun for me. Now I want people to like hear me, and not because I'm trying to like fish for compliments, because to be honest, I'm not at a stage where I think my singing voice like warrants like.
Compliments. I mean, I'm not that bad today. So, Gabriel, I don't sing in front of Gabriel, by the way. I'm not ready, ready for that yet. But last night I asked him, I'm like, hey, do you listen to my singing videos when I post them on Instagram? And he said no. And I was fine with that. But then today, so I posted one on my Instagram story today from my lesson last night, and he liked it. And so I'm like,
Did you watch my singing video? And he was like, Yeah, like I have some thoughts. Do you want to know them? And I said, No. They said, I don't, because right now I know I'm not like Ariana Grande. Okay. Like, I know you guys. and that's besides the point. I don't share my content as like a, hey, look at me, look at how amazing I am. It's a look at me, I'm doing it.
I am doing the thing that I want to do. I'm doing the thing that I said I really wanted to do. And I'm willing to be a beginner to see what fabulous results are waiting on the other side of me just being willing to show up and do the thing. So that really is the secret sauce, you guys. It's taking the small baby steps every week, every day.
That's what creates the big leaps that the outside world sees. That's what creates those milestone moments. But I think each and every one of us who does this work knows that like the big leaps, the big successes.
They actually don't feel like such big leaps for us because of all the really small, like muscle building things we've done in between. So, but that's the share. And I hope, you know, summer is this really amazing time. I mean, it's like Saturday today and I had all my I mean, I'm freshly spray tanned, ready for like a gorgeous, like cute little summer. And the weather
here has been questionable, questionable summer weather at best, but I I really feel like the truest form of myself in the summer. And I think knowing that July and August are a time where people do take summer vacation, where maybe we can slow down to enjoy the weather and all of that a little bit more. I'm really trying to be in that place. And the last like week or so
in business has been a bit slow and a previous version of me would have absolutely panicked about that because I would take slow as in maybe something's not working. and I'd maybe question some of my my big risks and my big leaps. But I now know that like these slower moments, they really, really are just preparing me for the next
bigger thing that's around the corner because my goodness when I look at all of the things we are working on behind the scenes at Katrina Owens Media, when I look at even just the book launch or all of these things that are happening in the fall, I've got to be on my game and ready. And sitting around trying to overwork or question the how.
That's not going to get me any closer to my goal. The things that get me closer to my goals are trusting myself and taking the very intentional actions that I know move the needle forward. I no longer spend my weekends just like trying to decide, like, okay, what's the next strategy here? I know what the strategy is, as do you.
If you've been building your personal brand or your bit or your business and have already seen success doing so, you know what the next needle moving thing is for you. It's just a matter of acting on it. Maybe that action is an investment into a coach, a program, an event. Maybe that action is just carving out the time to do the work. Whatever it is, I think you already know what is going to help you take that big leap. It's just a matter of.
Are you going to do all of the very, very small steps in between that will help you get there? So with that, thank you so much for tuning in, you guys. If you like this episode, please, it would absolutely mean the world to me if you give gave it a five five-star rating and review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Really helps people who need this message also find the show. You can follow me at Katrina Owens PR on Instagram. You can follow the show at getfame ready on Instagram.
And with that, I'll see y'all next week, okay? One of the things I've learned over the years is that extraordinary things happen when ambitious women get in the same room. Not because someone gives them a magic strategy, but because they're reminded of what's possible. And that's exactly why I created Big Brand Energy Live. It's the room where women come to think bigger, dream bigger, and finally give themselves permission to pursue the goals they've been quietly carrying around for years.
Since attending Big Brand Energy 2026, women from our community have launched sold-out retreats, secured brand partnerships, landed international speaking engagements, started their own communities, hosted events, written books, the list goes on. They've all pursued opportunities that they once believed were out of reach. And not because the event changed their lives, but because it reminded them that they were capable of changing their own.
