![True North Show [podcast] - Season 2, Ep 9 - Jay Kattel](https://megannorth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/True-North-Show-podcast-Season-2-Ep-9-Jay-Kattel-1.png)
Shining A Light On Time, Focus and Energy with Jay Kattel | Ep. 20
My guest on this week’s episode of The True North Show is Vicki Beames, an incredibly inspiring woman with a story that is raw, honest and one that you will want to watch. Vicki shares what parental alienation is, how it has completely changed her life and how it affects so many parents and children around the world. It is a silent epidemic that isn’t being spoken about, but one that should be.
Bio:
My guest on this week’s episode of The True North Show is Jay Kattel, a friend and colleague who I admire a lot. Jay shares with us the journey he has been on since he was a young boy, moving from country to country, constantly having to start a new school and how sitting back and observing what was happening in any environment has gifted him the ability to do this in the work he does with his clients. He loves shining a light on what needs time, focus and energy.
Bio:
Jay Kattel is the founder of LUME Partners with a mission to help companies achieve their full potential. With 20 years of experience in small, medium, and large organisations across private and public sectors, Jay specialises in business transformations.
Having grown up in four countries, speaking four languages, and attending ten schools, Jay brings a unique ability to see problems from multiple perspectives and deliver practical, adoptable solutions with an open mind.
His experience working in these organisations ranges from listing on the Australian Stock Exchange, redesigning processes to improve efficiency, increasing training revenue and remodelling talent acquisition functions as well as holding a Director role with a very large merger in the NSW Government.
Jay also has experience in business analysis and project management having led numerous projects across IT, Audit, Risk and Compliance and Service Management within a PMO.
Jay is tertiary qualified with a Bachelor of Business. In addition to his bachelor’s degree, he has completed the Company Directors Course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Diploma of Project Management and Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Outside Jay’s professional experience, he is married and has two beautiful kids. He enjoys travelling, adventure sports and helping people ascend/grow to the best version of themselves.
Social Media:
Website: www.lumepartners.com.au
LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/jaykattel?trk=public_post_feed-actor
Transcript:
Jay Kattel is the founder of Loom Partners, with a mission to help companies achieve their full potential. With 20 years of experience in small, medium and large organisations across private and public sectors, Jay specialises in business transformations. Having grown up in four countries, speaking four languages and attending 10 schools, Jay brings a unique ability to see problems from multiple perspectives and deliver practical, adoptable solutions with an open mind. His experience working in these organisations ranges from listing on the Australian Stock Exchange, redesigning processes to improve efficiency, increasing training revenue and remodelling talent acquisition functions, as well as holding a director role with a very large merger in the New South Wales Government. Jay also has experience in business analysis and project management, having led numerous projects across IT, audit, risk and compliance, and service management with a PMO.
Outside Jay’s professional experience, he’s married and has two beautiful kids. He enjoys travelling, adventure sports and helping people ascend and grow to the best version of themselves. Welcome to the show, Jay. I’m super excited that you’re here with me today.
Jay Kattel (01:40)
So am I. I’m really looking forward to having a chat.
Megan North (01:42)
Great, great. And so, how does it feel hearing me read your bio? What goes through your mind when you’re sitting there going, “My gosh, that’s everything that I do”?
Jay Kattel (01:53)
You know, sort of pinch yourself. It’s great. I mean, it’s a summary, but it’s great for someone else to read it and play it back to you. Yeah, it’s awesome.
Megan North (02:05)
Yeah, it is interesting, isn’t it? Because you don’t often read your own bio.
Jay Kattel (02:10)
And, you know, most people in Australia, anyway, tend to be pretty humble. When someone reads a bio like that back to you, you’re like, “Oh, really? Can you stop now?”
Megan North (02:21)
I know. Isn’t it interesting how, here in Australia, we really do have that tall poppy syndrome? I wonder why. I don’t know what it is from a cultural point of view.
Jay Kattel (02:32)
I don’t know. We tend to shoot down people who are doing quite well, and it’s something that we do need to change. We need to be more encouraging and supportive as a nation.
Megan North (02:41)
Yeah, absolutely. And so, before we dive in, are you able to share with us why the company is called Loom Partners?
Jay Kattel (02:50)
Yeah, look, ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a fascination with the universe and light. I’ve always looked up at the night sky. I’ve always looked at the star system, the solar system, and “loom” is short for “lumen,” which in Latin means “source of light.” For me, with the work that I do, or my associates do within the company, quite often when you don’t shine a light on something, you tend to forget about it. If you forget about it for long enough, it’s the thing that causes you problems. So it spoke to who I am, what my interests are and the things that I’m good at. That’s why “lumen,” the short for “lumen,” is for Loom.
