Amy Vaughan:
Hello, everyone, and welcome to our weekly power lounge. This is your place to hear authentic conversations from those who have power to share. My name is Amy Vaughan, and I am the owner and chief empowerment officer of Together Digital, a diverse and collaborative community of women who choose to share their knowledge, their power, and connections. You can join the movement at togetherindigital.com. And today, we are tackling one of the most real conversations that we have within our community, which we have a lot of, but with working moms and how they navigate the brutal chaos of building careers while raising families, and I am really thrilled to welcome Kate Reed. She’s a partner at project three hundred who refuses to let anyone say I am just a stay at home mom ever again. Kate’s journey from the University of Cincinnati English major to a nonprofit dreamer to marketing powerhouse and agency partner is anything but traditional. After becoming the mom of three, including surprise, twins, she faced the challenge so many of us know.
Amy Vaughan:
How do you balance career ambition with the reality of child care costs and family needs? What makes Kate’s story so compelling isn’t just that she figured it out, but she is redefining what having it all actually means. Starting with just a few spare hours contracting with project 300, she is now a full time partner helping lead what they call a nonagency agency, which I’m excited to get into and learn more about. One built on flexibility, trust, and the courage to do business differently. Kate approves that women don’t have to choose between personal growth and professional ambition. And, yes, she is also a two times era’s tour attendee. In fact, we already talked about it with Swift. Already done. Check that box.
Amy Vaughan:
Who can also name almost any Taylor Swift song in five notes or less. That sounds like a fun game we can play later because working moms contain multitudes. Welcome to the power lounge, Kate. We’re thrilled to have you here.
Kate Reed:
Hi. Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.
Amy Vaughan:
Absolutely. Alright. Let’s start with that curious phrase I had within your intro and bio, which I never want to hear again. I am just a stay at home mom. What’s behind your passion for changing this narrative?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So I don’t have a problem with the phrase stay at home mom. It is the phrase just stay at home mom. I think that that qualifier totally and completely diminishes the immense responsibility that comes with being a stay at home mom. There’s the physical load of caring for the kids, managing the household, running the errands, doing the yard work. You know, if you’re taking care of your kids twenty four seven, you’re in charge of kind of educating them and making sure that they’re socialized. And, you know, then there’s the mental load that is invisible, but equally, if not more heavy.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
There’s the doctor’s appointments and the dentist visits and the school schedule and the restocking of the necessities because you can’t run out of diapers. And, you know, I watched my mom be a stay at home mom my entire life. She was the one that got us on the school bus, the one that was there when we got off the bus. She was the one cooking dinner while quizzing us over spelling words, and I never realized Right. How hard of a job all of that was until I did it. Like, she was the sole provider for the kids during the working hours of nine to five. Yeah. And that is a job.
Kate Reed:
Mhmm. So to say just a stay at home mom is insulting, and it’s something that I think needs to change because it is a career. It just doesn’t take place within the walls of a company. It takes place within the walls of the household.
Amy Vaughan:
I love it. I agree. Yeah. You’re the CEO. You’re the CFO. You’re the CMO, but you’re also the admin. You know? Yep. And you’re the janitor.
Amy Vaughan:
It is. It is a lot, and it is a huge load. And I love that, you know, again, it is one of those things that’s modifying words only just to feel. I think there used to be, and it probably is still around, a plug in that when you were writing emails, it would identify all of the modifiers that you would place into your language. And it’s so surprising at how little credit we give that kind of language, but it really does begin to minimize and marginalize the work that stay at home parents do. Yeah. Right? Yeah. I absolutely love it.
Amy Vaughan:
And kudos to your mama. She did a good job. Alright. Take us back to the moment when you became the mom of three, including those little delightful surprise twins. How did that shift your perspective on what your career could look like?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So, I forgot to ask if we can curse on this. So I’ll talk to you. But, the minute that I found out we were having twins, first of all, I joke. I wanted one kid. My husband wanted two, so we compromised and had three. I like it. Ended up here, but it was total disbelief.
Kate Reed:
My husband was grinning ear to ear, and I looked at the ultrasound tech and said, shut the fuck up. Up. And I didn’t say a word the rest of the appointment.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
My training as a project manager immediately kicked in. I don’t think I ever truly emotionally processed that I was having twins because I went straight to the logistics. How do you fit three car seats across the back of a Honda Pilot that we bought when we had our first kid? Because it was gonna be big enough. Right. You know, do they share a room? Oh my god. We have to get another crib. Like, I immediately started trying to plan a Yeah. This life that was suddenly different
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
From everything I had been thinking of. And twins, kids in general, but twins quickly showed me that you can’t plan everything with tiny humans.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. I mean, like you’re at their mercy.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. It’s not a project. The twins came five weeks early. Oh my goodness. We were creammies. We had a 10 NICU stay and everything was fine. They were just early. But when you’re in it, that’s a lot to think about.
Kate Reed:
We have new logistics to figure out who’s gonna get Mason from day care. And, Carter, he is one minute older than Sadie, and he just had some health problems in his early years. He had a heart murmur. He had plagiocephaly, which just means that his head was shaped a little strange because I’m one person and there were two humans in me. Yeah. Then
Amy Vaughan:
We got so much room there.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. He caught strep at age three months, and it developed into mastoiditis, which is an infection of the mastoid bone. And so he had a hospital stay
Amy Vaughan:
Wow.
Kate Reed:
That then resulted in physical and occupational therapy and ear tubes. And there was just so much that happened that was absolutely doable. Like, we were able to do it, but the things that we had prioritized when we had just one kid, which was we’re still gonna be career oriented. We’re just gonna be parents doing it. That kinda had to shift. I didn’t want to have to figure out how to handle all of the appointments, all of the care Yeah. And somehow make up my missed hours. You know, regardless of whether or not you get your job done when you are working a nine to five, the expectation is that they have you for eight hours a day minimum.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. And so I didn’t wanna have to try to figure out, I’m gonna be gone for three, four hours for doctor’s appointments, which means at night, my time is no longer mine. It belongs to the company. So in terms of how it shifted my perspective, I realized that the things that I had once valued and thought were really important, titles, promotions, happy hours, being the first one in and the last one out, making a name for myself inside this community outside of my home, those didn’t really matter. Yeah. Like, at the end of the day, it was my family that was going to matter. And it was a hard realization, but as soon as I made it, it was obvious that it was the right one.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. Now that makes a lot of sense. I often joke and say there’s no way I could go back to who I was before I had my kids and really kind of explain what you just shared, which, I mean, you just still did beautifully, but it is really hard to get it’s like a mental load. I think that’s what’s the hardest to explain. You can definitely explain, like, the physical work, labor, sleepless nights to some degree, although we’re not usually super transparent about them. We all kind of mask it when we get to the office. We don’t say, you know, it’s good morning. How are you? It’s not, oh my god.
