Advisor, Educator, and Writer Challenging Conventional Ideas of Business
I believe that putting our humanity at the centre of our business practice is vital for truly sustainable growth.
Rather than choose what’s shiny on paper (often short-term gains), I’ve always been willing to put in the work—sometimes two steps forward, one step back—to build something meaningful over a decade.
In my case, this aligned progress has created a career that honours my health, interests, and capacity.
No surprise then that I’ve been drawn to business owners with their own convictions that there has to be a better, more human way to do business. People who are willing to forgo the expected path, or walk away from it, to pursue their own definitions of success.
MY PERSONAL ETHOS
We can be more than one thing. The overlaps are where the good stuff lives.
Staying curious about business opens new paths.
I’ve been interested in businesses since I was a kid, helping in my stepfather’s cabinetry company from the age of 10. I followed my curiosity through business school, going on to co-manage a successful sewing studio and support start-ups with marketing and finance know-how.
My credentials include a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and a graduate certificate in Financial Planning from George Brown College. I’m a Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) and a certified Trauma of Money facilitator.
I thrive on variety and the cross-pollination of ideas—what different and intersecting perspectives can teach us about growth and change. We can learn a lot about business from looking outside of the usual disciplines to psychology, architecture, design, systems thinking, and the world’s older spiritual traditions.
And I'm always exploring new ways to open out unconventional approaches to personal and business growth—ask me about the latest book I’m reading!
My Values
Compassion
To honour the fullness of our humanity.
Authenticity
To work with, not against ourselves.
To choose and take responsibility for those choices.
Courage
To go our own way and live from our values.
Freedom
Reverence
To see our work as an honour—something we get to do.
Play
To know it’s all an experiment and hold it all loosely.
Our humanity is not separate from our work.
I’m the person you meet at a party and end up asking for work advice. I love that people feel comfortable sharing, because I know how isolating it is to be alone in things. Everyone, no matter how successful they seem, wrestles with the human side of business.
Most furniture, prints, and coffee cups in our home have been made by people I can name. My business is intentionally handcrafted too—the icons illustrating my values were papercut by designer Amy Borkwood of Together Studio.
I likely made what I’m wearing when I meet with you. The knit sweater I wore to speak at a client conference is one of my proudest makes (I finally nailed German short rows!).
I love that I get to learn and grow alongside my clients. It’s what keeps me deeply engaged with my work. I go on annual solo creative retreats (Montreal and New York are my favourite locations!) and have dedicated days for strategy or simply to think and make.
The business books I read are filled with my highlights and notes that push against the idea of one-size-fits-all advice.
Even as a kid I would rewrite library books about dolphins, cats, or craft, presenting the parts I thought people would find most interesting.
Funnily enough, that’s what I do now—endeavour to offer a more engaging, human view on things that ordinarily only get talked about in conventional ways.
Meaningful results come from wise, aligned action.
71% of my advising clients have chosen to work with me for over two years. That I’m their trusted partner through many seasons of growth is a huge point of pride for me.
2 of my small business clients have seen 3x revenue growth in 2 years, going from $60k to $200k+, with me alongside to help steer them in the direction they want to go.
~30% percent of my working hours spent on a porch swing this summer—I love getting as much fresh air as I can!
24 months in a row that I’ve paid myself a consistent salary and contributed to my investment accounts. Even as an entrepreneur, I value financial stability and truly enjoy the act of paying myself and managing my own investments.
100% of all commitments delivered on, despite the very best attempts of my cat Howie to distract me!
Multiple clients say I'm their favourite business spending. I help you use resources wisely, and that includes maximising the value I bring.
KIND WORDS FROM CLIENTS
“If you need direction, you need Kate.”
“The fact that we have you in this is the reason we’re able to do this. Period. I’m so glad we gave ourselves the gift of Kate.”
My Dream Projects
A seasonal menu of the work I’d be especially excited to do right now:
Hire me to develop and run a six-week training on Sustainable Business Design for a group of industry professionals (therapists, accountants, architects, or a group of craftspeople). I’ll offer my leading-edge non-traditional view on the basics.
Invite me to host a short-form interview podcast. I love talking to people about their work and I know how to get the best from the conversation.
Book me as your in-house advisor for your purpose-driven organization for mix of group facilitation, one-to-one work, leadership development, and strategic growth advising to help you shape your next chapter as a company.
Publish my tiny book idea. I’m writing my philosophy of business to share it with a wider audience, as a pocketbook or card deck of prompts for small business owners—a beautiful, usable resource people will want to keep referencing to open up new possibilities of thinking about business. Are you a publisher, funder, or design/print studio who’d love to help me make this happen? Contact me.
Let’s start something today.
Newsletter
Bi-weekly prompts for building a business, with humanity at heart.
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