About Kate
I help leaders turn what they’re good at into what they’re known for.
Strategic marketing leadership for consultancies, agencies and professional services firms at an inflection point.
I’m a strategist and fractional CMO.
I work with leadership teams who know they’re good at what they do yet can’t get the market to know it.
Most of the companies I work with are at a turning point. They’ve grown fast or changed direction, and their story still describes who they were. The result is scattered messaging, tactical overwhelm and a persistent feeling that something’s off, without clarity on what to fix.
That’s where I come in. I help leaders clarify who they are, why they matter and how they grow, then build the marketing foundation and go-to-market plan to back it up.
Where it started
Journalism roots. Strategist’s instincts.
Before I ever led a marketing team, I spent nearly a decade as an award-winning writer and editor for B2B trade magazines like Skin Inc. and Concrete Construction, and I founded LoganSquarist, a neighborhood community site that grew into a local hub. That work trained me to find the real story beneath the surface, ask sharp, respectful questions, move fast without losing depth and make complex topics understandable.
Those same instincts now power my advisory work. I dig into the “why,” spot the gaps in the story and help teams see their business the way their clients do.
Be clear.
Be concise.
Tell your story.
More than 20 years
From Fortune 500s to founder-led teams.
For more than 20 years, I’ve led and shaped marketing strategy for global brands like JPMorgan Chase, Procter & Gamble and Tetra Pak, for agencies and consultancies where positioning and go-to-market discipline are everything, and for founder-led companies navigating growth and change. Most recently at 8th Light, I served as VP of Growth, leading marketing and sales, building a cross-functional growth team and launching the company’s first integrated go-to-market strategy.
How I partner with clients
- A story the whole company uses. Your story should guide decisions, line up your teams and shape your go-to-market, not just sit in a tagline.
- Healthy leadership marketing. Strategy only sticks where leadership agrees and people feel safe saying what isn’t working, so I build marketing that fits how mature your company is.
- Groundwork that fits. Positioning, messaging, ideal client profiles and go-to-market plans, so your team knows what to say, to whom and why it matters to the business.
What it’s like
How clients describe working with me.
Clarifying.
Confidence-building.
Grounding.
I step into complexity and build structures your team can run. Direct but warm, strategic and practical, curious with a strong bias for action.
I’m not a growth-hacks consultant. I’m a partner who helps you get clear, build something solid and scale on purpose.
“Kate is a great, strategic marketer who thinks through each of her projects at both a macro and micro level, ensuring you get insights that will make an impact on your business.”
Amanda Nizzere, Fractional CMO, AN Strategy
“She’s a true thought partner who brought clarity and direction when we needed it most.”
Adam Kamp, Founder and CEO, Delivery Leadership Solutions
Recognition
Award-winning journalist. News site founder.
- Founder of LoganSquarist, recognized twice by Cook County Commissioner Luis Arroyo Jr.
- @LoganSquarist named a Twitter handle to follow by RedEye Chicago
- TABPI TABBIE Award recipient
- Chief member
Outside the office
Curiosity, creativity and community.
- I’m still driven by the same things that drew me to journalism and marketing: curiosity, creativity and community.
- Outside of work, you’ll find me running long distances, singing karaoke, gardening, knitting or traveling.
- Those outlets keep me grounded and remind me that good work is supposed to make room for a full life.
- I also run k-Apps LLC, a small studio that builds apps for serious hobbyists: Endpaper for readers, micVault for karaoke singers and PolishVault for nail polish collectors.
