Episode 012: For When There’s Nothing Left to Prove

What if the moment you stop trying to prove yourself is the moment you can truly begin?

In this final episode of Season One, Kat takes you behind the scenes on the long journey to get here. She shares the story of an early podcast attempt that stalled, the challenges she faced, and how she returned years later with clarity, presence, and nothing left to prove.

This episode is a tribute to soft power, creative resilience, and the trailblazers who keep going even when the path feels uncertain.

Full Transcript

We’ve made it to the final episode of our very first season. I’m really proud of what we created together.

There’s a Rumi quote that’s been following me for months: “When you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” And in Spanish there is a saying that I live by: “La carga se arregla en el camino.

Which is essentially: The load will sort itself on the way.

That has been the story of this season. Good things happened because we went into motion.

When Bryan (my co-producer and life partner) and I first started this season, we didn’t have all the answers. I had a general sense of what I wanted it to feel like, but I surrendered to my intuition and gave this room to unfold.

One of the boldest choices we made was to not batch record this.

I stayed present, week after week, letting each episode be informed by real-time conversations, DMs, and messages from you...our community.

That choice (and production schedule) was so wild BUT absolutely worth it.

For this final episode, I want to take you behind the scenes and share a bit about what it really took to bring this project to life.

Let’s get into it.

I first started toying with the idea of launching a podcast five years ago. I even tried it once with the wrong team, (more on that later).

If you’re listening, I bet you’ve had this experience. You have a vision for something, but the timing is off, or the team is wrong, and it just doesn’t happen.

It took five years because that experience deflated my confidence so much that I shelved it completely.

So what happened was that I partnered with a podcast manager who didn’t respect me or my vision. It created so much friction that I had to shut the whole thing down.

Let me tell you…being a visionary who is self-funding a project while being completely dismissed by someone on payroll is one of the most mind-boggling experiences. But it happened. And it was painful.

The truth is, he was a white man, 10 years my junior, who just did not get why it mattered that I shared my perspective the way I wanted. I think it was hard for him because he could not see the value in the honesty and vulnerability I wanted to bring. Maybe his background and age made it difficult for him to relate to me. Whatever it was, it created a gap that made collaboration impossible.

I have been in so many spaces where I was the first or the only, so sadly, this opened an ancient wound for me…that quiet question of whether I truly belonged and whether I was enough.

But this is what trailblazing looks like.

Sometimes you have a bold, brilliant idea and you face all the resistance. You are misunderstood or underestimated. And no matter how hard you push, things fall apart.

When that happens, it’s okay to pause to heal and to find the strength to give it another try.

And when you’re ready, you can return.

For me, I needed the chance to regroup and find the soft power I needed to bring my full self.

This entire season has been my way of releasing that lie and choosing to believe that I have nothing to prove.

There’s nothing like choosing to walk the talk. It invites you to let go of perfectionism, to come as as you are, trust that who you are in this moment is enough.

And honestly, I’m glad it didn’t work out before...because sharing this with you now has become something deeper, more personal, and more expansive than I ever imagined.

This season made me realize that I am surrounded by so many incredibly trailblazing people. I see so many of you taking risks as the first and only and are incredibly committed to this vision.

I am so grateful to my co-producer, Bryan Kastelan. Every Saturday, we left our home and went to a coffee shop so I could write. His presence and care in editing these episodes have been instrumental in bringing this project to life. And he just laughed when I kept walking around our apartment declaring Newton’s first law: “An object in motion stays in motion!”

I want to thank Han and Maggie, the brand designers who helped bring some of the visuals we shared with you. Their creativity and skill made a big difference in this project.

To all the friends + hype people who cheered me on, sent kind messages, left beautiful comments and reshares–I love you all and I am thankful forever.

I’m deeply grateful for my parents...especially in a time like this. Their journey as immigrants with big dreams and limited resources, who pushed through every obstacle, has shaped so much of who I am today.

And lastly, I am grateful for you. Thank you for holding space for me every week…for showing up, for listening, and for reminding me that my voice matters. This space wouldn’t exist without you.