Wondering about starting your own “thing” but not sure what the thing is… or if it’s even for you?
Let's pinpoint, create, and test your "thing" so you can replace all that wondering and ‘what if’-ng with real-world intel on what works, what doesn’t, and where to next*
*without throwing in your job just yet
The nagging voice to be your own boss is getting louder.
Maybe it’s the corporate box ticking.
Or the politics.
Maybe it’s the endless meetings.
And hitting your head on a salary ceiling.
Or feeling like more and more of the work you’re doing seems to be about making your boss look good instead of actually making a difference.
PLUS now they want you back in the office.
No wonder breaking out of the 9 to 5 seems more and more appealing…
Problem is, you can’t just walk out the door (hello mortgage!).
And anyways, you’re not 100% sure it’s the right thing to do.
You've got a fuzzy idea (or at least know you want one, because the idea of working for yourself is so appealing), but you struggle to get any further.
Everything feels too risky, and at the end of the day, it just doesn’t feel doable.
And yet
That little dream to leave the office behind and step out on your own isn’t going away.
Designing your own day.
Working from anywhere.
Choosing who you work with.
Doing (and learning about) more of the things you really enjoy — minus the politics.
Creating something that matters.
Not relying on the outdated idea that 9-5 equals security because we all know at the end of the day, companies make decisions that suit them. Not you.
Taking control of your own future.
And while you’re still caught in a cycle of fears and ‘Yes BUT’, you
know that time is slipping by and you don’t want to keep wondering.
So how do you answer the question once and for all? And how do you gain the courage to take ‘the leap’?
It sounds counterintuitive but as long as you keep thinking about it this way, it’s easy to stay stuck.
How do I know? Because that was me.
Hi, I'm Kate
I’ve helped hundreds of mid-career professionals figure out
their next career and make it happen.
And you know what I’ve found?
More and more people are showing up in my zoom room, stuck in this same rut as you, and wondering about whether going their own way is the answer to what’s next, but afraid to do anything about it.
I get it.
For 5 years I thought about doing my own thing but just couldn’t see a way to step off the corporate treadmill.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do (Online concierge? A financial empowerment program for women?)
I was afraid to leave the big salary and my General Manager title behind.
It all seemed like too much of a risk and I was worried (OK terrified) of making a mistake.
It turns out the real mistake I was making was feeling like I needed to have it all figured out before I began.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that making a big change is almost never about a leap and almost always about **small steps**.
Yes, you need clarity on what you enjoy, what you want your days to look like, and what’s important to you.
But from there, you need to generate a few possibilities for what’s next and find small ways to explore them.
And when it comes to the possibility of a business?
You have to take it for a test run.
Make something, produce something, do something.
It’s the only way to turn an idea into something real and know the answer to the question keeping you up at night.
Otherwise you’ll be forever wondering and potentially…regretting.
I didn’t want to wake up 10 years down the track and ask myself ‘What if?’
But I did want to feel confident that I was making the right move. And that I had the right plan to create not just the business I wanted, but the kind of life and income I needed.
I was willing to give up the security of my old career… once I felt more confident that it was going to work out.
Within 12 months of moonlighting as a coach and consultant, I’d created a six figure business and I knew that I was ready to go all in.
Which means I’ve been able to help people like
Michelle launch a styling side hustle
Paul experiment with a leadership consulting business
Amber start exploring a personal decluttering concept
Renae get her first copywriting client
Catherine go all in from fashion side business to full-time entrepreneur
Dave test out two potential side hustles (and launch one!)
Rebecca test out life as a communications consultant
Ellen start her business coaching practice for naturopaths
And Chris kick off his new venture consulting to founders and VCs
(You can see some of their stories further down the page)
No big leaps, just a series of small steps.
They got clear on the kind of business that would suit them best. And one fuzzy idea that would help them create a successful version of that business.
Then you know how they got out of the overwhelm, past the fear and through the procrastination?
They created a step by step plan so they could explore it more.
They committed to taking action in small but meaningful ways (the best way to build confidence, and the only way to ever really know).
And they experimented with a trial.
How about I help you do the same?
Introducing…
3 months of hands-on strategic guidance, support and accountability to help you design your ideal business, work up an early version and take it for a test run.
So you can finally figure out what kind of business is
(or isn’t) for you without taking a real risk and making a big leap.
Ready to stop wondering?
I’ll meet you exactly where you are — whether you have a clear idea (or too many ideas), a fuzzy one or maybe even none at all. I’ll help you give your idea some shape, then we’ll step you through this proven process to build your confidence, get you a whole lot more clarity and bring to life the business you could have — for real.
Here’s how it works
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Design
I’ll help you get clear on the kind of business that would genuinely work for you. Then we’ll generate and (or refine) not just a good idea, but the right idea for you.
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Explore
We’ll create a plan to help you explore it further so you can turn a vague idea into one that’s ready for testing.
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Moonlight
Test run time! Together we’ll trial an early version so you can see what’s possible
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Review Your Test, Make a Plan
We’ll take all the work you’ve done (and the results from your experiment) and make a plan on where to take your Moonlighting from here.
If you’re wondering what a ‘test run’ is…
It’s exactly how I got started in my business.
In 2018 I felt like everyone I knew (me included) was grappling with what to do next in their career.
As I learned about the world of coaching and I started to figure out how to successfully make a career change, I realised I wanted to help other people do the same.
