Kathy Dixon wants to inspire you to lean into discomfort. The more she embraced discomfort, the more she found growth and opportunities to do work that worked for her.
We met at the Startup Leadership event in DC and sat on a panel together and immediately hit it off. She also considers herself an accidental entrepreneur like myself.
Kathy is the owner and creative director of Oh Yes Communications. She loves working works with specific clients with big, bold ideas to help them craft their messaging and brand.
Lot of great lessons in our conversation including:
- How clearly she defines her target customer.
- Process she went through to overcome imposter syndrome.
- How to put yourself in situations where you don’t know the answers.
- Creating alignment to stay true to your brand.
- Feeling relieved after losing a job she didn’t want to quit.
Life Skills That Matter In This Episode
- Embracing discomfort
- Build your community
- Align your habits
- Reframe your mindset
How Kathy Works and Thinks
- Wake up time: 6:00 am
- Core work activities + habits: 1) Communication with her team. 2) Choosing her top priorities for the day. 3) Having 2-3 key confidants or mentors in the business world to ping things off of frequently.
- Superpower: Encouraging others and getting past their limitations or self-doubt.
- Regains focus by: Journaling with a brain dump.
- 90-day goal: Shift the company’s messaging towards marketing and branding.
Inspirational Quotes
“It’s easier to speak to one another and think of great ideas together when we agree on some basic principles.”
“If you’re uncomfortable and you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re most likely on the right path.”
“A lot of the time, I find that the thoughts are in my head and the answers are in my writing.”
“I cannot grow in a vacuum. I cannot grow when the only voice I hear is my own.”
“Seasons of discomfort are important.”
Coaching Advice
If you’re on the cusp of making your first big investment in yourself, Kathy offers this advice:
1) Evaluate how long you’ve been thinking about your idea.
2) Acknowledge that at some point, something has to give. The pain of not acting will outweigh the pain of trying it.
3) Believe in yourself and go for it.
Resources + Bonus Materials
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