About
About
You want to do big things with your time on earth.
You have a vibrant vision for your life, and doing meaningful work that lights you up is a key element to feeling fulfilled.
You’re already doing work you love in some capacity, and while the work is satisfying, the ups and downs of business might just be the death of you.
You’re exhausted by trying to make all of the decisions alone and you find yourself doubting your next steps. You’re constantly wondering how you’ll actually get to where you want to go.
Hi, I’m Katie!
I'm a coach for leaders and creatives who want to make more of an impact with the work they do but they're tired of feeling so alone in the process.
They know there's huge potential for their business (or project, organization, mission) but they get stuck overthinking things and doubting their next moves.
I help them clarify their vision and message, overcome their fears, and create a plan so they can become more confident leaders and do more of the work they love with success and ease.
For those of you who want the whole story:
My Story: The Early Days
I took some time getting into business, taking detours of the best kind in outdoor education and social work first. Somewhere along the way, I decided to take a risk at a new start-up, joining the founder as the first employee. In classic start-up fashion, I did everything from making sales to shipping orders; from attending tradeshows to scrubbing toilets.
It was a wild ride, but I loved the pace and excitement that came with launching and growing a new business. I found my stride in the marketing and design department however, in hindsight, I realize that what I loved most about this experience was helping my boss take her idea from dream to reality. Some of the actual work wasn’t that glamorous, but I fully bought into supporting her vision.
Over the next several years, I worked with a range of companies, from brick-and-mortar retailers to digital product businesses, and gained tons of valuable experience. I loved coming on board, troubleshooting issues, developing marketing strategies, and giving the brand some “spit and polish” so they could let their business shine.
However, once things were rolling, I lost interest. My passion and strength lie in the launch stage, the makeover stage, the take-it-up-a-notch stage... I knew that I wanted to focus my efforts on creating momentum and maximizing a business, so it was time for me to go out on my own.
Finding The Sweet Spot
Initially, I jumped into freelance work and was hired by a wide range of clients-- from huge corporations to solopreneurs--on rebranding projects, marketing campaigns, photoshoots, and website launches and got to really hone my skills in the online and brand marketing world.
In between working with these clients, I noticed that friends and small business owners began approaching me more and more with questions about marketing themselves.
I had conversations with so many talented people--artists, coaches, designers, realtors, trainers, athletes--that were doing their thing on the side who I knew could make more of their passions and talents if they put themselves out there, but they needed help getting started.
And I wanted to be that person to help.
Going Big, Er, Small…
Granted, at first, it sounded crazy. Why not keep working for big companies with big budgets? Why choose to work with small companies or individuals who often say they “can’t afford” to hire help?
It may sound like a bad business decision, but I just knew that I wanted to help “the little guy.” And as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I realized I was willing to risk it.
I knew that just doing work that would help some Fortune 500 company improve their fourth quarter earnings would NEVER light me up the way helping an individual or small company would. I knew that in the long run I wanted to be known for helping others bring their genius into the spotlight…that seemed like time well spent to me.
Since I had plenty of experience in marketing and branding businesses, the next step was to round out my skill set even further. To be able to help small business owners with building confidence to take the actions they needed to take, I signed up for coaching training.
This was the game-changer I’d been waiting for!
Coaching was the difference between just giving my clients a solid strategy for growth, and actually making it feel good, doable, and like it was in alignment with their values. Helping them overcome fear, create a clear vision for their business, and then execute it was like lightning in a bottle.
I decided to dedicate my work to helping small companies and individuals launch their dream business and to put themselves out there in a way that feels true to them, and helps their talents shine.
Like a Makeover for Your Inner Business Leader.
Now, I get to spend my days working with people who inspire me. I’m a natural-born fixer-upper, so helping talented people overhaul their vision for what’s possible, improve their mindset, implement solid strategies, and build traction in their business is super rewarding to me. Not only that, but those clients feel confident about their next steps to attract customers and sell with ease so they can do great work and enjoy the flexible lifestyle they crave.
What else?
As if this page weren’t long enough, here are a few other tid-bits to know:
I overinflated my resume years ago to land a job as a raft guide. The first season was brutal and I think I tried to row upstream at least 50% of the time, but eventually, I got the hang of it.
My best work often comes from sitting in the window seat of a plane, even when my knees are being smushed.
Scott, my husband, frequently takes advantage of my tendency to be very easily surprised. There are many coffee and wine stains on our carpet from me spilling beverages due to his antics.
