Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katie Mont. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Katie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.
Fresh out of college in 2015, I defied the warnings of every professor and dove headfirst into freelance design. I said Yes to every opportunity, made mistakes, learned from them, but soon realized I lacked crucial knowledge on running a business.
Seeking guidance, I turned to the world of networking groups, looking for like-minded hustlers that I could learn from or sell to. I tried them all out. Most groups were dull, full of empty exchanges, lacking passion – all in all, total snooze fests, boring and bland.
Then, a chance encounter changed everything. A passing conversation on the street led to an invitation to a networking group that was touted as different from the rest. For this interview, I’ll call them “The Team”.
The Team was unlike anything I had ever witnessed in the hustle-mindset/business networking space. Instead of the humdrum sea of khakis and slacks, this group was full of personality and fun. The backroom was alive with rap music as members bounced around with a genuine eagerness to welcome newcomers. When the speakers took the stage passion radiated into their testimonials and stories. I was swaying, I was having fun, I was feeling it – and I remember in that moment thinking, “these people are fucking cool”.
For context, here’s a breakdown of The Team
The Team, founded by a mysterious Coach who everyone spoke highly of but hadn’t seen in 5 years, was a networking group that invested in its members’ businesses. They provided training, business models, and strategies, and if you showed potential, they’d offer to invest in your business. If it succeeded, they owned a majority stake. If it failed, you didn’t owe them anything. Achieving their investment meant owning a portion of all future businesses within the group. The goal was to build eachother up to make five figures from home for life in passive income.
To a 26 year old fresh out of college living project to project, the thought of a group investing millions into my business sounded too good to be true. And over the next two years, I would learn some extremely valuable life lessons.
Lesson #1: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
When I met The Team, I had been planning a move from Denton to Orlando. But this opportunity seemed too good to pass up, so I opted to join them virtually and fly back every 3-4 weeks to attend some meetings face to face. As the only out-of-state member of The Team, I received special treatment. I didn’t have to meet the same standards – I live-streamed into their executive class, turned in notes on required materials like “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and Tony Robbins seminars, and traveled back and forth from Orlando for meetings. When I was physically present, The Team treated me like a celebrity. I was their highlighted member, a business-minded millennial who valued their teachings and traveled 1700 miles to be there. I must admit, I loved the attention. I learned a great deal about money, mindset, business, leadership, and growth. The value I gained justified the trips and the hard work I put in.
I lasted 8 months in Orlando before succumbing to the pull of returning home to Denton. The Team was thrilled to have me back in Texas, fully committed to them. I was excited to reignite my design business in a familiar place and apply the teachings from The Team to plan for my future.
However, once I was just 40 minutes away, the weight of my special treatment became apparent. Each month, there were networking meetings, team outings, and business executive classes to attend and I didn’t have distance as an excuse to escape their requirements.
One day, at a monthly networking meeting, I sensed something had changed. Our leaders were huddled together, whispers were spreading around the group. And then I saw him—Coach.
Coach, the illustrious founder, was a small but dynamic man with an intense energy and a LOUD af personality. He embodied the reason why we were all part of The Team—a vulgar and unapologetic millionaire who selflessly dedicates himself to teaching his wealth-building ways and celebrating the success of his members. As soon as he entered the meeting, I could feel the influence and power he held over The Team, his Team.
In the middle of our networking groups, there would be an open call to get up, grab the mic, and practice your elevator speech. We had 15 seconds to promote our business. I stepped up and confidently recited the same spiel as always, “I’m Katie Mont, here to help you build meaningful and long-lasting relationships with your customers through relevant and purposeful design.”
On the way out some of our leaders stopped me.. “Coach wants to meet you.” The way they hyped up this conversation was equivalent to Cady Heron being invited to sit with Regina George – there was a heavy “we don’t do this often” vibe about it all. Coach and I discussed my business, 5-year plan, and life goals.
That night, he offered to be my private mentor and I eagerly accepted.
Lesson #2: Beware a leader whose ideas are treated as infallible.
By this point in my journey with The Team, there were a slew of red flags that I was conveniently glossing over in the pursuit of success. Two topics of discussion that I was regularly reprimanded for include:
Don’t call anyone by their first name – team members were on a last name basis only – I was only “Ms. Montgomery”, a rule that I never understood the purpose of and frequently disobeyed.
& Don’t discuss educational resources outside of The Team – Any talk of education or networking events that weren’t directly tied to The Team would be met with an uncomfortable silence..
Being mentored 1 on 1 with Coach was a mix of emotions – I was thrilled about the opportunities ahead (and more special treatment), but it came with added responsibilities. I was now expected to do my required duties plus bonus sweat equity for The Team. Learning took place at Coach’s “Home Office”, where members gathered in various rooms turned into office spaces. Initially, Coach taught me valuable business lessons, from mindset to passive income strategies to real estate. As my lessons with Coach increased, I gained a clearer view of The Team.
