Katie shares that though she left her job at IBM with her body her mind stayed another three years. She was describing a phenomenon common to many people of the transition from an employee to a business owner. She graciously shares some wisdom she learned on the way and what helped her break free from employee thinking.

Katie talks about some of the advantages of being a small business

• You learn more about business than traditional jobs because roles span more disciplines
• You have the speed of execution on your side

A common mistake to avoid is not knowing your numbers! 

The core skills that business owners need to succeed are curiosity and creative problem-solving.

Katie shares the genesis of the Launch Wake Country programs and the value they've added to our area. The Launch your city programs have four components. Training, mentoring, networking, and funding. The point of the Launch programs is to create a community of entrepreneurs that support each other and do business with each other.

Katie unpacks the role of community colleges (economic development) and how they are set up to serve their students and local businesses.

Also mentioned on this episode:

• Small Business Center Resource page for Wake Tech
• Launch Wake County