Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in organizational development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Katie McLaughlin, Founder, Chief Strategist & Transformation Artist of McLaughlin Method, located in Seattle, WA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
McLaughlin Method is a boutique consultancy providing coaching, training, and strategy for midsize technology companies. We produce theater-based interventions that help participants build and boost their empathy skills, allow groups to reconnect and deal with conflict, and organizations to build inclusive cultures that inspire and motivate. Primary services include:
- Intensive team workshops to uncover the conflicts that prevent teams from working together and transforming the culture through empathy.
- Executive & Manager coaching and workshops that build real skills for relating to and motivating people in the workplace.
- Culture consulting combined with Executive Group Coaching integrates company values and inclusive behaviors into the day-to-day experience of employees.
Tell us about yourself
After over 15 years working for and consulting with over 30 companies, I was fed up with continuing to hear "we care about our people" while people (like me!) continued to suffer at the hands of their leaders, teams, and employers. Throughout my career, I built expertise in organizational change, building curricula for transformative learning programs and unpacking adult behavior and motivation. I earned two Horizon Awards for my training, supported software implementations with robust change management programs, and developed countless onboarding and development programs for Sales, Customer Service, leaders, and other roles.
I founded McLaughlin Method to fill the gap(s) of the traditional approach to training leaders, building teams, and creating company / organizational culture. I use trauma-informed, advocacy-based theatre exercises within all programming. These theatre techniques are a universal communication tool to accurately look at: our relationships, the things that trigger us (and keep us from true connection), and our default reactions so we can make intentional choices to preserve our relationships. My clients improve skills vastly lacking in organizations today: empathy and emotional intelligence. I know we only build a better world one interaction at a time.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Glowing reviews from my customers and the results are seen after even a single workshop. 80% feel more supported and comfortable with the group, 93% feel valued by their company, and 87% feel empathy for others. This keeps me motivated during tough times.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Hearing your own voice in the sea of people offering advice or "the way" to get to X revenue/customers, etc. These voices don't know what is right for you and your business right now. They have great experience and tools you can learn from, but they are not the authority about your business. You are.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find a community of entrepreneurs. It can be lonely work, and you need the motivation to keep going.
- Engage with free services for entrepreneurs in your area -- there's coaching, business planning support, and more. I was surprised at how helpful our local business librarians were in the earliest stages of my business.
- Don't compare where you are to someone years ahead of you. This is a trap! It's discouraging and keeps you stuck in perfectionism. Get something out there, and keep adjusting it as you go.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mclaughlinmethod.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mclaughlinkatie/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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