Creating Beauty from Challenges: Katherine Klimitas' Story

Rich Bennett 0:00
Thanks for joining the conversation where we explore the stories and experiences that shape our world. I'm your host, Rich Bennett, and today we're joined by a truly inspiring artist and entrepreneur, Katherine Midas. Katherine is the talent behind KKR or Keck Art and Designs based in New Orleans. Despite living with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic bone disorder, she has carved out a successful career as a watercolor artist, graphic designer, and and an author. You have written a book. Okay. Catherine's journey from a passionate young artist to a businesswoman is a testament to her determination and creativity. So we're going to dive into her life's challenges and triumphs and explore how she transforms adversity into art. How you doing, Catherine? 

Katherine Klimitas 0:54
I'm good. How are you? 

Rich Bennett 0:55
I am doing awesome. It's just. Even though it's a little chilly up here today. I know. Than in New Orleans. I'm sure you're probably wet in the seventies. 

Katherine Klimitas 1:05
Yeah. I think it's supposed to hit eighties today. 

Rich Bennett 1:11
Yeah, we. I'm up here, man. We got to give you weather. So we got a high of 58 today. Woo hoo! 

Katherine Klimitas 1:17
Oh, Lord, that's called. 

Rich Bennett 1:20
Well, when I was down there in February, it was called. People were looking at me like I was weird because I was walking around jack jacket on. 

Katherine Klimitas 1:30
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I know all of you Northerners, when you come down here and you wear shorts and. Yeah, and, you know, t shirts in the winter and we're all in our, you know, winter coats. 

Rich Bennett 1:43
Okay, Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hold up. What do you mean? All you northerners. Correct me 

Katherine Klimitas 1:48
We 

Rich Bennett 1:48
if. 

Katherine Klimitas 1:48
have friends 

Rich Bennett 1:50
Correct me 

Katherine Klimitas 1:50
friends. 

Rich Bennett 1:50
if I'm wrong, but you were born right up the road from me, if I'm not mistaken. 

Katherine Klimitas 1:56
I was. I was. But I came down here when I was eight months old, so I don't remember any of it. 

So I was technically. But yeah, I've been here a very long time. I am well acclimated. 

Rich Bennett 2:13
So you can say you're you are truly a New Orleans woman. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:18
Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. 

Rich Bennett 2:20
We will 

Katherine Klimitas 2:21
For 

Rich Bennett 2:21
mention 

Katherine Klimitas 2:21
sure. 

Rich Bennett 2:21
that. We will mention that other place. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:23
No, no, no. It didn't last. 

Rich Bennett 2:28
Well, only eight months. I guess not. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:30
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 2:31
Ashley. Do you have any friends or family back here? 

Katherine Klimitas 2:36
Well, I there may be a couple of cousins, but I'm not. 

Rich Bennett 2:40
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:41
My it was my dad's family and it was very small. So, 

Rich Bennett 2:44
Oh, okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:44
um. Yeah, not. Not really. Um, my mom's family is all down here, so 

Rich Bennett 2:51
Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 2:52
that's. Yeah, so that's what I grew up around mostly. 

Rich Bennett 2:58
I have to ask you this, because when I went to New Orleans, I mean, I just the food. 

Katherine Klimitas 3:05
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 3:05
Odd. What is your favorite dish? 

Katherine Klimitas 3:09
Oh, my. That's a hard question. Um, I. I mean, I like. My favorite is boiled crabs. I love. 

Rich Bennett 3:19
I didn't get a chance to try then. 

Katherine Klimitas 3:21
Oh, it's my favorite. They take longer to eat because, you know, you have to really sit there and pick them. 

Rich Bennett 3:27
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 3:28
But their delicious softshell crabs are also delicious. You came during technically the beginning of crawfish season. 

Rich Bennett 3:39
And 

Katherine Klimitas 3:39
However. 

Rich Bennett 3:39
I got like, 

Katherine Klimitas 3:41
Klopp This season was terrible this year, so I mean, I'm sure you got some, but I mean the amount we paid for this this year was insane. 

