We had the good fortune of connecting with Katryna Kirby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katryna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Like most people in this world, the idea of starting your own business is intriguing. The thought of naming the business, creating a logo, being your own boss, working whenever you want, sounds pretty amazing, right? So while I would think about owning a business in the back of my head, I had to keep moving forward, keep working hard in my current positions, keep learning and keep networking to figure out what that might be and look like.

One of the most frustrating things in my work career over the years was not being able to climb the career ladder. I worked for great companies but room to grow was never there. I always felt like I worked hard, had big wins, and always strived to learn and grow as an individual, but I was always stuck. Stuck with the same basic title, stuck with the same middle-of-the-range salary.

Until one day a board member at a former company I worked for asked if I would “moonlight” for her. She saw my social media and public relations work I was doing for the company and she was intrigued. She asked me to do some event planning, craft social media posts and help land some local PR to promote an upcoming anniversary event. I put together a proposal, threw a number on there and got to work.

When the job was finished, I was happy with the results (and so was she) and I was even more thrilled with the “extra” paycheck I received. I was proud of myself and thought “that was pretty easy.”

I shared what I had been doing with some family members and they straight up said, “Why don’t you do this more? You have the skills and people need help, why don’t you think about freelancing more or starting your own business? The need is there.”

That’s when it hit me. THIS is that business I had been dreaming of. They were exactly right. People didn’t know how to manage their business social media pages, or they simply didn’t have the time to do it. There isn’t that many “social media managers” where I live and the need is definitely there.

So, I got to work. I listened to every social media/PR podcast on the internet. I read tons and tons of articles about starting your own social media business. l started thinking about what services I would offer, who my target audience would be, who the “ideal” client was. I drafted a list of potential clients and people I could reach out to and pitch my services. I dreamed up a company name and logo. I created a website and my own social media pages. I talked to every expert I could think of – an accountant, lawyer, small business development coach, others who had started their own business, etc. I created a business plan. I created my own social media content calendar. I ran the numbers. And I felt like I could actually make it happen.

Next step was to find a couple more businesses to work with and side hustle it for as long as I could. Word had started to spread and I organically gained clients through word-of-month. I was getting busier and busier and knew I needed to take that leap of faith, quit my job and just go for it.

And that’s what I did.

In January, 2020 (just two months prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) I quit my job and took on Social Kat full time, offering boutique social media and public relations services. While it got a little rocky during the first half of 2020, COVID was actually a blessing in disguise when it came to my business.

Businesses were being forced to communicate and do business all online. And because of that, my phone started to ring.

I’m extremely glad I branched out and started my own business. While it is certainly not a walk in the park, I have loved every minute of it and have never looked back. Currently I manage a team of 6 freelancers and we oversee 26 clients and this has all happened in just two and a half short years.

If you are reading this and considering starting your own business I would absolutely say “go for it.” “Do your research, have a plan and don’t rush it. Educate yourself and see if the business is feasible. And then go for it. Follow your dreams and give it a try. You only live once!”

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Social Kat is a boutique social media management and public relations firm. We are based in northern Illinois but can work remotely and help clients all throughout the nation and world. I manage a team of 6 freelancers and we oversee 25 client accounts. We do everything from social media management – creating content calendars, drafting content, creating graphics, scheduling in social media posts, managing content, staying on top of trends, creating IG Reels, etc. We also do press release writing and pitch stories to the media. We’ve secured media hits in big outlets like Today.com, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, among others.

I am extremely happy with where I am right now with my business. I have grown tremendously and that’s all thanks to my clients. Being in the marketing field for 10 years, I attended many Chamber events and networking programs, and that all paid off. I have made relationships with several community leaders and because of that, most all of my business is through word-of-month and referrals.

I had one major challenge to overcome when I first started Social Kat and that was… COVID. I started my business in January 2020 and COVID hit in March 2020. While I lost a couple of clients during that time, I never gave up and never lost hope. It only encouraged me to do more. I made it a goal to be extremely active on my own social media pages. I did Facebook lives to give useful information about the importance of your business being on social media. I was asked to present on Zoom calls to talk about social media management during COVID. I reached out to everyone I knew to let them know what services I was offering. And in the long run, COVID was a blessing in disguise for my business. Everyone HAD to go digital since no one could see each other face-to-face. And once people realized that, my phone started to ring.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live just outside of Rockford (90 miles west of Chicago). It’s a wonderful smaller city with SO much to offer. I would take my friend to downtown Rockford, sit along the Rock River at Prairie Street Brewhouse and enjoy local, craft beer and listen to live music on the river. I would take them boating and go wakesurfing or kayaking on the Rock River. I would take them to other local shops and restaurants like Rockford Art Deli, Rockford Roasting, Wired Cafe, Sisters Tai, Abreo and many others. And we would go for hikes at one of the many preserves in the region.

I would also take them to other areas outside the city. Road trip to Galena, IL and go shopping downtown or snow skiing in the winter. I would take them to Byron and Oregon, IL and show them other wonderful restaurants like Sweet Bean Cafe & Bakery, Hairy Cow, Cave, Hunt Club, PrairieFire Golf and Grill and La Vigna.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my brother Drew Hogan. He’s the one who inspired me to branch out on my own. We talked every day (driving to and from work) when I was in the thick of dreaming about my company. I’ve always looked up to him (and my other brother, Trevor). I’m pretty fortunate to have to great brothers, who have done great things in their careers and life. They are inspiring, they push me to be a better person, they teach me and most importantly, they beleive in me and support me,

Website: www.socialkatco.com

Instagram: @socialkatco

Linkedin: @katrynakirby

Facebook: @socialkatco

Image Credits
Headshot – Mindy Joy Photography

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