I’m passionate about empowering women and helping to close the gender gap in senior leadership. 

I spent 18 years in tech and biotech sales, holding positions as a VP and EVP, Sales. Along the way I introduced many brand new technologies to market, built a commercial organization from scratch, and scaled a hyper-growth team to achieve 9 digit revenue growth in 2 years.

Despite this success, I struggled for years with my transition from Manager to Director to VP, and even asked myself if I was cut out to be a senior executive.  

Finally, I ‘figured it out’ and had the confidence, knowledge and skills that I needed to be an impactful leader. 

My mission at Insights to Action is to help others get there by sharing what I’ve learned.

I want to use my passion to help more women transition to senior leadership and help leaders make that leap from unsure and unfocused to strategic, decisive and outcome driven - all without burning out. My goal is to help women thrive as executives, instead of merely surviving. 

I would love to work with you on your journey and look forward to connecting!

Read about what some of my clients are saying: https://www.insightstoactioncc.com/testimonials

Katy McFee

Insights to Action Coaching & Consulting

We help women who are aspiring executives break through to senior leadership and thrive as senior leaders, all without burning out. 

Services include:
- Group programs for women looking to break through to executive leadership
- Executive coaching for women executives
- Corporate workshops
- Keynote speaking

Founder & CEO

Invest Ottawa

Sales Advisor - Accelerator Program

Evidence Partners

Evidence Partners is the world leader in software for conducting systematic literature reviews for Clinical Evaluation Reports, HTA, and Evidence-Based Medicine. Evidence Partners software is used by academic, government and industry groups around the world to dramatically improve the quality, speed and transparency of systematic reviews and MEDDEV compliant Clinical Evaluation Reports.

EVP, Sales

Fullscript

Fullscript is a free online supplement dispensary & patient adherence tool - we support practitioners & the wellness of patients at the point of care and beyond.

Grew and scaled sales organization during hyper-growth period, achieving 9 digit growth over 2 years. 

Fullscript raised $240M USD in Series C funding in November 2021.

VP, Sales

Women Powering Technology Ottawa

Women Powering Technology (WPT) is an organization created to inspire, support, elevate and empower women in technology personally, professionally and together as a community.

Board Member / Chair

Spartan Bioscience

Global commercialization of Spartan's CYP2C19 and APOE systems and tests.

Spartan Bioscience is the leader in on-demand DNA testing. The Spartan RX CYP2C19 System identifies carriers of CYP2C19 mutations that affect the metabolism of common drugs. It goes from sample to result in less than 60 minutes from a cheek swab. The Mayo Clinic is currently using the device in a landmark 6,000-patient clinical trial. The Spartan system has received European and FDA regulatory approvals.

Head, Medical Division/ Director, Sales

Roche Diagnostics

Roche Diagnostics is part of the Roche Group including Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals.  Annual revenues for the Roche Group are over $45 Billion Swiss francs.

Canadian National Representative for the Genome Sequencer FLX,  Managed and grew the next-generation sequencing business in Canada.  Also managed the NimbleGen (Microarray) product line in Central West Canada (Toronto to BC).

Business Development Manager, Gene Sequencing

Sigma Aldrich

Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company, with customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals and in industry. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 40 countries and has over 7,600 employees providing excellent service worldwide.

Managed key accounts (total revenue $8M+) in Southwestern Ontario and Manitoba, growing the territory through strategic product sales.

Key Account Manager

DNA Genotek Inc

DNA Genotek specializes in DNA collection products from saliva. Oragene is now used by thousands of customers around the world, including Quest Diagnostics and 23andMe. In 2011, DNA Genotek was acquired by OraSure Technologies for $53M.

One of the first sales reps- introduced the Oragene product to market, making some of the first Oragene sales globally. Played an integral role in the early growth of the company by establishing large commercial customers, research and government accounts.  Led a team of 6 reps.

Account Manager/ Sales Manager

I help women become execs and thrive in leadership - Former Exec | Certified Coach | Forbes.com contributor

At Insights to Action I help female execs and aspiring female leaders become the leaders they want to be and thrive as executives all without burning out. 

I offer group coaching programs for women looking to break through to executive leadership and 1:1 immersive executive coaching for current execs who want to level up and show up as the amazing, effective leaders they know they can be, while still living a life they love.

My friend's uncle died within a year of retiring
My client's dad - the same thing

This is not an uncommon story...
I've heard countless versions, but they are all similar.