Rich Bennett 3:51
I think. $20 a pound or something like that is ridiculous. 

Katherine Klimitas 3:55
Yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy. Um, but, yeah, I, I like, I like broiled seafood, but I like, you know, I love jambalaya and I love. I love gumbo, but I'm picky because my mom is Cajun and so. 

Rich Bennett 4:11
But. 

Katherine Klimitas 4:13
I know when they come by and things like that. So I rarely get it in restaurants because I'm, you know, we're we're very picky about that. But yeah. 

Rich Bennett 4:25
The main two main things I wanted when I was down there food wise was boiled crabs because, you know, up here we steam them and I've never. 

Katherine Klimitas 4:33
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 4:34
I never had a boy I wanted to try. Didn't get a chance to get that. I've had crawdads or crawfish, whatever you call them before, but I've never had crawfish pie. And I got that when I was. 

Katherine Klimitas 4:44
Why was five? 

Rich Bennett 4:45
Oh. Oh, God. It was also. I was. I was in. 

I was in heaven. 

Katherine Klimitas 4:52
Yeah. Yeah, that's a good one. 

Oh, yeah. That's good to. 

Rich Bennett 4:59
So with the art, because we went to French Quarters and in the French, French street market or French, the market down there. 

Katherine Klimitas 5:08
Frenchman. 

Rich Bennett 5:10
Yeah. And. 

Katherine Klimitas 5:11
Oh, the French market. The French. 

Rich Bennett 5:13
The French market, Right? Jacksonville Square. That's what I'm thinking of the other place. The and the art down there just blew me away. I was amazed. And actually, for all of you listening, I want you to do me a favor. Before we go any further, go to k a k art Nola nola dot com. And I want you to look at Katherine's art while I'm talking to her, because you're just going to be blown away. By how good her art is. So when we're done, it's one of the things that amazed me was all the artists and all the the beautiful art everywhere. When did you actually get into art? 

Katherine Klimitas 5:59
And so I as you mentioned, I have a genetic bone disease that basically it causes my bones to grow abnormally and break really easily. So I had actually broken over 500 bones by the time I was ten. So so it gives you a little better idea. But so when I was old enough to go to school, my parents had to figure out, you know, what I was going to do. And, um, I was smart. And down here, you know, I'm not sure what it's like all over the country, but down here, when you're in a wheelchair and you look at, like, special ed type schools, you're 

Rich Bennett 6:40
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 6:40
looking at schools where they're catering to people with mental disabilities. And that wasn't me. And so. 

Rich Bennett 6:48
So not not physical disabilities just meant. 

Katherine Klimitas 6:50
Not really. I mean, they have. 

Rich Bennett 6:52
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 6:54
But more. I mean, you know, nine times out of ten, they have a mental disability also. 

Rich Bennett 6:59
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:00
And so, um, you know, I would be bored to death like that would 

Rich Bennett 7:05
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:05
never work for me. And so my parents put me in a regular school with kids that were not disabled. And, you know, of course, my brain was used really well there, but I couldn't always do everything my friends did, you know, I couldn't 

Rich Bennett 7:20
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:20
always, like, go out and play soccer and all their sports and all that. And so when I was about five, um, I, I got bored really easily too, as a child and still do today. Um, my mom was constantly trying to find things for me to do because 

Rich Bennett 7:38
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:38
I was driving her nuts and so I, she gave me my birth water colors that when I was five and, you know, it was one of those T kids watercolor. 

Rich Bennett 7:50
The paint by number ones. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:51
Yeah. Yeah. I 

Rich Bennett 7:52
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:52
mean, it was nothing fancy, and I mean, I blew through it like I loved it. I blew through. 

Rich Bennett 7:57
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 7:57
And then she says, you know, she was like, well, she likes it. And I actually was pretty good at it, even as a five year old and then so she got me into more art stuff and, you know, eventually I got art in school, but then I also did every summer camp in the, you know, 30 mile radius. And, um, and then I, you know, they also hired several different private art teachers for me. So I got to learn all kinds of different media, but I was. 

