Founder & Partner @ Kanvas | Foster Innovation, Develop Business Strategy, Drive Growth

Katie Nowak

It’s been 3 years without my dad.
Here’s what I'm reflecting on today -

My dad taught me to build a career that I loved.

He did that by taking me to his medical presentations and dinners around the world when I was young.

I remember I joined him at a private investigator meeting in Munich, Germany, and his colleagues were torn over whether or not Dr. Nowak’s 12-year-old daughter needed to sign an NDA to attend. 😂 

In that same meeting, he introduced himself as being from “Day-toi,” instead of Detroit, as everyone else was from various European cities. Lots of laughter ensued, and the whole room suddenly felt warmer, kinder. It was his magic.

Every time I travel internationally for work or step on stage (virtually or in-person), I think of my dad. 

Every time I make a pun or a joke in a meeting (approx 23408 times a day) and see my team light up, I think of my dad.

I wish I could share with him how watching his love of his work, and thus his love of people, all over the world fundamentally shaped who I am today….

…someone who loves what she does.

I often reflect on how I could someday pay this forward to my future family, someday.

How could I involve them in international travel? Have them attend my presentations or panels? Ask them to join me while I write invoices in my office? (That was hilarious - “what do you think, Kate, let’s add an hour, I read fast!!”) … and how might I make each shared moment more fun than the last?

Today, I’m reflecting that I hope to be even half of the role model that he was for me.

I hope this inspires a reflection for you, too - he would love that.

Miss you, dad.

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Innovation Leader, New Venture Designer, Speaker @ Kanvas || Investor @ Altra Venture Partners

If you don’t have a moat for your business, you’re in trouble. 🤯 
A moat is exactly what it sounds like - 

the water around a castle.

If your moat is shallow, intruders can simply walk through it (with some inexpensive rain boots).

If your moat is deep and wide, intruders will have a harder time (requiring expensive speed boats, scuba gear, maybe a small airplane - you get the drift).

In business, moats are imperative.

Here are the two biggest moats to have on your radar:

✨ Technology moats.

A successful tech moat means your cost to deliver drops as you scale, and your switching costs keep rising with every new feature.

The best tech moats are often built via rare talent, intellectual property, budgets, and, historically, time.

Because software is easier to spin-up than ever,

We’re seeing tech moats shift to robotics, complex hardware, and deep infrastructure - things that are still slower, harder and more capital-intensive to replicate.

The harder your tech is to replicate, the deeper your moat!

✨ Distribution moats.

Not a tech person? 

Never fear - distribution moats are one of my favorite angles!

A successful distribution moat means the cost to acquire customers goes down over time, while your stickiness and engagement go up.

“Unique” paid marketing doesn’t go the mile anymore, as most have access to the same ad platforms, targeting tools, and growth hacks. 

Real distribution moats look more like:
+ Being embedded in someone else’s workflow (so ripping you out is painful)
+ Owning a community that actually shows up for you, not just follows you
+ Ecosystem partnerships - my favorite are ones where your “competitors” quietly become your best channels

-

As someone who deeply enjoys all movies/books with magic, this castle analogy makes my heart warm.

I hope that it helps you memorialize how you think about moats in your business.

So, tell us - which of these moats are you most excited about - either in your company, or in the industry as a whole?

Bonus points if you share a moat you've noticed in the wild!

See you in the comments. 😎 

PS - this photo is of Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria. It is as beautiful as it is hard to pronounce!! It does not have a water-based moat, but certainly has elevation on its side - proving that the best moats often don't look alike.

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Most B2B brands don’t have a visibility problem. They have a clarity problem.

They’ve grown through referrals. They do good work. People trust them once they’re in the room.
But outside that room?

- Their messaging blends in.
- Sales conversations feel harder than they should.
- Marketing efforts feel disconnected.
- The website sounds “fine” but doesn’t land
- And growth starts to stall.

That’s the gap I help close.

I’m a positioning and messaging strategist, copywriter, and keynote speaker who helps growing B2B brands clarify what to say, who to say it to, and where it actually matters—so trust doesn’t break the moment referrals run out.

My work is based on real buyer insights, not assumptions:

- Customer interviews
- Discovery call and sales conversation mining
- Competitor and category analysis
- Pattern recognition across what buyers say, hesitate over, and actually respond to

Because knowing who your audience is isn’t enough. You need to understand why they buy, what makes them pause, and what finally tips a decision.