Big Brand Energy Live returns in 2027 as a two-day experience in Metro Vancouver, Canada, and is designed to help you expand your vision and take action on it. Right now, the summer presale tickets are available at 50% off regular price with flexible payment plans available too. If you're ready to spend two days in a room where anything feels possible, I'd love for you to join us. Visit the show notes to grab your presale ticket and I cannot wait to see you there.
I truly believe that in business ownership, at one point or another, something is going to ask you to take a risk. Something at some point is going to require you to do something, to make a choice, to make a decision without knowing what's on the other side. And I think that's why entrepreneurship is this really, really special journey where quite honestly, not everybody succeeds. If you've ever looked at creators like Alex Ramosi or Cody Sanchez and thought,
How on earth do they create so much content so consistently? The answer is actually pretty simple. They have teams. And that's the thing most people don't realize about visibility. At a certain level, it stops being about talent and starts being about infrastructure. Because the truth is, you don't need more ideas. You need more capacity. And that's exactly why I'm so excited to tell you about workplay. For only $497 a month.
Workplay gives you access to a global network of creators who essentially become your on-demand media team. Every quarter, you get a seven-hour brand shoot, photo or video anywhere in the world. But what I love is that it's not just someone showing up with a camera. They help you think strategically about the content. They plan the shoot. They create the assets, and they help you actually get the content out into the world. Because let's be honest, most founders don't need to build an in-house media department, they just need access to one.
And that's exactly what Workplay was designed to do. Visit the show notes to learn more about Workplay and what it could look like to finally have a media team behind your vision.
Is up, you guys. Welcome back to Fame Ready, the podcast to show you that anything is possible, including fame, obviously. I'm your host, top personal branding and public relations expert Katrina Owens. Thank you for listening to the show. Thank you for coming on back. If you're new here, welcome. this you know, this podcast is a journey, and what's really interesting is earlier this week.
We actually ran one of the book club sessions for the six figure summer book club in anticipation of my book coming out this August called The Six Figure Personal Brand. And you know it's funny, like we have the book club and we did our initial Zoom and there were about 12 people that joined for the book club live session, which was really, really great. I had no idea what to expect, honestly.
I know 70 people have signed up to receive early access to the book, which is fabulous. The the live interactive sessions are really just like a little bonus feature. So I had no idea how many people out of the 70 were actually going to come up live, but 12 was amazing, honestly, and also like anxiety inducing a little bit. simply because like it.
It doesn't matter how much content I create, how much writing I actually produce and put out on the internet, like the thought of somebody reading this book and getting to judge this book, which is almost 200 pages of content written solely by me, is anxiety inducing.
And so many of my clients and community members go on to write their own books. So I just share that because I I mean nervousness is a part of entrepreneurship for me. but it takes a lot to like really make me nervous. I don't really get nervous about public speaking. I mean, sometimes I share things on this podcast that I'm nervous about people hearing or listening to.
Sometimes I share social media content that makes me feel a little bit nervous. But most of the time I'm just like, at this point, I've been doing this for like what, three, almost four years. So like it takes a lot. Like I've taken a lot of risks in this time. So the nervousness of like someone reading something that I wrote or listening to me speak, either on this podcast or on a stage and feeling a certain way about it.
That's not something I really think about anymore. But I will say it is something that I started to think about a lot when it came to realizing that people were finally going to actually read this book. And I think it's because to me, like writing a book, you're now similar to an event, I guess, in a way, where you're not just asking people to like buy something, right? Like, you know.
If I buy a hair product, it's like what? Like a $40 hair product. If I have a bad experience with it, I'm really not thinking about the founder and being like, God, what a bitch for creating such a terrible hair product. I might return it and move on. But a book requires you or requires the buyer to not only buy the book, but to invest time and energy into reading it. And so if it's
Bad, you've not only wasted someone's money, but their time and their energy. And that feels different. I think that really hits different. So that's been part of my journey with this whole thing. But I will say the feedback I've received has been overwhelmingly positive. So thank you. Thank you to everyone who is reading that so far. But in that in that book club, what was really, really funny is
There was like the main book club. And then what I wasn't expecting is like when we wrapped it up, and then like a couple members like stayed on to just kind of like chat a little bit more, which was really fun. And one of them told me how she is listening to all of my podcast episodes. Yes, even the ones titled under KO Your Brand, which was the first iteration of this podcast. And if you scroll back through the episodes, you'll find those ones that are.
