Meet Kate Isler: Entrepreneur, Author, Gender Equality Advocate

By Shout Out LA & KATE ISLER, CEO and Co-Founder, WMarketplace | Author, Breaking Borders | Speaker | Global Sales and Marketing Leader | C200 Member

Shout Out LA had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Isler - Entrepreneur and Gender Equality Advocate, we’ve shared their conversation below:

Hi Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

I am a fierce gender equality advocate, entrepreneur, partner, mother, friend sister and author. I worked for many years in technology, and it gave me the opportunity live and travel all of the world. Several years ago, when I was working in Eastern Europe, I learned about International Women’s Day (IWD). This is a day that recognizes and celebrates women’s contributions in all aspects of life. Being from the United States, I had always celebrated Mother’s Day. But I was so inspired by expanding the recognition of women beyond motherhood that when I returned to the U.S., I cofounded a non-profit, Be Bold for Change that hosts an annual International Women’s Day celebration. Be Bold for Change also promotes gender equality through educational programs for women and girls.

Be Bold for Change had just hosted our 6th annual IWD event in early March 2020 when the pandemic hit. As we became aware that the pandemic was having a significant economic impact on women, coupled with the world turned to online shopping, I knew that I had to do something to create opportunities for women to start and grow their own businesses online. My answer was an online marketplace, WMarketplace, that is focused on promoting and selling products and services from women owned businesses. WMarketplace offers women business owners a national sales channel with favorable terms, and an ecosystem of other women entrepreneurs to engage with.

WMarketplace also offers shoppers a much needed choice in where they can spend their dollars, along with uniquely personalized customer service, and the opportunity to shop and support communities they care about. Today we have over 500 businesses and 7,000 products available on the site. We are real people, delivering real products.

I am excited every day that I can take action to improve women’s financial situation and gender equality.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I worked in a corporate job for many years and knew it was time for a change. But I had one kid in college, and two in high school, and was responsible for the income in my family. Like many women, I felt the pressure to stay in my job and make it work, even though I was increasingly unhappy. The bottom line is that I stayed two years too long and by the time I left my corporate job, my self-esteem was at an all-time low.

When I left that job, I started interviewing for jobs at a comparable level and would get to a point in the process where I would be asked where I graduated from college and what my degree was in. I answered truthfully. I didn’t have a four-year college degree. And after a twenty-plus year career as an executive with a Fortune 100 company, I didn’t think it mattered. But what I learned the hard way is that it did matter. Many companies would not proceed with hiring because I was a few credits short of a bachelor’s degree, despite my extensive experience.

After several months of this, I became increasingly sad and felt helpless and worthless. I knew that I had to look in the mirror, make some decisions, and come up with a plan to move forward. After a lot of negotiating with admissions officials about not requiring me to start a four-year degree all over again, I went back to school, finished my last few credits and I am happy to say that I am a 2018 college graduate! And, the issue of having a degree in order to qualify for jobs officially was off the table.

The next thing I did was begin to intentionally build a new professional network. I went to public events for women entrepreneurs to meet people and learn about starting a business. Please understand that I HATE networking events. They are scary and uncomfortable, but I knew I needed to reinvent my network and find the energy to meet new people. Once I got over the anxiety of being in a completely new situation, I was so inspired by the entrepreneurs and change-makers I had been meeting, that I cofounded the non-profit company, Be Bold Now, to celebrate women’s stories and accomplishments and to support them through educational programs.

Finally, through all of professional and personal adventures, I had always kept a journal. Writing is the best way for me to process my thoughts and feelings. In the midst of my efforts to sort-out my professional life, I got a call from someone that new a bit about my story of living and working in places like the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe with a husband and three children. She offered to introduce me to an editor at HarperCollins Publishing who was looking for books. Fast forward a few short years and my memoir, Breaking Borders was published in 2021.

When I think about how terrible I felt about myself and how depleted I became in my previous career, it makes me really sad. But it also motivates me to share my story with other women because I know we all struggle with finding our place in our careers and family. I have seen that often women feel responsible for their families and like they have few options to change their situation. This is a powerful combination that can lead to feeling overwhelmed with the idea of making a big change. I want to inspire and challenge other women to face their fears and to be open to big opportunities, even when they are hard, scary and overwhelming.

I am happier today than I have ever been. The college degree didn’t get me a job, but it did put me on the road to regaining my self worth. The book isn’t on the best seller list, but it was an opportunity for me to look at my life and realize that I had amazing experiences and had a lot to offer.

Today I spend my life supporting and inspiring other women. When I was in my darkest hours, I had a wonderful community of women and men that helped and supported me. I came back from a very low, dark, place and want nothing more than to inspire others to do the same.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

My city is Seattle and I always recommend visiting in August or September to ensure good weather. Seattle is a beautiful city with easy access to lakes, the Puget Sound and two mountain ranges. Number one on your itinerary should be a scenic flight in a seaplane to get your bearings. The trip lasts about 90 minutes and gives you birds-eye view to the Cascade and Olympic mountains, Lake Washington, the Puget Sound and lands and takes off from Lake Union in downtown Seattle.

The iconic stop in Seattle is always the Pike Place Market for some fun with fish tossing and great street food. Topped off with dinner and drinks at Matt’s in the Market, one of the many small locally owned restaurants in the market.

No trip to Seattle would be complete without an afternoon brewery crawl in the Ballard neighborhood. There are countless locally owned breweries that offer local small batch beer and ciders with rotating food trucks within a few miles. I would top off the tour with a stop at Fast Penny Spirits near Fisherman’s Terminal. Fast Penny is a local women-owned distillery making the most amazing American Amaro. They have outdoor seating which makes their specialty cocktails that much better!

Seattle is so rich in natural beauty and parks. Taking the water tax from downtown Seattle to West Seattle lands you in a beautiful neighborhood with natural sand beaches and great little restaurants and bars. Hit up Sunfish Café for the best fish and chips in West Seattle and for a splurge, have diner at the iconic Il Nido Restaurant. Make sure you get reservations well in advance! For garden and flower lovers, the Japanese Garden in the Washington Arboretum is stunning, as is the dahlia garden at Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, which also offers amazing views of downtown, the mountains and water.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I want to give a shout out to my cofounder, Susan Gates, and to my small but mighty team of women that never hesitated to jump in and work literally day and night to create WMarketplace and support other women-owned businesses.

Startup life is hard, and there is little reward for the first several years. Susan and our team are working to move the gender equity needle for women. They humble and inspire me everyday.

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