Katy McFee's Linkedin Analytics

Trying to sound too 'smart' will hold you back Confused people are hard to influence! Have you ever heard someone say, "Explain it to me like I'm a 5 year old"? I used to say it a lot at work. Especially when people would dive into way too much detail And use a ton of jargon or technical terms. It's called the Feynman Razor, and it says this: If you truly understand something, you should be able to explain it in layman's terms. Or to a 5 year old. Or your grandma. If you can't, you don't really understand what you're talking about. Why is this important? If you're looking to be an effective leader, Clear communication is a non-negotiable. You simply can't motivate, influence, and inspire people if you're confusing them! Instead, they'll be: - wondering where you're going - distracted - tuned out If your ideas aren't having the impact you think they should, this may be the problem. Simply put: speaking with clarity tells people you're ready to be a senior leader This is one of the many topics I tackle in my group program For women directors who are ready to break through to a VP role DM me to learn more✌️💜

For years I struggled to be seen as VP material until I made this one change: My communication style. I already had great ideas. I was thinking strategically. But I was still being overlooked. The problem was, I wasn't being intentional about the way I was communicating. I discovered that the way you share an idea can be even more important than the idea itself And everything changed. For me this meant taking more time to prepare for big meetings and presentations And thinking really intentionally about how I was going to frame something. The benefit to mastering this is that you'll be seen as someone who: - Understands what's important - Has well-thought-out ideas - Is a strategic thinker And although it may feel like a big, scary change It is 100% learnable The fact is, your communication style is just one part of a key success factor for getting to VP In my free masterclass, I'm going to share all 3 success factors with you Along with some actionable next steps you can implement immediately to see results If you've been wanting to land a VP role, you don't want to miss this I'm going to do the masterclass live at 3 different times this week to make sure you can get there! First one is tonight at 7pm! Sign up here to save your spot: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq ✌️💜

Leaders - it really is that easy ✌️💜 Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

Becoming a VP was a big disappointment for me... After 15 years in my career And 5 years of working my TAIL off as a director... I finally made it. I got the VP title. But it wasn't what I expected... The thing that struck me the most about becoming a VP (and then EVP) was this: My colleagues - the people with a seat at the table - were just like me. They weren't any smarter, more talented or 'special'... And I was so disappointed. But not in them. IN ME. I was disappointed: - I let my self-doubt get in the way for too many years - I assumed the people at the table were SO much smarter than I was - I believed the messages I'd received for so long, that the people who belonged at the table WEREN'T LIKE ME It was total BS! So I'm calling it for y'all... If you're where I was, and don't believe you belong at the table... This is your wake-up call. The people at the table don't have any special powers They don't have any special knowledge They're just people. Just like you. And you can learn how to do all of the things that they do. ✌️💜 PS. If you think more people need to hear this message, give it a repost! PPS. If you're a woman, and want to learn exactly what I finally did to land that VP role and thrive there, come to my free masterclass next week: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq

There's an obvious reason men get promoted more easily than we do. Yes, bias exists. And it's real. But... There's more to it than that. One thing we overlook is the lack of sponsorship for women The absence of that key person who takes you by the hand, Shows you the ropes, Helps you see your blindspots, And is invested in your success. And what's equally important is that it's not intentional! It comes down to the affinity bias: People like people who remind them of themselves. When men in senior leadership see men earlier in their careers, They think of themselves and naturally want to help. So the more women we get to the table, The more women there will be to help women. That's the long game. But what can we do today? My goal is to bridge this knowledge gap By sharing what I've learned with as many women as possible To help you see your blindspots, To show you the ropes, To make sure you get there. Want to learn more? Come to my free masterclass today or tomorrow: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq I promise you'll walk away with insights and tangible next steps. See you then! ✌️💜