This person worked their entire life without really enjoying it
They scrimped and saved, never taking a real vacation

All in the name of finally enjoying the fruits of their labour once they retired...

And then, boom. They get cancer or have a heart attack
And that future they put on hold is suddenly gone

I learned an important lesson from this:

Don't wait for retirement to enjoy your life
In fact, decide what your ideal life looks like, and start living it TODAY

That doesn't mean being financially irresponsible,
It's being intentional about your priorities and the way you spend your time

Here's a simple exercise that has helped me a ton:
1. Visualize your ideal 'one day' life
- Consider all of the elements of this life: people, hobbies, travel etc...

2. Determine which of these elements you can start bringing into your life today

Eg. Maybe you want to retire in Hawaii... could you start working there for 2 months of the year now? Or even taking a yearly vacation there?

Or maybe your vision of retirement includes a strong community, 
But today, you work 80-hour weeks and barely see friends. 

Can you put a recurring event on your calendar to see friends once a week?

The details will be different depending on your priorities
But the theme is the same - start living your best life now

And the small things we do every week are what make up that big life. 

I started this a couple of years back and the result has been dramatic
In many ways, I'm living my dream life

What does this look like for you??
✌️💜

6 years ago I was:

- miserable at work and at home
- frustrated in my director role and ready to give up
- in an abusive relationship that was about to get much worse
- drinking wine every single night to cope

In February 2019, my live changed.

Within 4 years, I:

- Successfully became a VP, then an EVP
- Left my terrible relationship and met the love of my life
- Stopped drinking and became the healthiest version of myself
- Left the corporate world and built a thriving business

A lot can change in 5 years

If you're not happy where you are, don't give up. Your story isn't over yet.
Unless you decide that it is...

You have no idea where you'll be 5 years from now when you look back.

You just need to start by making one small change today...✌️💜

Follow me Katy McFee for more posts for women in leadership

PS. Is my partner gazing lovingly at the dog here? You tell me...

The cold hard truth is this:

No one cares about your career as much as you do.

And honestly, they shouldn't!

If you leave your future in someone else's hands,
You'll likely end up disappointed.

So it's up to you. 
Ouch.

But here's the silver lining:

No one else SHOULD be deciding your path, 
because you're the one who has to live it!

I've had smart, talented people working for me, who wanted ME to map out their career path

That's just NOT a good idea

Because you and I may be passionate about very different things.

Can your boss help you identify strengths and weaknesses?

You bet.

But you are the one who needs to create the vision for your career AND make it happen.

That may mean investing in your development outside of work
It may mean finding a new mentor or coach
It may even mean a new job

The first step is to take radical accountability for your career.
The second is to aim as high as your heart's desire.

And if landing a director or VP role is part of that vision, 
And you're not sure where to start
Book a free strategy call with my team here: https://buff.ly/4biVDcG   
✌️💜

Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

"I'm SO busy!" "Back-to-back meetings all day!" "Work's crazy!"

These statements have become a badge of honour.

Can we please talk about healthy boundaries?

As someone who was not always great at this, I get it.

It's easy to feel like you just need to push through this next month or quarter, and then things will start to ease up.

I told myself the same thing for years.

But here's the thing, they never actually ease up.

Just as in your personal life, it's important to set boundaries in our professional lives.

This may look different for different people - the key is to decide what works for you

Here are a few ideas:

- Blocking off your lunch hour to take a walk outside
- Spending the morning with your family and not even looking at an email until 9am
- Fully unplugging from work on the weekends to focus on yourself

Life is short. Your career is long. Put yourself first. ✌️💜

How are you unplugging on this beautiful Sunday?

I did not want to go for a run in -22degC. At all. 

But I do want to crush my next ultra that's coming up in March...

And that's why I was out there like a lunatic, wearing my ski goggles and getting bizarre looks from people!

The problem is that many of us want to do big, interesting things,
But we're not always willing to do the crappy things that make these dreams happen

Especially when we're tired 
Or it's cold 
Or there's another option

But here's one of the most important things I've learned in life:

The most successful people do the crappy things
Even though they don't want to do them either
And that's what sets them apart!

They get up at 5:45am...
They work out while others are sleeping
They meditate while others are scrolling
They focus while others are texting

They do the hard things, even when they don't want to...

And that is their edge.

It's not talent
It's not brains
It's not even luck

It's the willingness to do the thing
Every day

All YOU have to do to set yourself apart
Is decide what crappy thing you're willing to do every day
To make YOUR dreams come true

And if your dream is to run an ultra in Arizona in March when you live in Canada
Get ready for some people to look at you like you're crazy 😂 

*What big, bold dream are you willing to work for every day??