Amy Vaughan:
I literally got an hour of sleep last night.
Kate Reed:
Right.
Amy Vaughan:
And my nipples hurt because I was feeding and nursing all night. Yeah. And now they’re swollen and hurting because I’m not nursing because my kid just won’t get off me. Like, there’s just so much we don’t talk about in the realm of parenthood in the workplace. And so I think it is really hard when we don’t do that to help those who are maybe not parents or parents yet, really truly understand sort of, like, that fundamental shift. And it’s funny. I mean, you got it twice as hard with, you know, twins coming, but, you know, we have two. And so my daughter was born first, and then, you know, we decided, oh, a second kid.
Amy Vaughan:
And I remember thinking, after one, I’m like, what’s two after we got one kid, what’s a second kid? Right? We got this. Oh, twice the work. It’s twice the work. Now it’s twice the diapers. It’s twice the day care cost. It’s twice the cars. It’s like everything that you said, but you got it you got it doubly so. So I can really imagine and empathize with how that, you know, really hurt.
Amy Vaughan:
And then, you know, we’ll get into this more too, but, you know, you already touched a little bit on it of that idea of, like, the ideal worker, and oftentimes, it’s those who are not in caretaker roles. Right? We know that, like, there is wage discrimination for women, specifically. It’s, I think, somewhere between 47% per child in The US for women when they have children. However, when it’s a guy getting kids, we gotta give him a raise. He’s got a family to support.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. Right? It suddenly, like, somehow makes you less than. Mhmm. Whereas I feel like if you really knew what went into it, it should make you more than.
Amy Vaughan:
Oh my gosh. I’m so much more efficient with my time, my energy. I can get shit done, like, the whole title of this conversation today. Like, I never could before.
Kate Reed:
Sometimes I look back and I think, what did I do with my time before I had kids? Yeah. I look back and I’m like, god. I feel like I should have saved my screen time reports from before kids because I had to have just lived on my phone. Or I know that I was reading a lot. I know that I was going to the gym more, but, like and there are women who are still able to do that. And I look at them and I’m just like, you guys are incredible people because I just like, for me, like, those are things that kinda had to go to the wayside. And I have so much respect for moms. You know, we talked about respect for the stay at home mom.
Kate Reed:
I have so much respect for the working mom who is in a typical nine to five Mhmm. Making it happen because, like, it’s way harder than it needs to be for them. That’s it.
Amy Vaughan:
Absolutely. And then there’s obviously still still a ton of stats and reporting out there that shows that while, like, the balance is coming into play, right, of, like, households that have, like, parity in the sense of, like, parenting skills, caretaking, housework, but still women predominantly. I think it’s, like, 70% still of, like, the housework and childcare is still on us. You know? Not kudos and shout out to the households and to the guys that show up in that. And then actually actually know a few, stay at home dads that have recently made that choice to be like, as I still want the career, I wanna stay at home. And I’m like, I wanna see more men modeling that for other men to make that okay as well because, really, either should be either should be good. Right. Let’s talk a little bit about project 300.
Kate Reed:
Yeah.
Amy Vaughan:
So you started contacting them for just a few hours here and there. I’m guessing that was because it’s what fit your schedule and what you felt like capacity wise you could do. What kind of confidence gave you that? Because your kids are still young. What gave you that confidence to make the leap, and how did you make the hours that you had counted when you were dealing with two newborns and another little one?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So when this came to be, Mason was two and a half, and the twins were four months, five months, I think. Like, very young. Yeah. And I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t go back to work. Again, it was that fear that I would literally only be working when I wasn’t taking care of the kids. To be clear, let’s get this out of the way right away.
Kate Reed:
I was not confident that this would work. It was just something that my husband and I sat down and said, is this possible? Mhmm. And he was like, we’ll figure it out. Take a chance. Like, let’s do it. You know, part of it was and we’ll get into this, you know, I think a little bit later dealing with childcare costs, but that was a big part of it. Oh, yeah. So I realized during the extended mat leave, you know, first of all, there so the conversation was, could we do this? During extended mat leave, I also realized that I am not a mom who can spend twenty four seven with my kids and feel fulfilled and happy.
Amy Vaughan:
That’s okay.
Kate Reed:
I know that there’s a lot of guilt in saying that out loud. There are people who love, like, being their kids, people, and amazing. I love that. I am a better mom when I have something of my own to focus on. %.
Kate Reed:
So I needed professional responsibilities. I remembered a friend, Anthony Samatakos, who started project 300 during the pandemic. Mhmm. And when he started it, he said to me, like, hey. If you ever want a side hustle, like, give me a call. Yeah. So I reached out to him and I said, you know, years ago, you asked me if I, you know, ever needed help to reach out to you. So how’s that going? And he was like, listen.
Kate Reed:
I can give you maybe ten hours a week right now. You know? So my husband and I calculated, like, what that would be. And we were like, well, we’ll try it. We’ll see. Yeah. So that’s where it started. It really started as a fun side thing for me that was meant to be mental stimulation while I was home with my kids and while I was prioritizing Carter’s health care. That’s really what it was.
Kate Reed:
Mhmm. So how did I do it? Worked before the babies, got up while they napped after everyone went to bed at night. Mhmm. If I had things to do while the babies were up, I probably should have set up a camera and just, like, recorded it because I would set them up on their, like, play gym or you know? Because at that point, they were adorable little potatoes who couldn’t really move. Like, they were just having a great time.
Amy Vaughan:
And you just put them somewhere and they can’t go. They can’t escape.
Kate Reed:
I would sit on the floor and I would send emails. If I had a call while they were awake, I would go off camera on mute and I would literally dance, do exercise moves, make faces, anything to keep them quiet enough that I could listen and then jot down notes after the call. And it was fun. Like, not only was I spending time with my kids, but I was also doing something. As they got older, they would sit on my lap and I would put my laptop on an ottoman and just go to town. But the thing that made it work the best was Anthony made it clear that I was in charge of my own schedule. As long as the work was done, clients were happy. It didn’t matter what I did.
