Career Talk with The Corporate Diary’s Kat Garcia

I’m so excited for today’s interview featuring my friend, colleague, and fellow blogger Kat Garcia. Kat lives in New York City and balances her full-time job with her passion project, The Corporate Diary. Although we live on different coasts, we instantly bonded over our love of fashion and all things beauty, and asking ourselves over coffee dates if it’s really possible for women to have it all. She’s smart, sassy, and super driven (not to mention SO stylish) – so I knew I had to interview her to share her journey and experience, and some of her secrets for juggling everything and looking flawless while doing so.

Meet Kat Garcia, of The Corporate Diary

Introduce yourself.

Well, hello there, I’m Kat Garcia! I define myself as a polymath and someone who has been blessed to boast many titles: management consultant, business entrepreneur, television/film actor, singer/songwriter, Forbes contributor, and currently a growth architect in corporate venture capital.

Tell us about your career path, and how you got to where you are today.

While it would take me too long to describe how I got from one place in my life, I’ve thankfully documented most of it on my YouTube, haha.

I started off on television when I got casted in my first television series as a recurring principal in a show called “Tactik”. My character’s name was Chastity Gomez-Baker – an exchange student from Vancouver, Canada who moves to Quebec, in order to learn French (yep – it’s a French TV show!) It was targeted towards pre-teens  and got picked up by network TV5 Monde in France, Germany and other parts of Europe. Acting was my first love. It allowed me to be entrepreneurial with the audience I began to speak to, which explains my passion for digital ventures, growth and business.

My education at McGill University catapulted my corporate career and my path became clearer with time. From digital advertising, management consulting to corporate VC, I’ve learned a lot and have never stopped applying my learnings from different jobs, cultures, industries and skills to the multiple projects I’m a part of. 

Tell me more about Kat Garcia Online! 

Kat Garcia houses content for young ambitious professionals, and more.

With a variety of blogs and video series, www.katgarciaonline.com is more than a destination. It’s a carefully curated collection of stories and insights, while shedding like on the female perspective. While I share my life in New York through lifestyle videos and articles, my personal favorite series is The Corporate Diary. It’s where I interview women in male-dominated fields, while alluding to my own ventures and opinions on all things business. 

What are your thoughts on having a side hustle?

Totally for it, but I like to think of side hustles as hobbies. Entrepreneurial ventures are fun for me, and have always been a way for me to play. It removes the pressure, and I don’t think of it as work. I already have a demanding full-time job. Removing the “hustle” out of my spare time is more motivating.

I’ve always had [side hustles]. Growing up with a creative and business-savvy Colombian mother meant I was selling jewelry around lunch time at age 9. In Latin American culture, there’s none of this “you have to choose, and be one thing”. I’m glad I never adopted the mentality that to be specialized or thought of as a leader in one field, I must give up on everything else. The truth is, I have many talents and have actively developed skill sets in a variety of different worlds. It’s actually what has helped me get to where I am in the corporate world. The more the merrier, is what I think. 

What career / life advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

You’re going to make mistakes. Forgive yourself. It’s not L for losses but lessons.

From being in the wrong job for too long to falling in love with a person who doesn’t deserve you, mistakes will be a part of your journey, but once you’re done and ready to move on, forgive yourself first. Instead of waiting for the world to forgive you, for the world to see you, remember that all you have is yourself…so she better pick you up and say “It’s okay. I see you, and I’ve got you”.

Your physical and mental health are #1

To the incredible women in my life who inspire me to better myself, everyday…thank you for not only killing it at your jobs but primarily, teaching me that no one is immune to the consequences of poor working environments leading to mental and health problems. 

I didn’t know how bad it was out there until I spoke to the women in my life – my age – who I saw as smarter, more rational, kinder, possessing greater emotional intelligence. As I shared my experiences and breaking points, they revealed theirs, and people…let me tell you, the corporate world is tough, especially for women. Put your mental health first. If you have to take a day off, take it. If you’ve pushed through and you foresee risks to your physical and emotional wellbeing, arm yourself today by tactically pushing back, and planning for your next move.

What are your values? Know them. Learn them. Practice them.

I was blessed with amazing parents. We talked about values, right and wrong, almost every day at the dinner table. As my sister and I poured our feelings, describing what was going on with our friends, our dreams, and obstacles, we learned to understand the values being passed on to us. What was important to us. What our principles were and their significance.

When you’re in your 20s, life is going to come at you. You will be placed in situations of fight or flight. You will have people impose their values on you. Their world views on you. You will have to be strong and understand where your values lie and the best way to be prepared is to know what they are.

Companies will talk about their values when they interview you. You usually have to memorize a few…It’s crazy to think we know our companies’ values more than we can recite our own.

[ Adapted from “What Advice Do You Have for Women in Their 20s?” – Katgarciaonline.com ]

How do you find time to do everything?! 

Ah, the truth is, I don’t.

I really try though, and it’s because I love to multi-task. I get very excited about the many ideas I have and am careful about the ones I choose to execute. And I definitely struggle with consistency and maintaining motivation, but I know what it’s like to let myself and others down because of it. 

I use Asana and checklists for my day to day, and organize everything from work, to personal life, to what I should eat! It helps me stay focused, organized and happy. Prioritization is key, as well. Understanding your boundaries comes into play when prioritizing and executing. If I don’t agree with the external deadlines others have placed on me where the priority is low, for instance, my hobbies, I’ll push deadlines back and vocalize my boundaries. 

What are 3 things young women should do in the workplace to set themselves up for success?

1. Advocate for yourself everyday. 

It’s not about advocating for your work when you want a promotion. It’s about calling out your triumphs whenever you have them. Also, it’s about fearlessly asking for what you need.

2. Know when to be “yourself”

Work is business, not personal. It’s easy to forget that because many workplaces are friendly and special. There is a time when you’ll know when you can be yourself, and with whom, but figuring that out is a journey of its own. 

3. Have a real life outside of work 

It’s not easy to achieve and harmonize but being able to finish the work day to come out to a fruitful home life is helpful in being set up for success. When things go bad at work, you can rely on the success of a beautiful personal life, and vice versa. It’s like diversifying success and it removes the pressure from one world to another. 

You always manage to look put together and polished in the office. What are your favorite style and beauty tricks for the workplace?

Aw, thank you! 

My current job allows me to play a lot more with my mood. I can pull an Olivia Pope head-to-toe boss outfit one day, and then come in with a dark NYC activewear look. I have to admit, I’m more of an Olivia Pope meets Victoria Beckham meets Rachel Zane kinda girl. 

However, I’ve recently purchased a bright red cropped hoodie & legging combo, and I cannot wait to wear it on Zoom! While I would have loved to come to the office with it, maybe the leggings would’ve been pushing it a little – haha. Working remotely actually comes in handy. 

Beauty tricks, hmm. I love a hydrating mask and my Estee Lauder anti-aging kit. Otherwise, I wear a lot of makeup on a day-to-day and enjoy a NYX contour and blemish-heal Almay foundation. It is the only foundation that I’ve now been wearing for 7+ years. No acne.

Must-have pieces for women to have in their workwear wardrobe?

A power suit. 

A Victoria Beckham inspired business dress. 

A pair of nude heels.

Stay tuned for much more career content (do we like these more corporate oriented interviews?!), and be sure to check out Kat’s site and YouTube for more content for the young, ambitious woman.