I was 'stuck' as a director for 5 years!

And I'm far from alone. This is common.

I see more women (and men) get stuck in middle management than at any other point in their careers.

The reason is this:

You were promoted to a manager because you're a great executor
You're the person who gets a ton of stuff done, and does it well

That's the good news (sort of)

The bad news is this:

Those same behaviours are what keep you stuck in middle management.

But... there's more good news:

The biggest lesson I learned is that focus and priorities need to change as you go up the ladder,

You need to shift from executor to strategic thinker, 
And from focusing on singular goals to focusing on people and processes

When I realized this, everything clicked 
I did a 180 and thrived as a VP and EVP

All of this stuff is 100% learnable. 
You don't need to be a natural or have any special skills,
And you don't need an MBA

My program takes ambitious women who get stuff done
And helps them transition to impactful, strategic executives

Doors have just opened for the next cohort because the last one sold out! 
(And I expect this one will too)

You can sign up early and save $1,000 right now

DM me 'VP-ready' to learn more 

Let's take you from 'stuck' to thriving ✌️💜


Follow me for more posts on women in leadership!

I can’t stand feedback like, ‘You need better executive presence”.

It’s vague.

It’s lazy.

And it doesn’t provide actionable steps to getting better.

So many women I’ve spoken with have received this feedback when told why they aren’t in senior leadership yet.

And honestly, it’s total BS.

That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news.

Executive presence is just a set of traits and skills,

It’s NOT some unique superpower that you either have or don’t have,

And it’s totally learnable stuff.

In fact, I teach it in my program through practical frameworks and tools that you can implement immediately.

And let me tell you, some of these are game-changing!

The moral of the story is this: If your boss is telling you you're not getting promoted because of your 'executive presence'

You aren't doomed. And there IS something you can do about it.✌️💜

Guess what? To celebrate International Women's Month, I'm giving away my $297 digital course - Master Executive Presence - for FREE!  If you struggle with executive presence, I've got you!!

Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/d_FGd7wK 
And help me on my mission by sharing this with other women!

Dreading Mondays because of a toxic boss?

Here's some food for thought:

Even if you make great money,
Love the day-to-day work,
Have great benefits,

It may not be worth sticking it out.

A toxic manager can haunt you years after you leave

Life is short
Your career is long
Put yourself first ✌️💜

I've been there. 
Staying in a role, hoping for a promotion that never comes.

If you're wondering whether to stick it out or move on, there are 5 signs your boss isn't planning to promote you:

1. Limited feedback
2. No stretch assignments
3. Absent career conversations
4. Short-term focus
5. No investment in your development

Remember, you don't have to wait for your boss to decide your future. 

You can take control and initiate a career development conversation. 

You might not be on their radar today, but you can change that! 

✌️💜

5 Signs Your Boss is NOT Planning To Promote You

I'm quite shy, even though I'm an extrovert

So much so that for years I avoided making new friends

I once heard someone say, "I met my friends in kindergarten and we're still friends. I don't need any new ones."

And I decided to adopt this same attitude
Except, I met my besties in grade 7

Here's the problem:
We all grow, change and evolve
And keeping the same small circle can mean missing out

My childhood friends and I have a deep history,
We share a lot,

But they don't share my ambitions or big dreams
In fact, they think half of what I do is kind of crazy 😂
And that's okay!

When I started my journey into entrepreneurship, I decided to be intentional about expanding my network,

I wanted friends who were also female entrepreneurs.

This was WAY outside my comfort zone
And... it's been incredibly rewarding!

I've put myself out there,
And the most amazing women have responded

Here's what YOU can do, if you're looking to grow your circle:

1. Put yourself into situations where you'll actually meet people.

I know, it's hard! But go to those events. Attend the workshop. Sign up for the program or mastermind. Show up where where like-minded people will be.

2. Don't wait for people to adopt you, reach out to them if you've made a connection!

This happened to me recently, and I honestly felt like I was texting my crush - I was so nervous - but this person responded, and we're planning to get together.

3. Be the one to reach out.

Here's the thing - many of us feel awkward making new friends as an adult! Others are likely feeling the same way. Send that text or quick check-in. Relationships are built through these tiny efforts.

And remember, growing your circle does not mean you don't value the people already in your life.

