Should you work in corporate before starting a business?

After a whirlwind few weeks. a sold-out gala, raising over $500,000 for the Looking Glass Foundation, a sick kid at home, and barely making this episode's deadline. Kate is hitting record with something that’s been on her mind lately: career paths.

In this solo episode, Kate breaks down a perspective that might surprise you. Despite being a founder and entrepreneur for the past 8 years, she doesn’t think you should start with being self employed.

Before building two companies, Kate spent 12 years working inside corporations. from global aviation to advertising to healthcare. And she credits that time as the foundation for everything she’s built since.

This episode is a strategic, behind-the-scenes look at what “working for someone else” actually teaches you. not tactically, but at a level most founders skip.

Kate shares the three biggest lessons she still uses every day:

• How to influence (in rooms that actually make decisions)
• How to build a team culture people want to be part of
• How to develop strategy that scales beyond guesswork

She also opens up about:

• Why corporate experience might be the fastest way to learn how businesses actually work
• The financial advantages most people overlook (RRSPs, education, benefits)
• Why this isn’t a binary choice. and never has to be

Plus, a listener question on how small business owners should think about retirement, where Kate shares her honest approach to money, financial planning, and building long-term freedom (without the traditional “retire at 65” mindset).

This episode is for you if you’re:

• Early in your career and feeling the pull toward entrepreneurship
• Thinking about leaving corporate. or going back to it
• Trying to build a career that actually supports your life, not the other way around

Because the goal isn’t just success. It’s the freedom to make choices from a place of security.

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LINKS:

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KEYWORDS:

entrepreneurship vs corporate, should I start a business or work corporate, corporate vs startup career, how to become an entrepreneur, early career advice, career path advice, working in corporate vs self employed, founder advice for beginners, how corporate jobs prepare you for entrepreneurship, benefits of working in corporate before startup, when to leave your job to start a business, going back to corporate after entrepreneurship, career advice for women in business, female entrepreneurs, women in business, entrepreneur mindset, business strategy fundamentals, leadership and team culture, financial planning for entrepreneurs, retirement for small business owners, Branded Assets podcast, Kate Bouchard

In this week’s Rich Girl Rundown, Kate and Ada are back breaking down the brand moves, cultural shifts, and billion-dollar strategies shaping what’s next.

First, Sephora enters Formula 1 through a partnership with F1 Academy, and it’s not just about beauty. With women now making up a growing share of the F1 fanbase, this move signals a much bigger shift in where brands are finding relevance, influence, and future growth.

Then, Nike teams up with Louis Theroux to promote Air Max, just days before his “Manosphere” documentary drops on Netflix. We unpack whether Nike is trolling internet masculinity culture… or mastering attention in real time.

And finally, Quince quietly builds a $10+ billion brand by rethinking luxury altogether. With a manufacturer-to-consumer model, “luxury for less” positioning, and lawsuits from legacy brands piling up, we get into what their rise says about consumer behaviour, brand value, and the future of fashion.

Plus, we get into:

• The “Netflix effect” and how entertainment is reshaping entire industries
• Why masculinity has become a branding battleground
• The psychology behind scarcity, dupes, and Gen Z spending habits
• And the subtle shift from brand obsession → value obsession

This episode is a fun one all about brands that know exactly where culture is going next.

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Follow & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow Branded Assets on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and share it with someone who’s building, investing, or simply paying attention.

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LINKS:

Join the Branded Assets community on Instagram

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Follow Kate on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

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KEYWORDS: Quince, valuation, luxury for less, brands, Sephora Formula 1 partnership, F1 Academy, women in motorsport, Nike, Louis Theroux, Air Max, manosphere, documentary, Louis Theroux, brand strategy, podcast, marketing trends, 2026 consumer behavior, Gen Z, quiet luxury brands, attention economy, marketing, cultural branding strategies

When you’re raising capital, visibility isn’t vanity — it’s leverage.

When Kate was raising for Loba, she kept hearing the same thing: “You’re everywhere.” But behind that perception wasn’t a big budget — it was a strategic (and relentless) push for visibility.

In this episode, Kate sits down with PR strategist Sarah Mawji of Venture Strategies to unpack what actually goes into building that kind of momentum during a fundraise.

Using Loba as a case study, they break down:

• The PR and media strategies that helped build credibility without a big spend
• How to use earned media to get in front of the right investors
• Why smaller publications can sometimes drive more results than major headlines
• And what founders should be doing before they start raising

But this conversation goes beyond strategy.

Kate also shares the side of fundraising that rarely gets talked about:

• Taking investor meetings while postpartum and running on adrenaline
• The pressure to constantly be “on” — pitching, posting, showing up
• Being told to get out there and network… while navigating inappropriate behavior and wasted meetings
• And the reality that you can be “everywhere” — and still not close the round

They also talk about burnout, visibility fatigue, and the mental toll of building in public, alongside the unexpected upside: confidence, clarity, and growth.

This is a candid, unfiltered look at what it really takes to build visibility as a founder, especially when the playing field isn’t even.

If you’re preparing for a raise, in the middle of one, or reflecting on the process, this episode will give you both the strategy and the reality check.

Connect with Sarah Mawji / Venture Strategies:

LinkedIn

Instagram

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Follow & Subscribe

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow Branded Assets on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and share it with someone who’s building, investing, or simply paying attention.

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LINKS:

Join the Branded Assets community on Instagram

Read the Branded Assets Substack

Follow Kate on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn

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KEYWORDS:

female founders, raising capital, startup fundraising, venture capital, PR strategy, public relations for startups, earned media, founder visibility, personal branding for founders, startup marketing strategy, building in public, investor relations, media strategy, thought leadership, startup growth, early stage startups, seed round fundraising, women in business, female entrepreneurs, founder journey, startup storytelling, brand strategy, visibility marketing, networking for founders, pitch strategy, investor outreach, startup PR, media coverage, founder burnout, entrepreneurship podcast