Say it with me: "Keep doing what you're doing is NOT good feedback" Often we believe hearing there's nothing to work on Means we're on the right track Not necessarily true... In fact, this may be a red flag. Check out the latest episode of the More Women Promoted (wherever you get your podcasts) To hear the full episode I talk all about feedback How to give it And how to ensure you're getting useful feedback Let me know what you think!✌️💜

"We want female execs but can't find candidates" I've heard this a TON from well-meaning CEOs And it's SO frustrating... because it's true. The gender leadership gap widens as you go up in a company. More men are promoted at every stage of leadership. And women are expected to prove themselves with experience. Until this changes, the pool of women eligible for leadership roles will always be smaller! Want to know my solution? Give women an unfair advantage Help make women SO damn good, That DEI policies or not, That despite the bias we know exists... They'll still get that seat at the table. Only then will we see real change happen Want to learn more about what I do? Come to my free masterclass today at 2pm ET Learn: - The 3 things you need to master to land an exec role - Where YOU should be focusing today - What you can do to get started It's time to close the gap ✌️💜 Register here: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

I wish I knew 10 years ago That being the hardest worker won't get you promoted For years, I was the the 'work hard with your head down' girl I was the one who moved fast and got stuff done And that worked for a while... But once I hit a certain point It began to hold me back I wanted to progress in my career, But no matter how hard I worked I couldn't convince my boss I was ready Here's what I learned: Our ability to prioritize, focus and communicate effectively Have a massive impact on whether people see us as 'ready' And you have the ability to develop the exact skills That tell leadership you belong at the table Interested? Don't miss my free masterclass today at 7pm ET I'm going to share: - The 3 key success factors for landing an exec role and thriving in it - What YOU need to focus on to get to the next level - What you can do to start today Let's make 2025 the year you turn it around ✌️💜 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq PS.If you have specific questions, I'll be staying on the line to answer questions!

I've had great managers and terrible managers Ones who fostered growth, and others who cared less Anyone relate? The reality is that we can't always decide who our manager is Or how invested in our career growth they'll be But we can do something about the situation we're in! In today's newsletter, I share tips on dealing with 3 situations where you may be feeling unsupported by your manager: 1. They don't do regular 1:1s with you 2. They aren't initiating conversations about your growth 3. You've realized they are never going to promote you Happy reading ✌️💜

My goals at 24: - Make 6 figures by age 27 - Buy a luxury car by age 30 - Buy a house by age 30 - Weigh X pounds - Become a VP by age 40 Here are my goals today... just over 20 years later: - Connect with friends in real life as much as possible - Invest in relationships that fill my cup and release the rest - Nourish my body with plants and healthy food - Move daily with walks, running, hiking or yoga - Spend more time outdoors - Be present in whatever I do - Empower women in business and life Pretty different huh? I used to focus a lot on external measures of success... And I achieved many of these But they didn't lead to happiness and fulfillment The way I thought they would. My focus now is on what makes ME happy It's on finding joy in little parts of every day And I'm much more balanced and happy as a result. If your goals look like 24-year-old Katy's goals, that's okay! There's zero judgement. Just ask yourself: "Why do I want these things?" "Are they for me or someone else?" Because YOU get to define your success. I'm curious - what's your #1 goal right now? ✌️💜 Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

It's just not enough to tell girls they can be anything they want We need to be giving boys this message... Today's reality is this: Men are currently the ones who hold the power. So... THEY need to believe women are equal THEY need to be ready to promote more women THEY need to take on more domestic work at home If we want to see real change, we need both men and women on board. My partner does 75% of meal prep and making dinner during the week, He does more than 50% of bedtimes with our preschooler, He gets breakfast ready while I'm working out. We are modelling non-traditional gender roles in our home And it's 100% intentional. I want my boys to be those men. We need to model the behaviours and have the conversations with our boys In addition to inspiring our girls to take on whatever they want in life Because relying on telling girls they can do anything they want to do is not enough to make real change. ✌️💜 Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership hashtag#genderequality hashtag#genderroles

