Media Mavens: In conversation with Kirsti

Kirsti McNabney made the jump last year in more ways than one. She quit her job and started her own marketing business, and at the same time started a podcast, Thinking About, where she sits down with interesting people to help listeners level up their lives. And then she added in-person events so she could meet her community IRL.

We sat down with Kirsti to chat about how she did it, including how digital connection paved the way to joining a supportive community, how she got past her fear of doing something new, and why the balance between digital and classic connections can be the perfect mix. 

Cleo: You have social media accounts both for yourself and your marketing business, and for your podcast. What purpose do the accounts serve for each of your businesses? Do you find your social strategy differs a lot because of this?

Kirsti: On my personal account, I focus a lot on my life and go through phases of activity in stories, reels and posts. No matter what type of content I’m into at the time though, I’m on there daily connecting with my community. My podcast account is primarily for posting about new episodes. Over the last year, I’ve aimed to do one episode drop post and one reel a week to cover what is new but stay tuned for how I am reimagining both accounts over the next few months!

Cleo: What inspired you to start your podcast, Thinking About? What has the experience been like since you started? Is it what you imagined?

Kirsti: I had always wanted to start a podcast because I loved them so much as a listener and a creator. I’ve been listening to some of my favourite podcasts since 2015! I worried about having enough to say, and the idea of trying to understand the making of a podcast was really overwhelming to me. As I expanded the types of podcasts I listened to, I ended up looking into the ladies behind the Save Her Seat podcast (one of my favourites), and they had a line on their site that said to reach out if you wanted to know how to start a podcast. So one random night in 2021, I did just that! After I met with them, I felt like I finally had a clear view of what I needed to do to go from idea to launch, and I got to work.

After I got going, I wish I had started sooner. Although it is a ton of work, my passion for it and the creation process keeps me excited about every episode. After hitting my launch date goal, I was so inspired that I quit my full-time job and started working for myself full-time. The whole experience has been so amazing: I’ve met new friends, been introduced to work opportunities and have had the chance to share amazing stories of women doing great things. It’s become even more than I could have imagined and I can’t wait to keep iterating and growing with it.

Cleo: What kind of community have you been able to build through your social media channels?

Kirsti:  Community is super important to me – I am a strong believer in the power of your connections for both your personal and professional life. I’ve been on social and creating content through many different channels for so many years. Social specifically has really expanded my community of fellow entrepreneurs, which has been SO helpful as I have started to grow my own business. It’s in those spaces that I’m able to connect with people who are doing what I’m doing, find advice, learn and grow. I am also not afraid to hop into DMs, and it’s helped me get some really incredible people on my podcast too!

Cleo: You also produce some amazing in-person experiences through your own brand and also for others. How have you seen the digital community you’ve fostered come to life at in person events? 

Kirsti: The crossover from digital to real life is probably the coolest thing ever! Being a digital entrepreneur can sometimes feel isolating. As I went through my first year of it, I learned a lot about the power of finding your people and celebrating your wins. I was also going to a lot of weddings, showers, and baby showers at the time but found I was missing opportunities to celebrate the other big things that were happening in my life – like figuring out how to run a business. In talking to friends about it, I realized I wanted to be able to use my past event experience to host a space for people who were also feeling the way I was.

Kirsti: Stopping the scroll, LOL! I feel really invested in the work that I do for my clients and always want to make sure I’m on the ball with trends, engaging and developing new ideas. I am getting better at noticing when it’s time to take a break from my screen, but it isn’t always easy. I’m actively working to get better at it for my mental health.

Cleo: And a fun one to finish off, what’s your favourite way to take a break from work!? 

Kirsti: Definitely cooking for my friends, partner and family. Preferably a new fun recipe!