Hi, I’m Kate. A recovering lawyer; a consigliera; and the one you want with you if you are ever stranded on a deserted island – ask me why.
Don’t know what a consigliera is? That’s a fancy way of saying advisor. People like us don’t always want to acknowledge the need for outside help, even when its coming at us fast and furious, so this will give you an out. Who’s she? Oh, that’s Kate, my consigliera…
Who are you? Well, I’ll tell you.
You’re someone intent on having a big life. You weren’t placed on earth to play small. That’s for others, bless their hearts.
There’s a reason I get you. (Hint: Think twins separated at birth.)
Now here’s the situation you currently find yourself in: You’re a bada$$ Founder, CEO or entrepreneur who has run face first into a brick wall. Ouch. Revenues have plateaued, business is moving like frozen molasses, competition is lurking, or you just want to get to the next level, the one that’s playing mind games with you. You’ve hit $1million in revenue but want to see $5, $10, $20 million. You’re deliciously ambitious that way.
Why are you stuck? Maybe you need to kick the crap out of that inevitable fear barrier. We all have one, let’s be honest. Maybe your team is a hot mess, or you need some more star power. Maybe others don’t get your big why. Maybe they’re willing to hit “❤️”, but they’re just as willing to defriend you. Oh. And you have an ego – not going to sugarcoat it, not my style —which may be getting in the way. Emphasis on the word ‘may’. And, not saying an ego is always a bad thing. But, egos come equipped with designer blind spots. You need someone outside of yourself, someone you can trust, to see what it is that you cannot.
You’ve gotten this far with grit, resilience, and confidence, so, what the hell is going on?
Cue Kate’s story.
Ego (and a crap load of hard work) got me where I am today.
I did big law. I advised hedge funds for a decade, which, by the way, ages you in dog years. Named General Counsel of a $6bn hedge fund at the age of 29. I ran a marathon in less than 4 hours (in Rome – random I know—but that’s where I picked up the word consigliera and my love of long, leisurely lunches involving vino). I had the beautiful apartment in NYC with 16 ft ceilings, the high-heeled shoes that Sex in the City made us believe we could wear.
Like most founders, I thrived on a never-ending stream of challenges--ripping them apart, analyzing risk, creating plans to optimize outcome.
But then I hit my own wall.
Nothing felt like enough. I didn’t feel like enough. And I couldn’t see what was getting in my way.
I had a lot of experience and brain power that I wasn’t using. I needed to shake sh$t up.
For someone who appreciates adrenaline and ambition, fast moves, high pressure, nothing was more attractive to me than the startup world. I wanted in on the future economy, on game-changing solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems, and on the creation of how we will all be living our lives, making money, and interacting with each other. Quite frankly, I wanted to have an impact. A big impact. How? Hmmmm….
I started at the beginning. I looked back on my career and I saw a common thread – I was always the right-hand to whoever had the power. I was the trusted advisor, making the tough calls, asking the right questions, and giving the honest answers. Clearly, a consigleira like me would be an ace in the pocket of anyone looking to take a bet big and win. (I feel like I should channel my Willy Nelson – you gotta know when to hold, know when to fold em…)
If cards are not your thing, how about a little Queen’s Gambit?
If this sounds like you, let’s do this THING together.
Female Leadership
Today, Kate works to promote greater inclusion of women in senior leadership and investment roles, to empower female-founders with game-changing ideas, and to encourage investment by women and in women! She seeks to spur change by embracing what makes women uniquely-positioned to lead, by tapping into what inspires and drives their entrepreneurial spirit, and by demonstrating what a collaborative culture can do for performance.