You're allowed to have different types of friends for different things
A lesson that one of my new besties has taught me!

Anyone else had to learn how to make friends again? What's your best tip?
✌️💜

Being too 'productive' held me back for years

And I see this with SO many women I work with

I get it... You're the person who get's sh!t done!

When something needs to get done, 
Everyone knows they can give it to you 
And trust that you won't drop the ball...

You crank out work like no one else
And take pride that your output is so much more than your colleagues

So then, why did that last promotion not go to you??

This was me, and it's so many of the women I know.

Here's what I learned (the long and painful way):

Output doesn't get you promoted

Sharing the right insights and demonstrating judgement does

And if you want to share the right insights and demonstrate judgement
You need space and time to do this

It won't happen in the 2min between Zoom calls.

You need to believe that slowing down is worth it
And then starting carving out the time you need to think...

This is exactly what I'm breaking down in tomorrow's newsletter: 
"Why your 'productivity' may be holding you back" 

I'll share:
- How doing too much, too fast is sabotaging your career success
- The benefits of slowing down
- How to get started

DM me 'newsletter' to get it to your inbox

PLUS - to celebrate IWD, I've decided to give away my $297 digital course - Master Executive Presence - for FREE! 

My goal is to help more women build their executive presence and land that next leadership role.

Grab it here, and help me on my mission by sharing this with other women!
https://buff.ly/thi7DDL   ✌️💜

Stop telling people to quit their 9-5 jobs!

Even if it's been amazing for you,
And you're ready to help them make their first $1M

Here's the thing:
Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur
Not everyone enjoys that lifestyle

And it's irresponsible to convince people that this is the answer

I love running my business.

Know what else I loved?
My 18 year corporate career.

In fact, without that experience I wouldn't have the success I do today

So, let's tone down the 'everyone should be a solopreneur' posts

And if you love your 9-5, good on you!
There are many ways to create a great career ✌️💜

"Were you treated differently as a woman?"

I've been the only woman at the table and worked in male-dominated industries for my whole corporate career.

A while back, I was asked this question about my experience as a woman...

Specifically, was I treated differently.

And truthfully, I was at a loss for words... because I'd never really thought about it!

My knee-jerk reaction was... Of course not! I don't imagine I was treated differently specifically BECAUSE I'm a woman....

But then I thought... wait a second...

I've been:
- undermined by other managers
- hit on by colleagues, customers, and managers
- mansplained things I'm an expert on
- criticized for my (female) leadership style
- passed over for opportunities when pregnant
- assumed to be the junior in a meeting when I was the boss too many times

And more. These were just the first few things that came to mind.

All of these things have something in common:
They happened because I'm a woman.
They wouldn't have happened to a man.

Now, I should mention that I've also been in meetings and on leadership teams where I felt 100% respected and valued as a woman and a leader.

So it goes both ways.
There are some great leaders out there doing it right.

But reflecting on this question was a good reminder for me.

We still have some work to do, folks.

I wish I could have confidently answered 'no' to that question,

And it's part of the reason I'm so passionate about getting more women into senior leadership. ✌️💜

Give this a 'repost' if you think more people need this reminder,

And if you're a woman who's ready to break through to executive leadership, send me a DM and let's chat!

The exact same strategy helped me become:

Top sales rep, VP & EVP and successful entrepreneur

Yet, I see SO many of you not doing this!!

Here's my big secret:

I learned from those who had done the thing I wanted to do.

That's it!

In sales - learned from my sales coach and other top reps
As an exec - learned from an exec coach and peers
As an entrepreneur - I learn from business owners and join their masterminds

Even when I started on LinkedIn (with 1,200 connections and 0 followers):
I bought Justin Welsh's course and learned from the best

We don't have to reinvent the wheel,
We don't have to do it alone

There's an easier and better way.

I'm going to tackle this topic in tomorrow's newsletter, so if you aren't already subscribed, be sure to sign up and get it. 

Early bird pricing for my group program also ends on Sunday, 
So if you want to land that next VP role
And learn from someone who's done it
Send me a DM ✌️💜

Who here struggles with self-promotion? 🙋‍♀️

9/10 women I know feel icky about promoting themselves to their colleagues or boss...

And ladies, that's a big problem!

You may be leaving opportunities on the table.

