Katie McAdams: Leading With Heart in Business and at Home

Katie McAdams is a force in the marketing world, but talk to her for five minutes and you’ll realize she’s just as grounded in family as she is in strategy. As a chief marketing officer and mom of two young children, she’s constantly navigating the push and pull between big ideas and bedtime stories, leading with clarity at work while staying deeply present at home.

Raised in a tight-knit Wisconsin family, Katie learned early the value of hard work and showing up for others. Her dad brought her to apply for her first job at a bakery the day she turned 15. She still remembers those pre-dawn shifts, proofing bagels before most of the town was awake. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was foundational.

That ethic — roll up your sleeves, take pride in what you do — carried her from media agencies to boardrooms. She was one of the first three employees at a startup that would eventually scale nationally, managing top-tier brands across automotive and entertainment along the way. Her path wasn’t always linear, but it was always forward. She built new teams, launched product divisions, and became known for turning ambiguity into opportunity.

But her most transformative leadership experience didn’t come with a title. It came with motherhood.

Redefining balance & success

Katie became a mom in her late 30s and early 40s after years of career wins, deep friendships, and a strong sense of self. And still, nothing prepared her for how deeply her children would reshape her.

“Motherhood,” she says, “has grounded me and sharpened my focus.”

Far rom slowing her down, becoming a parent helped her see more clearly what matters and what doesn’t.

She’s candid about the myth of work-life balance. “It doesn’t exist,” she says. “There’s no perfect equation.” Instead, she embraces flow. Some days are meetings and strategy decks; others are ice skating lessons or garden walks with her kids. Her goal isn’t to juggle it all but to be fully present wherever she is.

That philosophy guides her at work, too. As CMO, her leadership isn’t defined by checking boxes — it’s about creating clarity, building culture, and making space for others to grow. Letting go of the visible “output” she once relied on was a challenge. But now, she sees her success in the strength of her team, the boldness of the ideas they execute, and the environment she fosters.

Katie is also a fierce advocate for women in the workplace. Early in her career, she felt the pressure to blend in — “to be one of the guys.” But with time and confidence, she embraced her voice and her femininity. Vulnerability, she learned, isn’t weakness—it’s a bridge to trust. Today, mentoring women and championing their growth is one of the most meaningful parts of her role.

The garden as grounding

At home, Katie credits the women in her life — especially her mom and sister — for shaping the kind of mother she strives to be. Her sister, raising kids at the same time, is both a sounding board and a co-pilot in parenting. And her mother, a florist turned landscape designer, continues to show up as the steady presence every family needs: holding babies during sleepless nights, leading garden adventures, and infusing beauty into the everyday.That love of nature runs deep. On weekends, Katie can often be found outside with her kids, hands in the dirt, cultivating perennials and vegetables. “Gardening,” she says, “is both celebration and therapy.”

It’s in the garden, in those unhurried hours, where Katie reconnects—with the earth, with her children, with herself. And in that space between strategy and stillness, ambition and nurture, she lives out the kind of leadership that matters most.

One winter, they grew heirloom tomatoes from seed in their garage. It was a slow, patient process that paid off in sweet, juicy abundance months later. “In a world of instant gratification,” Katie reflects, “teaching my kids that something so good takes time feels like a gift.”

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