Katrina Widener shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Katrina, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Recently, the design and build company I’m Fractional Strategy and Operations Officer for not only won two Midwest Design awards, but the founder was also featured as one of the Twin Cities Business Top 100 people to watch in 2026. After watching her pour so much heart and soul into the design over the last four years — first as her coach, then as CSOO — I can’t tell you how proud I was to see her and the company recognized in such a large way.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Katrina Widener (she/her), a fractional executive and brand strategist who helps creative, service-based businesses grow with clarity, direction, and ease. I’ve spent the last decade leading teams, shaping marketing and operations, and building brands that actually work — both visually and strategically.
What makes my work unique is that I sit at the intersection of creativity and leadership. I’m just as comfortable diving into long-term vision, financial planning, and team culture as I am refining a brand, revamping a sales funnel, or mapping out a product launch. I love helping founders get out of the overwhelm and into that “this finally feels aligned” place.
Right now, I’m especially excited about the work I’m doing with small but mighty companies who are ready to scale — whether that’s launching a new product line, strengthening their digital presence, or building systems that actually support the life they want.
At my core, I care about building businesses that are human-first, value-driven, and sustainable. If I can help someone feel more confident, more supported, and more in control of their business? That’s the kind of work that lights me up.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
This is an interesting question for me to answer, because it’s particularly timely with what is going on in my business right now. For the last eight years I’ve worked hard in my business supporting mainly solopreneurs scale their businesses and find a way to make more income without all the struggle. It’s how I’ve marketed myself, it’s the rooms I’ve networked in, and it’s the places I’ve volunteered my time and energy.
In the last few years though, I’ve started working with larger-scale companies. Same work, but with a different power behind them in terms of team sizes, budgets, and capacity to grow. And it’s time for my outward-facing persona to reflect that! I’ve said goodbye to my old website, marketing, and outlook on my own business and am stepping into the work I’ve been doing for years now. It’s bittersweet, going from working from small businesses making $0-$100k, but it’s so fun to be a part of diving deep into fractional and consulting work instead.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think the nature of being a business owner comes with the almost daily question of “what did I sign myself up for?!”. Running a business isn’t for the faint of heart, and my business has survived the ups and downs of a pandemic, chronic illness, major life losses, and days when I simply got tired of constantly selling myself.
There have definitely been times when I’ve flirted with the idea of closing down my business and stepping back into a traditional 9-5, but not only do I know I wouldn’t feel *me* if I did so, but I also know I have the tools in place to change my day-to-day when needed.
I have long believed that when something isn’t working in your business, the best action to take is not to burn the entire thing down but to identify exactly what it is that is causing the friction in that moment. If I’m feeling overly stressed by my marketing, I know this is an area that needs my attention, and I need to reimagine what that looks like. If I am feeling overwhelmed by the reality of my day-to-day, I need to look at my services and my schedule to make sure I am building a business that supports me — not the other way around. Having this mindset allows me to move forward, even in the moments when I have felt like throwing in the towel.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
So many business owners refuse to separate themselves from their businesses. If the business is succeeding, they feel good about who they are as a person. And if the business is going through a rough patch, they feel like it’s a personal failure.
There are so many aspects of running a business that have nothing to do with you — the economy, the current buying power of your customers, the team members working for you, even something as simple as a social media platform going down or a software you use not working.
Once we can separate our own personal worth from the problems in our businesses, we can approach them with a strategic, forward-thinking mindset…and this is when we usually can solve the issues and transform into a bigger, better business.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
This is a really interesting question — I find I am lucky in the fact that the people who come into my world know that first and foremost I care about the people more than any job title or profession.
As a Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, I co-run a team and it’s my job every day to keep the business alive so they can do what they do best. As a coach, it’s my job to help business owners find joy and feel empowered in their roles through strategy and leadership. And as a person, I feel it’s my job to support and care for anyone who I’m privileged enough to have in my world.
My goal for my legacy has always been to be a safe space for those around me, no matter how I know them. And I think I’m lucky that has been the resounding feedback I’ve gotten from clients, friends, family, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katrinawidener.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrina.widener/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinawidener/
Image Credits
Chelsie Lopez Photography
G. E. Creative