But I didn’t know if it was a thing and I felt like a total imposter (Who was I to even think I could do this? Would this kind of business even work? How do I try it out without taking a risk or investing lots of time and money I don’t have)
So together with my good friend Irma, I cobbled together a test run — a workshop called Second Act.
I borrowed a room from my neighbour. I put the word out among friends of friends who were looking to shake up their career.
And I asked them to make a $100 donation to their charity of choice in return for a spot in my very first career change workshop (it’s how I made my first $1,000!).
I took my first ever career change workshop for a test run. And even in its early, messy form, people got lots from it — my friend Pip still talks about it to this day.
That’s when I knew it was helpful for people. And just as importantly, I knew I enjoyed doing it.
That test run eventually became my Find Your Next program which has since gone on to do six figures in sales.
And if I’d never taken it for a test run then I might still be in my
9 to 5 and trying to ‘figure it out’.
9 times out of 10 clients tell me it’s not just the strategic advice
and support that gets them there, it’s the accountability I bring
“Hand on heart I can say this was a life changing experience, big lofty statement I know.”
The beauty of working alongside Kate was that not only did she help me get my confidence back, but she opened my mind to career paths I never thought would be possible. I’m proud to say that I’ll be “graduating” with a renewed sense of self, complete clarity on my values and superpowers and laser focus on turning what was just a possibility into a reality.
- Catherine, side hustle owner and now full-time co-founder of a successful online business -
“Working with Kate gave me the courage to finally make the move to start my own business, in the middle of a global pandemic nonetheless!”
Kate’s approach is calm, caring and not only allowed me the space, focus and energy to really assess what is right for me in both my career and life, but also how to create a roadmap to achieve it.”
- Dean, Marketing Manager and now owner of a consulting business
“Working with Kate turned the overwhelming idea of a career change into an achievable action plan, which I could start working on right away.”
After becoming burnt-out in my corporate career, I wanted to shake-up what I was doing and prioritise my health. Working with Kate turned the overwhelming idea of a career change into an achievable action plan, which I could start working on right away. To have already left the corporate world and be working in alignment with my values has provided me with a sense of freedom and happiness I didn’t think I’d have for many more years!
- Ellen, Marketer and Student Naturopath
Here’s the support that will help you take that little dream in your back pocket and finally make something of it
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6 x 1:1 coaching sessions
Together we’ll work through the exact steps to help you bring your thing to life — for real. And we’ll work through a clear plan for where you take it from there.
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Access to my tools and know-how
No need to go down another Google rabbit hole. All the tools, templates and tailored support you need to go from an idea in here 🧠 to putting it out there.
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Unlimited hands on support
Want an extra set of eyes on your plan? Having a wobbly moment? You’ll get 3 months of hands-on online support. This includes regular accountability check ins to keep you on track.
This is the first time I’m offering this program, which means
the price will never be this low again —
Not because what’s inside the program is untested (it’s the same work I’ve been doing with my 1:1 clients for the last 3+ years, but because I’m a big believer in test runs... as you may have noticed), and taking small steps, with any new offer.
This approach will allow me to sell Moonlighters at full price next time around —
Apply today to lock the program in at the current price.
Hurry, Moonlighters available at this price for a limited time
Bonus — the extra brain space that comes from not continuing to ask ‘What If’ and regretting not trying later down the line
Ready to turn a vague idea into
something real?
Got questions? I’ve got answers.
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We’ll find the right week to start and the best time for each session that works for both of us (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are my coaching days). I can accommodate before and after work times if needed.
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You need to be able to dedicate between 2-4 hours per week outside of our sessions, and then once you get into action mode, the time you spend is up to you! The more space and time you create, the faster you’ll achieve your results.
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Absolutely. I’ll help you get started by getting you to think about the right questions (rather than the right answers) and then together we’ll uncover ideas for what your business could be and what it might look like.
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Does this sound familiar? “I (think) I know what I want to do but I struggle to get started and it just seems too risky”.
Then together we’ll design the kind of business that will work for you AND we’ll refine and test your idea so you can see how it would play out for real. Remember, this is about experimenting and exploring *before* you take any kind of big step so you feel more confident that it’s the right thing and more knowledgeable about how to make it happen.
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No one ever feels ‘ready’ but the more small steps you take the more confident you’ll feel. Plus you can finally put an end to the what-if-ing and decide which is the right path for you. Otherwise it’s easy to stay stuck.
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Good question. Based on what you learn and the results from your first test run, we’ll put together a plan for what’s next so you know where to take it from there.
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Honestly, I always think the best time to start is now simply because there’s never really a good time. Also, things often take longer than you think. My process is all about avoiding big leaps and finding ways to de-risk your move. So, you don’t need to make any major commitments at the start — but you do need to be willing to take small steps and do that consistently.
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This program is not just about coming up with a business idea — there are plenty of programs that do that (and plenty of ideas sitting in bottom drawers!).
This is about designing the right kind of business and idea that will work for YOU and then helping you test it out in the real world. That way you’ll feel much more confident about where to go from here and what you need to do to make it happen.
Have a question that’s not here? Just send an email to kate@katerichardson.co
and I’ll get back to you within a day or two.
In my experience it’s easy to let a month go by, and find that suddenly it’s a year and before you know it, that becomes five years.
At least that’s what happened to me.
So don’t make the same mistake that I did.
It really is about getting started with small steps that help you create the plan, test it out and derisk any kind of move.
That way you won’t still be in the same place in 12 months (or 5 years!) time.
How about I help you get started?
In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today