Megan North (03:35)
Right, I love that. I think that’s amazing. And actually, from knowing you, I know that one of your gifts is a beautiful ability to look at things from a different perspective and then shine that light on someone else who may not be looking at themselves, or a situation, in the way that it needs to be looked at.
Jay Kattel (03:58)
Yeah, and also, I’ve been sometimes fortunate but also unfortunate at the same time. When you’ve grown up in so many places around the world, you’re able to see a problem from multiple perspectives. You’re able to see, how is this going to land with someone else? Is there something that’s missing? Have we considered all perspectives? One of the things I learned as a really young kid was we had a nomadic life growing up. We never really settled anywhere. We would move countries or schools quite often. I remember one 12-month period where we moved to three different countries and I went to three different schools. Quite often, when you go into a new environment, you sit back, you watch how things play out: who’s dominating, who’s not dominating, how that society works, where the problems are, and how you’re going to fit in and make it work. That whole “shining the light” analogy is about sitting back and watching how things play out. “Okay, I see how this stuff works. That’s the dominant player, that’s not the dominant player.” Again, that speaks to the name: why Loom is Loom.
Megan North (05:04)
Mmm. And why did you grow up in a nomadic family? What was going on that made you move and have to change countries?
Jay Kattel (05:29)
I think it’s just parents. Being born in Nepal, we moved to the Philippines. We lived on a farm in the Philippines of all places. We didn’t live in Manila; it was literally two hours from Manila, in a university farm. Even then, over roughly three years, we lived in three different houses. Luckily, we only had the one school because there was only one school we could go to. My parents went there because Mum had a scholarship to do a master’s in agribusiness management, and Dad also thought, “Hey, might as well get a PhD,” because education is big in his family. They decided to take us with them to the Philippines. Normally, in Nepal at that time, when parents went to study, they left their kids with grandparents, uncles or aunties. On my dad’s side, no one lived in Nepal; everyone was in the US. So we all decided to go as a family for three years and then came back.
Once we came back, the education standards in Nepal versus the Philippines were quite different. I’d gotten used to studying in the Philippines. I think I was in grade four. I knew my four times table. I remember going to class in Nepal and the teacher asking me to do algebra, and I’m like, “Dude, numbers and letters don’t go together. What are you trying to tell me?” I struggled in school in Nepal. I had to pick up Nepalese; I’d forgotten how to read or write. I went to my dad and said, “Hey, we’ve got to move somewhere else because I’m going to struggle here.” I used to get beaten by the teacher because that was normal back then. It wasn’t a nice experience.
We migrated. Dad said we’d put in for the US and were already in process. He also applied to New Zealand and Australia with a view that if we came to the Southern Hemisphere, we’d end up in Australia. New Zealand got approved straight away. We moved there for four years, got citizenship and eventually ended up in Australia, which was always where we wanted to settle.
Megan North (07:49)
Yeah, yeah. And I love how you talk about sitting back, taking in the perspective of everybody, watching and learning, because that is one of the skills people can get better at. Often, when you sit back and listen, you really learn about a situation and where people are coming from. I love the fact that the same letters to spell “listen” is the same letters to spell “silent.”
Jay Kattel (08:24)
Absolutely, and I think it’s one of the most underrated skills for leaders or business owners. Quite often, when you get a new leader in a business, the first thing they want to do is turn everything upside down without really understanding why things are the way they are. If you take the time to understand that, you start to realise they might have already tried what you think is right for the organisation and it didn’t work. We’re often so interested in putting our own points of view across that we don’t take the time to listen to others and we always think we’re right. If you take a step back and watch how things play out, it can be so enriching. Then, whatever you do, you can do things a lot quicker as well.
Megan North (09:28)
Absolutely. People are listening to respond, not listening to take it in and understand.
Jay Kattel (09:36)
Absolutely.
Megan North (09:38)
And I love that analogy too. I’m sure you’ve seen it before: you’re standing in front of me and I’m looking down and, to me, the number six is a six, but to you it’s a nine. It’s a different perspective. You’re not wrong and I’m not wrong. Where we’re standing at that time, that’s the perspective we have.
Jay Kattel (09:52)
Yeah, absolutely. I love that. I haven’t heard that one before, but I love it.