But here's the thing - that feeling you get that tells you it's not a good idea to 'brag' about yourself is REAL

It's a product of the way we evolved and the way we were raised
And honestly, 'just do it' is not great advice in this case

One thing I've learned is that to make this switch, we need to:
1. Shift our mindset
2. Create a process around sharing wins
3. Learn to communicate these wins effectively

I've helped women who would never share a win learn to:
- Advocate for themselves and negotiate that next raise or promotion,
- Share wins regularly and create visibility within their organization.

And do it all in a way that feels good!

When you learn to speak up
You open a whole new world of opportunity. ✌️💜

PS. To celebrate International Women's Month, I'm giving away my $297 digital course - Master Executive Presence - for FREE - to help more women build their executive presence and land that next leadership role.

DM me "Executive Presence" to get it, and help me on my mission by sharing this with other women!

Myth: High performance will get you promoted
Reality: It'll get you a 'good job' or a thumbs up, but not a promotion

This is a hard one, and most people don't realize it

Doing a great job in your role simply tells your manager you're great in that role

If you want to get promoted, you need to convince them you'll be great in the next role

See the difference?

There are lots of ways to do this, but it generally comes down to:
- Taking initiative in making things better for everyone
- Thinking bigger than yourself and more about the dept as a whole
- Putting yourself in your boss' shoes and considering what problems they're trying to solve

And of course...

Communicating all of this to your manager in your 1:1s so they're in the loop!

There's no use in doing all of this with your head down,
Waiting for the right people to take notice. 

Times have changed, and it's no longer a world where you can expect a mentor to take you by the hand and help you climb the ladder.

You need to take the initiative yourself and advocate for yourself.

After all, you have the most to gain. 

If you want me to be that mentor, DM me to book a call

Let's do this ✌️💜

Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

Becoming a VP was a disappointment...

And I have no one to blame but myself...

For so many years, I put executives on a pedestal
I thought that to become a VP you needed to be a rainbow unicorn

And this didn't serve me!
In fact, it didn't serve the execs I worked with either.

Maybe this was because I hadn't worked with any women execs...
Maybe it was because I hadn't had female mentors along the way

But either way, I almost took myself out of the race
So learn from my mistake

If you want that seat at the table,
You deserve to be there
As much as anyone

The first step is to believe you belong there,

And if you want help with the rest
Shoot me a DM

Let's get you there ✌️💜 

Hit 'repost' if more women need this reminder!

Men negotiate. Starting salary, comp plan, next promotion...

Women just accept what's offered.

Well, this is what we always thought... but turns out it's not true (anymore).

A couple of decades ago, research came out showing women don't negotiate while our male counterparts do

Ahh... was this the reason for the gender pay gap?
Maybe we were partly to blame!

Well, we heard it. 
We adapted. 
And guess what?

The pay gap is still alive and well.

Research from 2023 shows that women now more likely to negotiate, and are still offered less

No more blaming women I guess.
So what on earth can we do??

Keep negotiating.

We deserve to be paid what we're worth.

And because I feel strongly about getting money into the hands of women, I've created a free negotiation guide.

Grab it here and let's start to close our own pay gap. ✌️💜

https://lnkd.in/d3p8E8wF

PS. Share this with any women you know who it could benefit. Let's spread the word and help more women make what they're worth

Want to do something meaningful to celebrate IWD on Saturday?

Here's how:

1. Connect a future female leader with a mentor (bonus points if the mentor is another woman)

2. Speak up for a female colleague when she’s interrupted or talked over in a meeting

3. Like, engage, or share posts from strong female creators to give them more visibility

And for the leaders out there, here are 3 just for you:

1. Look at your team and ask yourself whether it needs more diversity. If it does, make a commitment to fix it.

2. Review your mat leave policy and ask yourself if you can make it better. Or, think of one way you can support mothers transitioning back from mat leave better.

3. Make female coaches available to the women on your team, even if that means going outside your organization.

Let's advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion all year long, not just this month. 

You can help with the small actions you take every day. ✌️💜

PS. To celebrate IWD, I've decided to give away my $297 digital course - Master Executive Presence - for FREE! My goal is to help more women build their executive presence and land that next leadership role.

Grab it here, and help me on my mission by sharing this with other women!
https://buff.ly/thi7DDL

Sometimes, it's less about what you say,

And more about how you say it!

Even if you feel confident,
Your language can undermine you.

Here, I share 5 simple swaps you can make
To begin communicating as a more confident leader.

Which is your favourite??

Also, if you want to grab my guide to communicate more confidently, effectively and empathetically, just DM me 'language'

The smallest changes can create the biggest results ✌️💜

Taplio

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