Looking back, several memories now stand out as warning signs for what was to come.
One Sunday each month we had to attend the “Family Outing”. So there we were at Main Event, playing games and having a few drinks.. Then here comes Coach – dressed in black skinny jeans, a black long sleeve shirt with a silver emblem on the chest (think star trek), tennis shoes, and a beeper on his side (yes, a beeper!). The entire group fell silent, gathering around him in a semi-circle as he kneeled at a table and started delivering a lesson. It was then, surrounded by ordinary people having fun on a busy Sunday and the stark contrast that was The Team, that I first thought, “Oh, shit.”
Another revelation came when I overheard our interns, 18-19 yos that worked sweat equity for The Team, deciding on splitting a burger and a coke with the $20 that Coach gave them for dinner. An organization built on making their members millionaires having their interns split a meal didn’t sit right with me.
Lesson #3: Ignoring the signs of failure may be tempting, but trusting your gut will save you valuable time.
As my lessons with Coach progressed, I encountered moments of frustration and noticed more red flags. I pushed them aside because of the promises I was given. I was told that my business would be the next to receive investment, that I would soon be earning a substantial monthly income while working from home, and on top of it all, I was once again being placed on a pedestal and treated special.
So how many red flags does it take to walk away from such an opportunity? The pile kept growing.
Once, I made the mistake of addressing Coach by his first name in front of other team members. In response, he took me into his bedroom and scolded me, emphasizing that we were close enough for a first-name basis but I should “never let the others know”.
When I couldn’t attend a Team event due to moving into a new house, Coach suggested that I come live at the home office instead of paying rent. He was very pushy about the topic and acted as if I were crazy for turning down his offer. I found it perplexing that a group focused on achieving freedom would consider giving up my independence a step closer to my goals.
On another occasion, Coach approached me to discuss a new business opportunity. The Team was planning to start a sugar baby dating site, and he wanted me to be the face of it. Our entire plan revolved around supporting the growth of my design business… and now they wanted to take me in an entirely different direction. My trust in The Team was beginning to unravel.
Coach revealed his game plan to me around this time. He would eventually leave to grow other Teams, and he wanted me to become a speaker and leader in his absence. He saw me as his potential successor and invited me to join what he called “The Inner Circle”.
This invitation came with a whole new set of requirements. On top of the already significant time I was spending with The Team, they needed more.
At some point, my lessons with Coach shifted from business strategy to personal life coaching. He drew a diagram on a whiteboard to show me that the only people who genuinely wanted me to succeed in my business were The Team. All people outside of The Team were not to be trusted – “We are your family.” By now the red flags were teetering like a game of giant jenga.. But I still couldn’t leave the promise of being so close to success.
Lesson #4: People who attempt to isolate you are not genuinely concerned about your well-being.
On a hunt for Coach in the Home Office, I walked upstairs for the first time. I found four bedrooms absent of doors and filled with bunk beds. Coach had his teenage interns living with him in exchange for their labor, and their entire lives were dependent on him and The Team.
Group members who claimed to have had their lives transformed by The Team’s investments would share their success stories at our networking events. They would talk about the incredible changes they had accomplished and how they were now financially set for life. During the last networking event I attended, a member stood up and gave her testimonial about being the latest investment. She talked about the freedom of making five figures each month and being financially secure. Later that night, I saw her ask Coach for money to pay for her dinner.
I remember driving home, replaying these scenarios in my head. All these incidents were adding up, and I couldn’t ignore them. Yet, I had dedicated two years of my life to The Team, and they had provided value to my business and life, despite the demands, requirements, and growing issues. It was a confusing situation to be in. I had put in hard work, opportunities were “coming my way”, and I had formed friendships and connections with successful members. But now, faced with compelling evidence that something was wrong, I wondered if everyone in the “inner circle” was aware of it or if they were all brainwashed and blinded by the promise of wealth.
Now my business was next in line, having put in the work and earned a place in the Inner Circle. A meeting was arranged to discuss building a unique offering by combining my business with another member’s. We dressed our best for the occasion.
I parked at Coach’s house, and during the ride to dinner, he inquired about my love life. When I mentioned my boyfriend at the time was in the service industry, he blew up, belittling and berating me the entire ride there. He couldn’t believe that I would make this decision for myself. He knew “plenty of available millionaires, investors, and CEOs” and claimed that he should be the one making these decisions for me. I was so gobsmacked I don’t think I said anything the rest of the ride.
Still fuming from my “horrible life choices”, Coach took the rest of his anger out on me at the business dinner. I sat there in my best dress across three men in fine suits, there to talk business strategy, as he sprinkled insult after insult, passive aggressively with a smile and a laugh, to seem as though he didn’t mean them. The rest of that dinner is a blur.