When I was trying to move up in my career, people told me: - Be harder on my team—I cared too much - Sit still and speak more slowly—I seemed too "junior" - Make people both love and fear me—I didn't even understand this one lol And you know what? I'm grateful... That I never listened to any of it. This advice was well-meaning, but it wasn't ME! It felt inauthentic. It was exhausting to try and sit completely still! And I simply wasn't willing to pretend to be someone I wasn't.... Even if it meant never getting to the exec table. Guess what? I did land that VP role, and then an EVP role, Staying true to who I was. Not everyone will love your leadership style, And some people you respect may even suggest you change. But the right people will appreciate you. And life is so much better when we get to show up as our full, authentic selves. ✌️💜 What's the worst leadership advice you ever got? Follow me Katy McFee for more posts on women in leadership

Ever feel like the odd 'man' out? I was so excited to join an exec team... But quickly noticed I was different. The key difference was this: Every other member of the team had a stay-at-home wife. I was a recently separated single mom of 2 young kids Meaning - they could stay at work much later than I could. Meaning - they could easily pull off evening strategy sessions where we ordered in dinner, while I had to scramble for childcare. Meaning - they could be at the office for our 8:30am Friday leadership meeting, while I was often late because my childcare was late. Meaning - they could focus on being a great executive...while I focused on: - being a great executive - registering for summer camp - making sure lunches were made - scheduling dentist appointments - trying to make sure the kids ate a vegetable every now and then - wait, all of their pantes are too short - oh no someone is sick and I have to be at the office for that meeting and.... You get it. As the newest member and only woman on the team, do you think I spoke up? Nope! Instead, I struggled and stressed and felt like I wasn't doing any part of my life as well as I wanted to. It's one thing to promote women and give them a seat at the table. It's a whole other thing to understand people's unique situations and make accommodations for them. THAT is the difference between diversity and inclusion.✌️💜 *Here's a photo from that crazy time in my life!

If you feel like you're failing, know this: It may be more about your environment than you. I was 'failing' in my director role We weren't hitting our numbers and goals No matter what I tried or how hard I worked I was at the table with the VP and C-level execs But was unable to get a VP title I wasn't sure I was even good at my job anymore! Then I moved to a new company... Suddenly, everything clicked We went from missing targets to smashing them I created strategies and changes That accelerated our growth and success And I went from feeling useless to feeling valued The truth is: Sometimes you're just in the wrong environment. This may mean : Team Function Company size Company culture And once you find the right one, You see just how far you can go. If you're not happy, valued, or succeeding where you are Remember, you're not a tree, You can move. ✌️💜

Hot take: it's not your fault you're struggling But it IS your responsibility to fix it Here's the thing: No one teaches us how to navigate our career path No one teaches us how to become an executive And once we get there, no one tells us how to thrive We've left to just figure it out on our own It's no wonder most people get stuck and aren't sure how to advance Here's what I see happen again and again: - Get hired - Work your butt off and do everything right - Get promoted to Manager - Work your butt off and do everything right - ...nothing... You're waiting for that next promotion because you're doing ALL the things. You're working crazy hard. You're doing exactly what you've been told to do. And the promotion isn't coming Maybe your colleague gets promoted ahead of you, even though he started a year after Or they decide to fill the role externally The truth is, what got you here, won't get you there. But here's another truth: YOU need to be the one to change If what you've been doing isn't working You're the one who needs to start doing things differently The good news is: I can show you how If this sounds like you and you're wondering what's holding you back, come check out my free masterclass next week I'll be breaking down the 3 key things you need to focus on for an exec role - what they are - how to recognize them - what to do And I'll be staying to answer all of your questions. Let's do this ✌💜 Register here: https://lnkd.in/d9CQGqTq Bonus points if you send this to a women you know who deserves to be there too!

