Last December, I made a public pledge on LinkedIn: “Today I am starting a big climb up content cringe mountain.” Shout out to Tish Diggs.
It was on the basis of: just start.
That mindset has challenged me more than any title, promotion, or pitch deck ever has.
Start without knowing if it will land.
Start even if people might judge.
Start while still figuring out how to be a CEO.
Oh—and start posting on LinkedIn.
Messy. Scared. Experimental.
So I did.
The LinkedIn post that started it all!
Fast‑forward three months:
My highest‑reach post just hit 11,000 impressions
People consistently DMing or emailing me saying they look forward to my content
Distant friends now reconnecting, leading to new partnerships and content features
New business unlocked, focused on organizational communications (I ❤ communications)
College reunion attendance spiked (you’re welcome Bates for that post)
Started getting content suggestions from my audience
One message stopped me in my tracks.
“Wanted to pop you a note to say how much I enjoy your Corporate MomSense posts since returning to the workforce after becoming a mom last year. It’s great to have a sense of community when I don’t know many corporate working mothers myself.”
The strategy is not about “posting more,” but creating meaningful content that drives change, impact, and connection.
The origin story (a.k.a. Rooftop Pool Party Kate)
Long before “personal brand,” there was all the writing to win business…
When I joined my former healthcare marketing agency after coming from fashion and luxury, I was the outcast (let’s leave the high heels out of it).
Maybe it was:
The day‑one Cyndi Lauper animated wink I used as a cover image
The client push for taxi tops and cityscape takeovers
Or the now‑infamous summertime rooftop pool party for a Derm conference*(Tell me a better June vibe in NYC—I’ll wait)*
Seven years later, I am still on a mission to sell people something they didn’t even know they needed.
The difference? Now I teach it.
Today, I lead an “Art of Storytelling” series at that same agency—helping teams build narratives that break through categories of sameness and actually convert ideas into action.
My practice ground?
8 years on the Hearst Magazines fashion & luxury sales marketing team
Writing RFPs nonstop: ~2,080 proposals
Storytelling sells work… it sells reasons to believe.
A memorable output from one of the Art of Storytelling sessions where the team wrote up an idea of what I do!
How personal stories built my personal brand
Here’s the part no one tells you:
The posts that performed best weren’t polished.
They weren’t “thought leadership.”
They weren’t safe.
They were personal.
Motherhood. Identity. Work. Ambition. Doubt. Joy.
The same stories I’ve been thinking about in my head for the past 10 years… just finally shared out loud.
Authenticity became:
An outlet
A compass
And unexpectedly… a brand
Who knows—maybe one day, I will officially turn a business into a work‑lifestyle media brand (Corporate MomSense, we’re coming)!
But for now, it’s simple: I am sharing what matters to me in hopes it helps someone else feel less alone.
My personal storytelling commandments
If you are building a personal brand—or any narrative—here’s what has worked for me (whether in long form or short form):
Know your audience
Adapt the experience so it actually resonates, not just impresses.
Find the thread
Package ideas around a clear theme. No one remembers bullet points without a story.
Build like a funnel
Start big picture (or with fun “click-bait”). Earn the right to go granular—and get tactical. People want to know the how it can get done.
Be you (the hardest and easiest part all at once!)
Share what is on your mind and what is personal… don’t worry what others will think. Have fun and it will shine through.
Design for clarity and charm
Bring delight in a streamlined fashion. Hierarchy matters.
My final note…
If you take nothing else from this:
Start. Start messy. Start scared. Start unsure.
Climb content cringe mountain anyway.
You don’t build a personal brand by being perfect.
You build it by being present.
And sometimes… by throwing a rooftop pool party when no one asked for one.
BTS writing… and manifesting all of PS with more swag!
