Meet Kate Neary Corey Powers | Co-Founders, Catapult Creative Co

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Neary Corey Powers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate Neary, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Kate: My career in my 20s was based around hustle culture and telling myself that if I wasn’t losing sleep over work, I wasn’t working hard enough. And anyone in their right mind reading that statement will know that it is a completely unhealthy way to look at anything in life, but we still seem to subscribe to it in our culture. When I started working for myself just over a decade ago, I made a promise to myself that I would set normal office hours for myself and only stray outside that in extenuating circumstances. I have stuck to that mentality to this day and it has been (mostly) pretty easy!

Now running Catapult with Corey, this notion of setting boundaries became even more important. Just because we love our work doesn’t mean that we need to “live to work”. When I found out I was pregnant last year, one of our first conversations as business partners, initiated by Corey, was that I take 3 months maternity leave. Being able to take that time with my boyfriend and new baby was such a gift – and I like to think it has made me better when it comes to work, too. Without that balance, no matter how much you love your work and who you work with, there will always end up being some kind of resentment & burn out and then you’re useless to both your clients and your own brand. And if a client doesn’t subscribe to or at least respect your work/life balance boundaries, they just may not be the right fit – and that’s ok!

Corey: I remember when I made the decision to start my own business and start Catapult with Kate, I had several entrepreneur mentors say to me, “Now you know you’re just trading a 40 hour work week for a 90 hour work week, right?”

I had taken to heart much of the wisdom and advice my mentors had bestowed on me, but this was something I couldn’t accept. Part of my reasoning for starting my own business was to have more flexibility with my personal life. More time to be with my wife and kids, more time spent on passions and hobbies, more time simply not working! Although I had spent over a decade in the agency world where work / life balance is close to nonexistent, I felt deeply that the clients, the work, and the team would not only benefit from less work and more play, but would THRIVE in both realms from a better balance.

Luckily, Kate supported this intuition, especially after successfully achieving it for herself as a freelancer in the years leading up to Catapult’s inception. I’m proud to say that the hunch paid off, and Catapult enjoys a healthy culture of life prioritized over work – and that 90 hour work week remains a myth! (Although I will admit a 50 hour work week appears every once in a while, hah!)

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Catapult Creative Co is a branding & marketing agency that was built by two “Type A Creatives” – we love organization & planning as much as we love exploration & fun. On the business side of things, we wanted to create a space that didn’t feel like the normal agency grind – we wanted to make space for our personal lives, chase happiness as a priority, and operate with as much transparency as possible. On the client-work side, we wanted to make sure we were partners to the people we work with and do what we felt was right for their businesses, even if that meant it may not be with us. At the core, we always ask “why” and that question should always have an answer for both our own business and our clients.

We started the agency right at the beginning of the pandemic – after years of working for herself, Kate and Corey met through one of her clients and it was both personal and professional kinship from the start. We banded together and while it was a little scary to shift gears at such an uncertain time, we believed in what we were doing and it has paid off. We have an incredible roster of clients that has given us the chance to be both strategic and creative partners.

Where we feel like we stand out is the value we bring to our clients – be it an ongoing retainer or a one-off project – ensuring that they know their business is as important to us as it is to them. We aren’t an agency that “just does the doing”. We are rooted in strategy and strive for the long-game in everything we do. And our team is an incredible group of freelancers and consultants who are stars at their specific areas of expertise. This allows us to bring each client and project a curated team with exactly the talent needed to complete the project with the best possible outcome.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We are a team that loves a good time and a strong cocktail –

Wibby Brewing: With the most amazing outdoor space and awesome drinks, we have made Wibby our go-to for social gatherings and unofficial official meeting place for client happy hours. Get a Lagerita or frozen gin & tonic – but fair warning, they sneak up on you!

Gold Hill Inn: There’s nothing like a Friday night up in the beer garden of this old mining village’s inn – they have incredible live music and such a welcoming crowd.

Whistling Hare: As Kate’s local distillery, the spirits are great, the cocktails are genius, and the company is a delight. They are a small but mighty team and even hosted her baby shower at the tasting room!

Literally ANY show at Red Rocks: You could see the wind chimes play here and it would be incredible!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kate: For me, it’s my dad! He successfully ran an ad agency until his retirement, as did his dad before him. When I had moments of frustration, especially when it came to challenging clients or work situations, he would tell me that I shouldn’t waste time with situations/clients that took too much of me & that time would be much better spent finding things that aligned with my own values. That advice hasn’t ever steered me wrong.

Corey: It’s hard to pick individual people! It had always been a dream of mine to start my own agency, and in the final two years leading up to Catapult I had many moments with various people that I considered the universe telling me to take the leap. From two mentors who believed in me and my idea for a better agency model to the previous agency leaders who helped me learn what I felt good about and not so good about when it came to client and team relations, I’ve had the benefit of interacting with many folks who have helped me get here.

Website: https://catapultcreative.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/catapult-creative-co/