Megan North (10:08)
I’ll have to share the meme because it’s a really visual representation of different perspectives where no one is actually right or wrong, or you’re both right in a sense.
Jay Kattel (10:21)
Yep. We’re so keen on being right that we ignore the other perspective.
Megan North (10:26)
Exactly. So, Loom Partners is a relatively new venture for you and you’re working in a space you’ve worked in for over 20 years. What was the pivotal moment for you? Why did you choose to step out of working for someone and do something for yourself? What was going on for you at the time you made this decision?
Jay Kattel (10:52)
I think this has been a very long decision for me. I always knew I was going to make it, but I felt like, in the field I’m in, I wanted people to value my experience and trust me based on that experience. I felt I needed to build this toolkit to a point where I could break free, go out on my own and do it successfully, knowing it could take five years.
Really, when I finished school, I wanted to pick up a trade. I wanted to be an electrician, but my dad said no. They valued education. “Go to uni, get a degree and then, if you want to be an electrician, you can.” I said, “Hang on, you want me to go to uni for three years, pick up debt, and then start on $250 a week? Nah, I’m good. If you want me to go to uni, I’ll go, but I’ll make the most of what I enjoy.” And that’s what it’s been.
I probably wanted to go out on my own about 10 years ago because I thought there’s got to be more to life than working for someone. Because of the nomadic life I’ve had, where I’ve had a lot of change, I love going and solving lots of problems. I don’t enjoy sitting in one place for three, four, five years. Even when I did, I always had problems to solve within that organisation. Meeting new people, solving problems — that’s what motivates me.
Before the last job I had, which was CPO at GYG, I was a GM within Coates Hire. The GM job at Coates was probably the best job I’ve ever had. I loved it. I loved my boss, the CEO and the company. It gave me a lot of autonomy. But I got to the point where I don’t like to sit on my hands for too long, so I was thinking of where to go next. Then the GYG opportunity came about. I had never helped list an Australian business on the ASX, so I thought, what a great opportunity. When we initially had the conversation, they were going to list a lot later than I thought. Once we’d done the listing and I had that under my belt, I thought, what is the most important thing in my life? What did I not have as a child that I want to give my children? Time.
I could see, having a big job like that, the impact it had on my family. I thought I was okay with my wife being the prominent parent, but I wasn’t. I struggled with that. A couple of moments last year, I sat down and thought, my dad passed away when he was 52 and I’m not far from 52. Do I want to stay with this life and not be there for my children? My children and my wife are the most important thing in my life.
So I made the decision: I don’t care about money. We all need money, yes, but I had a conversation with my wife. “All we do is consume. How much more do we need? Let’s be content with what we have.” We were in a fortunate position. I said, “I’m going to take a break and go out on my own. I want my life centred around what I want. I don’t want to feel I owe anyone anything. I want to give back to the causes I care about, invest in the relationships I want to invest in, have time to do the things I want to do and work with the people I want to work with. I want that choice to be up to me.” Once you get to the C-suite you look around and think, is that the life I want? No. I don’t want this life. I don’t need to keep consuming and wanting more and more. I needed time to unpack my own childhood trauma. Everyone is shaped by their childhood trauma. If you want to grow, you need to take time out and ask, why am I the person I am? Why do I behave this way? Why do I have this relationship?
One of the things I had to shake was people-pleasing. Whenever you move around different environments, to fit in, you build that as a strong suit. Very rarely did I say no. I never put myself first. My life had been servicing other people’s needs. I thought, enough. It’s time to figure out what’s important for me and not care what others think.
Around mid-year after the listing, I took stock. Ever since I made that decision, I’ve seen the impact on my family. My kids have accelerated in things they love. Me being there and devoting time has made a world of difference for our family.
Megan North (18:01)
I love that. I love that.
Jay Kattel (18:04)
When I think about success, quite often in big companies people are driven by financial success. Yes, financial success is important because it keeps the business sustainable and able to employ people. But there are other factors that round out the company and individuals. I implore people to think beyond money.
Megan North (18:34)
Yeah. Was it a really big decision to step away and do your own thing, or, over the 10-year period as it was building, did you get to the point where you had no other choice and needed to do it?
Jay Kattel (18:52)
I think it was a combination. I’d been building toward this for so long. I use this analogy: if there was an extraterrestrial craft with an extraterrestrial watching my life every day when I worked for others, it would watch me live in a box. The house is a box. Then into another box, the car. Then another box, the train. Then another box, the office, for eight to ten hours. Then back into a box, to a box, to a box. There’s got to be more to life than boxes. This ET would look at me and go, what is this guy doing in these boxes? Where’s the meaning? That had been eating away at me for 15 years.
