Katrina "Kat" of Artemis Factor: From Pharma Layoff to Building a 50+ Team Success, Bootstrapped Growth, Hiring Impacted Talent, Mastering Delegation & Turning Complex Pharma & Biotech Problems into Simple Actionable Solutions. (Episode 773 - Kat High

In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast, host Troy Trewin interviews Katrina "Kat" High shares her journey from being laid off in the pharma industry to co-founding Artemis Factor, a strategic consulting firm serving pharma and biotech clients. She explains how the business grew from three founders to a team of more than 50 people through bootstrapping and strong industry relationships. Kat highlights the importance of delegation, building the right support systems, and not trying to do everything alone. A unique part of her approach is hiring talented professionals impacted by layoffs and helping rebuild their confidence and careers. She also discusses balancing fast growth, maintaining company culture, and focusing on meaningful impact on employees and patients. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? According to Katrina "Kat" High, the hardest thing in growing a small business is dealing with external factors that you cannot anticipate, because business owners often face unexpected changes in the market, economy, or industry that are outside their control. She emphasized that since you never fully know what challenges are coming, the key is to stay prepared by maintaining strong cash flow, building a reliable team, keeping clear communication with employees, and working closely with advisors so you can handle whatever situation arises. What's your favorite business book that has helped you the most? Katrina "Kat" High shared that one of her recent favorite resources that has helped her is content around money mindset, particularly the "Let Them" concept discussed on the Mel Robbins podcast, which she found useful for handling challenges in her current stage of business. She mentioned that instead of sticking to one all-time favorite book, she prefers reading books and listening to podcasts that match the specific season or challenges she is facing, so the advice feels practical and relevant to her situation at that time. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Katrina "Kat" High recommends tapping into a mix of practical and mindset-focused resources, including project management and AI-focused podcasts to stay current with industry trends, alongside investing podcasts to build broader business awareness. She also highlights the value of continuously learning through audiobooks and physical books depending on your season of business, and mentions mindset-driven content like the The Mel Robbins Podcast as helpful for navigating challenges. Overall, her approach is to consistently expose yourself to diverse learning channels—audio, reading, and niche podcasts—so you can grow both your technical skills and decision-making as a small business owner. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Katrina "Kat" High recommends implementing a strong Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system as a foundational tool to grow a small business, emphasizing that having a centralized way to track client interactions, manage leads, and maintain relationships is critical for sustainable growth. A good CRM helps streamline sales processes, improves communication, and ensures no opportunities fall through the cracks, allowing business owners to stay organized while scaling. She suggests choosing a CRM that fits your business needs and using it consistently, as it becomes a key driver in building long-term client relationships and making smarter, data-informed decisions. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? Katrina "Kat" High would tell herself to just get started and not wait for everything to be perfect, because clarity and confidence come from taking action, not overplanning. She emphasizes that you won't be able to map everything out from day one, and that's okay—what you learn along the journey will guide your next steps. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress, stay adaptable, and trust that each experience will give you the insight needed to grow and make better decisions as your business evolves. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey.     Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: You cannot do it all yourself learn to ask for support early – Katrina "Kat" High Progress beats perfection just get started and figure it out along the way – Katrina "Kat" High Stay adaptable because what you learn today shapes your success tomorrow – Katrina "Kat" High