Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kat Kwueen(Hill). We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kat, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
I used to kick myself about how I could’ve started my career sooner! How many followers could I have by now? How much further could I be? How much different could my life really be? How many people feel overwhelmed or even get depressed at the thought of who they could’ve been or should’ve been? I’ve met countless “almost pro athletes” or I “I almost made it but then…” type people. And I almost became one of them. Feeling like my life circumstances held me back. “If only I’d made this decision”, I would often ponder past mistakes. Beating my past self up for doing the same thing people have been doing for thousands of years…just being human.
I grew up in “showbiz” household. My Mother was always an aspiring singer and lover of knowledge and the arts. Being the youngest of 4 girls, who all practiced different talents, I emersed myself into everything but felt a drive to stand out. We attended performance arts schools and loved to attend award shows as seat fillers. I grew up admiring the celebrities and the journalists interviewing them. You could say I caught the media bug very early. I grew up doing acting, music, dancing and fell in love with writing and speaking. I would be in plays, do comedic acting and joined my high school newspaper. I started preparing for college, I enrolled in a Summer program held at Kent State University for high school students interested in Journalism/Mass Communication degrees. In 2006 and 2007 I attended the summer program and from then on I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I thrived in front and behind the camera and made lifelong friends and so many experiences. With this program and others I secured scholarships and was on my way to begin my college journey at Kent State…or so I thought.
I was thrown a curveball, one I feel has been given to many promising young women. I became pregnant my senior year of high school. And my daughter was born 1 month after I graduated. All my plans, everything i worked so hard for, gone and a baby put in it’s place. Even though things were definitely different, in my eyes, my plans would still go through I just had a little passenger along for my journey. No problem right? I could put it off 1 year, After all, I’m a capable young woman now(17/18 years old) I could pull it off! I fell into my motherhood role fairly easy, I had plenty of practice with my nieces and nephews so I felt prepared and I just loved my daughter so much i felt like my heart would explode. She was just so monumental in my life that everything else felt small. And the old me and my old plans just drifted further and further away.
I felt like I needed to pivot, the college co-ed life no longer seemed like a good fit but I could find other paths to my education. Juggling a toddler and college courses was a bit of a hit or miss. i passed some classes and others…not so much. And then came the diagnosis that changed my life. Autism! Autism awareness is everywhere now and I love that, but in 2010, things were much different. At 19 years old, I had very little knowledge on the subject but that changed quickly as I soon became I very versed in the subject. After the initial suggestion of the diagnosis we began years of testing, interventions for Princess Kay(my daughter’s nickname) I became a fierce Autism Mama Bear. And that’s how I felt. i had to claw my way though every obstacle and fight gruesomely to get the help my daughter so desperately needed. Now once she was stable enough to be in school and after school care I was able to pursue schooling again.
In 2017 graduated from Stark State College with a degree in Communications with an special interest in Journalism and Writing. So many sleepless nights and so many twists and turns through the Autism world but through it all I did it. I finally did it! But what now? College afforded my some flexibility while raising Kay, how can I find that in a paying position? Through all my years gathering resources and seemingly waring with different entities to secure care for my child, I had become a wealth of knowledge to a lot of friends and parents. I began helping others and suggesting remedies to their problems via social media groups and Autism outings. In 2021 I officially became a Family Support Specialist and a Parent Peer Supporter. This position was only for parents of special needs children to support other parents of children with special needs. it was perfect! Finally all the non-verbal arguments (how do you even do that) are going to be worth something. Who knew that the life experiences and the path I chose to walk would be worth something. I always was so down on myself but what i thought was a mistake landed me exactly where I needed to be and gave me exactly what I needed to help people.
After 2 years I had to leave my position due to Kay’s needs. Once again feeling back at square one. Although I am still able to help my peers in an unofficial capacity and still enjoy giving tips and hint, I had to ask myself again what was next. I loved being an advocate and being outspoken about my experiences but I still craved to share on a bigger scale. I always felt a desire to connect with others but how? As a Millennial, social media is like a second language to me. I don’t feel right without a little lol at the end of a sentence. As a Mom and college student most of my adult life I scoured the celeb blogs and magazines, I streamed all the latest shows. There wasn’t anything pop culture that could get past me! I loved following my favorite influencers and often thought, “why aren’t I doing this?” I would see podcasters and show hosts that passed on questions about hot gossip or weren’t versed into celebrities pasts. But I did! But what did it matter if no one knew?
James Johnson is the Founder of U.G. Digital podcasting, radio and magazine. He is also my cousin, although we have a different in age, his years of experience and the foundation of the brand he’s built, I often looked up to my big cousin. I used to interview him while in college and we kept in touch, and I was amazed at what he was doing, being his own boss, creating his own way was so admirable. He reached out and asked me to help him on a Podcast project, he wanted me to co-host along with him on a show called Transcending The Culture. I came in on episode 10 and this week we’ve celebrated episode 100! When we first started working together we had no idea where this would lead. We are now partners in the U.G. Digital Media Company, with me hosting 2 podcasts on the network as well as having my hand in almost every area of the business.
Through the growth and support of my awesome company and all the collaborators involved I have slowly blossomed into who I’ve always wanted to be. Though all my special interests and life experiences I am able to be my best self and am welcomed and loved for exactly that. I am now a Media Personality, Event Host, Model, Comedienne, Entertainer and Advocate, as well a do content creation through my own company K Dream Productions. My blog and podcast named Kat Got Ya Tongue has been described as witty, entertaining and tongue and cheek. I am only able bring laughter/ tears/ relatability because of my life experiences. I can talk about it all because I’ve lived it all. So even if I get upset about where I could’ve been if I had started sooner, I don’t even let myself have that negative talk. If I hadn’t survived all the trauma and toxic situations, if I hadn’t fought for my child and through my life challenges, how would I inspire others to do the same. I have been booked for many public speaking engagements, where people are so torn down over their mistakes and grieve over where they should be. And I tell them you are exactly where you need to be and you are exactly who you are meant to be right now! Right now there is someone who needs to heard your story, right now there is someone who needs your knowledge or skill, right now there is someone who just needs you to be you, through all your flaws and mistakes. We can’t worry about that, all you can do is just start! Once i stopped feeling bad about myself and started posting, started auditioning, I didn’t have to be perfect I just had to start. Although I was that I could’ve gone back and tried to begin sooner, honestly right now I feel that I am where I need to be and the time is now! As long as there is breath in these lungs, I will always be podcasting, hosting or just plain old yapping someone’s head off.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hello, My name is Kat Hill but I mostly recognized by my stage name Kat Kwueen. I am a dynamic media personality, event host, model, actress, comedienne, content creator, and motivational speaker with a passion for storytelling, advocacy, and empowerment. With a background in Performing Arts and a degree in Communications with a focus on Journalism, I can bring a unique blend of creativity and insight to every space. I am best known for my work with U.G. Digital and as the host of Transcending the Culture and Kat Got Ya Tongue, where my vibrant personality and sharp journalistic style have earned me recognition in the media world. With over 3 million social media views and a reputation for captivating interviews, I have covered major award shows and events while building a brand that continues to rise. As a trauma survivor and special needs parent, I am also dedicated to supporting families and women in need. Having previously worked as a Peer Support Specialist and drawing from my own lived experience, I can provide motivational and informational speeches that highlight my story of resilience. I am on a mission to entertain, empower, and spark conversations that matter. Whether you’re looking for an engaging media personality, a passionate advocate, or a dynamic speaker, I am ready to connect. Follow, collaborate with, or book Kat today!
I have always wanted to work in media and studied it my whole life, I love doing live interviews as well as cover events. I am also stepping into the comedy scene and would love to bring more comedy and entertainment into the Autism and Disability world, I want to foster a community for people to share and connect and realize we are not all not much different and allow each other grace. I am building a social media following and am looking to inspire. By following me or subscribing to one of my podcasts, you will get insight into my life as well get celebrity interviews, funny moments and relatable content. I make content about my life journey, behind the scenes peeks and tips on building confidence. I want women to feel powerful, capable and great! My podcasts are interactive so let your voice be heard. Joining my online community you can steer topics and conversation as well as add your own insight. U.G. Digital is a family. My partner and I are actually family and we want our audience to feel the same way. I also partner with brands as an ambassador or to help promote. I have many platforms to showcase any product or brand who I believe in.
I also am an event hosts is booked to make sure people have a good time! From Artist showcases to women empowerment seminars, i can handle any type of event. I am also a print and runway model that can represent any clothing, jewelry, cosmetic, beauty or photography brand that is in need. So if you have a need for promotion, or have an event I would be the perfect person to connect with. And if there is a need that I don’t already provide I am pretty sure I could figure it out.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
What drives my creative journey is a deep need for connection and expression. Some of the first humans painted figures on cave walls. They wanted to express themselves and hoped others would see it. I think that is the very essence of what it means to be human. And for me that is love. I love to connect with others and feel a sense of community. I love the arts, to be able to move the body or create an art piece that can stir up an emotion in someone else and feel that I can do that through media. By conducting interviews and producing relatable content I can entertain and engage people that could be miles away, yet we are connecting here and now. I love to show my life and how I conduct myself and business to show people who they could be. I did not always have this confidence. After losing 100 pounds, going to therapy and gaining the courage to start my journalism career, could inspire the next “Kat Kwueen”. Life is full of hills and Valleys and while I'm on my hill I would love to throw a rope to those in their valley. So that maybe they could start to hoist themselves up. Sometimes just a kind word or a laugh could make all the difference in someone’s life. I know that was the case for me. While I was a teen stay-at-home mom and college student, I would watch The Wendy Williams Show. Her famous tagline “How you doin’?”, always cracked me up. When life was crumbling all around me, those words could brighten my day and give me the strength to carry on just one more day. Sometimes it felt like that show was the only good thing I had in my life and the host was the only friend I had at the time. While my old BFFs moved on with their lives, Wendy was my constant and to this day I am thankful for that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be anybody’s “Wendy” but if what I do makes just 1 person’s life more enjoyable, then in my mind I’ve succeeded and had an amazing time doing it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I always wanted to be a journalist but being the mother of a special needs child made my dreams feel impossible. No, I couldn’t be Barbara Walters, I couldn’t be a Newscaster with a morning call time of 5 am. My daughter Kay nor her Autism would absolutely not allow that! But I could still get a degree in Communications. Sure, I didn’t stay on campus but I could still get involved in clubs and activities that allowed me live college life. After college I wanted to apply for a traditional Media Job, but I just couldn’t pull it off with my schedule or lack thereof. Being inspired by Oprah and James Johnson, I decided there is path to create my own way and my own platforms. Social media is a great way to connect and gives the average person a way to reach mass amount of people. So, posting through my weight loss journey and other relatable life content, I began to stand out. Joining U.G. Digital Media Company gave me a whole new platform and room to be myself and transform into the best version of myself. I am able to work around my child’s schedule and have my business partner James step in as needed for emergencies. Although this is not the way I thought my media career to go, I am so happy I’m able to thrive through my adversities. No matter what your dream “was”, as long as you are still living there is still time to achieve it, even if it may look a little different, just surviving, then striving will turn into thriving!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ugdpodcastingandradio.info
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katkwueen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatKwueen
- Youtube: youtube.com/KatKwueen youtube.com/ugdpodcastradio
- Other: https://linktr.ee/KatKwueen
https://www.tiktok.com/katkwueen
Image Credits
Super Shots Photography (waterfall pictures)