Then it was the anniversary of my dad’s death. He was 52. I’m not far from 52. I have to make a change. I have to do it now. Yes, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Yes, I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I’ve never done this before. But I’ll learn. I’ll figure it out.
Megan North (20:28)
Absolutely. And I love that you’ve shared it so deeply. In corporate, we all need to earn money, pay our bills, but how much do you actually need? If I’m not happy and I’m going into a job I don’t like, what change can I make within myself? For you, it’s been a journey over 10 years. Some people decide quickly; for me, it took a while. When I left the organisation where you and I met more than four years ago, one of the senior execs I supported said, “You are so brave. I can’t believe you’re leaving and doing your own thing.” I just had this innate trust it would work out.
Jay Kattel (21:48)
Yeah, 100%. It takes time. I had the same conversation with a couple of execs. Before listing, there’s a lot of money involved: options and things like that. We’re talking life-changing money. But I had to weigh it up. That stuff takes time to vest and it’s never a guarantee. Am I prepared to lose five years of my life and not go out on my own to do what I’ve always wanted? My kids are at the age where it’s the most formative years; they’re going into their teens. That was way more important than anything else. In the end, it was an easy decision, but it took time. I also wanted to make sure that when I went out on my own, people could see I’d been to different places and had great experiences. Once I ticked that, it was time.
Megan North (23:18)
Yeah. It’s a combo of courage and confidence. It’s holding on and trusting you’ll be okay, then making the step.
Jay Kattel (23:34)
Yeah, and you’ve got other options. If you’re precious about how you generate income… If you go out on your own sustainably, you can have a plan, especially with a family. Make sure they’re covered financially. I tell people, go in knowing that if you don’t make a cent in the first two years, you’ll still be okay. If you do need to make money, we’re lucky in a country like Australia: if I need to drive an Uber, I’ll drive an Uber. No ego. If I need to clean couches to feed my family, I’ll do it. If I need to stack shelves at Woolies, I’ll do it. While I build the business and clientele, I’ll do what it takes. Ultimately, it’ll give me the life I want.
Megan North (24:41)
Yeah. And I know the first couple of years for me, I did some HR consulting to earn a little extra money to get through the time. You make those choices.
Jay Kattel (25:00)
Yeah, and you have to be comfortable with those choices. A few of the execs said, “I can’t believe you’re letting this go. Do you have a trust fund?” I said, “Mate, I don’t have a trust fund. I don’t have anywhere near as much money as you. But it’s not about that. We’ve got enough to make ends meet for a little bit. I want the freedom and flexibility to go out on my own and be there for my kids.”
Megan North (25:25)
Yeah. And isn’t it the best when you can decide which clients you work with, who you work with, and when you work? My diary is always blocked on a Friday because I don’t want to. Who wants to work on a Friday? I don’t.
Jay Kattel (25:40)
Yeah. It’s also knowing, in order to live the life you want, what is the number? I’ve always seen numbers. Numbers tell me stories. I’ve seen the future with numbers. At 17, I knew where I’d be at 32, based on numbers. I knew when I would make this decision, based on my age — a number. I know what my next number is. So, numerically, what’s the number that supports you to live the life you want? What’s the number that pays your bills and supports the family? I know that number. Based on it, you design your life. I don’t need exorbitant amounts. I just need enough. That’s how I’m designing my life.
Megan North (27:05)
Wow, I didn’t know that about you. That’s amazing. We’ll have to talk more about that.
Jay Kattel (27:10)
Because I’ve always been such a numbers guy, when I work with businesses, I talk to senior execs about numbers. Do you literally understand every dollar that comes in and out of your business? Where is money spent? How is it spent? Where do you invest wisely? You have to understand that to run an effective business. You don’t need all the finance jargon if you understand numbers at their core.
Going out on my own as a numbers guy fits the things I’ve been lucky to do in the last year.
Megan North (28:14)
Definitely. So, can we talk a little about mental health and wellbeing? How did you look after your mental health and wellbeing while you were in corporate, and has it changed now that you’re working for yourself and doing what you love?
Jay Kattel (28:36)
I’ve always been fairly active. I try to exercise at least three or four times a week. As you get older, your body behaves differently. My wife, who’s a yoga and Pilates teacher, and a physio have now given me a 15-minute routine I have to do every day. It’s almost like starting a lawnmower. Every morning, one of the first things I do is this 15-minute practice — lots of stretch and mobility — and then I’ll do some weight training.
