In 2018, Christina Cate took a chance on herself. “I was working 40 hours a week at my job, and then coming home and working another 30 hours a week,” she says. “It was not sustainable, and I was like ‘I think I can make a go of this,’ and here I am.”
Now it’s been nearly a year since she launched Cate Creative, a small agency that offers graphic design, digital media marketing, photography, and event coordination and curation. Her many years working in the nonprofit sector gave her the opportunity to grow the skill set she now uses every day in her business. She honed these skills while working in local theaters, and her passion for theatre continues to be a driving force behind much of her work. She describes herself as “an actor, first and foremost.”
“I’ve been acting since I was in elementary school. It was one of those things where I couldn’t see myself doing anything else at the time,” she reflects.
She sees the work she does through Cate Creative as an extension of that passion. “Being an actor, being in theatre, at its core it’s storytelling. And all of the work I do, whether it’s an event, whether it’s social media, whatever it is – at the end of the day, it’s telling a story.”
A few months ago, she received an opportunity to dive back into the world of theatre by helping the Classic Theatre spread the word of the work they’re doing. She spends one day a week in their office, and with the start of their new season, she’s excited to be working with them for their full cycle of shows. “I get to go and be around that sort of creative energy, but I still have the freedom to do other work that I enjoy and have a schedule that fits my family’s needs.”
One of the many hats she’s worn throughout her career is that of educator. “I love working with kids… I worked with a theater education program for about three years, and it’s probably one of the things I miss the most,” she says.
So when Stephanie Mendeloff of Crea Community Consulting, another member of The Impact Guild, reached out to her about teaching a workshop through one of her school programs, Christina was thrilled. The workshop gave her the opportunity to combine performance with conversations about community change and creative problem-solving.
Stephanie has been an important connection during Christina’s time at The Impact Guild, particularly as someone who understands the struggles at the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship. “We’re all kinda doggy paddling, but she’s always got such a good energy about her,” Christina says about Stephanie.
As Christina continues her entrepreneurial journey, she believes strongly in supporting other women and artists. When using her Kiva giftcard, she chose to invest in a female artist. “Anytime you support a woman in their journey, whatever that might be, that can change the world,” she says.
She loves being around people at The Impact Guild who share that understanding. She remembers falling in love with the community from her first visit. “All the people I met on that first walk-through… I was like, ‘Okay, this is it. This is the place to be.’”
To hear more from Christina Cate and Stephanie Mendeloff, check out Episode #8, “Go Deep to Get Strong,” of The School Stories Podcast.