introduced differently. And so she's just listening to to all of them and was like, wow, it's so powerful to hear your journey like through your podcast is almost like an audiobook. Because I talk about so many of the stories that are in the book actually on this podcast at one time or another. But the other thing that she mentioned was it's amazing to witness your growth in doing the podcast. Like if you scroll
All the way back and listen to the very, very first episode I ever did. I think it's called like overcoming perfectionism or something. or if that's not the first one, that's one of the first ones. The energy is different. And I never thought it would be necessarily hard to record a podcast. I will say the act of recording a podcast to me is far more challenging than I actually thought it was going to be.
And I'm not entirely sure why that is. I think, well, I shouldn't say that. I know why that is. Like for me, it's a couple different things. Speaking is an energy drain for me. regardless of how much speaking I actually do, like it takes a lot out of me to sit here and talk to you for an hour.
Okay, so most of my episodes are maybe more like between 30 and 40 minutes. But like, you know, I I mean today it's Saturday, for example. I I have to I was debating whether or not I was gonna say this on the podcast because I'm like, at what point is this too much information? But I'm assuming most of the people that listen to this podcast are women and it's only right if we acknowledge some of the unique experiences that women have that actually make things fucking hard sometimes. so
For those of you who are women, you'll understand this entirely when I say I just had a 37-day cycle. Yeah, my period was almost what's the math on that? Like 10 days late. There was not ever a moment when I actually thought that like I might be with child or anything crazy. I just think over the last month of like.
Planning big brand energy, doing big brand energy, navigating my business, and also like syncing up to a new rhythm of life has felt different. I feel different. And I think my body certainly felt that. there also was a round of golf that I played on about, I want to say that was like day 29 of my cycle. And I actually thought I was gonna get my period that day.
And then I played this round of golf that just about killed me. Shout out Ashley if you listen to this podcast. What the fuck was that? walkable golf course, not really. We were hiking and my body I think went into shock after playing this round of golf that was just so hard on my body. Not really because of the golf part, but because of like the hills and walking that course.
And so part of me is like, is that what delayed my period? Or was it, you know, that plus then like I played another round of golf like a couple days after that. And then I went to obviously my favorite band ever, the Arkells. I went to their concert. And like, if you know me, you know, if I'm at a concert, I'm in the floor, on the floor. I want to get pushed around a little bit. I mean, I was raised by a rock and roll dad. So like that lives inside of me. But anyways, you guys, so in this
Book club, we're talking about how how this podcast has evolved. And in the book club, one of the conversations that came up, which is kind of what I want to talk about today, is this concept of like taking really big risks. Because one of my clients, who is also in the book club, who is newer to her entrepreneurial journey, she had posed a question around like,
All of these like leaps and things that you do, Katrina, feel like big leap and big risks. And how do you really like do that when there's no proof waiting on the other side? And it's such a good question because today, earlier this morning, I was sitting on my couch and I was completing some questions for an interview that I'm doing for a publication. And
One of the themes that was coming up for me as I completed the questions were actually all around this concept of like big risks and leaps and just saying yes. And I wanted to just dive into this a little bit more because I think at this point it probably looks like from the outside that maybe I am a risk taker. And I think I am in this moment, but
I take risks in a very, very calculated way. and I just want to let you in on the behind the scenes a little bit because if you're someone who maybe has to take a risk or is thinking about taking a risk, this may help you look at that a little bit differently. Because I mean, I I truly believe that in business ownership, at one point or another, something is going to ask you to take a risk.
Something at some point is going to require you to do something, to make a choice, to make a decision without knowing what's on the other side. And I think that's why entrepreneurship is this really, really special journey, where quite honestly, not everybody succeeds. I think it's because people either get scared of the risk or they take too much of a risk and it doesn't always work out.