My 21st birthday ended in a Bangkok hospital after a minor bar fight. I swear I didn’t start it. ;-)
The name “Crowheart Creative” comes from my hometown of Crowheart, Wyoming. Population, 300.
If you come to my house for a dinner party, I’ll probably strong arm you into playing charades…and you’ll like it!
I believe that hiking up a trail or floating in saltwater will cure just about anything that ails you.
My happy places with my happy people (Scott on Flathead Lake, and my sister Annalee in the Wind River Mountains):
Interviews
Interviews
Leadership Wyoming: The 22 Minute Walk Challenge
The Hidden Homes Show
When I’m In Charge, That’ll Be Different: Lessons from the River
The Indie Show: Relationship Marketing
Client Love
Client Love
“I got more value from talking to Katie for one hour on the phone than I have reading back to back business books for a whole year. I needed clarity and she was able to dive deep into my insecurities and helped me find ways to showcase my true personality through my business. She exceeded my expectations and I would recommend her to anyone needing an extra push to bring their business to the next level!”
“The biggest result (and also the Granddaddy Gatekeeper to all of the other stuff) is the work we did on fear based thinking and working through it. Other results have been feeling way more organized and confident in sending regular emails, posting to social media and product photography. My email subscribers and followers are consistently on the rise as are sales.
I now have a clearer understanding of my bigger vision and how cultivating the small puzzle pieces will bring the fruit. Also, learning how to plan well in advance for events, promos and product releases. Setting healthy boundaries and setting up canned email responses save me so much time and frustration. Oh yeah, and hiring my first employee!
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what sort of impact the coaching would have on my business but I was excited to find out. 3 months later, I’ve already paid for the coaching a few times over with the systems we put in place, hiring help and being way more in control of financial goals. I feel like I’m finally in the drivers seat of this crazy train, which is priceless. And I’ll most likely end up with less wrinkles.”
“The biggest result and most important to me is my confidence. I was afraid to do SO MUCH when we first started. Now, I feel more confident in my work, in my ability to get my business where I want it to be and to face hard things. I’ve also had achievements financially and I attended a major trade show that I would probably keep putting off if not for my time with you. That trade show also got me a licensing deal. There’s still a lot of work to be done there but without that push I wouldn’t have done that either, but I made a lot of progress in a short amount of time.
I would recommend your services to anyone who has this thing they want to do but it seems to big or to hard or like they aren’t sure how. You’re truly invested in the success of your clients and if the client wants to do the work there’s a lot to be gained.”
“I was just a beginner and needed a ton of help with every aspect of my business. She helped me from the ground up to where I feel confident with the first phase of all aspects of my business, including marketing through social media, Facebook content, personal branding, website development, etc. she even supported me emotionally when I was feeling overwhelmed and defeated. She kept me on track by pushing me when I needed it. This was one of the most valuable investments I’ve made for my business. I highly recommend her coaching services for anyone struggling with their business or just needing more guidance, support and accountability.”
“Katie has been an amazing sounding board for ideas and strategy through planning our launch. She has asked the hard questions I need to consider but also been a voice of encouragement and enthusiasm. She also just has a great understanding of mountain towns and how small businesses can thrive there. She’s an invaluable resource.”
“I’m in awe of the service you provide. I am bursting with gratitude for the amazing opportunity I had to work with you for twelve weeks! I honestly can’t thank you enough for building me up and giving me space to grow.”
“I can’t recommend Katie’s ‘SFSM’ more highly. I feel like she unclogged my brain. She helped me see all these ways I was making it way too hard on myself, so I’m coming out with more ideas for posts, many of which are easier, and they feel more authentic than what I had done before. I also learned some new (and pretty important!) aspects about platforms I thought I know well - phew! Katie listened to me & created a plan that was so thoughtfully crafted around what I needed, and even what I’ll need in the future. ”
“I would recommend Katie to other coaches and to anyone who needs guidance with their business. She is professional, compassionate, understanding, and a great guide! She always seemed to have compassion, and perfect guidance for wherever I was that day. I’ve gained new clients, new ideas, and new perspective on hard things. ”
“I have moved through some big self-doubt obstacles, with much support from you. I have more belief in myself and in the value of the work I am doing—how important and amazing it is. My copy and branding feels much more clear and clean and in alignment. You really helped me learn how to simplify my words, as well as be more approachable and interact even more from a place of service and “how can I help”, which feels really good. I added two very appropriate offers/programs since our work together began, and it felt weirdly easy to do so with your help. It felt amazing to have someone on my team. I’d felt alone in this for a while. The team spirit lifted me!”