It’s also about stimulating the mind with what you want to do. I’ve always been spiritual, not religious. I make time to connect and seek answers. I do experiences I’ve wanted to do. I’ve got a reputation for doing crazy things out of the blue. I’ll wake up and tell my wife, “I’m going for a walk. See you this evening,” and walk 45 km somewhere. I had a bucket-list item to walk to North Sydney from my house one day — I did that. I wanted to go to Everest Base Camp — I did that. It’s about doing those experiences. It’s also about connecting to nature. I love going down to the Royal National Park; we’re not too far.
All of that helps keep my mental health in check. It’s something you always need to work on. We all go through things. It’s about being open-minded and having conversations. If I’m going through something, I’ve learned not to suffer in silence. I’ve got people I can connect with. I might meet up with certain people if I’m going through stuff.
Has it changed much from corporate to now? Slightly. Now I have a bit more time. When you’re in corporate, you can’t say on a Friday, “I’m going for a 45 km walk,” because there are things you need to do for the business. Working for yourself, you can do them in your own time. Often, when the kids are at extracurriculars or asleep, I can log in and do what I need. You still put in the same effort, but you realise how effective you can be. You get focus time and can punch out what you would in a day, in an hour, because there are no distractions.
Megan North (32:23)
Absolutely. I had a senior HR role years ago for a big organisation. I worked three days a week, Wednesday to Friday. On Monday and Tuesday, my boss said, “Do not pick up an email or phone call.” From Wednesday to Friday I became so effective because, on Friday afternoon, I couldn’t say, “I’ll do that Monday,” as I wasn’t back until Wednesday. It changed the way I worked. It’s similar in my business. I don’t want to work on Friday, so I’m very efficient in four days.
Jay Kattel (33:17)
Even in corporate, I had rules where I’d block out time. It didn’t always work, but from three to five and, if I could, up to 10 am, those blocks were blocked. Most days, lunch was blocked too. That gave me time to connect with my team. We always wait for meetings, but a lot of the time you don’t need one. You can solve a problem by walking the floor. In the mornings and afternoons I had focus time and connection time. By connecting, you can find out what’s going on in a half-hour conversation that saves a three-hour meeting. I’d take people out for walks, sit at their desk and chat. You can manage your time effectively even in an organisation. It’s also important to set boundaries. If you don’t set them from the get-go, it’s tricky to wind back.
Megan North (34:56)
Absolutely. With the work you do with organisations, leadership and organisational change, does mental health and wellbeing come into it?
Jay Kattel (35:09)
Yeah, it always gets a mention, especially when you’re helping them navigate change. Ultimately there might be structural changes: different roles, people who may not want to be there. Mental health is a key topic, particularly how people deal with and react to change. Those discovery sessions often turn into sessions where people vent or talk about their mental health.
I was lucky in one organisation that put us through mental health first aid training. It was awesome. You pick up great skills around what questions to ask. You’re not there to solve their problems, but you can point them to qualified people. Mental health is big. Quite often I’m seeing high levels of uncertainty. It’s a funny period. There are a lot of restructures. Many people are close to burning out. It’s really important to consider practices that create space so people don’t burn out. Do you put in no-meeting Fridays? Do you block mornings and afternoons for no meetings unless critical? Organisations can change how they operate. With all the tech, it’s easy to reach people and say, “I need this answer now.” Think: can it wait until tomorrow? Does it need to be done right now? As the recipient, do you need to respond right now? Actions speak louder than words. Set boundaries. The key is the outcome, not the hours worked.
Megan North (37:34)
Yeah. There’s also accountability on us as individuals to look after our mental health. We can’t just say our organisation doesn’t allow it. At the end of the day, we’re the ones who must take action.
Jay Kattel (37:56)
Absolutely. That’s why you go back to boundaries. Set them for yourself. Often they’re not hard conversations. Start with a conversation. If it’s impacting your life and unsustainable, talk to your manager: “What I’m expected to do is probably not realistic. Can we talk about how to make this work?” People often shy away from that. The manager doesn’t know there’s an issue, and what starts small becomes unmanageable and really impacts your mental health. We need to learn how to have those conversations. You’d be surprised how open-minded people are. No one’s out there intentionally to hurt anyone. I like to think I’m an optimist. We want to see the best in others and want the best for others.
Megan North (39:00)
Absolutely. So, Loom Partners has been around for nearly a year now. Has the direction changed over the year, or is it exactly what you thought you’d create?
