

From Design Consultant to Culture Strategist
7 snips Apr 1, 2025
Kat Thackray, Founder of People Equals Purpose, shares her journey from a top design consultant to an entrepreneurship focused on transforming team dynamics. She discusses the toll of climbing the corporate ladder and the physical stress it caused. Kat reflects on childhood work perceptions and how they shaped her career choices. The conversation delves into navigating the emotional challenges of leaving a stable job for the freedom of entrepreneurship, and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness in fostering healthy workplace dynamics.
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Early Career Expectations
- Kat Thackray's childhood career role models were limited to traditional roles like teacher or homemaker.
- She felt a societal expectation to succeed in a capitalist framework, but this clashed with her values.
Finding Service Design
- Kat Thackray transitioned from studying French and Business to an illustration degree, and finally to service design.
- Service design felt like "home" because it combined her love for problem-solving and visual creativity.
The Real Problem
- Kat realized the core issue wasn't the design methodology but the relational dynamics within teams.
- Her physical symptoms of stress signaled her growing unhappiness with her work.