Simple Mills: Katlin Smith

Team Building

Building a team posed significant challenges for Katlin Smith as she navigated the complexities of hiring and managing a growing workforce. She candidly admits to initially struggling with hiring, often relying on intuition and assuming the best in people, which sometimes led to difficult decisions about letting team members go 1. Leadership, she learned, is not innate but developed through experience and often painful lessons. Katlin's journey included hiring a leadership coach to improve her skills and learning to trust her senior team members' expertise 2.

Leadership skills are something that's learned, and usually learned through a lot of pain, too.

--- Katlin Smith

Her story underscores the importance of evolving leadership skills and the value of mentorship in business growth.

   

Business School

Balancing business school with entrepreneurial duties was a challenging yet pivotal experience for Katlin. She prioritized her business over social and academic pursuits, which she believes was crucial for her success 3. Her time at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business was marked by a significant startup challenge win, which led to her first round of funding and a $35,000 prize 3.

I think it came down to the clarity of what comes first.

--- Katlin Smith

Despite the financial strain and the need for capital, Katlin's determination and strategic decisions, such as securing a $200,000 loan from her parents, were instrumental in keeping her business afloat 4.