Episode 23 - Servant Leadership, Making An Impact & Handling Challenges with Katie Zeppieri

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Today on the podcast, Danielle hosts an amazing guest Katie Zeppieri! Katie is one of today’s leading voices and thought leaders on empowerment and marketing. Through her work as a social entrepreneur, author, TEDx speaker, Instagram Live show host and social influencer, Katie is at the forefront of conversations surrounding leadership, self-development, women, youth, mental health, and business for social good.

Katie is the Founder & CEO of GIRL TALK Speakers Bureau, a one-of-a-kind speakers bureau that represents women who are innovators in their industry. From venture capitalists to broadcast journalists to CEOs, GIRL TALK manages an impressive roster of female speakers and connects them with opportunities to speak on stages across the globe. Katie is also the Founder & President of MicDrop Marketing a boutique marketing agency that amplifies brands through consulting, strategy, PR, events, influencer marketing, and staffing. Katie’s outspoken voice on important issues has made her a sought-after speaker, influencer, and media commentator. She is a regular contributor to Toronto’s NEWSTALK 1010 AM station and has also been featured on CTV, CP24, CBC Radio and SiriusXM. Katie has also received national honours for her work. She is a recipient of the Governor General’s “Caring Canadian” award and was also recognized by the YWCA as a “Young Woman of Distinction.

Key Takeaways:

  • What was the process for creating your own business?

    • Katie was always running events or projects throughout all of her schoolings

    • Katie has always been wanting to create experiences for people and rally behind human rights issues and working with youth

    • If you create a solution to a problem, it comes with a responsibility to follow through with it

    • She’s always believed that what we do now dictates the opportunities in the future

  • When Katie has an idea she actions it right away

    • This is one of her strongest attributes

    • There are also cons to this tendency

    • When she went into her first business venture she just wanted to make it happen, but didn’t have guidance or accountability in her business choices and made some large mistakes financially

    • This experience shaped her in learning how to create a business plan and prioritize

  • What are some lessons you’ve learned as you’ve grown and advice for people to make their business profitable?

    • Lesson: Look at your numbers!

      • Ask: How am I going to make money from this?

      • Even charities have to worry about where the money is coming from

      • Katie had her head in the clouds at the beginning and listened to the advice: “Just focus on what you love and the money will come”

    • Lesson: You have to be intentional about your revenue model

      • Girl Talk Empowerment was a passion project, not profitable, breakeven project

        • She learned to find other ways to create income

        • She worked at Cole’s bookstore, Party City, which lead into promo-girl work which strengthened her

    • Lesson: You have to be stubborn, but you also have to be flexible

    • Lesson: Whatever job or role you are doing, you should give 110% of yourself, even if it’s boring or not what you ultimately want to be doing

      • She did this when working at Coles bookstore, promo jobs, Party City, etc

      • This attitude and application lead her to leadership roles in those jobs

      • Eventually, these opportunities lead to her first client for her marketing agency

      • Give it your all and see what opportunities open up

  • Servant Leadership

    • Do the best that you can where you’re planted

    • Serve others, love others

    • Do the small things with great love

    • How you do little things says a lot about how you do everything

    • Bring value to your customers, serve your community

  • 2020: How has this year challenged you or changed you?

    • This time caused a lot of reflection, pause, and looking inwards

    • What is important? Am I happy? etc

    • This period made her have a great breath and figure out how she wants to move forward

    • Sat at her kitchen table at the start of Covid and brainstormed a project to work on during this time

    • She decided to start Together We Rise IG Live interview show

    • It pushed her in a similar way to be nimble and push things forward

  • Tips for entrepreneurs getting started

    • Ask: What are the opportunities that are in front of you?

    • You can be stubborn about the type of life you want to live, aiming big, having goals BUT you absolutely need to know that the path to getting there won’t be what you think it is

    • She never thinks anything is the be all end all, it’s always “I’m going to do this right now and make the most of it”

    • Don’t be afraid of being a work in progress

    • Connect with people online! Build relationships

Show Notes:

Danielle Wiebe