But I think getting comfortable with that is part of this journey. And if you can get really good at taking a calculated risk, I always think that the payoff can be so, so great as I've experienced. But the behind the scenes is really hard. So as I was completing this interview, one of the questions that came up was like, what are some of the defining moments of your career? So I really
There's really just two, two really, really big ones. So the very first one was when I graduated university, I went to McMaster University, shout out in Hamilton, Ontario. Home of the R Kells. Okay. Also home of Katrina Owens. Fuck. One day, you guys, when I am a famous Canadian singer, there's gonna be all this like random content of me floating around on the internet talking about opening for the R. Kells and how much I love them. And like it's gonna be epic.
And then we're gonna have to like put that into the documentary, I think. But I digress. That's a that's a risk that I think we'll talk about in a little bit because I think my singing career probably fits into this journey somehow. But when I graduated university, like any good graduate does, I knew I had to get a job. So I
just started applying to jobs like across Canada. I really wanted to work in the sports industry. So basically any entry level marketing job in the sports industry, I was the gal applying for those. So I applied for jobs in the golf industry. I mean, I was interviewing with like teams in the CFL, which is the Canadian Football League for all my your international friends. I actually interviewed for a job with Hockey Alberta, which is like a
A branch of Hockey Canada. and I honestly thought I would think I was gonna get that job, but I got my job with the PGA. they offered it to me first. So I just took whatever the first thing that came to me was. And honestly, the job, so the job with the PGA is what I eventually got. And I was like, never been to Vancouver before, but sounds like a fabulous place to live.
And the Hockey Alberta job was based in Red Deer, Alberta. And I think my life would have turned out very, very differently had I moved to Red Deer when I graduated at the age of 21, as opposed to Vancouver. So just know like your path, whatever the path you are walking, like it is meant to be. But, anyways, I got that job. I did not know anybody in Vancouver, the only
People that I knew when I said yes to that job were my like new co-workers at the PGA. So I took that job, I said yes to it, and moved across the country like days after I completed my last exam. And that was like a really defining moment for me, because I mean I had never lived that far from my family before. I moved out when I was 18, but I simply just moved to Hamilton to go to school. So I was still like an hour away from my parents.
But moving across the country really required me to be a grown-up really, really fast because I could no longer like call my dad when my car needed an oil change. Or like if I got sick, I had to figure out how to take care of myself. And so that really was like the first big risk I ever took was just saying, okay, I'm gonna start a brand new chapter.
I'm gonna move across the country. I have no idea like if this job is even gonna work out, if I'm gonna like it, if I'm gonna like Vancouver. I did not know any of those things, but I knew if I wanted to change my life and dramatically change my life, it was going to require a really big risk. And I mean, here I am, I still live in the Vancouver area 11 years later. So I guess we can all say that it worked out in the exact way that it was supposed to.
What if the story you've lived is actually the strategy your business has been missing? This August, the six-figure personal brand officially launches to the public. Inside, you'll learn how to turn your expertise, experiences, and personal story into a business that creates more visibility, more opportunities, and more momentum, all without needing millions of followers or an expensive PR agency. Whether you're building a business, growing your credibility, or ready to become the go-to expert in your industry,
This book will show you how to build a personal brand that gets you paid for being yourself. The wait list is officially open, so don't wait until launch day. Head to KatrinaOwens.com/slash book and join the wait list today. The second defining career moment for me was leaving my corporate job to become an entrepreneur. And you guys know that story. I mean, it's in these episodes, how I really abruptly left my job.
If you want to know like the that actual story, it's also in the book, the six figure personal brand. And so I think it's probably time we start linking to that in that page in the show notes. so you can grab the six-figure personal brand. When this episode comes out, we'll just be a few weeks from launch. So you can get on the wait list for that. But in that book, I actually detail the exact thing that happened when I left my job really abruptly. And
You'll see through reading this book that, like, yes, that was a big risk. I had no idea what was waiting on the other side. But again, I knew that if I wanted to dramatically change my life, I had to do something dramatically different that time. And I did. And I can confidently say, I mean, entrepreneurship has been the fucking greatest gift I have ever given myself. My life is.