That clarity becomes the foundation for everything else:

🧭 Positioning that holds up as you grow
💬 Messaging your sales team can actually use
✏️ Website and sales page copy that sounds like you and converts the right people
🌟 Content that builds credibility instead of blending in

I don’t hand you a strategy deck and disappear.

I work from strategy through execution, supporting:

Positioning and messaging strategy
Copywriting for websites, sales pages, and key brand assets
Strategy sessions and copy audits for teams who need sharp, objective feedback
Ongoing messaging support as your business evolves

Clients have told me:

✔️ “Sales conversations got easier almost immediately.”
✔️ “We finally stopped rewriting everything.”
✔️ “It sounds like us, but clearer.”
✔️ “This helped us get out of the comparison pool.”

If you’re a B2B brand that’s tired of competing on sameness and ready to be remembered for the right reasons, you’re in the right place.

🎤 And if you’re looking for a keynote speaker who can challenge how founders and teams think about messaging, trust, and buyer psychology, I do that too.

If you’re not sure what’s breaking down in your messaging but you know something is, let’s talk.

www.stacyeleczko.com • hello@stacyeleczko.com • send a DM

When I’m not working: I’m reading, getting outside, eating ginger molasses cookies, parenting a teenage son, and dreaming of where I’ll travel next.

Stacy Eleczko🔅

“You drove 3 hours to meet someone for coffee? That seems like a complete waste of time.”

Let’s set the record straight:

We had lunch too. 😉

But yes, on Monday, I spent 3 hours in the car for 3 hours of in-person connection.

And I’d 100% do it again.

When I first joined LinkedIn and had no idea how to navigate this space, I started looking for people nearby who were doing similar work.

At the time, that meant copywriters.

One of the first people I reached out to was Madeleine Nance. 

We hopped on a casual coffee chat, and I instantly liked her. We stayed connected.

During a recent conversation, we realized we’ve been making a lot of the same shifts in our businesses, and moving toward almost the same goals this year:

✅ Less copywriting, more high-level messaging strategy
✅ Scalable offers built from our best thinking
✅ Speaking + workshops as part of the ecosystem
✅ More impact, fewer hours in front of a screen

So we decided to do something most business owners talk about but rarely prioritize:

We booked a monthly CEO day for just the two of us.

I suggested kicking it off IRL, and this week, we both drove to meet halfway.

The result?

Three hours of connection, strategy, and clarity (and bellies full of seriously good Peruvian food).

If that’s a waste of time, I’m happy to waste it again next month. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Maddie is even more brilliant in person—not that I had any doubts.

If you’re a nonprofit, follow her immediately and ring the bell. She’s got 20+ years of experience in emotive writing that actually increases donations, and she’ll teach you how to do the same.

Who’s someone in your network you’ve been meaning to connect with more intentionally?What’s stopping you? 👇🏻

#SpotlightSeries

Tired of competing? Referrals built your reputation. Messaging that earns trust builds your reach. 🎤 Keynote speaker + positioning & messaging strategist for B2B brands ready to own their category.

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I didn’t take a cold plunge at 5 AM. But I did bundle up in three layers to see the monks off as they began today’s leg of their Walk for Peace.

It was pretty cold, and absolutely worth it.

There are worse ways to start a day. 

#gratitude

I love our Content Circle members, but there is one place we don’t see eye to eye.


What they love the most? 

The support and accountability.

What I love the most? 

The wealth of expertise, both within the group and from the guest experts who come in to host workshops.

They’re for the members, but I’ve also learned a sh*t ton to complement what we teach inside, and we’re not slowing down in 2026.

There will be one change though. 

We’ve opened the workshops to the public for paid registration each month. Starting in April, they’re for members only.

Except for this month’s. That’s just for members too.

So if you’ve been thinking about joining, you may want to check out who’s on deck. 👇🏻

Most members join for:

🟡 strategic prompts (not generic templates) that decrease overwhelm AND writing time 

🟡 weekly co-working/writing, guidance, Q&A

🟡 real access to me and Wendy

🟡 coaching and feedback

But we wouldn’t blame you if you joined just for the expert workshops either.

Oh yeah, and we’re adding in quarterly events like masterminds and networking, and pop-up events like open office hours.

One thing that’s not changing? The 30-day money-back guarantee.

If joining’s been on your mind, now’s the time to raise your hand.

10 people are about to get weekly support, strategic prompts, and hands-on guidance. If you’re still doing this solo next month, don’t say you didn’t know. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Got questions? I’m happy to talk through whether it’s the right fit.

