Since founding jewellery brand KAGI in 2006, Kat Gee has gone on to launch another sustainable jewellery brand, KAIA, and join the board of NZ construction giants Spanbuild. We sat down with the former New Zealand Design Ambassador and Entrepreneur of the Year finalist for some business and leadership insights.
“As a leader you need to be able to inspire those around you with your vision, passion, resilience, and growth mindset,” she tells Verve. “You need to give your team the rope to make mistakes and praise them when they succeed. It’s about having accountability across your team and getting everyone’s buy-in as to what success in your company and each of their roles looks like.” Kat adds that emotional intelligence – “and the ability to keep your own emotions in check” – are more core essentials in encouraging people to hop aboard. “You need to maintain your own sense of calm and encourage your team to continually find ways to improve,” she continues. “It has to do with a lot of mindset-coaching your team and a deep understanding of who they are and what motivates them. Everyone is different and as a successful leader you need to adjust your style to suit each member of the team. One size certainly doesn’t fit all, and you can’t expect each person to want to be a managed the same way.”
Have there been coaches or managers that have inspired or mentored you along the way?
“I wouldn’t perhaps use the term ‘mentor’ to describe the coffee chats I’ve had over the years – and I’m not sure anyone wants to be called a ‘mentor’ as it implies a lot more involvement than people perhaps have time for. It’s more about getting advice from someone who’s been there before, or if it’s in a career sense, helping to become more visible to those above you for future promotions. “Someone I connected with during my journey was Diane Foreman. She came into my life and provided support when I was having upheavals in both my personal and business life and gave me some sound guidance to get through. They say not all angels have wings and I certainly found this to be true! As an entrepreneur you can sometimes feel a bit lost at sea and having someone who’s been there before makes a huge difference in helping you navigate rough seas.” With so many decisions taking place “at the top table”, Kat advises “being seen by the right people” and networking to create more opportunities: “They say that contacts lead to contracts, so as a woman in business, you need to get out and mingle! Even if you are feeling a bit silly, put your big girl pants on and just do it.”
What extra obstacles did you face as a businesswoman?
“The one area that was hard for me to navigate was maintaining my business with the same energy and zest when I had two babies less than 15 months apart. The tiredness meant I felt continuously off my game. It dulled my creative spark, and as a result, I had to readjust my approach to business and life. I no longer had the energy – nor desire – to put in the long hours and my priorities changed as a result of becoming a mum.”
As a mum, I want to raise a daughter who is brave enough to speak her truth. Therefore, I must lead by example.”
Can you tell us a little more about that readjustment?
“Having children has meant I look at opportunities that will provide me a lifestyle that is rich in time – so I can continue to be a hands-on mum to our now six- and seven-year-olds. I no longer wish to work 60-plus-hour weeks and am not prepared to accept roles or projects that require this. I never understood balance before I became a mum. Now balance and looking after my own mental health is a key consideration when looking at opportunities.” Kat talks of the early days of her company, still in her 20s and “acutely aware of being an outlier”. She recalls being one of only three women at an early business course attended by 22 blokes. “Plus, I was at least a decade younger than everyone else, which made it even harder to relate,” she adds. “Now it seems there are many female entrepreneurs starting in their 20s and this can only be a good thing.”
And advice to them?
“Fail before the stakes get higher – before kids and mortgages! You feel a lot more open to risks when you feel you have next to nothing to lose. You need to be at the front flying the flag, never showing the fear in your eyes, and always ensuring your team is with you every step of the way. And get out of your comfort zone – someone might say ‘no’ but there is nothing lost in trying. Every ‘no’ in life is one step closer to a ‘yes’!” Shaky though it might have been at first, Kat says that she found her voice by sitting with people with those with greater experience, more qualifications, and, most importantly, open to communication. “I have learned to trust the power of my own voice and speak up even if my voice shakes,” she says. “It’s about having the confidence to trust yourself and realise you have a lot to offer.” Women, she laments, feel too often programmed to be polite, meek, ‘good girls’. “It’s drummed into us, and we need to consciously speak up in spite of it,” she continues. “To not be afraid to be called ‘bossy’ – hello, that’s a good leader; rude, if you are overly direct; or, at worse, a bitch for voicing an unpopular opinion that may be unpopular. As a mum, I want to raise a daughter who is brave enough to speak her truth. Therefore, I must lead by example.”
Visit lovekaia.com to find beautiful and sustainable jewellery!