Jay Kattel (39:36)
It always changes. You start with something. As your company ages, you learn where you want to play, who your ideal customer is and who will benefit most from your experience. You target those customers. When I first started out, it was about my network. You’d be surprised where you think some people will open doors and they don’t. You quickly learn people’s true colours. Some, especially in senior roles, only want you when it benefits them.
As the company has aged, I’ve learned my ideal clientele and where I add value, where they’ll appreciate my feedback and experience. I’m getting clearer. My sweet spot is companies with 100 to about 2,000 employees. I can play in big companies and have, but for a small business to get on as a supplier can take days of paperwork, policies you don’t need and big insurances. Do I really want to? Those big companies will probably want big consulting groups.
With the emergence of AI and analysis you can do with it now, I honestly believe the big four don’t have a competitive advantage over someone like Loom. All the enabling tools are there with a subscription. When it comes to mining data and insights, most of the work in those big consultancies is done by grads anyway; it’s not the partners. Those big companies often grow up in consultancies, so the implementation experience isn’t necessarily there.
So, how do I position Loom? The positioning has become clearer in the last year: if you need an implementation specialist who’s been there, done that, knows their hook and guide, and will roll up their sleeves and do the thing with you, let’s have a conversation. You also get clear on the types of people you want to talk to. As a small business, you want clients who pay on time. New organisations don’t always pay on time; they have bureaucratic processes. Cash flow is important. Again, that’s why the sweet spot feels right.
It’s for people who value someone who can guide them and has done it themselves, so they can talk you through practical experience, not just theory. That’s where it has evolved. I’m getting crystal clear on who I want to work with and what work I want to do.
Megan North (44:24)
Okay. There’s a piece of advice there for people starting out. You have an idea, but there needs to be flexibility and flow between where you think it’s going and where you’re guided to go.
Jay Kattel (44:44)
Be very open-minded, but also be clear on what you’ll take on versus what you won’t. If you take on something you don’t want, it will show. The client will wonder why you haven’t done what you’re meant to do, and you’ll see it in the execution. The way you turn up, engage, how quickly you get back to people, how approachable you are, the quality of work, the attention to detail — all of that anchors the brand you’re creating.
Megan North (45:31)
Yes. Because you’re the brand, integrity has to be there. Otherwise the client will think, you said all of this, gave me this, but threw in that and it wasn’t very good. It’s easy to ruin your brand by taking on something you’re not passionate about.
Jay Kattel (45:57)
It’s also been interesting learning how to quote properly. Because Loom doesn’t have the overheads of big companies, our value proposition is we can deliver the same or better work, but partner with you for much better value. Do I underquote? Hell yes. I’m learning the art of quoting. Sometimes I think, this has turned out bigger than I thought. Be open to learning. If you’ve committed to something, see it through.
Megan North (46:49)
Exactly. Be flexible and open to opportunities. It’s really good. Can you believe we’ve only got a few minutes left? Quickly—
Jay Kattel (46:55)
Yeah, absolutely. Time flies in a conversation with you.
Megan North (47:09)
I’m going to ask you the same question I ask all my guests before we finish. What is one lesson or truth you’ve learned on your journey that you wish you’d known earlier?
Jay Kattel (47:23)
This is going to be quite short for me: not to care what others think. We’re so defined by perceptions of others, we limit our beliefs about what we can do. It’s easier said than done. I had to work within that for so long to let go of trauma. But put the time in. The only conductor of your life is you. Learn not to care what others think. As long as you stay true to who you are and your values — you don’t intentionally hurt anyone, you’re not out there to steal — as long as you live by those values, go chase your dream, no matter what anyone else says.
Megan North (48:15)
I love that. What a beautiful way to end this conversation. You’ve really shone a light on that. For our audience, yes, you probably guessed that Jay and I have a lot of amazing conversations. I definitely learned a couple of new things about you today. I love that.
Jay Kattel (48:22)
Thank you for the opportunity to be here with you and have this conversation. It’s a great conversation.
Megan North (48:46)
Yeah, it’s really great. I have no doubt there’ll be a lot of aha moments for people listening to you as well. I love that you’ve been open and shared the flexibility, flow and decisions you’ve made in the last 12 months. That helps people when they’re at that fork in the road of “Am I going to do this or not?” Thank you for sharing everything.
Jay Kattel (49:15)
If people want to reach out because they want to bounce an idea or they’re at a crossroad about making a decision, reach out and I’m happy to provide any insight I can.
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