We’d love to have you in the room.

https://contentcircle.org

P.S. Every system, every improvement, every shift that made things click came from listening to the people inside.

The reason it works? We’ve built it with the people who use it.

Well this is awkward.

My business partner just got shadow banned on LinkedIn.

It wasn’t for breaking a rule or being spammy, but for reporting spam. 🙄

Someone was running shady ads under her account, so she reported it. And how did LinkedIn respond?


Total invisibility. 👤

There was no warning, but you can’t tag her, can’t search her… She’s literally vanished from the platform.

And right in the middle of a launch. You’ve got to love the timing. 😩

So now, instead of promoting Content Circle together, Wendy Shore (my co-founder & the brains behind half this thing) is stuck in algorithm jail.

Is it ironic that we teach LinkedIn content and Wendy’s currently invisible?

Yep.

But Content Circle isn’t just a “write better posts” club.

It’s strategy, live support, real-time feedback, guest experts, Q & A.

It’s what helps you grow a business on LinkedIn, even when it’s acting up. 

Because showing up here takes more than just a post; it takes a system.

So I’m doing what LinkedIn won’t: Making sure you actually see this. 🤞🏻

🟡 Enrollment is open
🟡 10 spots
🟡 Closes in 6 days

This is only the second time we’ve opened it to the public (and won’t again until May).

We help business owners write content that connects and converts, not content that sounds fine but goes nowhere.

You know the drill: 

overthinking every post, radio silence, wondering why nothing's turning into actual sales. 

That's exactly what we fix inside Content Circle.

Strategy to get started, support to keep you going, and accountability when you need it.

I’d tag Wendy, but LinkedIn says she doesn’t exist right now, so...

The link’s in the comments. If LinkedIn lets you see it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

What do you do when the space you need doesn’t exist?

You build it.

Every week (okay, most weeks) I highlight someone who makes my network a better place just by being part of it.

This #SpotlightSeries is long overdue.

I met Angie Brandt  when our kids were in middle school, right around the time she launched Both Worlds Travel. 

I was immediately struck by how smart, passionate, and philanthropically fierce she is. 

Naturally, we asked her to plan our family trip to Spain and Portugal in 2022. (It was literally perfect.)

And when I started my own business shortly after, we found ways to support each other’s work—me with copywriting, her with generous feedback and insight.

Since then, she’s launched a second brand, Go There, a women’s travel group. But that’s not why I’m writing this post.

Last year, Angie faced a trifecta of major life changes, including an unexpected, life-changing breast cancer diagnosis.

While she had an incredible support system, what didn’t exist was a space where women truly got it: the fatigue, the grief, the invisible load.

So she created one.

After Estrogen: Women Navigating Hormone-Reactive Breast Cancer is a space that offers real support, real understanding, and space to be seen.

You and I might notice how brave, strong, and resilient she is. 

But what she really wants?

Is for women to be able to talk about what they’re going through without having to be anyone’s inspiration. 

So here’s my ask: let’s help get this into the hands of the women who need it.

If you know someone who works in or around:

- Cancer survivorship
- Oncology care coordination
- Women’s health advocacy
- Caregiving advocacy 
- HR/benefits & employee wellness
- Mental health support for patients and caregivers

Tag them or send this their way.

(And if you’re dreaming of a luxury European vacation? Ring Angie’s bell for that too.)

9 tiny things that made yesterday feel like enough

When the world feels like it’s unraveling, I’ve learned to pay closer attention, not less.

Because the bits of goodness? They compound.

- My dog saw a horse for the first time. She was perplexed then captivated.

- A spontaneous pillow fight with my 17 y/o

- The smoothie + lunch waiting in the fridge (My husband does this daily, even though he leaves for work and I don’t.)

- Listening to a few chapters of my audiobook

- Multiple full conversations with my son. In one day. If you have a teen, you know.

- The WhatsApp thread that’s equal parts support, insight, and straight talk

- A lovely shoutout in a client’s LI comment

- A warm intro to a referral from someone I deeply respect

- Curling up on the couch with my cat and favorite, snuggly blanket 

It’s not about making the good stuff happen, but  about not missing it when it does.


A friend of mine shared her “bits of goodness in an awful world” this week, and it was exactly what I needed to see.  If things feel heavy right now, maybe this will bring you some light.

The smarter you are, the easier it is to miss what’s actually keeping you stuck.

Because once you’ve been inside your business long enough, your brain gets too good at explaining things the wrong way.

