Dr Katherine – Be F**king Fantastic

Having experienced a complicated relationship with food and partaking in fad exercise and diet trends over the years, Dr Katherine teaches Body Confidence but not in the way people expect. Through extensive education in body science, Dr Katherine works with women to impart her knowledge and advice about forming a healthy balance between happiness and health and developing body confidence. She believes it’s not only about looking good on the outside but also understanding and accepting the body from within – the mental viewpoint.

What do you teach in your programs?

We need to understand our bodies and have kindness towards ourselves. Think about the way we speak to ourselves and what we think about ourselves. If you wouldn’t say that to a friend then you shouldn’t be saying it about yourself. Through my programs I work with women to teach them how to change this! We often gloss over things, for example when we are asked by someone how we are, we say great but really most of the time we’re not. Through my consulting and workshops, I aim to get to the bottom of that without judgment.

Was there a significant turning point when you decided to become an entrepreneur?

I think I was always destined to be an entrepreneur. After high school I opened a restaurant and catering business. Unfortunately, it didn’t go so well and I ended up bankrupt. I then went back to study and over the years between working and learning I realised what I’m about and started studying counseling so I can work with women to teach Body Confidence.

Was your entrepreneurial journey linked to your personal one?

Everything about my business is part of my journey. Coming from a European family, I have always loved baking and had a fascination with food from way back when I can remember as young a 4. Ironically, I loved learning about the human body, I loved baking but hated my own body and what I ate and I ended up with an eating disorder which spiraled me down a bad path leading to drugs, alcohol and suicidal thoughts and I pretty much lost my way. Things got so bad for me that I remember driving in my car thinking about hitting a pole just so I could end up in hospital and not have to eat. The way I felt about myself, I didn’t want others to feel the same. At this stage I had a Doctorate in Exercise Physiology and so in 2012, I started a blog called Deliciously Fitt. It was all about getting the “Perfect Body”. I wrote diet plans and exercise plans to make money but I always felt I was following everything others were doing as it was the time when some of the big names like Michelle Bridges etc were releasing their own exercise programs. Something just didn’t feel right.

It was actually only in October 2016 when I realised what I was meant to be doing. It was at that moment I realised what I was about. I loved working with women and understanding what their issues were and wanted to help overcome them. It took me 5 years to find my focus!

How did you overcome your personal battle?

I don’t really believe there was a so-called turning point for me. It didn’t go from bad to good – it was like a dimmer switch to be honest. There were many ups and downs and not just one turning point – I had many of them. When I stopped regretting my past and started accepting it is when things started to look up for me. I found it so exhausting to try to fix the past and realised that I couldn’t move forward if I was always looking back. We all have these high expectations of what our life is going to be like and for most of the time they are impossible to meet. We need to accept things over time.

Initially, what difficulties did you face in business?

Once I understood myself my business and brand became easier. What I previously found challenging was writing diet and exercise plans; I was selling a product that I didn’t connect with. Once I realised I was meant to help women, everything fell into place and now I see my biggest difficulty was that I did not believe in myself from the beginning.

Who do you look up to in business? Who inspires you?

My partner in life is who I look up to. He grew up on welfare and started mowing lawns and worked hard to get to where he is. He has taught me a lot about not complaining and just getting things done. His advice to me is always – If you want something then do it – don’t make excuses! I also look up to my great grandmother. She escaped the war, came to New York with nothing, started her own business and was a single woman in Manhattan who ended up running a very successful business.

How do you make the most of your day?

If I feel like I’m procrastinating in front of my computer or not being productive then I’ll get up and go for a walk or I’ll take a nap. I am most productive when I am in the correct mindset to work so I always make sure I work when I want and I find I get more done! If I was to die tomorrow and look back at my day I don’t want to say I hated being at work all day – I do what I want to do when I want to do it.

Do you have any tips for those struggling to gain a successful work life balance?

Ask why you’re struggling? Why are you trying to do it all? Don’t try to do everything all at once and always ask yourself why you’re doing it. It can take some time to work it out but if you feel like you’re at work all the time you will never have a balance.

What is your favourite thing to do in your downtime?

Sleep! Unfortunately, my past eating disorders have done a lot of damage to my body and my stomach issues keep me up a lot of the night. Luckily, I have medication that is now working thankfully but I do suffer from insomnia from time to time.

What is your favourite app?

I don’t have one. I love post it notes, as I love to write. I also try to be off my phone as much as possible.

Best Marketing Advice?

Unless you believe in yourself and what you’re doing then it just won’t work.

What advice can you give women in business?

I find women are embarrassed to tell their story, as they are scared to show their weaknesses. Just be yourself, be f**king fantastic! If you can only see yourself the way others see you, you will find your confidence.

Don’t set your expectations so high that you will never achieve anything. Lower your expectations and always remember that failure is an opportunity to learn.

And lastly, when in doubt keep learning. The more you can learn and see things from difference perspectives the better. Don’t have tunnel vision.