Episode 010: For When You Are Ready to Build Momentum

What happens when your actions feel aligned but the results still don't show up?

This week Kat talks about a challenge many trailblazers face, putting in the work but not seeing the progress they want. She shares how lasting momentum takes more than effort. It needs focus, patience, and steady, intentional steps forward.

Kat reflects on a time filled with doubt and change. Even with years of experience, she found it hard to find clarity through all the noise. She opens up about the need to step back, trust the process, and tune out distractions to find direction again.

This episode shows that momentum is not about rushing or doing more. It is about creating meaningful experiences that invite people in and help your brand move forward with purpose.

If you're putting in the work but not seeing the results, this episode offers a fresh way to rethink your approach and focus on what makes a real difference.

Full Transcript

Last fall, I spent a few weeks in New York, working and catching up with my family. A few days before flying back to LA, I met up with a founder I had been working with for over 18 months but had never met in person.

He is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience who has built multiple successful companies, some that even went public, and now mainly invests in early-stage startups.

We grabbed coffees at Hudson Yards on what felt like the perfect fall day, just after Labor Day when summer was still lingering but the city was already shifting gears. We started talking about his company’s recent rebrand.

And as we chatted, out of nowhere, he asked, “What about you, Kat? What’s next for you? Do you want to scale Afternoon Culture… what’s the plan?”

At that point, we had just finished rolling out a rebrand. The look and voice finally felt like what I had been aiming for. But that question made me realize something. The brand was different, but I wasn’t really pushing it forward or activating it. I hadn’t fully tapped into the momentum I could be building.

That question wasn’t just small talk. It was a challenge, an invitation to go for more.

In this episode, I want to talk about what it really takes to build momentum for your brand. Too often, we get stuck in a loop, repeating the same actions but never quite reaching the results we’re after.

But true momentum isn’t about rushing or doing more for the sake of it. It’s about steady, purposeful progress that helps your brand become a bold, magnetic presence over time.

Let’s get into it.

My favorite part of launching a new brand is how it often feels like moving into a bigger house. Whether you’re building the foundation at the very start of your business journey or reimagining your identity to better align with where you’re headed, there’s something deeply expansive about the process. It promises growth and new possibilities.

For me, stepping into a rebrand came after struggling for a few years with a brand identity that no longer felt aligned with who I was becoming. I talked about this in detail in Episode 7 if you want to go back a few episodes. I just carried a sense of dread about how we were showing up, and it was weighing me down. It felt like the image we were projecting was out of step with the direction I wanted to go.

Auditing and sorting through five years of messaging, designs, files, and creative work was a huge undertaking. But I knew it was necessary to get clear on what needed to change. It felt overwhelming at times. I was stuck in what I now understand was the messy middle. For months, I spun my wheels trying to figure out how to move confidently into this new era. It was a time filled with uncertainty and a lot of searching for clarity.

Even after building brands for more than a decade, I still find it difficult to find my own voice and decide the path I want to take. The more I talk to other founders and creatives, the more I realize this is a shared experience.

When you’re so close to something, you don’t have the perspective, so it takes time to get there. I’m someone who loves clarity, having a plan, and taking action. Being in a state of transition was difficult for me because, in some ways, you have to pause before you can really move forward.

One thing I noticed during times of change in my business is that there are always so many voices offering advice and suggestions. Maybe it’s because I’m an extrovert and super open, but all this noise can be confusing and create more fog than clarity.

It wasn’t until I silenced the perfectionist voice in me and stopped seeking advice that I was able to get through the murkiness and start moving forward.

When we finally launched the new brand, I felt a wave of relief. I was ready to let go of the feeling that something was not quite right. I wanted to feel confident in what I was sharing and how I was showing up.

I’ve led enough brand transformations to know that a rebrand is about improving how your brand is perceived so it can help you reach your business goals. I also think the most impactful brands pay attention to culture and the current moment, so a rebrand is also about meeting your audience where they are.

Up until that conversation at Hudson Yards, I was really focused on getting the look, the feel, the messaging, and our voice right. I wasn’t really thinking about how to make this new version of us an experience that would resonate with our people.

That moment reminded me that unveiling a new brand is one thing, but actually getting people to see and understand this new version of us is something entirely different.

The month before we launched our new brand, I went to Disney World with my partner’s family. I hadn’t been since I was a kid, and honestly, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel as an adult. But walking through the parks as a brand designer and strategist, I experienced it differently.

Everything about Disney World felt intentional. Every detail was doing its job pulling you deeper into the story and making you feel something.

Being there for Easter reminded me that you don’t just build a brand and step back. You invite people into it. You give them something to experience, something to remember, something that feels real.

That’s what building momentum actually requires.

For me, that looked like hosting gatherings, leading workshops to help other founders and executives step into their own brand transformations, and getting more intentional about how I share insights through this podcast and my newsletter.

As trailblazers, I feel like we tend to prioritize staying busy and making moves. But momentum is not about movement for the sake of movement.

It’s about taking meaningful action. Getting out of your own way to do the things that actually move the needle and and being thoughtful about what doesn’t deserve your energy.

If you’ve been working on your brand and still aren’t seeing results, start with an honest audit. Look at everything you’re doing. Notice what feels aligned and what doesn’t.

Once you’re clear on that, narrow your focus. Are you investing in the kind of engagement that builds connection and traction? Or are you stuck in a loop of doing without direction?

And finally, quiet the noise. Too many voices can dilute your clarity. Choose who you listen to and tune out the rest.

Building momentum is about depth. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most, over time, with care and intention.