Rich Bennett 8:32
Right? 

Katherine Klimitas 8:32
A teenager. Um, so yeah, I got really into it and it was great because when my friends were out doing things that I couldn't do, I still had something to do, 

Rich Bennett 8:44
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 8:44
which was good and even better. Um, my parents were veterinarians. My mom is still practicing today. Um, but I would have to go to work with them on the weekends. And again, I would be bored, so I would bring my paints and sit in the waiting room. And while their clients were waiting for them, I would treat their pets just because I was bored and I would just do it. And so eventually people started paying me to do that. Like eventually, you know. Yeah, they if they had to go, you know, to their appointment, they say, Oh, well, let me get you a picture of whatever animal. 

Rich Bennett 9:25
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 9:26
And you know, I'll pay you 20 bucks or 40 bucks or whatever it was, you know, to meet them. And, you know, when you're making that as a ten, 11 year olds 

Rich Bennett 9:38
It's not. 

Katherine Klimitas 9:39
and your friends are. Yeah. I mean, that's pretty cool. 

Rich Bennett 9:42
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 9:43
And so I started in high school. I really started doing pet portraits like, like seriously, like I actually really started making it into a business and continued through college and. Yeah, 

Rich Bennett 9:58
These. 

Katherine Klimitas 9:58
so. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 9:59
I'm looking at the pet portraits now on your website. These things are and these are all watercolor. 

Another. These are no longer paint by number. Right. You. 

Katherine Klimitas 10:09
No, no. 

Rich Bennett 10:11
You. You. You're looking at the pet or. Or a picture of the pet. And you're doing it that. Amazing. 

Katherine Klimitas 10:19
Well. 

Rich Bennett 10:20
These things, you 

know? My God. 

Katherine Klimitas 10:26
Yeah, that's a lot of fun. I 

Rich Bennett 10:28
Through 

Katherine Klimitas 10:28
mean. 

Rich Bennett 10:29
talent. 

Katherine Klimitas 10:30
So I pretty much since then, I pretty much only paint animals. They're what I love. And, you know, I, I grew up in a house where we never did. I mean, I've never not had a pet. 

Rich Bennett 10:42
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 10:43
In my life, I have never not had at least three pets at one time, at least. I mean, right now we have five dogs. So, you know, and. 

Rich Bennett 10:53
You have How many dogs? 

Katherine Klimitas 10:56
And hopefully you won't hear them tonight, but we'll see. You know, we can get you a little up to a point, but they bark occasionally. Um. But yeah, I mean, I've never and, and what was really interesting is my dad, um, my dad's practice was not in a good area town and, and so it was by an area we call the projects, which was just an area where, you know, it was not a good area. And so the people that lived there would have other animals besides dogs and cats. You know, sometimes they would have snakes, sometimes they would have lizards, sometimes they would have, um, you know, 

Rich Bennett 11:41
Exotic. 

Katherine Klimitas 11:41
ferrets. Yeah, some kind of exotic animal. And so his theory was that if you're going to treat it, you should own it once so that you know how the animal works. So we had I mean, we had to think we only had two snakes, three snakes, two iguanas. Um, and what do you call it? A savannah monitor, a bearded dragon geckos, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs. I mean, like birds. We've had cockatiels. I mean, we've had many different types of animals, so. And I love to go to the zoo. When I was little, I a lot. 

Rich Bennett 12:26
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 12:27
So, I mean, I was raised around animals, so it makes sense that that's basically all I do today. 

Rich Bennett 12:34
I would love that. 

Katherine Klimitas 12:37
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 12:37
I love animals, but when you talk about snakes and lizards and especially birds. Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 12:44
Oh, yeah. Yeah. We never owned a big bird, you know, like a parrot. 

Rich Bennett 12:49
Right? 