Forever changed because of this new path I decided to take. And that's the thing about big risks. They change your life in ways that you don't even know. They change your life in ways that you don't even know and you will never really be prepared for. And I guess that's the really hard part about doing that. But obviously, in this journey, you know, those might be the two like defining moments, but.
In between, there were much smaller leaps that might look big to people on the on the outside, but really it's the small things that like continuously add up to build confidence, like day over day, week over week, month over month. And someone said something really interesting to me in the book club the other day, which was around this topic of confidence, because I think people
rightfully assume that I'm a really confident person. I am. I am confident. in the Living Imbalance space, which is the mentorship program I've been in for the last three years. we have what's called a purpose statement. that's not really something I share with like the outside world, but like I'll just say like the purpose statement inside Living in Balance like includes a couple different words that basically define our life's purpose for us. So my life's purpose
has the word confidence, confident in it twice. So confident is something that I am. I would argue and say it's not something that I have always been, although someone maybe suggested to me in the book club that perhaps that part of me was just not at the forefront during my corporate career, which could also be true because I really
At the height of my corporate career, like in the weeks leading up to me leaving, I had this realization about how low my self-esteem and my confidence was. I'll tell I'll share this story. I know I've shared it on the podcast before, but frick, I've been doing this for almost a year now. So some of you may not know this story, and it's it's a really powerful one. So about a week or two before I abruptly left my corporate job.
Gabriel and I were like away for the weekend in the Okanagan. We had like stayed at this cabin about a four and a half hour drive away. We brought the dogs. It was like a little staycation for ourselves. after working really hard over the summer, it was the summer that we bought our house. So we had just spent a lot of time moving and we were like, we just need to like get away and like have a proper summer. So we went away for a weekend.
And on that drive home from the Okanagan is when Gabriel planted the seed of entrepreneurship like in my brain. I never dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur before that. I never thought that it was something that I could be, but he was an entrepreneur by then. And he had just kind of offered up to me like, hey, this is something you could do too. And he was approaching it from a place of like wealth building, honestly, because I was in this.
Era of trying to negotiate for a higher corporate salary and all of that. But, anyways, in that car ride home, he was talking about a woman that he went to university with years ago because Gabriel's not that young anymore. And he was telling me about this woman who has a marketing company and she was just on a billboard in Times Square. And he said that to me as a way to be like,
Look at all the things that you could do. You could be on a billboard in Times Square. But my confidence and my self esteem was so low that I did not receive that that way. When he said that to me, I immediately was like, Well, I could never be on a billboard in Times Square. Like, what would I be on a billboard for? And then I heard myself react that way and I like fully cried because it was that moment that I realized just how.
Little self-esteem and confidence I actually had in myself and my ability to like do bigger things. And so that story alone should tell you so much about my journey. because really that's where I was not that long ago. And I mean, now I've been on the billboard in Times Square and I will be on one again very soon, I'm sure. And that really is the result of like taking a risk without really knowing.
what's on the other side. And one of the things that I tell all of my clients is that we build confidence through doing. So a lot of people will like wait to use PR because they think that they've got to have some like secret thing figured out before they start going on podcasts or before they like pitch themselves to be featured in the media. But all of those which I would call like smaller leaps and risks, because obviously they are uncomfortable things for some people.
All of those small things are actually what build your confidence to do the big things. And I'm learning this firsthand right now through singing. So I keep saying I gotta do a whole like podcast episode about my singing journey, but I'm not even sure that would be that interesting. But I think what I'll just talk a little bit about it now because I think it's probably made its way into some of these episodes organically. But if you don't know, I started taking singing lessons last October.
it was actually on the like big brand energy stage last October that I s announced to everybody that, you know, I am starting to take singing lessons. I really want to sing on a stage. And obviously that dream has gotten really, really big since October because I think when I said I would was gonna sing on a stage, when I made that claim last October, I don't think I meant like a stage with the R. Kells or a stage like.
At a concert, I probably just meant like maybe a stage in front of family and friends, like maybe at my wedding. I don't know. Gabriel and I have to sing at our wedding. He is like also a singer, and I just think that would be really, really cute. but anyways, I started taking singing lessons last October, and I was at my lesson last night, and my coach and I were just reflecting on this, but we're talking about how far I've I've come.