Kate Reed:
And that’s what made it doable, and that’s what made me wanna keep doing it and keep building this thing that we were working on together.
Amy Vaughan:
I love it so much. Yeah. I think there’s so much more currency than just cash. Right? Like and you said it. Like, what you’re a better mom because of it, and I very much feel the same way. Love, love, love my kids. They’re my two favorite humans in the whole wide world, and it’s just an honor to be able to call them, you know, them mine and that I’m their mom. But at the same time, like, yeah, I couldn’t.
Amy Vaughan:
I would like to have a lot of stay at home friends, and I’m like, I appreciate what you do because I would absolutely lose my damn mind. Yeah. But I also think that you know, I know your kids are still young, and mine are eight and 11, soon to be 12. What’s gonna be so cool for you, Kate, is that you’re gonna bring them along with you on this, and you’re modeling something so special for them as, like, that next generation of what it means to to be a mom. And it’s gonna be so rewarding. I promise you. It is really like, it’s cool to see now that my kids are older. Even though I’ve been working all this time, like you when you do the day care drop offs and they’re crying and screaming, you feel so much guilt.
Amy Vaughan:
Right? When you miss a little day care thing or you miss an email or a message from the school, it’s like, oh, you feel terrible. But then start the moments where they see what you do and they recognize it, and then they are proud of it, and then they call it out, or you get to bring them along. So, like, last year, we did a little photo shoot thing, and I got to bring the kids. It was in the middle of summer, and I didn’t have anywhere to leave them. And I’m like, just come with me. And for them to be able to experience, like, being on a set and meeting the photographer and learning about, like, creative and art direction and things like that. Honestly, I’ve been doing that stuff with my daughter, Clara, since I was still working for agencies. So she’s been in sound booths and studios, and she’s been on sets for commercials.
Amy Vaughan:
It’s such a cool experience. And I think really because of it too, I see her creativity. She’s so entrepreneurial. I have no doubt she’s gonna have her own business. So what you’re modeling for them, even though it feels like chaos right now, it’s just, it’s really gonna be, but it’s gonna come back to you. You’re gonna get all those rewards of hearing and seeing them, like looking up to you for all that you’re doing. So I
Kate Reed:
I love that. I love that. And it’s interesting how quickly kids pick up on how things are different. So I’m lucky my husband does the daycare pickup and drop off because he works right next door to the daycare. Oh, nice.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. So, you
Kate Reed:
I get him out the door in the morning and then he handles that. But our four year old, he already, like, recognizes that, like, what mommy and daddy do are different. Like, daddy goes into an office and he’ll come home and he’ll be like, mom, how was your day? Did you leave the house today or were you in your room? And it’s like, he gets it to some extent and, you know, he’ll be like, what did you work on? And I’m like, emails and calls, kid. And he’s like, that’s cool. Like, you know, so he’s already so curious about how mommy and daddy do things differently. And I love the idea that, like, the two of us are showing them there are different ways to have a career. And look. We’re both here for the family as well.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. No. I love it. That’s so great. Alright. Let’s dig into a little bit of project 300 a little bit more as well. So you guys call yourself a nonagency agency. I’m curious.
Amy Vaughan:
How does this differ? How is this a different approach to business that enables working parents to thrive compared to traditional agencies’ practices? And is that why you guys call yourself a nonagency agency, or are there some other things behind that?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So, you know, first of all, Project three hundred started as just project management support. One man show, Anthony handled everything, but he found out kind of as he was becoming ingrained with these other organizations, they would be like, hey, do you have a copywriter? Like, can you recommend a designer? So he realized that there was really a need for additional support, the ability to provide services where an agency who is in the throes of getting things done. I mean, you know, agency life. Yeah. They didn’t have to go out and vet these people. So he started to really build a roster. And, what’s cool is this roster is made up of people that he and I have both worked with for years throughout our career.
Kate Reed:
So we vetted them because we’ve worked with them. We know their working styles. And because of that, we’re able to trust them. I think trust is a big thing because even in an agency or a corporation, there is always a matter of, are you gonna get it done? Are you gonna juggle it with your other priorities? I know everything that’s on your plate. Like, can I trust that you’re gonna do this? So for us, like, trust is a huge thing. We do not micromanage whatsoever. Mhmm. Deadlines are set.
Kate Reed:
We trust that they’ll be met. You know, the established professionals that we work with, they know that we expect autonomous productivity and high quality output. And in exchange for that, we offer extremely competitive pay, true flexibility, no parameters around when the work gets done. I think you can probably attest to, in an agency setting. It can kind of feel like meetings are life. Like, you’ve got the kickoff meeting, the internal review meeting, the client meeting, oh my gosh, this is a blowing up meeting. And so for us, like, we’re understanding that a ton of the people we work with Mhmm. They either have a day job Yeah.
Kate Reed:
You know, they are freelancing as a side hustle or they freelance because they do have families. Yep. And they want to have that flexibility. So meetings are really only as needed. We try to solve everything via Slack Yep. Because time is valuable, and we don’t wanna occupy more of it than absolutely necessary. And then, you know, the other part is we are a % remote. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
I think Anthony realized that how and where work gets done really changed with the pandemic. Yeah. And we changed along with it. Like, we’re not gonna go back. There is no return to office because if you do it right Yeah. The office is just a place where people are corralled to get it done. Yeah. But you absolutely, with technology today, have the ability to make things a % remote and deliver high quality stuff.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So yeah. Yeah. I agree.
Amy Vaughan:
I agree. I mean, the gig economy has grown. I think I think by the end of this year, it is said to be close to, like, 40% of the workforce, whether it’s, like, full time, part time, side hustle, are doing some type of freelance contract work, especially in this industry specifically. And it’s kind of been going that way. And and, yeah, absolutely having been an agency kid for so many years and just seeing that cyclical, you know, pendulum of, like, agency work is like, our creative work is out of house, then it’s in house, then it’s out of house, and then we’re gonna offshore, and then we’re gonna downsize. And so, like, it always kinda felt like we were just off on our own anyways. And the people that I remember working alongside that really seemed to thrive the most were those, like, very, like, organized and talented at their craft, freelancer contractors that could come and go as they damn well please. So, like, if they wanted to take the opportunity, they could.
