Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Obert.
Hi Kate, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Everything I tried to do felt like it wasn’t working. Growing up I wanted to be a fashion stylist and fashion show director or work high up in corporate fashion in NYC but no matter how I tried climbing the ladder, there was an immense amount of red tape that got in the way. Ya know, the gatekeepers where your future was determined whether they had a good or bad day. And something to know about me, I don’t take no for an answer. I’ll spare the long details for another time but I then found myself working as an executive assistant to CEO of a digital ad agency – this job was amazing. They rebranded themselves every 150 days, they didn’t care how or where you worked as long as you got your work done (AKA you were treated like an adult). It was here I honed many of my most important skills, especially the “impossible is not a word, you figure it out” skill. During this time, I had moved out to LA and was now working from home which meant my hours were super flexible so I got some fashion styling jobs. As much as I loved my other job, I finally felt I was moving in the right direction for my career… until it didn’t. Let’s fast forward again… I was sitting in my living room frustrated & confused, wondering what to do when everything I was trying felt off. I saw everyone else online making money & creating a career just by being themselves and wondered how I could do that. I did a series of exercises to figure out where my passions & expertise met and how I could use them to create offers that not only fulfilled myself but also helped other people! I realized that my passion and expertise was branding. I didn’t really know how to go about building a business so I just showed up daily and talked about what I knew. I landed my first client because she found me on Instagram and asked if I could help her bring her personality into her brand. One client led to the next then the next… I attended a business event in San Diego and was super active in the Facebook group ahead of time to the point where people at the event were asking me “are you Kate? Your content has helped me so much with my brand!” (That was an amazing feeling) Through all of those clients, I built my proprietary framework & then I realized that I could help more people build their brands if I created an online course. So in 2021 & 2022, I built the only personal branding online course called NECESSARY! This program is the modern approach to branding for the online entrepreneur. NECESSARY is a comprehensive, hybrid program with self-paced video trainings and group coaching support that teaches fiercely-driven entrepreneurs like you how to step into your distinctive personal brand with complete confidence, cohesion, and consistency so you can grow an aligned and profitable business. My mission is to help others find & fulfill their purpose through their personal brand. In addition to NECESSARY, I work with founders and executives to create a clear and cohesive personal brand. I have truly taken all of my passions and expertise, including fashion styling, to help my clients create a cohesive brand identity & image. And that’s what your personal brand is all about: using your unique gifts to help others and fulfill your purpose.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes & no. Yes, because I feel incredibly fulfilled and in total alignment with myself and purpose. I love what I do and think about it nonstop. Everything I do educates my eye and influences my work. The essence of my work is to experience life and help others. But also, it has been bumpy – being in alignment doesn’t mean that it isn’t difficult. Fulfilling your purpose isn’t for the faint of heart because it really requires a lot from you and a lot of discipline. Especially when I was creating and building out my program, NECESSARY, I have never worked so hard or had to do so much personal development in order to be the thought leader that was capable of creating that product. (I’m sure it didn’t help that I was pregnant with my second baby during that time haha). And on that note, I am a mom of 2 girls, an almost 3 year & 1-year-old. Working from home while also being a mom is HARD, I can’t even sugarcoat that. Especially as an Enneagram 3 (The Achiever), not being able to work all day & whenever I want is challenging. It’s a constant practice to not feel behind. I’ve had to learn (and still am learning) how to build my business and work incredibly efficiently during the 2 hours a day I have to grow my business (AKA naptimes). Another struggle I’ve had to overcome is accepting help. It sounds simple but as entrepreneurs, a lot of us feel we have to do it all ourselves. All the content, copywriting, photography, operations, systems management, etc. I used to think that if I couldn’t do all of it or at least know how to do all of it, I didn’t know how to run a business. Quite the opposite is true: I am successful because I know how to outsource & delegate tasks to the best people and for myself to stay in my zone of genius!
As you know, we’re big fans of Kate Obert, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m a Chief Brand Officer to founders and executives. I help them get clear on who they are and how they want to show up in the world so they can bridge the gap that’s missing in their business’ identity, letting their brand truly reflect their authentic self (and sell to their people). My specialty is helping people find & fulfill their purpose by utilizing their passions and expertise within their brand. I am great at mapping out the vision, strategizing, and connecting the dots to curate a cohesive, full-sensory brand experience. My proprietary framework and branding method is unlike any other because I believe that the brand is YOU. YOU are the vibe and your dynamic self is what attracts the right people and opportunities to you. Focus on your brand and everything else falls into place. My entire brand and mission is about helping others live a life they don’t need a vacation from. I truly believe that we all have a unique gift and it’s our purpose to use that gift to help others, and by doing that, we can create the life we dream of and live life on our terms. I fully believe that when you find your unique value proposition (which I’m an expert at helping people find) and you use that to help others, opportunities are abundant! My proudest moments in business are when clients have told me I’ve helped them: find their voice they thought was lost, actually feel like their authentic selves, know their style and vibe, and feel totally confident being themselves! No accolade can compare to those words. I work with people all throughout their branding journey through both 1:1 and my online program, NECESSARY. All details are outlined on my website.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Elyse Conroy was instrumental in my success. Elyse’s background is in product development for the beauty industry and has created and brought hundreds of products to market. I hired Elyse as my product developer for NECESSARY and life/business coach. She was able to fully understand me and my vision and help me become the person I needed to be in order to accomplish a project of that magnitude. There is hardly any separation between life and business these days and in order for me to really understand how to teach my methodologies, I had to dig deep, uncover and reprogram a lot of my thoughts & beliefs. Elyse helped me through that entire process with grace. She also was able to take my vision and map out exactly what needed to be done and how/when to execute, keeping me on track ensuring everything was completed on time and to my fullest potential. Although NECESSARY is considered an online course, it was built and designed with the highest level of detail and production quality where it truly is a one-of-a-kind sensory experience. It is the only comprehensive course on personal branding.
Pricing:
- NECESSARY is $1,397 pay in full
- NECESSARY is $397/mo for 5 months payment plan
- 1:1 VIP Intensive starts at $3,000
- Project-based or retainer service (prereq is NECESSARY or VIP) is dependent on client
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kateobert.com
- Instagram: @kate.obert
- Other: www.kateobert.com/masterclass (this is a free masterclass training)
Image Credits
Carolyn Gabrielle Photography