Here’s what I see all the time:

People come to strategy sessions for a tactical fix, but what they actually need is a strategic one. And a lens shift.

Copy problems are usually messaging problems...

Messaging problems are usually positioning problems...

And even when you’re right about what layer the issue is on, you’re usually wrong about why it’s not working.

That’s not a dig. It’s psychology.

We’re wired to confirm what we already believe.

And the more context you have, the harder it is to see what’s actually breaking down.

So you end up trying to fix surface symptoms:

→ A sales page that checks all the boxes, except actual conversions
→ A pitch that gets polite nods but doesn’t lead to next steps
→ A website that technically makes sense, but leaves people asking what you actually do

That’s exactly what I ran into myself.

I thought I just needed to talk more about my strategy sessions and copy audits.

But then three different people, in the same month, asked me the same question:

“What’s the difference between your strategy session and a copy audit?”

All three had read my website.

One told me, kindly, that it made things more confusing.

(Not great for someone whose job is literally clarity.)

So I practiced what I preach.

I didn’t jump in to rewrite the copy—because I know copy problems are never just copy problems.

I did a deep-dive analysis of 10 strategy sessions to find the real disconnect and tweak the positioning first.

And here’s what I realized: This is exactly what happens on these calls.

People come in thinking it’s a copy problem, a messaging tweak, or an offer that needs reworking.

But the thing actually keeping them stuck? It’s always a layer deeper.

They leave knowing exactly what the root of the problem is, and what to do about it.

- Clarity on why their message works in a referral context, but breaks down with cold leads.
- Clarity on what’s actually blocking sales, even if their funnel looks fine.
- Clarity on what buyers need to hear to say, “Oh. That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

That’s why I renamed them.

They’re not strategy sessions anymore. They’re Clarity Calls.

And this year, I’m offering them more intentionally. Because they work.

If you’ve been stuck on the same problem and it’s taking up too much mental space, DM me and we’ll see if a Clarity Call makes sense.

Your referrals trust you. Cold leads? Not so much.

That disconnect’s easy to ignore—until it starts showing up in lost leads, long sales cycles, and “almost” clients.

Justin Vajko invited me on his podcast to talk about a mistake I see all the time, especially in referral-grown businesses.

Most businesses don’t have a content problem. They have a messaging problem.

And most messaging problems?

Well, they’re actually insight problems.

We got into:

➡️ Why client interviews are the foundation of useful personas 
➡️ What actually builds trust with people who’ve never heard of you
➡️ How referral success can cover up deeper marketing issues
➡️ And what to do when your team sounds like they’re marketing 3 different companies

This conversation went deeper than the usual marketing advice and tackled the real reasons messaging breaks down.

I’m curious. The last time you picked a new service or product without an intro or referral, what made it feel chooseworthy?

🎧 Listen in: link in comments

🙌🏻 Big thanks to Justin for asking smart questions and making this such a fun conversation.

Do you ever hear someone talking about their problem and just want to shake them while yelling:

“I can help you fix it. For crying out loud, please. Just let me help already!”

But you can’t because:

A. That’s messed up
B. You don’t really know them
C. They don’t realize they need your solution yet

It happens to me all. the. freaking. time. 😅

💬 “I post and nothing happens”
💬 “It takes me hours to write one post”
💬 “I keep rewriting the same damn thing”
💬 “I have so many ideas and zero clarity”

I smile and nod, but inside I’m screaming: PLEASE LET ME HELP YOU.

So when people ask why I co-founded a membership to help people write LinkedIn content?

This is why.

Because content problems are rarely content problems.

They’re usually positioning problems. Or messaging problems.

Not “I’m a bad writer” problems.

Let’s get real for a second.

👉🏻 No one cares how well you write. They care whether:

you understand them
you can solve their problem
they can trust you

That’s not about wordsmithing. That’s about strategy.

So while this may not be the smoothest segue 😅…

If you’re overthinking every word, spending too d@mn long on every post, and getting zero return?

📣 I can help.

That’s exactly what we do in Content Circle.

Yes, I want you to join for you.

But also? It’ll help me sleep better at night if you do—because the voice in my head will finally shut up. 😆

And in case you’re wondering, we’re a supportive bunch. We’ll tell you like it is, but always with love.

How was that for a sales pitch? 😂

Enrollment is open for 3 more days, or until spots are filled.

There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. So honestly? Nothing to lose.

Just clarity, strategy, and a much smoother content process to gain.

You in?

