Kate Cutler: Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of BKR

From a young age, Kate dreamed about being an attorney. Her dream did come true as she was an incredibly successful attorney for twelve years of her career. Growing up, Kate assumed that you only had one job for the rest of your life. As she grew up, she realized that was not the case and became passionate about pivoting her journey. Kate transitioned from being a lawyer to the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of a phenomenal company called BKR, whose purpose is to encourage our world people to stop using plastic bottles. BKR makes the cutest glass bottles I have ever seen. Kate shared a lot of insight from her startup journey and regardless of how tough things became, Kate was never tempted to give up. Her tenacity and optimism continue to inspire me every day!

When was the time you wanted to give up, and what made you persevere through it?

I have never been a person who thought about giving up. I have always just thought about what I could do to solve it. I think that is a part of my personality. When you have a startup, there are so many challenges and setbacks. There are just so many long days. When Tal and I started BKR, we were both lawyers, and we didn't have any background on what we were doing. It was a constant steep learning curve. What being a lawyer taught me was that you learn as much as you can, you do your research, you find mentors, and you ask for help. You never think about giving up. You just always think about what you can do to fix things.

What was the greatest risk you have ever taken? 

I was a lawyer at a big firm, and I had a corner office with a view. I had a secretary, and there is this certain lifestyle that you get used to. Giving all of that up and jumping into the unknown was the biggest risk I have taken. You do so much to become a lawyer. You put in all this time and energy, but I think it gave me a good foundation to what came next. There is a lot of value and skills that translated to my current career. If you want to make a change in your life, you just have to go for it. I felt like I did not want to be an attorney forever. Look at your boss’s job and if you do not want your boss’s job, then you are not in the right job because the idea is that you advance. 

What is the greatest factor that helped you get to where you are today?

I think having a foundation of a family and having a husband who is so believing in you. I feel like people have a lot of trouble when they do not have a supportive family when they are growing up. Since my childhood, I have had so much support from my family, and they helped build my self-esteem. 

What advice do you have for others who aspire to be entrepreneurs like you?

You have to truly believe in yourself and in your idea. You will face a lot of rejection throughout your journey. You need to do your research and understand the issues inside and out, so you can feel confident in yourself. If you're actually going to start a business, find someone to start it with. It is a really hard process and it can become really lonely. You will go through so many challenges. To have someone who is in it with you is really critical. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

You should understand your options more. I never realized how many jobs were really out there. I wish I did more career exploration and tried to talk to people from all different fields to really understand what is out there. 

What was the largest revelation you have had in your life? 

You never feel like you have it all figured out. When you are younger, you look at adults and you think that they have their lives all figured out. However,  I do not think you ever get to that place. You always have so much more to learn. Everyone is trying to make their life work, whether they are the CEO or an intern. Everyone is always learning.