I could NOT get promoted to VP, Even with an open role above me! Even though my team loved me and I worked like crazy Even though I executed like a champ... I was running the function (sales, marketing, sales ops) And reporting directly to the CEO I was part of the senior leadership team In meetings with the rest of the VPs and C-level execs And I just could not get them to give me a VP title At the time, I didn't get it. I mean, I was DOING THE JOB. Why not just give me the damn title? Looking back years later, I recognize the ways I wasn't showing up as a VP The problem was, I didn't have anyone to teach this to me! Had I learned to change just a few things, I would have had been able to demonstrate that I was ready So much sooner... My mission now is to help more women who feel stuck in this situation get unstuck So I want to offer a free strategy call THIS WEEK For any women who are currently a manager or director And aren't sure what they need to do to get to that next level Book with my team here: https://lnkd.in/dy2GNWGF Let's get you a seat at the table ✌️💜

For years I told myself this story: "The people at the table are not like me And I'm never going to be like them" Everyone seemed so... composed So buttoned up I felt like a hot mess in comparison! Turns out, I was just in the wrong place And my perception was far from reality If experience has taught me anything, it's this: You can do whatever you want to do. I know this because I finally got that seat at the table. And once I found the right culture, I really believed I belonged there. I've met and worked with tons of bright, talented senior executives, from VPs to CEOs. And guess what? They're just regular people. They're no smarter than you or I. So if you've been telling yourself these same stories, The first thing you need to do, is start telling yourself a different story. The story that you belong at the table, just as much as anyone else. And then take intentional action towards making it happen. ✌️💜

I didn't meet the love of my life until I was 39. I didn't become a VP until I was 39. I became an EVP at 41 and an entrepreneur at 42. I did my first multi-six-figure launch and started writing for Forbes at 44. I look at my life today: - Living in this crazy house with my partner, 3 kiddos, and 2 dogs, - Traveling to places that inspire me and doing what I love, - Surrounded by a supportive network of amazing women, I can honestly say I'm living the life I've always wanted. But it wasn't always this way... At 26 I was in such a rush to get married. At 36, I was divorced and thought it was too late to meet someone. At 37, I felt like a failure because I hadn't been promoted to VP. At 41, I wondered if it was too late to start over as an entrepreneur. To whoever needs to hear this, your timeline can't be dictated by someone else's life, Someone else's timeline is just that... You're on your own journey, And it's never too late to build your dream life Anyone relate? ✌️💜

My career looks amazing... on paper ;) - top performing sales rep - worked my way to VP and EVP - built and scaled sales orgs - own my own business What most people don't know is that I: - dropped out of university after 1 semester - changed majors 3 times and took 6 years to get my degree - had no sweet clue what to do when I finally graduated Then, once I stumbled into sales, I: - bombed an interview with my dream company - went from a Sales Manager back to an IC - was told I likely didn't have what it took to be a VP (for like, 5 years) Why am I telling you this? Because on paper, my career looks freaking awesome! And it HAS been... But you can't see all that happened behind the scenes. All the bumps in the road along the way Everyone's path is a little different And most of us don't end up on a rocketship right to the top. If you're not quite where you want to be yet Give yourself some grace. Don't worry about what your friends are doing Or how much money they're making. You're on your own path. Focus on the journey, the learnings and the people along the way. You've got this ✌️💜

I'm not your typical polished executive I have tattoos. I wear ripped jeans. Sometimes I'm scattered and run late I joke around and drop f-bombs For years, I believed I had to change myself to be successful Because the people at the table didn't look like me. Turns out, I already had exactly what it took: I'm a great strategic thinker. I'm empathetic and a strong people leader. I have excellent intuition when it comes to people and decisions. The best thing I ever did was lean into exactly who I am. Someone passionate, who works hard and is also willing to be real. I'm never going to pretend to be perfect, And you don't have to either. This is your reminder that YOU get to decide what kind of leader you want to be, Imperfections and all. Because you can deliver a ton of value as an exec, Without being perfectly polished ✌️💜 PS. If your goal is to be a VP and you want help getting there, DM me to learn how I can help.