Amy Vaughan:
If the timing wasn’t good for them because of life, because of family, because of other projects, they didn’t have to take it. Whereas you’re right. Like, there’s that sense of, like, we have a I think we have a very unhealthy relationship with work in America, and I think too many of us do put our identities as, like, the company we work for. And so I think, you know, there’s just a lot to even that’s a whole another rabbit hole, but I do feel like, you know, this sense of I love what you said. It was, I think you said, autonomous productivity. Yeah. I love it. It’s so true.
Amy Vaughan:
Like, let’s treat people like adults and then watch what they can actually do. Now I know it’s not going to be for everybody for every job in every situation, but I do think agency models have been broken for a very, very long time and not necessarily moving along with the times. But, I mean, clearly, you guys are, and it’s working out really well. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
I love it. That, like, for me, when I was in an agency, I one of the things that, like, Anthony and I say when we’re talking to people about hiring Project three hundred or hiring me specifically, you know, I do project management support on projects, but I also do operational support, you know, strategy around how to work. And when we’re talking to them and they say, like, you know, well, what makes you different from another agency? Part of what I do. So not just a project manager, but me. I am super efficient. I am very, very quick. I am very, very good at what I do. And I struggled in an agency environment because you had timesheets and you had to have eight hours a day and you were encouraged to have more than eight hours a day because you are dedicated to this company. Right.
Kate Reed:
And it’s just like, but if I can get what I’m doing done in six, then Yeah. Why isn’t that time nine? So, you know, we’re also different in that. There is no overhead. You are not paying for me to sit there
Amy Vaughan:
Sit there.
Kate Reed:
Eight hours a day. You are paying the hours that I am working and the work that you’re gonna get is really, really good. Yeah. And I know that sounds awful. Like, I’m sitting here and I’m like, let me brag about myself, but, like, I know what I’m good at. So let me do it. And, you know, it will serve you better in the long run than paying for someone’s week of work.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. No. I agree. I think, you know, I’ve I’ve gone I’ve worked for large conglomerate owned agencies, small independently owned and operated agencies, and I had gone back. I went to a small independent, and then we ended up consulting with my previous agency, which was larger and conglomerate owned. And I remember laughing because we were coming in to basically be a vendor for them, for the agency. And we had a kickoff meeting, meeting, and it was, like, a big deal. So, like, we took me, my sales guy, and my art director and me.
Amy Vaughan:
So the three of us. So it was because it was a big deal. It was a big meeting. We walked into that room. The agency had 10 people in there to just give us a break for kickoff. And my first thought was like and I’m pretty sure I probably said outside out loud. I’m like, this is an expensive meeting. Yeah.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
And we’re all programmed to think that way where you’re like gosh. That’s your rate. That’s your rate. That’s your rate. We’re all in here for an hour, and you’re just like, oh my gosh. Expensive meeting. Because, like, we don’t want meetings if we don’t have to have them. But two, like to agree.
Kate Reed:
You know, let’s get the team that we need in place and nothing more.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm. Absolutely. Yeah. Work smarter, not harder, folks. I’m definitely with you.
Kate Reed:
I’m absolutely aligned to the Project 300 model and mentality. Alright. Let’s talk about child care costs because we mentioned that earlier. Many of our listeners struggle with the cost of child care versus career growth equation. I think, unfortunately, a lot of us listening right now have done that math. How did you navigate that calculated calculation, and what advice do you have for those who are kind of in that matching moment?
Kate Reed:
Oh, god. So when we were before I made the decision to step away from the agency and join up three hundred, my husband and I did the math on three kids in daycare five days a week. And with our salaries, which we’re not paltry, like, they are good salaries. Having three kids in day care, we would clear after all expenses, $100 a month. Wow. We would have $100 a month of fun money outside of groceries, car payments, and mortgage. And that was a huge gut punch. Like the realization that we would be paying someone else to watch our children so that we could work to make money to pay someone else to watch our children was just like, no, no.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So I, I, I don’t have an answer because no matter how you look at it, the math ain’t mathing. Like it’s, it’s not fair. It’s not right. Childcare is way too expensive. The cost of living is too expensive and pay raises don’t keep up. But, you know, I don’t have a solution, so that’s all the negative, but I think it’s worth sitting down and kind of reevaluating what career growth means to you. Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
Is it a promotion? Is it a bonus? Is it additional responsibilities at work? And will those things really help your quality of life, your family’s quality of life? Mhmm. Let’s be clear. We all love accolades. We all love being able to say, like, I was recognized and this is my new title. But my advice would be take a step back and think about what you want. What does growth mean to you? Because there’s definitely more than one way to get it. Yeah. You know, you can stay in the job.
Kate Reed:
Mhmm. You can clear a hundred dollars a month. You can be banking on that promotion and you can be waiting three, four, five years for it. And you can feel like you’re not getting anything. Or you can say, what do I actually want to do? How do I actually want to grow? Mhmm. As a professional, as a person Yeah. As a mom? And you can kinda change the definition of what I mean.
Amy Vaughan:
So I love it. That’s a great way to look at it because yeah. And, again, nothing is really truly forever. I mean, I remember the day the last check we paid to day care. I’m like, we just got a huge promotion. Right? We’re saving so much money every year. We could buy a whole car now if we wanted.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. Because I agree with you. The childcare cost is a lot. But then like we said earlier too, you know, yeah, raising kids is expensive. Yes. Inflation’s out of control. And at the same time, it’s like, okay. Well, what are some of the things? Like, for us, when I made the shift from agency to business ownership, I took a knock, you know, having a small mission based business.
Amy Vaughan:
And, you know, for us, it’s really been a matter of looking at how, when, and where we spend our time and money and just being more intentional. And I’ve actually just found that, you know, actually kind of dialing back. I mean, I grew up in a household where it was my dad who worked, and he didn’t make a whole lot of money for a long time. And my mom was pretty much staying at home, living in a trailer park. We barely got by, but I’ll tell you, we were so happy. Yeah. And it wasn’t actually until my dad made more money and got a big promotion that everything kinda started falling apart. And things didn’t change.
Amy Vaughan:
We moved into a bigger house, but then there were more responsibilities. And it’s just, like Yeah. Not to get, like, too personal or into it, but it’s, like, one of those things that I think too often what you said before is so true. We always think that’s that hedonic adaptation. Right? We always think that that next step up, that pay increase, that promotion, all of that stuff is going to change everything for us. And what you realize is you get there, and then you’re like, it feels good at the time, but it’s that little boost of serotonin, and it doesn’t actually, like, continue. Right? Then you’re always like, what’s the next thing? And that’s just exhausting constantly trying to achieve, achieve, achieve, achieve, achieve, whereas being more present, being more in line with, like, your values as a person. I think that’s what’s so great about you and your story, right, is that you are working for a company and a business that you are very much values aligned, and that allows you flexibility and autonomy and all the things that you respect.
