Hello beautiful people and happy Wednesday! As I wrap up the final weeks of The Next Right Step Program, I am extremely excited to share with you this week on the podcast an incredible conversation that I had with someone who has greatly inspired me in my entrepreneurial journey, Kat Gaskin of @thecontentplanner, an IRL planner that you can get to plan your social media content as business owner. Kat has helped thousands of people around the world to expand their business and has empowered womxn business owners everywhere. In this episode:
[8:08] - Kat talks about a time in her life when she was running a freelance business and the lessons she learned. Kat shares where her idea for a product-based business came from, and the first steps she took to make it happen. Kat also shares:
- Her experience after quitting her corporate job, and how she transitioned into being a freelance graphic designer and content creation, to finally building her brand and starting @thecontentplanner
- Kat shares advice for those wondering what they want to do with their lives in terms of work, and how they can align their work with the lifestyle that they want.
[12:57] - I ask Kat what her experience was like going through adversity, facing divorce during a critical time in her life. Kat tells us how that adversity was a catalyst for her to do the work to heal herself and set out to live the life that she wanted to live
- Kat also shares with us what kicked off the dream trip of her lifetime, and her experience designing and creating the content planner business while living in Australia
- Kat tells us about her experience coping with the loss of a co-founder following the first year of @thecontentplanner, and how she was able to learn and grow from that experience. Kat shares how she gave herself the choice to own her authentic identity and put it out into the world.
[17:35] - Kat shares what the past few years have been like as she has been building the content planner community and what she has done to show up for her community during these tumultuous times
- I ask Kat how she was able to pivot her business during these hard times in a pandemic, and the advice she has for business owners that might be going through a hard time
- Kat tells us what inspired her to take on a leadership role in her community and assume the role of community leader
- Kat shares what she has learned from her experience as a business owner in the past several years and how it built up her resiliency
[23:35] I ask Kat to share her experience defining her company mission and values, and her advice for people coming through these hard times in a pandemic. Kat and Komal also discuss:
- Tips to check in mentally with yourself such as journaling
- Why asking for help and leaning on one another is so important right now
- What it means to build the communities we need as women of colour creating online businesses and the need for diversity and inclusion
[31:00] - Kat shares with us what she sees for herself in this next chapter in life using her voice and aligning her business with her values, and why you should do it too. Kat also shares some great advice on how you can use your content and platform for social change. We also discuss:
- What it means to become unapologetic about yourself, your story and your capabilities.
- Why you should ask yourself about who you are beyond your personality traits and focus in on your values, what you stand for and what you will not tolerate
- Kat shares what her experience standing up for what she believes in has been like and how it has allowed her to align her business and values with people that care for the same things as well
[36:29] - Kat and I discuss having the shared experience of building the communities we need in spaces where there is a lack of diversity and inclusion as well as:
- What seed was planted for Kat and I after having experienced feeling ‘othered’ in the past in certain spaces, and how it has inspired us to align our business with our identities and make a conscious effort to root diversity and inclusion into our everyday lives
[43:52] - Finally, Kat shares what she sees in this next chapter of her life building what it is that she wants to see in the world and how you can stay in touch with her community and her work.
“Not only does your voice matter, but you also have to use it. And how you use it is through your content. You have to use your platform for social change and to promote your businesses and to talk about your successes and celebrate your wins. Don’t quiet yourself anymore. I did that, and now that I stopped quieting myself I feel much closer to the real me, the true meaning of who I am as a woman of color, as a woman business owner, and as an entrepreneur.” - Kat Gaskin
I hope that this conversation inspires you to embrace your unique and beautiful identity, and align your work with the lifestyle and values that you want to uphold. And I can’t wait to return and record some brand new episodes for you once The Next Right Step’s first cohort graduates after this week!
Until next time,
Komal.