And I was like, yeah, like I like could not even sing in front of you. Like that was my biggest block when I decided to start taking singing lessons back then. And it was through the process of showing up week over week that I started to get more confident in my singing voice. And the thing about singing is the only way you get better, actually, this is like anything, is by doing.
And so for me, I have to sing out loud and be bad and try and make weird noises and not like it. I have to do that to be able to become a better singer. And so there's so there's this act of like dropping the ego fully. Like the ego has to be so fully on the floor for you to actually become a great singer. And in this journey, I mean, those of you that are listening to this and follow me on Instagram, you'll know I've started to.
share my singing lessons on Instagram. And that is something a previous version of me would think I'm clinically insane for because sharing these very unedited, unfiltered, like what I do is when I get to my singing lesson, I have a little tripod in my bag. I just put my phone in the corner. And so it's not like I'm recording specific parts of the lesson. I literally am just setting up my phone and then
Letting it kind of capture me, I guess, reality TV star style. And that has been really, really fun for me because it actually captures me and my lesson. Like I'm not performing for the camera. I'm not trying to sing for the camera. Like the camera is just watching me take my lesson. And why I wanted to share this content on social media was because I think it shows this act of becoming, because I think.
For me, I have built this personal brand on showing people what's possible for themselves by like taking people along on the journey. That is like building in public is, I guess, the technical term or what people call it on the internet. Building in public is the only way I know how to build a personal brand. It's literally processing, talking, and showing people that this is how I'm doing it. And that's why I have that in the book.
That's why the book is written because I wanted people to know that journey up until a certain point. And that's why this podcast is amazing too, because it really takes you behind the scenes and all the intricacies. And so sharing those singing lessons is really me sh showing you, I did not just go from never singing to a year or two later singing on stage, maybe having a a couple singles, maybe those singles like take off and maybe people use them.
On Instagram and TikTok or listen to them on the radio. I mean, thank God for Can Con laws, because if I can like get a good single out there, you know that shit's gonna be played everywhere. The power of being Canadian. but I wanted people to know when I inevitably do have a singing career, I want people to know that I didn't just like have this secret talent or
this like secret journey. Like I want people to know, she worked on that every single week. She showed up, she was her truest, most most authentic, vulnerable self through that process. And I think that's what makes the leaps look not so big. Because obviously if I just went from like business owner to like Canadian
indie rock music icon in a span of two years, that probably looks like overnight success. That probably looks like a really big leap. But it's showing and telling you guys this journey that actually like gives you all of the little building blocks along the way. So that hopefully for you you actually start to to see that the leaps aren't so big after all. That what might look like a big leap is actually like more like dozens of really small baby steps.
What a beautiful metaphor. But it's true. everything that I have done, even though it looks big and sparkly now, has been a series of small baby steps. Like, look at my events. My very first one was 30 people, a $2,500 budget. And then I did my next one, which was like somewhere between 60 to 70 people, and it was a $10,000 budget.
And then I just did this last one, which was a $25,000 budget with 100 people. And now Big Brand Energy 2027, I'm I'm hoping for 150 people and probably a $100,000 budget. Those look like big leaps to the outside world or people who might not follow my journey so closely. But I think if you've been listening to this podcast long enough, if you read my content, if you read my book, you're going to see that.
I've always tried to take risks in a way that just simply build up my capacity to do so. Even sharing my singing lessons online. you know, I I took people on that journey. And my very first kind of like singing lessons shares, like I would actually, I only did this a couple of times because I'm like, people are gonna get sick of this. I
Posted a couple videos of me singing, like on Instagram stories and stuff, but I removed the sound. So people could see that I was in fact singing, but you couldn't hear anything. The power of B-roll. But eventually I was like, well, this actually isn't that fun for me. Now I want people to like hear me, and not because I'm trying to like fish for compliments, because to be honest, I'm not at a stage where I think my singing voice like warrants like.