Amy Vaughan:
And I think that’s what I wanna encourage all of our listeners to do is, like, it might not show up tomorrow. It might not show up in a month or a year, but you just have to be open to it, and you can’t be open to it if you’re not aware of it. Right? So I think your advice there is to be aware of what your values are, what truly matters to you, then that allows that door to kind of open even when you least expect it. At least that’s been my experience as well.
Kate Reed:
No. I agree. And I agree with you that, like, free, kids don’t know what things cost. You know? Like, so I’m with you, Clayton. My kids have so much fun when we find a new park. If we just go to a park, like, they are so happy to be with mom and dad at a park. And it’s like, holy cow. Like, we don’t need to. I mean, we’ll eventually plan a trip to Disney because let’s be real.
Kate Reed:
Like, hopefully, we’ll be able to do that in the future. But, like, they are so excited to just be with us. And so, like, the investment for us right now is time. Yep. That’s what they want.
Amy Vaughan:
That’s what the kids want, really. Yeah. Deep down, that’s what they want. Because they have that whole head on adaptation too. Right? They get I I’ve seen it a million times, and you’re gonna get there. Don’t worry. I’m sure you are with your four year old where it’s like, I want. I want to.
Amy Vaughan:
I want to. And then they get that new pair of Nike’s, and then it’s like they’ve already just kind of like, oh, yeah. And then it’s the next thing. So, yes, time is something that you just can’t. It’s not replaceable, and you can’t get it back. It is our most precious currency.
Kate Reed:
Exactly.
Amy Vaughan:
I love it. Alright. So your background spans nonprofit arts, commercial printing, leadership development, and pediatric health care. So you’ve done a couple different things. I love that you have a diverse past and career path because I think that’s important for others to hear and know that, like, no career path is, like, linear.
Kate Reed:
Right.
Amy Vaughan:
So I’m curious how has this diverse experience shaped your approach, and how has it helped you kind of work through reinvention when you, you know, get things like surprise twins? Yeah. So,
Kate Reed:
Basically, upon graduation, I pretty much reinvented myself every year or every eighteen months. I had no idea what I wanted to do upon, you know, graduating high school. Both of my parents went to college for things that they thought other people wanted them to do, Mhmm. And then change their degrees. So it was very Yeah. It is important to them that I do something that I love. Like, their statement was if you’re gonna go to college, do something you love. And I was like, well, you know, I really love to read.
Kate Reed:
And my dad was like, oh, maybe you took this a step too far. What do you mean by that? And I said, I’m gonna study English. And he was like, okay. But what are you gonna do with that upon graduation? I was like, oh, no. I’ll figure it out. I got four years to figure it out. Right? Yeah. So I went to college and I read books and I wrote papers and loved it.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. And, you know, it came time to find a job, and I applied to anything and everything in Cincinnati, and I landed at Cincinnati Opera. So that is the nonprofit arts, in public relations and marketing because I thought I’m good at writing. I bet I can do that. Yeah. You know? So that was my start, and I loved it. But I felt like it wasn’t really my calling. So I stayed there for a year and I took a job with consolidated graphics in commercial printing, because I come from a group, a family of graphic designers and printers.
Kate Reed:
So I figured I could lean on them when I needed it. Otherwise, I would figure it out. That job had a huge, project management, account management, portion to it. So I definitely, kind of found my first blush with project management there. And it actually led me to make an impromptu move to their corporate headquarters in Houston in my early twenties, where I was placed in charge of their leadership development program. In that case, I was like, you know, I’m pretty good at figuring out how to get from point A to point B. I love listening to people. I’m an empath.
Kate Reed:
I love helping people. I bet I can help people reach their goals. You know? So this whole time I’m making this career journey that I didn’t plan. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was smart enough to figure it out.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
And I was gathering the tools Mhmm. That I would need later on in life that I didn’t even realize I would need.
Amy Vaughan:
Oh, yeah.
Kate Reed:
Pediatric health care, I stepped back into marketing, for pediatric urgent care. And they thought I had a design background as well. And I was like, I know graphic designers. They can help me. And, you know, I ended up designing all of their marketing materials, and I made a car wrap. Like, you know, I did a design to wrap a car. And so then it came time. I realized I was ready to leave Houston, and I was like, project management kind of feels like it takes in all of this.
Kate Reed:
I can now take the knowledge that I’ve gathered over these past, God, I think at that point it was five years. It was only five years that I did all of that. And I was like, this is definitely doable. And an agency is where I ended up for that, which I loved because I had a commercial printing background. I had the graphics background. I had a marketing background.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
And the point of all of this is I didn’t say no. I didn’t say I can’t do that. I followed what interested me at the time. Mhmm. Yep. Those things were the answer to what I needed right then.
Amy Vaughan:
Yep.
Kate Reed:
They weren’t what I needed down the road or now, but doing those things allowed me to grow in my career. You know, there is no wrong answer when you’re reinventing yourself. You can always change your mind and say, oh, that was a step in the wrong direction, but I’m just gonna turn here and see what happens. Houston, for me, is the wrong direction. That was way to go in my early twenties, Kate. You Yeah. But I got out. You did it.
Kate Reed:
I got out, and I figured out it led me to realize I wanna be in Cincinnati.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
I want my home to be here. So I think the real key to reinvention is the ability to say, I’m gonna try it on. If it fits, wow. Look what I did. If it doesn’t fit, I gathered all these tools that are gonna help me later.
Amy Vaughan:
Yep. I love it. It reminds me of my favorite Nelson Mandela quote, which is I never lose. I only win or I learn something.
Kate Reed:
Oh, I love that.
Amy Vaughan:
I just never heard that. Isn’t that good? I get all the time to my kids and to myself. And I love it. You’re right. It’s like reinvention is, like, that practice of trying on new things that made me feel uncomfortable at first and seeing if it is a fit. And I love how you are unashamed and unabashed about, like, your cumulative and transferable skills because I think so many women you know, we always hear the stats of, like, women don’t apply for jobs unless they’re, like, a % qualified or a 10% qualified versus, like, men who are more likely to apply when they’re 60% qualified. Yeah. And it’s because there’s so many skills about, like, everything you kinda just said, communications, leadership, project management, organization, operations. Like, that we kind of I think women in general is by nature are kind of conditioned to do and to be.