🟡 https://contentcircle.org 


Just for fun: What’s the phrase that sends you into quiet professional rage because you know you could solve it?

If warm intros are the only thing converting, you don’t have a conversion advantage. You have a proximity advantage.

A warm intro comes with borrowed trust because someone else has already done part of the belief-building for you.

They convert easier.

And that works… until it doesn’t.

Because a referral doesn’t mean prospective buyers understand what you do or why they should choose you.

It doesn’t differentiate you. It just gets you in the room.

That’s when brands start chasing fixes like more content or better content buckets.

(You know… the stuff that feels productive even when it’s not.)

Most brands don’t have a content problem, but a clarity problem that their content is accidentally amplifying.

Your content will never fix unclear positioning; it will only expose it.

When you don’t know exactly where you fit in the market or what makes you the obvious choice, your content starts to sound like everyone else’s.

You’re being seen, but not understood.

And when someone doesn’t know you personally, they rely on your content to figure out whether you’re competent, credible, and aligned with what they need. 

Trust at a distance is how buyers learn how you think, what you stand for, and whether working with you is the right fit for what they need.

It’s how they decide if you’re the obvious choice before a conversation ever starts.

Referrals get you in the door. Your positioning and messaging show people why they should choose you once you’re there.

And your content builds the trust required for all the times when referrals don’t exist.

If your growth only works when someone else is talking about you, that isn’t a strategy. It’s luck.


Justin and I are talking about how to build trust with thought leadership content on Feb. 4th: https://lnkd.in/e4-BWuAh

There are 2 massive mistakes B2B brands make when it comes to their positioning.


1️⃣ Not doing competitor research. 

These are the 3 most common reasons I hear:

💬 We don’t have any competitors.

Hate to break it to you but um, yeah, you do. More on that below.

💬 We don’t want to sound like the competition.

Exactly! That’s why you need to know what they’re saying. Otherwise, how do you know you’re not saying the same thing?

💬 We already know what sets us apart from the competition. We hear it all the time in sales and discovery calls.

Think about that. People are telling you why they’re looking for someone new to help them. That means whoever they were working with it isn’t cutting it. 

You may be comparing yourself to subpar competition or the brand they needed for a prior stage of their business. 

2️⃣ Only looking at direct competitors 

Your biggest competition is usually not that. There are 3 indirect competitors who are actually a bigger threat.

- inaction (yep, sometimes it’s easier to do nothing about the problem)
- [redacted]
- [redacted]

Want to know what the other 2 are and what to do about them?

My subscribers will find out Tuesday. Join them here: https://lnkd.in/e63iKyrW

Is LinkedIn hard because you don’t know what to write… or because you rewrite the same post six times?

Our founding members joined from both places.

They’ve gone from:

“I don’t have all d@mn day to write posts”
→ “My posts are done for the week and scheduled!”

“I joined because I hate creating content for LinkedIn. I don’t know what to write about and it takes forever.”
→ “I’m actually enjoying writing my LinkedIn posts. 🤯”

“I post but nothing ever happens.”
→ “This is the most impressions I’ve ever had!”

“I have good intentions but never seem to get around to posting.”
→ “This is EXACTLY the support and accountability I needed.”

Yep, those are actual quotes from our members.

And yesterday, one told me someone said to her:

“You’ve really leveled up your LinkedIn game. I’m noticing a huge difference in the content you’re posting.”

That’s not about posting more.

It’s about having structure, direction, and support so posting doesn’t feel like a mental obstacle course.

If this sounds like where you are and where you want to be, today is the last day to enroll in Content Circle. 

Not sure it’s a fit?

You literally have nothing to lose.

We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. No hoops.

All we ask is that you fill out a short questionnaire so we understand why it didn’t work for you.

(We’ll have to create it though. No one’s actually asked for a refund.)

Inside, you get:

🟡 Live weekly writing + Q&A sessions with real-time feedback
🟡 Two strategic, guided prompts each week (not templates that make you sound like everyone else)
🟡 Member and guest expert workshops that go beyond “just post more”
🟡 Full access to our library of past workshops and resources

Plus the support and accountability that makes all of this actually work.

If you want your time back, want to feel confident posting, and want LinkedIn to stop feeling harder than it needs to be, you know what to do.

Be honest. If nothing changes, will LinkedIn magically get easier next month?

👉🏻 Grab your seat today: https://contentcircle.org



(Image snagged from Pinterest)

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Katie Nowak

Stacy Eleczko🔅

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The Battle

Katie Nowak

Stacy Eleczko🔅

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