We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katrina Owens a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katrina, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Like most things, I truly believe that confidence and self-esteem are qualities that ebb and flow with time, and they may look quite different to us during different periods in our life.
I say that because my parents often remind me that I was very shy as a child, a teacher of mine had even mentioned that I never spoke in class. Their solution was to enroll me in dance class to help me open up a bit – and it certainly did! Perhaps that was my first introduction to a confidence boost, but that’s not to say it was an everlasting fix.
I believe I always maintained a healthy level of confidence, but it wasn’t until I took the leap into entrepreneurship at age 30 that I realized how much work I had left to do. In the past year of running my business full-time, I’ve had to face my insecurities head on in order to continuously level up in my business, and the biggest factor in developing my confidence and self-esteem has been my support system.
And no, not just my partner, my parents, or my best friend, but investing in a mentor who is just as committed to my success and growth as I am has been instrumental in my confidence building journey. Not because this person has a secret formula that guarantees success, but because they have helped me realize that I already have all of the answers I need; sometimes, I just need a little help pulling them out of my body. Nothing breeds confidence and self-esteem like forming a deep-rooted trust with yourself and your intuition.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m the Founder of Knockout Directive, which is a Personal Branding & Publicity Firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs radiate BIG brand energy.
My Firm began as just your average marketing consultancy – I had a couple corporate clients that paid the bills, as well as a few smaller businesses that I was truly passionate about serving, and I took on any marketing-adjacent project that flowed my way. It was a great start, but as I began networking within the wider entrepreneur community, I began receiving invitations to speak at events and on podcasts, and I realized that I didn’t have to jump from contract to contract on meagre freelance rates forever. I realized that I too, could build a profitable personal brand.
As I dove head first into content creation, collaborating and strategizing for my own brand, I noticed that all of my new entrepreneur friends also had the opportunity to grow their business in a fun and easeful way. But they weren’t; simply because they didn’t realize that public relations was a tactic they could also use themselves.
That’s when I really started to live and breathe this big brand energy that I just won’t stop talking about. To me, success comes from treating your business like it’s the one you’ve always dreamed of, now. Investing in your personal and professional development, and treating your work like the hot commodity you want it to be will get you much closer to that end result, faster.
That’s why I began to introduce programs designed to help business owners like me grow their personal brands too. My signature Publicity Coaching program teaches entrepreneurs how to go after PR opportunities themselves, while my Spotlight Sessions and Personal Brand Discovery give business owners the initial strategy they need to differentiate themselves in the market.
So while I used to tell people that I was “just” a marketing consultant, now I proudly stand in my zone of genius as a Personal Brand & Publicity Expert. That’s the power of big brand energy.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I’ve said it once, and I’ll continue to say it louder for those in the back. Mindset is the greatest block to entrepreneurship, and those that do not transform their thoughts will continuously work against them. If you believe that you will fail and live in this fear, you probably will. But if you can lean in and build trust with the process, all while believing you simply cannot fail, you won’t. You may experience failures along the way – that’s totally normal – but you will not fail.
Second to this mindset shift, I was able to grow my revenue hard and fast with discipline. Maintaining strict boundaries for myself when it comes to using my phone and social media, being incredibly intentional with my time, and maximizing my ability to produce client work has been crucial to the success of my business. I remind myself of this every time I want to skip out on work and watch bad reality TV instead.
Finally, I had alluded to it in an earlier question, but my support system is the glue that holds this whole operation together. I never would have been able to shift my mindset (which used to be riddled with fears of failure), or maintain my discipline, if it wasn’t for the mentors and coaches I continuously invest in. While your existing personal relationships and friendships are also an important part of this system, investing in outside support that holds you accountable to your goals can help you achieve them much faster.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
Interestingly enough, my ideal client is much like me.
A woman who is empowered to go all-in on herself and her business because, much like myself, she realized just how worthy she is of achieving ALL of her dreams (yes, even the ones that can feel a bit too dreamy to say out loud, or share with others).
She knows that she is meant for much more than her corporate career has been giving her. And while the personal development process is uncomfortable at times, she knows she is strong enough to sit through the discomfort.
She used to feel ashamed of yearning for fame, influence and money, and while it still feels uncomfortable to proclaim these desires out loud, she’s determined to find the community that supports her in achieving anything she sets her sights on.
My ideal client knows that she’s just as worthy of the spotlight as any other individual who has ever stepped on stage or had their voice heard, and I’m determined to help her claim it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.knockoutdirective.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knockoutdirective/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenskatrina/
Image Credits
M Suarez Photography (@msp_branding)
Wild Hearts Creative (@wildheartscreative)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