Amy Vaughan:
You know? That we don’t really give ourselves credit to think about those as being skills that are cumulative and or transferable. And then I just love that you’re like, well, I know people that know how to do this. So if I don’t know, I can at least lean on them. I love that as well. I think that’s a great way to, like, borrow that sense of feeling and knowledge. And I also love your go with the flow mentality with your career path, and I will a % agree with you. Like, I wouldn’t be sitting and doing what I’m doing today if it wasn’t for kind of just going with the flow of what was my like, what your parents said. So, again, kudos to your parents.
Amy Vaughan:
I know it was already, like, saying, like, I think they’re, they sound like they’re so amazing. So hi, mom and dad. But, like, the fact that, you know, they were encouraging you guys to just explore and try it on and, you know, do that, I think probably helped you have the right mindset going into the career world because when we’re having conversations, like, we have the last couple episodes talking about AI and the shifting and the changing of digital marketing and advertising, you have to have a go with the flow mindset when it comes to all these things. Otherwise, it can get very daunting very fast.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. And, you know, to kind of apply the phrase, it takes a village from motherhood, like, is there any reason why it can’t take a village for your career?
Amy Vaughan:
Like absolutely.
Kate Reed:
I think that’s part of the reason we’ve had such success with project 300 is Yeah. We are so open to being like you know, Anthony and I always say we. We are so open to being like, we are experts in this. I understand the words that you’re saying. I’m not sure I understand what they mean. Have you met? You know? And we bring in an expert because we know what we know, and we know what we don’t know. And building that community, building that village in every aspect of your life is only going to make your life and your experiences so much richer for you and the people you surround yourself with.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm. Absolutely. Absolutely agree. I love it. And then would you say that that’s kind of how you guys know? And if there’s other examples you have, I’d love to hear them, like, how you’re doing business differently. Like, what does the day to day look like, and how does that flexibility show up in your work and then even in your life?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So, I mean, in terms of flexibility, have you heard of May December? Because this was the first year that I have heard of Maycember where, you know, basically for people who aren’t parents, the month of May is December without all the gifts. All of the events, all of the happenings are happening. And, you know, so for example, for the first three weeks of May, I had a mother’s day breakfast. I had a pre-k prom, which was adorable. That sounds good. I had parent teacher conferences for two year olds and four year olds.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
We had an end of year party that parents were invited to attend, which you don’t wanna be the parent that doesn’t show up to that. Right. We had the spring fling concert. We had a tumbling ceremony. That was just my schedule. You know, Anthony had a field day for his kids. He had his son’s birthday. And because we’re able to work differently and because we are really a family comes first and everything that we do is for the family, we were able to say, I’m gonna be out from two to five today.
Kate Reed:
And, you know, I need you to cover or check emails. I’m gonna be out for this. And we were able to not only rely on each other, but there’s that trust that we have in the other people. There’s the trust that we have in our village, in our community Mhmm. Where I was able to say, if you need something, text me, but I’m not gonna be online. Yeah. You know what? No one texted me because they are all the same in life.
Amy Vaughan:
Right. Everybody, as long as everybody’s competent, it’s fine.
Kate Reed:
Right. Everybody knew what they needed to do, and everybody knew how to do it. And it would, it’s just amazing. It is such a shift Yeah. From that corporate mindset where you would be like, I’ll be taking calls in the car up until I get there, and then I’m gonna be offline for an hour, and then I’ll be back online, and I’ll be online tonight if you need me. And, you know, just having that ability. You know, Friday afternoons, everybody knows that, like, likely not working. It’s when I run my errands so that weekends can be dedicated to the kids.
Amy Vaughan:
Right.
Kate Reed:
You know, a really cool thing that Anthony is able to do with this is he takes his whole family to Greece every summer for, like, a month. Like, his parents are from Greece. Uh-huh. And so he packs up the entire family, and they go and see their extended family.
Amy Vaughan:
That’s wonderful.
Kate Reed:
That’s huge to be able to do that and to have that flexibility, and that’s something that, like, is irreplaceable, and you can’t put a dollar sign on that.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm. Oh, I agree. I agree. I love it. I love it so much. And we are so gonna borrow your headline for Together Digital. Your career takes a village. I think that’s exactly what the community in general can do for you, and, you know, and it can transcend, like, any job, although it’s so good to have a company that has those, again, values, alignments, and all that.
Amy Vaughan:
It’s just such a dream. You’re probably gonna get a lot of people reaching out to you after this to talk to you guys about project 300. So just be ready. We have a lot of freelancers, contractors, things like that within Together Digital, but it is so true. And I think, you know, between both motherhood and being a working parent, we often think we have to do it all, and we have to do it all alone. And it’s just not the case. Like, we have so many of us in that same boat and in an age where we’re having to combat a lot of perceived isolation that, like, literally has a toll on our physical and mental state. It’s more important now than ever to recognize and realize it really truly does take a village for even not just raising your kids, but for yourself and your career.
Amy Vaughan:
I love it. Yeah. Alright. We’re gonna have a couple more questions, and then we’ll jump into the fun little power round. But I wanna let our listening audience know that they can definitely chime in with the question. I know there’s been some nice comments and people agreeing with the conversations and tips and advice you’ve been sharing, Kate. But if you have questions for Kate in particular, pop them in there, and I will make sure we get them asked before we wrap things up. Alright.
Amy Vaughan:
Let’s talk about the thing that, you know, all moms feel, which is a sense of guilt and judgment. How do you handle the internal and external voices that question your choices if there’s any with you?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. I haven’t had any, like, direct criticism. Luckily, I’ve got myself surrounded by my village. You know? It’s made up of my husband, who, you know, is one of the good ones that helps split the Yeah. Household requirements. He’s the chef. I don’t cook. You know? So that’s really, really nice.
Kate Reed:
I’ve got my family. You’ve mentioned my mom and my dad. Mhmm. Truly incredible. I talk to them every single day. Yeah. And just their support has done wonders for giving me the confidence to do what I do. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
I surround myself with friends from all different backgrounds. You know, I’ve got friends with kids. I’ve got friends without kids. Yep. I’ve got friends who are married, some who are single. And the ability to just hear and share Mhmm. With people from all different family backgrounds is huge because it gives you a different perspective on things, and it lets you know that, like, what you’re doing matters. You know, Anthony and his wife are great.
