Daily Inspiration: Meet Katie Kuhnash

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Kuhnash.

Hi Katie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up, I was never the person who knew exactly what I wanted to do, but was always willing to try something new! I’d watch my dad go to work as a CFO, while my mom juggled running the house and working as a freelance interior designer, exposing me to the business, creative and entrepreneurial sides of the professional world.

I was 13 when Instagram came out, and back then there was no such thing as stories, reels, product tags… you couldn’t even tag your friends unless it was in the caption! It was simply a place to share pictures. As social media evolved, so did my passion for selecting the most perfect song to go with my Instagram Story, crafting the ultimate caption for my post, and learning new ways to bring images to life.

Majoring in Music Business at Belmont University, I was one of the few freshmen selected to be a member of  Service Corps, an organization that recruited students to work at well-known events, both local and national. As a member, I had the privilege of working at CMA Fest several times (where Luke Bryan gave me the nickname “Stumbles McGee”), The CMT Awards (where I walked the red carpet with Joel McHale), the ACM Honors (where I was Kelsea Ballerini’s seat filler… you may have seen me on your TV!), and even the American Music Awards out in Los Angeles. Working these events and seeing the BTS of social media marketing, I realized that social media wasn’t just for posting fun pictures of me and my friends, but that I could actually make a living doing something I was passionate about. However, at this time there was no Social Media Marketing degree, so I took it upon myself to sign up for as many social media and digital marketing classes as I could and worked hard to secure several marketing-related internships for artist management firms and radio stations.

Now, you’d think I was set up for success and guaranteed a job I was passionate about upon graduating; however, those hopes were shut down when I graduated in May 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on everything. No live events, no concerts, no artists on tour, and as a result, no hiring. What I thought was going to be the best part of my life quickly turned into the most stressful and uncertain part of my life.

I’m a Virgo, which means I am a MAJOR planner and perfectionist. Graduating into a world that was extremely new to everyone in it was terrifying. All the years leading up to this moment, I had worked my butt off in my academics in order to help kickstart what would have and should have been an amazing career that I was passionate about. But that is not what happened. Instead, I had to get a job working the front desk at a spa while I waited for the global shutdown to lift, at which time I could resume my job hunt. The catch? No one knew when exactly the world would open back up. Not even my dad, who I could always count on for all the answers.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and the next thing I knew it was August 2020 and I was still working at the spa; however, I had managed to get promoted to Sales Associate/Social Media Manager, but was still feeling unfulfilled professionally. I recall talking to my mom one night, feeling defeated after a long day of wiping people’s sweat off of benches, not sure how much longer I could continue down that path. Her answer? Start my own freelance social media business so that when hiring did resume, I will have gained more knowledge and experience working on my own, instead of just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs waiting for someone to hire me and teach me themselves.

So, that’s exactly what I did. I made my own website, business cards, and social media profiles and started spreading the word that I was on the hunt for freelance social media clients! I reached out to old professors, classmates, relatives, and friends and was able to acquire a law firm, t-shirt company, upcoming country artist, and podcast and became a full-time freelancer by November 2020.

As the world opened up in 2021, I found myself wanting to gain some more professional experience and knowledge. While still working as a freelancer, I branched out working for other independent social media marketing agencies as a full-time Social Media & Marketing Manager, thinking this would give me more knowledge in the industry.

Through working for other people, I have learned what to do and what not to do, and I am appreciative of both. Our experiences, both good and bad, teach us things. For me, the obstacles of the past 2 years have taught me that pursuing my own independent social media marketing company is where my passion lies. So I gave my website and branding a facelift and began my search for new clients!

The moral of my story? No one is going to do it for you. If you are passionate about it, YOU need to take action and go after it! In the wise words of Cody Johnson, “If you got a dream, chase it, ’cause a dream won’t chase you back.”

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This whole journey has probably been the bumpiest one I’ve ever embarked on, and quite honestly, I’m still riding the wave! At a young age and with little professional experience or help, I taught myself how to build a website complete with SEO, Email Marketing, and Google Ads and Analytics. I had to (and continue to) research the best pricing options and packages to offer potential clients. Not wanting to solely rely on friends and family as clients, I had to find freelance platforms that displayed my work and helped me to reach more potential clients outside of my small circle, as well as think outside of the box for additional ways to meet potential clients.

And most of all, I had to have a lot of deep talks with myself to figure out if working for myself was really what I wanted to do because let’s face it: being a freelancer is scary! You never know what your income is going to look like or how many clients you’ll be able to secure and retain for a period of time. Not to mention the fact that you don’t get any benefits, such as health insurance and a 401k, that come with working for a company.

One thing I feel is unique to those of us who graduated college during the pandemic is that we started our careers working remotely, having no professional mentoring in an office setting. Therefore, we had to troubleshoot any work-related issues on our own. It wasn’t like we had peers or supervisors sitting in the cubby next to us to ask for guidance. So imagine graduating college after being at all these social events and learning things at internships and then starting a new job sitting at a kitchen table. I think this is a struggle beyond just me, but among a lot of people who have graduated since 2020.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a freelance Social Media Manager, offering:

– Content Creation (making TikToks/Reels, capturing static shots).
– Influencer Relations (both paid and unpaid collaborations)
– Email Marketing (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly newsletters)
– Complete Digital Strategy + Social Media Calendar (tell me your goals and I will create a strategy that will help you reach those goals, along with monthly social media calendars that put this strategy into action)
– Gifs (who doesn’t love turning their favorite video or image into a short form gif!)
– Consulting (want an experienced eye to give your website/socials a thorough evaluation? I’d love to help!)

What sets me apart from others is my unmatched organization, timeliness, thoroughness, and dedication that, combined, ensure my clients are receiving innovative social strategies and content that is sure to “WOW!”

I’m most proud of going above and beyond when providing a guiding hand to help brands tell their story through digital marketing. Nothing compares to the way you feel after spending hours on a client’s project and then receiving nothing but positive feedback and praise for executing it to perfection (and then some).

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
“Risk” – what is “Risk?” Given my experiences over the last few years, I like to look at it as “Inventiveness.” If you believe in what you’re doing and you’re passionate about it, the risk is worth taking, and that’s how I view my clients. I believe in them as much as they believe in themselves. We’re in this together.

This leads us to how I could then start my own freelance business with little experience right out of college, which was equal parts risky and calculated. So, maybe I’m more of a risk-taker than I give myself credit for.

When a situation presents itself, I always create a list of Pros and Cons before making a decision, regardless of how big or small the risk associated with the decision may be. I also present this to my clients as it pertains to their industry. For me, it always comes down to whether or not the Pros outweigh the Cons, and not in the matter of “There are fewer cons than there are pros, so I guess I’ll go ahead and do it,” but more so that even if there is just one pro, but it carries a lot of positives with it, it’s worth pursuing. At least, that’s what I told myself when I bet on Rich Strike to win the Kentucky Derby this year!

At the end of the day, it all boils down to this: Can you look yourself in the mirror and be happy with what you see? Can you get a good night’s sleep knowing you made the decision that you did? Because YOU are the only person that has to live with your decisions and carry that weight.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katiekuhnash.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knash_social/ and https://www.instagram.com/ktkuhnash/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktkuhnash/
• Other: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/K.NASH

Image Credits
Casey King, @caseykingphoto