The Founder's dilemma is unique, nuanced, specific, and, incomprehensible to anyone that has not been a Founder themselves. As a former tech Founder/CEO and current Executive Advisor & licensed Psychotherapist Kathryn has an unprecedented combination of relevant work experience and psychological tools to support Founders as they navigate through the inevitable challenges faced when launching, scaling, and exiting a business.
Kathryn is a Strategic Business Advisor and licensed Psychotherapist (LMSW) that applies her deep understanding of business development and human psychology to start-up Founders and C-suite Executives of early-stage ventures in a way that no other individual or practice can. Prior to completing Columbia University’s MSW and MBA program, Kathryn worked extensively with startups as both a Founder/CEO, and Advisor to early stage companies across multiple business sectors namely; technology, finance, real estate, blockchain, and fashion. In these roles she gained an intimate experiential understanding of the volatility and vulnerability of capital raises, the ramifications of hiring too fast and firing too slow, the transition from wearing every hat to entrusting and delegating powerful positions to new hires, how to creatively
contracts and equity disbursements, to developing a nimble business that can fluidly pivot based upon the nature of ever-changing competitive landscapes, and the layered interpersonal dynamics that arise between co-founders.
Simply put, Kathryn has been in your shoes and, with her LMSW, she has the clinical expertise to guide leadership to move through these critical moments in a way that preserves their mental health and empowers them to perform with the clarity of mind to hire, produce, scale and execute with optimal results. As a practitioner of transformational leadership, that applies a human-centric approach to business advisory, Kathryn is able to unlock the barriers and identify the blind spots that inevitably come with running a business so that leaders can tap into their full potential, optimize their performance, and ensure their venture’s longterm success.
Kathryn wholeheartedly believes that the success of a business is predicated upon the mental fortitude of its leadership and the harmony of its team. A great idea and the ability to raise capital are moot if these foundational necessities are not in place first.
Kathryn supports start-up Founders & CEOs through the rigorous process of launching, scaling, and (if applicable) ultimately exiting their business. Her clinical licensure combined with her executive business experience affords her the rare opportunity to go deep with clients when necessary, to heal at the root, so that they have the opportunity to stretch their skill set beyond what would have otherwise been possible.
Kathryn believes that human capital is an organization’s most important asset. If leaders can demonstrate this commitment through his/her leadership and actions, the message will filter down to all levels of the organization, influencing its culture and its employees’ relationships with one another.
People yearn for positive role models and leadership at work making it essential for company Founders and Leaders to partner with practitioners that ensure they work in a way that improves their relationships and wellness, and therefore the wellbeing of everyone around.
Kathryn's core focus with her clients is to improve their relationship intelligence. She believes relational dynamics, both personal and professional, are what feed our soul and have quickly become the single most influential component affecting a company’s bottom line. Our personal relationships seep into our work lives and vice versa. We do not magically become a different person when we walk into the office, just as we do not magically shut off the stress from work the moment we walk into our home.
Unpacking our experiences and redefining our belief systems to authentically approach life with positivity and a bountiful perspective enables us to show up and engage in relationships in a healthy manner that provide mutual joy. I believe this is the key to happiness.
Harvard Business School professor and author of The Founder's Dilemmas, Noam Wasserman's, study revealed that 65% of startups fail due to Co-founder conflict. Kathryn's practice is determined to unpack this statistic to prevent unhealthy co-founder relationship dynmaics from destroying a business's ability to disrupt and thrive.
A healthy Co- founder relationship opens the gates for disruptive ideas to have the opportunity to reach the market, allows entrepreneurs to continue developing game-changing businesses without the trauma that comes from unwinding a startup, and provides employees with the necessary role-modeling so that they prioritize carrying on healthy relationships with their co-workers.
Through years of working with Founders and Executives Kathryn has discovered that several core psychotherapeutic themes arise for clients in this high stress, vulnerable, and volitile position. Kathryn has accumulated a plethora of tools to address inner child work, imposter syndrome, addictions, anxiety, depression, relational intelligence, and perfection paralysis for her clients.
Kathryn's approach is informed by traditional psychotherapeutic modalities and theories, such as CBT, life course, neuroplastcity, and DBT, however, I believe that no one modality is the answer. Rather, an amalgamation of modalities, deep listening, an understanding of an individual’s nutritional and dietary habits, mindfulness techniques, and creative thought to reveal the root cause, that prompted an individual to seek help, allows clinicians to collaborate with their client to curate a personalized recipe for healing and success.
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Esther Perel
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