Kate Reed:
They are huge supporters of me, and we are of them vice versa. And then, you know, for those days when it’s really, really hard, I have my therapist because let’s be clear. Like, I am a huge supporter of prioritizing your mental health
Amy Vaughan:
Yep.
Kate Reed:
And, you know, couldn’t do it without her. So It’s amazing. I love it. Yeah. And, you know, I just tell myself, you’re doing your best. Nobody has it all figured out and that’s okay. We’re not supposed to. It’d be really boring if we did have it all figured out, on days when it feels impossible or I feel like I’m not doing enough or those voices are making me doubt the value I bring to the table.
Kate Reed:
I repeat the mantra, which I read in a book late last year for the first time, which is you do not yield. You know, you do not give in to the demons that make you question your worth. You don’t doubt your skill set and your abilities. And sometimes it’s all about just getting through today and starting again tomorrow. Mhmm.
Amy Vaughan:
So a fresh new day. I love it. That’s fantastic advice. And I agree. Find that support system, you know, for all those internal and external things. I think I think that’s a great antidote to mom guilt. We have a Slack channel on our Together Digital Slack that is for parents. And, actually, members, if you’re listening, go in and vote because we’re gonna have a peer group, and it’s gonna happen in the next week, and we wanna make sure we have a good time for everybody as best we can.
Amy Vaughan:
But I think in those moments and being in a room with other working parents, it just kind of brings it, it allows for the vulnerability, right, so that you can have that you can have with your husband and your friends, again, all walks of life, which is also great in perspectives. But sometimes also just having those peers around you to kind of know that you’re not alone and that maybe if they’re, like, a half step ahead of you, they can give some advice. Or if you just need to vent, you know, we’ve got, like, the the all caps screaming social yelling channel where you can just, like
Kate Reed:
Oh, I love it.
Amy Vaughan:
But it’s been really fun to kind of see, like, all of our working parents, like, you know, leverage the group to really work through some things that they probably would have had to figure out on their own. And even if the group’s not giving them the solution, just having that solidarity is, like, everything. So I think that’s such an important aspect and a good piece of advice is to really find your community. Like you said, it takes that village and to kind of combat that sense of guilt or judgment. Really just finding other peers around you that are going through the same things is gonna help with a lot of that. Yeah. Alright. So you have definitely proven that, career growth doesn’t have to follow traditional timelines.
Amy Vaughan:
What mindset shifts were critical for you in redefining what success looked like for you and on your own terms?
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So I kinda realized that the only people who really care about titles are those who are in your office, those who are in your direct orbit. Because once you step outside those doors, nobody knows the difference between a senior manager and a supervisor and a director. And it may matter there. But even on your resume, it’s not going to make that big of a difference. So, you know, once you let go of titles, you are able to focus on what you really, really love doing. You know, I started to question, do I enjoy managing other people? Like, do I like taking on extra roles without extra pay? Or in my case, do I genuinely like doing project management work? Like, do I like doing the timelines in the organization and the operational support and the building of the teams and the check ins and the working through the issues? These are things that if I had stayed in a typical agency would be considered beneath
Amy Vaughan:
Right.
Kate Reed:
My level that I would be at. And so once I identified, like, no. I love doing this work.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
And you are able to say, I’m not gonna let what other people define as success make me strive for things that don’t serve me. Yes. You know, that was the big part of it. I can be successful as a project manager with project manager being my title
Amy Vaughan:
Yep.
Kate Reed:
Without feeling like I’m falling behind because I don’t have a senior project manager Right. Yeah.
Amy Vaughan:
I mean, they’re not gonna put your title on your headstone. I mean, I guess you could request it, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to. But it’s like, well, those things we do. We held on so tight to it, and I was the title chaser at one point. Right? We all kind of were. We all have that phase and moment in life. But then I learned, I think, you know, being called mom, one of my favorite titles hearing that. And then I also started coaching soccer for my daughter’s team, when she was about seven or eight.
Amy Vaughan:
And so when the girls you know, I’m doing school pickup, they see me. They’re like, hey, coach. That’s my favorite title. Hi, coach. And I’m just like, even years after I it’s it’s been it might have not coached them for two or three years, and they still see me, and they still call and I’m like, that’s that’s what I it’s those are the kind of feels that I would have liked to have had when I got my creative director title. You know? Finally, I was like,
Kate Reed:
I do it. Yeah. Because, like, again, it’s that boost of serotonin Yeah. Where you’re like, yes. I did it. And then you’re like, woah. I’m responsible for what now? And the things that I love doing that got me here, I no longer get to do. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
Like Yeah.
Amy Vaughan:
What am I doing? %. A %. I love that perspective. Such good advice. Alright. For working moms, aspiring, or for working moms or aspiring working moms in our community, in our listener group here, what is the most important permission you want to give them today?
Kate Reed:
Take that chance. Quit the job that doesn’t serve you. You know, do something that you’ve wanted to do, but you’re not sure of it because nothing is permanent. Yeah. If you take the leap and you land on your face, you can kind of take some time to grieve those results and what happened, but then you still keep moving forward. You can always make another shift until you find what works for you. I think the mentality is to find a job you love and stay there until you die. Yeah. Is no more.
Kate Reed:
I mean, we don’t have pensions anymore. Like, we’re not working for fifty years for the same company.
Amy Vaughan:
Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
And so don’t be afraid to say, like, this isn’t what I wanna do anymore.
Amy Vaughan:
Right. Yeah. And then you’re modeling something so good for your kids.
Kate Reed:
Right? Exactly. And, you know, the other thing I wanna say is just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you’re no longer you.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
It took me, you know, Mason, it will be five in October. I really struggled with the shift from me to mom, but I have since kind of ended up back to where I am now able to focus on who I was before kids and
Amy Vaughan:
Plus. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
Find a way to incorporate that identity into who I am now. Yeah. And that’s really, really cool.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. I love it. Yeah. That plus mom, it’s just like it’s the addition of right? It’s the building of your character and refinement of who you are because I tell you what, kids will tell you. They’ll bring it all out, the good, the bad. Right? They test all the things, and I think it’s great. It really does shape you into someone not completely different, but definitely somebody new. And I love your advice on taking the leap.
Amy Vaughan:
I am always saying confidence comes after the action. Right? Everything is scary the first time you do it. And then after that, it becomes easier and easier. Right? So I often have to remind myself of that too when either opportunities or decisions come about, and I’m just like, you know, analysis paralysis. It’s like, no. Like, I needed to listen to my gut, do the thing, make the jump, and then know that confidence will come after. I’ve somehow figured it out. Exactly.
