Meet Katie Hinderer

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Hinderer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?

The number one thing I do nearly every week that allows me to practice self-care AND benefits my business is dubbing Friday my office-free, creative day! When I first started Rosebud Social, I’d arrive to Friday burnt out and dead on my feet, but with the mentality that I needed to push through, I needed to work 5 days a week, 50+ hours, etc… But it became really clear after a year of this that the burnout wasn’t going away, nor was the feeling of being overwhelmed. One Friday, I broke and decided to go for a long hike in the middle of the day instead of tackling another thing on my to-do list. And that was the start of the best personal/business decision I’ve made to date!
Now, every Friday is my ‘creative day’. This is a chance to step away from the computer and the nitty-gritty of the business and do something that uses my creative skills and brain differently. I never take client meetings on a Friday and will only schedule a team meeting if it is absolutely mission-critical. Often, I’ll go for a long hike in the woods. Sometimes, I’ll watercolor or read a novel. I don’t spend it binge-watching Netflix or lounging in bed.
And the funny thing about this decision is that I often consider Friday my most productive day for the business. When I give myself this planned rest, I end up coming up with some fantastic ideas for our clients or finding a solution to something the team is struggling with. During these Fridays, I also play out different iterations of the business and new businesses I’ve been thinking about starting. It’s truly the best decision – and one that I encourage every business owner to implement at least one day of the week.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m Katie Hinderer, the owner of Rosebud Social Strategies, a company that provides meaningful online communications to Catholic businesses and mission-minded brands. I founded the company in 2020 as my pandemic project.
My background in a nutshell: I studied journalism at Marquette University and worked as a business reporter for several years in New York and St. Louis. Those roles never really fulfilled my creative side, so to scratch that itch, I started a lifestyle blog, which eventually turned into work as a full-time Instagram influencer. Before that, I also worked as a retail associate, a high school teacher, a personal stylist, and a communications director for a tech start-up.
While working as an influencer, I had the chance to collaborate with some amazing brands, including a year-long program with Olay, skydiving with the US Army, an 8-post series with Lee Denim, service work with Facebook and Clorox, and so much more. From those brand deals I learned a lot about creating content that engages and subtly sells – knowledge I now bring into the work that we do with our clients.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think it is really important to learn your unique, born-with skills and work on crafting them to the best of your ability. Early in my professional career, I took the Johnson O’Connor aptitude test, which helped me identify these skills better and lean into them! I suggest people take this two-day test to know themselves better and find a right-fit position.
For me, one of my best, most natural skills is spatial recognition – the ability to put puzzles and pieces together quickly. It’s a tactile skill that men tend to be better at than women – giving me a unique advantage as a woman who tested high in this area. So, it makes perfect sense that I enjoy crafting social media feeds and working in Canva to create beautiful images. I also tend to rest by doing something crafty – like learning to watercolor.
Another natural aptitude I have is ideaphoria – the ability to develop many ideas/solutions quickly. Now, as a business owner with 20+ clients and the manager of a team of 5, I use this skill the most! When we meet as a team, and someone has a question, I can develop ideas quickly to address the issue. I’m also constantly thinking of new ways to communicate our clients’ messages.
Another of my strengths, which is also a weakness at times, is the ability to quickly read a room and adapt my behavior to what the person/people need. This especially comes in handy when on a Discovery Call with a new client. Over the computer screen, as we meet on Zoom, I can quickly grasp their feelings and then adjust my delivery or explanation to make sure they understand what’s being communicated. This skill also helps me be a better boss, and that is why I almost always opt for a Zoom call over a phone call.
While these are three of my strengths, I think other business owners can succeed without these traits if they know and lean into their unique aptitudes!

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

I was painfully shy as a child! I’m talking could not look or speak to a stranger to save my life! In fact, my family has a story that often gets re-told about eating out at KFC when I was 7 and my younger sister was 5. I dropped my fork on the ground, and my mom told me to go to the counter and ask for another one. I opted instead not to eat because the thought of asking for a fork was terrifying. After several minutes of cajoling me into doing it and my continual refusal, my 5-year-old sister marched up to the counter and came back with a fork for me.
I think my parents were worried I’d be unable to talk to strangers for the rest of my life, so little by little, my dad would give me challenges to get me to step out of my comfort zone and speak up. We’d stop for donuts on the way home from Sunday Mass, but the only way the family got them was if I went in and ordered. He’d send me into the grocery store and make me ask for some obscure item. He’d get me to call friends to RSVP for parties despite prolonged tears on my part. It was tough as a child, but I don’t think I would have wanted to get a degree in journalism if my parents hadn’t pushed me to step out of my shy comfort zone continuously.
Now, I still don’t love talking on the phone, but I meet every week with strangers to talk about my business and work with them on projects, and it’s no longer a struggle to do so. While I hated the challenges at the time I don’t think I would be where I’m at today if they hadn’t taught me to be social, and more importantly to move beyond my comfort zone time and time again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosebudsocial.com
• Instagram: @rosebudsocial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-hinderer-a068873/

Image Credits

Maggie Eckburg, Everything is Grace Photography
https://everythingisgracephotography.com/