Katrina Purcell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Katrina, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m being called to aggressively scale my personal thought leadership—to transition from being a fractional expert to a recognized industry voice.
When we launched the Managed Chaos podcast a little over a year ago, the fear of broad exposure, negative feedback, disagreement, or simply adding ‘another voice’ to a crowded LinkedIn feed was real. I was hesitant to put my unvarnished opinions and strategic guidance out there. But as the founder of a growth operations consultancy who held an MBA from a top university, I realized that avoiding this battle was an act of operational bottlenecking. If my mission is to democratize access to the strategic guidance and tailored solutions that enable seed to Series C tech startups and nonprofits to achieve ambitious growth, then I cannot be the gatekeeper to that knowledge.
The new call is to treat my content creation as a core growth operation for Katrina Purcell LLC: I need to consistently put my highest-value perspectives on operations, change management, and growth challenges out into the world. The fear hasn’t vanished, but the professional mandate to deliver tangible results and unlock my clients’ full potential is now the louder voice.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Katrina Purcell, founder of a growth operations consultancy that empowers tech startups and nonprofits to optimize their operations and achieve ambitious growth. My background is rooted in translating strategy into tangible results, stemming from senior operational and strategic roles like Head of Global PMO and Chief of Staff across multiple organizations.
The core of my work is helping leaders navigate the messy reality of building a business. This focus on practical guidance is why I am the Host of the Managed Chaos podcast. The podcast is a direct extension of my firm’s mission to democratize access to strategic advice. I provide accessible, action-oriented, and often humorous advice for startup founders and leaders. Whether through the consultancy or the podcast, I deliver the strategic guidance and tailored solutions that turn ambitious growth goals into predictable, sustainable results.
Right now we are working on season three of the podcast to bring more guests and broader information to our listeners.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
The thing I believed about myself as a child and honestly, well into my corporate career was that I had to be perfect. I had to have the perfect plan, the perfect execution, and a flawless outcome every single time. It was the mindset of a high-achieving student and an executive in a major corporation, where an error felt like a massive risk to my career trajectory.
That belief in perfection is the exact thing I no longer believe as the founder of a growth operations consultancy. Over time I realized perfection is the enemy of progress and growth. Startups don’t operate in a vacuum of ideal conditions; they operate in chaos. If you wait for the perfect moment or the perfect process, you will miss the window of opportunity to scale. My job now is to empower businesses to optimize their operations and deliver tangible results. That means trading the fear of failure and the pursuit of flawless execution for an action-oriented mindset. We have to build processes that are practical and adaptable—not perfect. We embrace the messy realities of building a business because that is what it takes to achieve ambitious growth.
Now, the mantra I operate under is progress over perfection. It’s about accepting the chaos and implementing systems to direct it, not eliminate it.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Stop trying to build a perfect life and career on paper. The most valuable thing you will ever build is your jungle gym of experience across your career and life.
All those diverse roles, from technical advisor to Chief of Staff, from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, they aren’t deviations; they are the handholds and ladders that give you a unique, 360-degree view of an entire business. You don’t need a single, polished ladder to climb. You need the ability to swing, pivot, and navigate complexity.
Embrace the messy reality of the journey. The ‘chaos’ is precisely what will eventually become the ‘managed’ system you teach others to build. You don’t need a flawless plan or the best checklist; you just need to keep moving forward with purpose. Your greatest strength lies not in perfection, but in your ability to synthesize, adapt, and drive growth amidst complexity.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Honestly, yes. The public version of me is the real me, just with a microphone. I get asked this a lot, and I think people expect a big, complex answer about a persona, but there isn’t one. The Katrina Purcell you hear hosting the Managed Chaos podcast is the same person who runs the growth operations consultancy and walks her dog in Prospect Park. I don’t have time to put on a different face, and frankly, that’s what makes the content real.
My professional life, rising through the ranks, navigating corporate operations, and founding my own firm to serve minority-led organizations is built on authenticity and realism. I left the corporate world because I wanted to solve real, messy problems for businesses that genuinely need strategic help, which is the definition of managed chaos.
The parts of my life that aren’t public—the Ironmans, the woodworking, the spoiled cats and dog in Brooklyn —those are what give me the perspective to be a relatable and down-to-earth host and consultant. They’re the fuel. In the end, I’m just an operational leader who believes in no-fluff advice and who is determined to use her expertise to help businesses thrive. That’s who you get, every time. To be completely honest the dog and cats frequently show up on LinkedIn!
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What will you regret not doing?
The one thing I know I would regret not doing is fulfilling the full potential of my company to democratize access to strategic guidance. I would regret looking back and realizing I didn’t reach or empower every minority-led organization or nonprofit that needs this level of operational expertise to thrive.
To avoid that regret, I’m focusing on two things. First, scaling my thought leadership through the Managed Chaos podcast and content. If I want to serve those who don’t have access to a fractional COO, I have to put that no-fluff startup advice and operational expertise out into the world consistently. Second, it’s about making sure our growth operations consultancy is set up to handle the volume and complexity of clients needed to maximize our impact.
The regret isn’t a passive fear; it’s a strategic driver. It pushes me to be more action-oriented and ensure that I’m delivering solutions that truly drive tangible results because achieving ambitious growth should be an option for every organization with a great mission.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katrinapurcell.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/managedchaospodcast/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ManagedChaosPodcast
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