Former TV Producer is Now a COO and Entrepreneur

Alumna Katie Orr (MBA ’18) speaks with Alumni Council member Ron Rennick (’94) about her entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for writing, and a love of travel.

Ron: Prior to earning your MBA through the Charlotte Evening MBA program, you graduated from Harvard University’s Extension School with a Master of Liberal Arts in Journalism. What made you decide to purse both degrees?

Katie: I definitely never set out to get two—but somehow here I am. I pursued each degree for a very different reason. When I made the decision to go to journalism school in 2008, I’d been a TV producer in Chicago for several years and started to feel unfulfilled by the superficial nature of it. I never felt challenged. I didn’t know what to do exactly; all I knew at the time was that I loved to write—and it was the one thing that I felt I could do really well. So, I took a leap of faith and moved to Boston for the program. In hindsight, I don’t think you need a formal degree to be a writer. But the overall experience was really rewarding and worthwhile, and I loved my time there.

Coincidentally, I happened to get a job in finance while I was in grad school. When I moved back to Chicago a few years later, I blended everything—and found myself as a writer within asset management. I’d always had an ancillary fascination with trading and the stock exchange, and that unexplained draw to finance kept me in the field longer-term. Eventually, I took on a client-facing role at an investment bank in New York—based out of Denver—and realized I just didn’t have the full body of knowledge and toolset I needed to excel. I started to think about an MBA—but didn’t give it serious consideration until I moved to Charlotte to be near family in 2016.

After I started my application at Wake, I second-guessed it because I found it hard to justify the expense of a second masters. But then one night—right before I was about to go into a week-long stay at the hospital for a major hip surgery—Carol Oliff, who worked on the Charlotte MBA team at the time, called me. Everything she said just clicked. She was pretty convincing! As soon as I got home a week later, I finished applying and, sure enough, she lured me in. I can honestly say it was one was the best decisions I’ve ever made for my life and career.

Ron: Almost all of your work experience has been focused on writing. How did your passion for writing develop? 

Katie: I’ve always had a natural gravitation toward writing, but there was definitely a moment back in middle school that stuck with me. My English teacher—Mrs. Thomas—stopped class midstream one day, turned to me out of the blue, and said “Katie, you are a great writer, and you need to know that.” Of course, I turned bright red, but it meant a lot to me as a young and impressionable writer, and to this day I have no idea what caused her to do that. But I’ll never forget it.

In general, I’ve always appreciated great writing—by people like Khaled Hosseini and Madeleine L’Engle and Donna Tartt. The Goldfinch easily renewed my determination to write a book at some point—although I feel confident saying it will never be even a fraction as great as that one!

Ron: You have written about everything from interiors and weddings and travel, to technical and finance-related content. How hard is it to switch between these topics? Any tips for those who struggle with writing? 

Katie: People often think one can be taught to be a writer. But, to me, it really seems innate. You either have it or you don’t—although with some teaching, writing skills can certainly be improved. But overall, I think being a successful writer requires a deep curiosity about a variety of topics—and an enthusiastic willingness to become a temporary expert in a given subject matter. In this way, it’s easy to learn about different topics and then write about them in a digestible manner. It all begins with that trait of curiosity. Being a good questioner—while simultaneously listening and being able to go with the flow of the conversation to get the best interview or source information—is also key.

Ron: In October, you made a transition from Barings to Lebec Consulting as COO and Director of Communications. Tell me about your decision to make a change and your experience in a C-level position. 

Katie: I’ve never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. I like the stability of working for an established organization. But somehow, in the throes of the pandemic, among the changing dynamics of the business world—when I had no choice but to embrace uncertainty—I suddenly found myself drawn to an entrepreneurial bent that I hadn’t experienced in the past. And it didn’t scare me.

The Lebec opportunity arose somewhat serendipitously. In mid-2020, I’d spent months interviewing with Water.org and WaterEquity—a joint philanthropic organization and impact investment manager—and grew to know the Chief Investor Relations Officer, Alix Lebec, well. Throughout that time, I became passionate about bringing water and sanitation to emerging markets around the world through micro-finance—and instead of taking a position with the joint companies, Alix called me at a pivotal moment and asked if I’d consider consulting instead. She wanted to launch her own business.