Amy Vaughan:
I love it. Okay. We had one question from the listening audience. I’m gonna pop over into the chat. Kelsey wants to know what has been your proudest moment since becoming a partner at p three hundred?
Kate Reed:
Gosh. Just the fact that, like, I did it. Right? Like, I’m still doing it. Like, I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I arrived. But, like Yeah. I went from having these two itty bitty babies on the floor while I just sat there with them to and with them five hours a week. You know? Like you said, it’s not overnight success. Mhmm.
Kate Reed:
But all three kids are now in day care
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah.
Kate Reed:
As we are able to afford it, which is Yeah. We’re able to do it. And I’m doing it. I’m doing what I love to do. Yeah. And I think I don’t have that dread when I wake up that I have to go to work.
Amy Vaughan:
Yeah. That’s important. Yeah. You shouldn’t be sitting in the parking lot crying before you go into the office, friends. Or at
Kate Reed:
lunch or you know? Right.
Amy Vaughan:
Or on the way home. I used to, like, vent the whole I call my husband and be like, I don’t I don’t even need you to talk to me. I’m just gonna, like, verbally, like, vomit all over you because I’m just so stressed out. Yeah. And then I looked back on those days, and I was like, oh, god love you for just sitting and listening to all of that. Alright. Steph wants to know, Kate, how do you carve out space for yourself, work from home with three kids? Because that is a lot. Like, when, when you love your people but also kinda need to hide from them and everyone for a minute.
Kate Reed:
Yeah. So great question. Matt and I are really good about this. Like, we both are really good at just like Matt’s my husband. I don’t know that I said his name before, but, you know, we’re really good at looking at each other and just being like, I’m gonna explode if I don’t. And, you know, we the kids know. They’re getting used to it where, like, we just say, I’m gonna step outside for a minute. Yeah.
Kate Reed:
You know, it’s important to show them that you’re allowed to take a step back if you’re feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed. And are we perfect at it? God, absolutely not. But, like, you know, I try to go outside versus in a closet because, you know, fresh air, sun, they do wonders for you. Yeah. But, you know, we just, we take five minutes and it’s good. I also am notoriously a bedtime procrastinator where she’s there in bed, husband goes to bed and I’m like, I’m gonna read for an hour because it’s my time and nobody’s talking. Mhmm. And, you know, that can be good or bad, but it works.
Amy Vaughan:
Well, I promise you, it’s going to get better as I get older and become more self-sufficient, and then you can be more deliberate and intentional about those things. But I am super protective of my time, you know, and it’s one of those things that it’s like you said earlier. If I am not at my best, whether it’s work affecting me, my own mental health, or, like, the lack of just being out and exercising, the things that I need, like, I’m not going to be showing up as the best possible parent for them. And so it’s one of those things, like, I know, like, dads feel it too. Right? Like, my husband a lot of times will be like, I guess I should go to the gym, but I don’t wanna be away from you guys. So, like, it’s funny. We both go at, like, 09:00 at night because he’s a night owl, and I’m up at 5AM and going. So, like, that works for us.
Amy Vaughan:
Right? Yeah. We got the morning and then a night owl, and then somebody’s home with the kids. But now they’re getting to that point where it’s like, can we leave them home alone for an hour and go to the gym together? It’s coming, Jane. It’s coming. It’s coming. Oh my gosh. So, yeah, there’s just a lot, and it’s not really in anything big, honestly. I think the best are the small stolen moments for yourself and, like, really being intentional about doing those.
Amy Vaughan:
And just getting into the habit of it now, especially even while the kids are little, it’s gonna be so much easier when they get older. And, again, like, you’re just you’re modeling something fantastic for them.
Kate Reed:
Well, thank you.
Amy Vaughan:
Alright. Let’s see if we’ve got a couple seconds here unless we have any other questions. Don’t be shy. You can definitely pop them in. I’m gonna ask you a couple of our power round questions. Yeah. Alright. This is actually kind of a nice little dovetail from Seth’s question.
Amy Vaughan:
What is your go to strategy when you have twenty minutes to get something important done?
Kate Reed:
I was joking with my husband before this. I said, can I say that I’m pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADHD, and this is the only way I work? Yeah. But That’s a
Amy Vaughan:
A lot of us.
Kate Reed:
No. Honestly, the phone has to go in the other room. Otherwise, I’m just, like, immediately like, What’s on my screen? Yeah. Nonimportant windows on the computer maximized to go. No distractions. And it’s amazing what you’re able to get done in that amount of time.
Amy Vaughan:
I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the Pomodoro method. Yes. Yep. So all of our productivity nerds, project manager types, like, twenty five minutes is a great time to focus and get anything done, turn off all of the distractions, set a timer, ideally, like, not digital. Like, that’s why it’s called Pomodoro. It’s like this little tomato timer that they would use. Set one of those and just focus. And I tell you what, like, you get so much more done.
Amy Vaughan:
I think that’s one thing. I miss the in office experience and environment and people, but I love my ability to focus more on things and not get interrupted when I’m working from home. So it’s definitely a balance. I like my background noise in coffee shops. But exactly. Alright. We can’t leave without asking a T Swift question. Taylor Swift song that best describes your working mom life.
Kate Reed:
You mean besides look what you made me do?
Amy Vaughan:
I like it.
Kate Reed:
I would say, probably bejeweled.
Amy Vaughan:
Okay.
Kate Reed:
It’s fun bop. It feels empowering. You know, I left my old job that wasn’t serving me anymore, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still command a room and light it up when I walk into it.
Amy Vaughan:
Oh, I love it. Fantastic. Alright. Well, we’ll go ahead and wrap it there. Kate, thank you so much for coming on and just being vulnerable and sharing all of your experience. I know it’s gonna be really helpful and inspiring to a lot of our listeners, so we appreciate it.
Kate Reed:
Thank you for having me. This was really fun. Good. Good. Good.
Amy Vaughan:
So much. I love it that you all have joined us today. Thank you to all of our live listeners for joining us and asking your questions and making some great comments. We hope to see you guys soon. Check out the podcast. It’s on all streaming channels as well as YouTube, so make sure that you check it out and subscribe. If not, we hope to see you soon in the next coming episode. Till then, keep asking, keep giving, and keep growing.
