I am a cheerleader and an adventure-seeker. A lover of all things authentic. I am fascinated by new people, new experiences and living every day of my life. My greatest passion is honoring the good energy and power our gifts bring to the world. Simply by doing what we love every day, benefits everyone. To look into the eyes of another human, and witness their gifts in action, compels us all to a deeper appreciation for everyday life.
Using my own gifts makes my heart dance. And, I get goosebumps. And it feels like magic.
Hi, I’m Katie.
cheerleader. adventure seeker. speaker.
But I know it’s not. Behind the scenes, we are all working on our gifts. Hours of dedication. Years of experience. To make the most of our talents.
As a speaker, my job is to relate life as open, raw and real as it is. Funny and serious. Honest and transparent. And full of growth. Before I arrive at your event, I work to understand the contributions of your people. Their gifts. Because, I believe that when we stop to recognize the gifts in ourselves, and others, there is pure wonder. Your people are special. And I put great effort to personally connect. To work with your crew is a great honor, and a great responsibility.
Identified as one of the Top 40 under 40 business leaders in the Midwest, The Business Watch magazine recognized Katie for professional development, community contributions, and her influential voice. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis relied on her reports to advise their agriculture decision makers. The Great American Wheat Harvest captured this North Dakota farm girl in its award-winning documentary. Katie loves tractors and work boots, yet as a guest at the National Ag Day in Washington, D.C., and a Finalist for Farm and Ranch Guide Country Woman of the Year, she was comfortable with the red carpet, and invigorating conversations with others from all walks of life.
My professional bio
Being mom to four sons.
That’s also me
Four. Sons. It takes energy and dedication and love. Being a mom is the most beautiful contribution I can make to the world. These four unique guys teach me again and again… what’s important in life? The ones we love. And speaking of love, I happen to be married to Stuart. For 22 years now. We have completely different sets of gifts. Some attracting. Some opposing. And together. Simply beautiful.
As you search for your next speaker, someone who can professionally engage and personally relate… someone who can impact. Make a difference...
I’d be honored to talk to you. ↣
plan b
Katie thrives. To her, plan A is so predictable. Confining. And programmed. But, Plan B brings excitement. And anticipation. And, makes Katie feel alive. With great ease, she can adapt to circumstances, situations and changes that other speakers may find paralyzing.
A dream chaser.
Because we all have ideas that won’t leave us alone. So, why not run after them? Well, at least walk in the right direction. And maybe those dreams don’t happen until the timing is right. That’s ok. When Katie imagined the most amazing day in the world, it was always to speak. Public speak. Did you just cringe? Katie loves it. But, it took years to happen. Overcoming doubt and rejection, and fear, she finally told doubt to get out of the way. We are all here for a reason and doggone it, why not power up, and make it happen. And with all the right timing, and finally telling a close friend about this pipe-dream. It became reality. With all kinds of perks and super cool experiences like being pulled over downtown Detroit. But, hey. Met a cool officer. But the whole reason to chase dreams: to help others uncover their own dreams. And I love to do this in a crazy, spontaneous, super-fun, free spirit way.
Witty and candid.
Fertile grounds for conversation starters. Moving way past the weather talk, and what do you do talk. Its deeper. With guts. Katie engages those from all walks of life. From prisoners to business executives… Katie is real. Personable, relatable, vulnerable and energizing. Bringing out the magic inside of you.
Adventure is energy.
She’s a hard-core, adrenaline pumping, let’s-try-this kind of girl. Bring on the kayak, a long run, try a paddleboard, hop on a bike, hike to a peak, anything to move and see new places. Bake, rake, or be at the lake. Adventure is letting go of fear. And ditching the what ifs. ahhhh. a breath of fresh air.
And we love to play. Bouncing off our bedroom walls like its a gymnasium. Yup. Smells like one, too. We know baseballs dimple doors. Hard-thrown ping pong balls can too. Dodgeball and football games belong downstairs, but basketballs bounce in the kitchen. And there’s always time for a game of cards.
We also love to work. I watch them squabble. See them hug. And witness growth. What started as four young boys, wild and free in the country, have become men. With dreams. Ambitions. Desires. And goals. And that, is simply amazing. They are making a difference. In four unique ways.
But, getting them here was a process. Boundaries broken. Privileges taken. Yet, here, we developed this trust. This security. This unconditional love. Which makes me so very proud.
The Authentic Life.
meet my 5 guys
Rough. Rowdy. Sweet. And kind.
They are my family.
They’ve learned to replant. And have hope.
They’ve learned to solve problems. And satisfy customers.
And perseverance. Usually wins.
So when you’re in the kitchen grabbing the flour to mix up a batch of cookies, we’re at the farm filling a bucket of wheat to grind - for our flour. For our own cookies.
Or making dinner. Mixing up a batch of the most beautiful whole wheat buns you’ve ever tasted. Certified: delicious. Endorsed by countless taste testers.
About the Farm
We grow food on a family farm.
Nine different kinds, actually.
Your bread comes from spring wheat. Grown on family farms like ours.
Your delicious pasta is created from a beautiful head of Durum wheat.
The hummus you crave? Chickpea fields. Did you know there’s only one seed in every pod?
The oil you use whether baking or stir fry, comes from a bright yellow field of canola.
We get excited watching plants grow. Noticing every leaf. Each growing point. To us – that’s cool.
But to know you are stocking your pantry with something we grew - that’s really cool.
Love
About
When I was a chubby third-grader, my parents drug me to some picnic. They insisted. And it was lame. And I didn’t want to go.
Turns out, a young blonde, blue-eyed boy from the other side of the state was also dragged to the picnic. Too young to stay home. Too old for the event to be cool. He didn’t want to go.
So. There we sat. On a picnic bench.
And this time.
They wanted to be there.
Eating cheeseburgers, pickles, and blue-ribbon brownies.
Drinking orange Crush pop.
It was the first taste. Of that Crush.
But they went their separate ways.
Life in opposite corners.
Elementary school turned to junior high. And awkwardly, into high school. And both off to college.
And when those young kids were in their last year of college… they drove themselves to a picnic.
For another cheeseburger.
More pickles and chips.
A different picnic bench.
Meeting again.
But, the same Crush.
And over the next few months, they ate more cheeseburgers.
Just the two of them.
A few picnics in the park.
And decided that spending a lifetime together was long, it might not be long enough to share all that we wanted to share.
And they fell in love.
The kind of love worth waiting for.
And… that is
Our love story.
Twenty-two years of marriage and he still gets to me.
Four sons.
A house to call home.
We’ve learned that life is not always a picnic in the park.
But, at the end of the day…
we choose to go back to one bench.
We want to be there.
Hide Our Story ↣
