We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Urich. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.

Katie, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

In 2018, I was working at a full-time job that had previously been a dream for me – managing the marketing department at a contemporary art museum. I knew that eventually I wanted to work for myself, and I had started a couple side businesses and projects, but I planned to stay at my job for at least the next five years before making the leap. I ended up leaving rather suddenly, after a case of workplace sexual harassment was seriously mishandled and I didn’t feel able to ethically market the museum. I spent a few days looking at jobs similar to the one I had left but ultimately decided that if there was any time to start my marketing studio in earnest, it was then. I had some savings, health insurance from my partner’s job, ample time to pitch clients and build out systems, and the sheer will to prove to myself that I could do it. Something about not having a back-up plan forced me to go way out of my comfort zone and pitch my services more aggressively than I typically would. And because I had just been disappointed by mismatched values between myself and my employer, I set up Wildess Digital based on a bold set of values that I am proud of to this day.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m a digital marketing strategist to progressive nonprofit organizations and small businesses with a mission, and I specialize in social media strategy and content creation.

Because I was a one-woman marketing department for several arts nonprofits before striking out on my own, I understand how every element of a marketing plan fits together, I know how to make the most of limited resources, and I craft strategies that are thorough, thoughtful, and simple to implement. And because I was an educator at a museum before landing in marketing, I’m good at explaining complex, sometimes abstract, ideas in plain language to a variety of audiences.

I work primarily with two types of clients. Nonprofit organizations come to me when they’re at a crossroads of some kind and need help clarifying their messaging and communicating effectively to their stakeholders or the general public. In collaboration with their team, I create brand messaging guidelines and marketing strategies, and produce social media and email content. I also love working with women who run their own businesses. Creative solopreneurs come to me when they feel lost on what to post on social media or not confident about their skills as a marketer, and I coach them to discover what skills they already have that they can tap into for effective social media content, figure out how they can create a marketing plan that aligns with their values, and make a plan to execute their great ideas.

Wildess Digital has a few ground rules. Humans come first here, and while social media has the power to transform businesses, it can also be detrimental to our mental health. I will never ask a client to compromise their own health for the sake of business growth. I also don’t engage in nonconsensual or fear-based marketing tactics.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was a fresh 18 year old deciding where to go to college, somebody told me that I had to make a choice: I could either make money or I could help people. It was clear that there was only one “right” answer, and so I began my career in artistic nonprofits believing that the “best” people were starving artists.

For me, the hardest part of running my own business has been unlearning this misguided lesson and learning how to feel good about making money. I had to look at the big picture: if the nonprofit field is made up mostly of women, and those women aren’t making enough money to thrive, and we all accept that, then women will never build the kind of power I want us to have. I also had to put myself in community with people I respected who were also thriving financially to understand that money just amplifies who a person already is. As my income has increased, I’ve had to continue to unlearn this, but I’ve also been utterly thrilled to be able to spread my resources around to create the world I want to live in.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The CliftonStrengths assessment has been a game changer in how I set up my business and how I interact with clients! I highly recommend paying for the full assessment to get your breakdown of all 34 strengths.

My top strengths are Relator, Futuristic, Responsibility, Activator, and Maximizer. Once I understood that I was best in one-on-one conversations and relationships, and I have a gift for finding the best in people and organizations and helping people see what is possible, I was able to ignore a lot of noisy business advice. Instead of building a course like all the business strategists were recommending, I went all-in on close, 1:1 work with people I enjoy. As a result, I work fewer hours, I have way less “shoulds” floating around in my head, I’m less stressed, and my income has increased.

Contact Info:

• Website: wildess.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/wildessdigital
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-urich-pgh/