Upon returning to the home office, Coach paid me for the first time, placing a stack of cash on the table, saying, “There’s more where that came from.” He baited me once more, hoping that the promise of cash was enough to pull me back into his good graces. I picked it up, drove home, and never had contact with him or The Team again.
It took me some time to accept that The Team was not just a demanding networking group but an actual functioning cult that continues to thrive to this day. I feel like the common belief is that members of a cult know that they are in a cult, but that’s actually not the case. What started as a fun and promising networking group slowly revealed itself to be malicious and controlling. Through tactics like love-bombing, isolation, false promises, and information control, they sought to strip my sense of self and instill a crippling dependency and unwavering loyalty to serve them.
I felt angry, embarrassed, and struggled with feelings of failure.
One day, I downloaded a survey titled “Am I in a Cult?” and checked off every box.
Lesson #5: The things we believe could never happen to us are often the ones that do.
And that is how I spent the formative years of my freelance design business in a cult.
Katie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m here to help you forge meaningful connections with your customers through branding, illustration, and design that speak your truth and demand attention.
Today I proudly call myself a Brand Specialist. Basically, I live to help awesome people build majestic brands. Combining a brand’s core elements—its mission, vision, purpose, and values—with a visual identity that tells its story, connects with the right audience, and brings joy, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
My ideal client is passionate about their business and strives to make a positive impact in the world through their work. I believe that it is our responsibility as entrepreneurs to build businesses that do good and are driven by values and positive intentions. And I can assure you, value and purpose-driven design doesn’t have to be boring.
And no, you don’t have to be battling climate change (although we definitely need it) to qualify as doing good for the world. I’m referring to any brand that is genuine, supports its community, cares about its employees, customers, and the world, and wants to stand out boldly from its competition. If I’m describing you… let’s chat!
The services that I offer include Squarespace Web Design, Full Branding Packages, Logo Design, and Custom Illustration.
Why should you choose to work with me?
I am a vibrant and expressive soul, and I bring my unapologetic self to every project. When you decide to collaborate with a creative professional, their unique mindset becomes the defining factor—a mindset shaped by experiences, challenges, hardships, and triumphs.
I began my career with a YES MAN mentality – understanding that if failure leads to success, the more hands I played, the better chance I had at winning. This led me to work with a variety of clients, from lawyers to musicians to event spaces. I’ve painted murals, designed packaging, developed websites, hosted festivals, among other endeavors. Along the way, I discovered my strengths and shifted my design business, Katie Mont, to focus on those.
My openness to new experiences has caused me to fail or find myself in sticky situations at times. When you hire my mind, you’re getting the collective wisdom that comes from a unique list of first-hand experiences – like the nefarious end to my college internship that led me to high-tail it out of Oregon and couch-surf around the US, teaching two college courses in Spring of 2020 (the semester the world fell apart), or the foundation of my business mindset being attributed to the teachings of a cult. I have lived, learned, grown – and these lessons have transformed the way I create, problem-solve, and collaborate with clients.
My passion for design and art keeps me constantly evolving, but one thing always remains the same – I empower businesses to unleash their true potential and cultivate a loyal following through authentic, purpose-driven design that ignites connections and fuels growth.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is witnessing the impact of my work on others. Just yesterday, I had a meeting with a client where I presented them with logo variations, brand foundations, and a range of brand templates. By the end of the meeting, they were all smiles. They expressed their gratitude and mentioned how excited they already were and that this experience took it to a whole new level. Taking an idea from someone’s head, the thought behind their brand, and building a visual identity that communicates their message and brings their brand to life is a feeling unlike any other.
Every piece of art, design, or project I complete takes on a life of its own. Knowing that my work is out there, bringing joy, solving problems, and forging emotional connections with people is incredibly rewarding. The ability to evoke emotions, spark inspiration, and make a positive impact through my creativity is what drives me to create. Being a designer allows me to contribute to the world in a meaningful way, and that brings immeasurable fulfillment.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing my client base has been the power of saying No.
Being vocal and transparent about the types of clients that are the right fit for me has had a positive impact on the projects I take on. From the very beginning, my design business relied heavily on referrals. It all started with one job, which led to that client referring me to others, creating a chain reaction. When I made the conscious decision to say No to certain projects that didn’t align with my goals, values, and mission, I began attracting the clients who were aligned with me.
Working with clients who share my values and vision has been a game changer. When I truly believe in my clients brand, I bring the best version of myself to every project, because I genuinely root for their success in all aspects of business. Not only do I deliver my best work, I live my best life, knowing that my work is going towards growing brands that are positively impacting their communities.
Saying No to opportunities that don’t align with my mission has opened doors to an abundance of opportunities that do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katiemont.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katie.mont/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiemontdesign