In conversation with Katie Zeppieri

Social entrepreneur speaking in Lindsay on March 1

Roderick Benns, Advocate publisher, connected with Katie Zeppieri, founder and chief brand strategist of The MicDrop Agency, before her much-anticipated breakfast event in Lindsay on March 1 to celebrate International Women’s Day. Zeppieri’s marketing company amplifies purpose-driven brands through event management, public relations, influencer marketing, and staffing. She was also the founder of GIRL TALK Speakers Bureau, which represented women who were innovators in their industry.
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Benns: Working with so many start-ups and entrepreneurs, what is the thing you most love about your work?

Zeppieri: It’s the opportunity to work with innovators, whether it’s startups, founders, executives – these are people who have big ideas for how they want to change the world. And it’s such an honour to be that marketing and PR partner who gets to help amplify those messages. We get to help take those brands to the next level to reach their target market, to get people to know and care and trust the inventions and ideas that our clients are bringing forward. I absolutely love that! It’s one of my favourite things about what I do.

Benns: Mentorship is an important aspect of who you are, such as when you were formerly running GIRL TALK. Would that be accurate?

Zeppieri: We should be seeking mentors to help guide us in our own career journey. We should also be looking for opportunities to be a mentor to those around us…essentially how can I offer some of my professional expertise? When I was working with young girls I felt they were so caught up in their image that they weren’t necessarily taking the time to worry about more important issues – like what kind of contribution do I want to make to the world? What do I want to be known for? My goal was to empower – particularly girls – to be leaders so they’d see they have the potential to make a significant difference.

Benns: What are a couple of career highlights for you?

Zeppieri: I think one of my biggest career highlights has been getting selected for the TED worldwide Talent Search in 2012. That was a big moment. I was flown to Vancouver and delivered my first-ever TED talk, in my early 20s. It was called Dear High School Me. It was like an open letter to my high school self, giving her the advice I would have wanted her to know. That’s been at the heart of my mission throughout my whole life.

I’m passionate about helping people rise to their full potential. For instance, at MicDrop, working with Kelly Chase from season one and Deepti Vempati from season two of Love is Blind has been incredible. Deepti was a really big star on the show. She has over a million followers on social and we helped her publish her book, led her book tour, and got this great profile built for her all around her core message, which was “I choose myself.” It’s a message worth spreading. And the same applies to our tech startup, entrepreneurs, or executives that we work with. I’m looking for people who really have something special and unique to contribute to the world.

We’re looking for ways to make a positive contribution and that’s really what I’m passionate about doing. That’s why I’m also excited to work with a purpose-driven media company like the Advocate and am looking forward to March 1!