Compliments. I mean, I'm not that bad today. So, Gabriel, I don't sing in front of Gabriel, by the way. I'm not ready, ready for that yet. But last night I asked him, I'm like, hey, do you listen to my singing videos when I post them on Instagram? And he said no. And I was fine with that. But then today, so I posted one on my Instagram story today from my lesson last night, and he liked it. And so I'm like,
Did you watch my singing video? And he was like, Yeah, like I have some thoughts. Do you want to know them? And I said, No. They said, I don't, because right now I know I'm not like Ariana Grande. Okay. Like, I know you guys. and that's besides the point. I don't share my content as like a, hey, look at me, look at how amazing I am. It's a look at me, I'm doing it.
I am doing the thing that I want to do. I'm doing the thing that I said I really wanted to do. And I'm willing to be a beginner to see what fabulous results are waiting on the other side of me just being willing to show up and do the thing. So that really is the secret sauce, you guys. It's taking the small baby steps every week, every day.
That's what creates the big leaps that the outside world sees. That's what creates those milestone moments. But I think each and every one of us who does this work knows that like the big leaps, the big successes.
They actually don't feel like such big leaps for us because of all the really small, like muscle building things we've done in between. So, but that's the share. And I hope, you know, summer is this really amazing time. I mean, it's like Saturday today and I had all my I mean, I'm freshly spray tanned, ready for like a gorgeous, like cute little summer. And the weather
here has been questionable, questionable summer weather at best, but I I really feel like the truest form of myself in the summer. And I think knowing that July and August are a time where people do take summer vacation, where maybe we can slow down to enjoy the weather and all of that a little bit more. I'm really trying to be in that place. And the last like week or so
in business has been a bit slow and a previous version of me would have absolutely panicked about that because I would take slow as in maybe something's not working. and I'd maybe question some of my my big risks and my big leaps. But I now know that like these slower moments, they really, really are just preparing me for the next
bigger thing that's around the corner because my goodness when I look at all of the things we are working on behind the scenes at Katrina Owens Media, when I look at even just the book launch or all of these things that are happening in the fall, I've got to be on my game and ready. And sitting around trying to overwork or question the how.
That's not going to get me any closer to my goal. The things that get me closer to my goals are trusting myself and taking the very intentional actions that I know move the needle forward. I no longer spend my weekends just like trying to decide, like, okay, what's the next strategy here? I know what the strategy is, as do you.
If you've been building your personal brand or your bit or your business and have already seen success doing so, you know what the next needle moving thing is for you. It's just a matter of acting on it. Maybe that action is an investment into a coach, a program, an event. Maybe that action is just carving out the time to do the work. Whatever it is, I think you already know what is going to help you take that big leap. It's just a matter of.
Are you going to do all of the very, very small steps in between that will help you get there? So with that, thank you so much for tuning in, you guys. If you like this episode, please, it would absolutely mean the world to me if you give gave it a five five-star rating and review on Apple or Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Really helps people who need this message also find the show. You can follow me at Katrina Owens PR on Instagram. You can follow the show at getfame ready on Instagram.
And with that, I'll see y'all next week, okay? One of the things I've learned over the years is that extraordinary things happen when ambitious women get in the same room. Not because someone gives them a magic strategy, but because they're reminded of what's possible. And that's exactly why I created Big Brand Energy Live. It's the room where women come to think bigger, dream bigger, and finally give themselves permission to pursue the goals they've been quietly carrying around for years.
Since attending Big Brand Energy 2026, women from our community have launched sold-out retreats, secured brand partnerships, landed international speaking engagements, started their own communities, hosted events, written books, the list goes on. They've all pursued opportunities that they once believed were out of reach. And not because the event changed their lives, but because it reminded them that they were capable of changing their own.
Big Brand Energy Live returns in 2027 as a two-day experience in Metro Vancouver, Canada, and is designed to help you expand your vision and take action on it. Right now, the summer presale tickets are available at 50% off regular price with flexible payment plans available too. If you're ready to spend two days in a room where anything feels possible, I'd love for you to join us. Visit the show notes to grab your presale ticket and I cannot wait to see you there.