Simultaneously—and most people don’t even know about this—I had the opportunity to help a maternal fetal medicine physician launch her own practice. So, my time is largely divided between running operations and communications for those two businesses. But I also started my own company at some point in there. As you can imagine, my days are pretty long and filled with far too many Zoom meetings!

I‘ve had the privilege of working under some wonderful leaders over the years and wanted to provide the same servant leadership to others while building a company from the ground up. I’m excited and energized by the direction and possibility of everything—and it’s provided a lot of autonomy, along with the satisfaction of building a team and organization.

Ron: In addition to your role at Lebec, you started Journ Agency in January. What made you decide to pursue this venture?

Katie: I started Journ Agency after a colleague sent a project-based position to evaluate and overhaul the RFP function for a macroeconomic manager in New York—something that I was able to take on during the work-from-home reality that COVID brought about. During that time, I stepped back, looked at the landscape, and recognized an opportunity. In my experience, RFP teams are often undervalued and tend to suffer during times of downsizing. Plus, with layoffs left and right, great writing talent was untethered and available for the company I had an eye toward building. With the new normal of remote work becoming adopted worldwide, I saw a place in the market for a team of RFP writers that I could assemble in a geographically distributed manner.

The need Journ Agency is fulfilling is typically for small- to mid-range financial asset managers. These are companies that often do not have the financial resources to hire dedicated proposal writers, or perhaps lack a steady enough stream of RFP work to justify such hiring. So, we aim to become an extension of our firms to help them win investor mandates through proposal writing. I don’t like the word outsourcing—I think it feels impersonal. What I built is something much more focused on long-term, trusted partnerships. And it seems like my thesis was correct, based on the responses I’ve gotten from different asset managers in the last six months. I actually had to assemble a team of 10+ writers pretty quickly based on the potential pipeline—which is very promising. But, of course, it’s still intimidating to launch, promote and run your own business at times. Your success is only as great as you make it.

Ron: What is the significance of the name “Journ Agency”? How has travel influenced it?

Katie: With words being meaningful to the writer in me, the naming of the company was important. Journalism and relaying people’s unique stories have always held significance in my adult life. So has sojourning around the world—which has, interestingly, also been about learning the stories of others. In honor of the 2008 passing of my grandfather’s lifelong desire to travel to Ireland and kiss the Blarney Stone (something said to impart the gift of eloquence of speaking, incidentally), I followed in his footsteps and then had a cathartic desire to travel extensively. I felt like the best version of myself overseas. I resolved to travel to one new country each year for the next 10 years. Then I raised the bar to two countries per year, and then four, and then six. Now my 2030 travel project is to see the world at this level for a 20-year stretch, if possible.

It’s been a life-changing—and eye-opening—resolution, to say the least, lending a completely different perspective of the world. Meeting and interacting with people from all walks of life over the years has been incredibly gratifying. Ironically, despite our seeming differences, my biggest takeaway has been that we’re all the same. I’ve joked around in an airport food court with Yemeni soldiers, had a bonding night out with a group of people who spoke only Portuguese (who I keep in touch with to this day), and engaged in deep discussion with an Arabic husband and wife in full traditional dress with head covering. Often, if we don’t travel, we see what the media shows us on TV and think that’s the whole story. But in reality, our similarities are far greater than our differences.

Ron: What was your favorite country? And do you have plans for a next trip?

Katie: Without a doubt, Japan will always be my favorite! Everything about the culture, architecture, food, people, language…I can’t describe how magical it is. And I’m headed to Dubai next! It’s been on my bucket list for a while—and since this is my first post-pandemic trip, I figured I’d make it count.

Ron: Any lessons learned that you’d share with other alumni who want to start their own company?

Katie: Most importantly, be very intentional with how you go about your business decisions. Focus on quality over quantity—both in the work and the people that you take on. Who you say no to is just as important as who you say yes to. Keep a narrow focus if possible. Also, make sure to consider a new venture or endeavor with a 20-year timetable in mind. In doing so, you’ll naturally think about the growth and scalability of your model, and determine how the best outcome can be realized. Lastly, keep in mind that perception is everything, from the biggest aspects to the smallest details. Make sure your online presence in this digital age is fully buttoned up. Cater to your audience but don’t be afraid to go against the grain—and most importantly, trust your gut.