Katherine Klimitas 12:50
Just because they are so much work. Um, just, 

Rich Bennett 12:55
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 12:55
I mean, you know, they, they bond to one person and then they live forever. You know, is there like it is? We've pretty much said, no, that's not going to be a good a good pet for us. Um, but, but we did have cockatiels and parakeets and stuff like that. 

Rich Bennett 13:13
Okay. So with your pet portraits. First of all, I got to I got to ask is there's one question, because these are these animals on here, these pets, a lot of them with. Like, I mean, a ton of hair and all the different colors. How long does it take you to paint something like that? 

Katherine Klimitas 13:34
It depends on the size. The smaller ones, the five by sevens are usually about two days. The. 

Rich Bennett 13:40
The way. 

Katherine Klimitas 13:42
Yeah. The bigger ones are somewhere between four and five days. Usually. 

Rich Bennett 13:45
Oh, come on. 

Katherine Klimitas 13:47
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 13:48
Here he is. 

Katherine Klimitas 13:49
I mean, I do it a lot. You know, I have a system. I, 

Rich Bennett 13:52
Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 13:52
you know, I, I enjoy it. And I, I, you know, I'm passionate about it and all that. But when you do something a lot, you get, you know. Yeah. You get a system and you get good at it. And, you know, um, I, I always say like. There's always an equation at the beginning of a painting to figuring out what works for the hair of that particular animal. You know, but then once you figure out the color combination of what's going to work and the and the stroke shape. I mean, you just repeat it basically, you know. So 

Rich Bennett 14:32
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 14:33
but yeah, I mean, I enjoy it. I guess I know how much my pets mean to me. 

Rich Bennett 14:38
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 14:39
So, you know, I try to put that into other people's heads. 

Rich Bennett 14:44
And now it's a full time business for you, right? 

Katherine Klimitas 14:46
It is. I so I, um. I ended up majoring in graphic design when I went to college because, 

Rich Bennett 14:55
Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 14:56
well, so originally I was going to major in fine art. Um, but I realize how much art I would have to put out physically to make. 

Rich Bennett 15:06
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 15:07
Living on my art and and physically that that doesn't work for me. You know, I can't always like I've had to take the week off from taking this week because my arm is just exhausted. Like, I just. I had to stop. I mean, you can't do that if that's what you're living on. And so, um, I said, well, I, I went through my freshman year, which was basically like all the pre wrecks and the pre wrecks were the same for graphic design and blind art. And so I said, Well, I'm going to just switch to graphic design because at least it's still creative, you know, I'm still having to use the creative part of my brain, but I can market it more commercially. 

Rich Bennett 15:50
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 15:52
Logos and and like, there's never not going to be a job for a graphic designer, especially now with social media management. You know, I'm always going to find clients. And and so that's what I did. And so my business today is kind of split in half. So I do design a lot and I do have like a set number of clients that I keep for design and then I do painting also. 

Rich Bennett 16:20
Okay, Wait a minute. Now. Hmm? Because on your Web site, under graphic design. 

Katherine Klimitas 16:26
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 16:26
I see. I see sticks. 

Katherine Klimitas 16:29
Uh huh. Yeah, that was fun. That's not the biggest one, though. Um. Yeah, that was fun. That. So I had a lady who, um, worked out of Georgia, and she was like a marketing management company. And I knew her through another band, and she got the opportunity to work with Stax, which was. 

Rich Bennett 16:49
Oh, wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 16:51
Yeah. And so any social media stuff they needed, I designed for like a year or so and it was, it is fun. Um, I never got to meet them. I did get a free. 

Rich Bennett 17:03
Yet. 

Katherine Klimitas 17:04
Free tickets, but they put on a great show. I mean, there are still good. 

Rich Bennett 17:08
Oh, yeah. I don't think Tommy Shaw ages. 

Katherine Klimitas 17:12
He really doesn't. 

Rich Bennett 17:14
He's got a little bit while I want to say it's grades like mine, his his Arctic blonde. 

Katherine Klimitas 17:19
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 17:20
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 17:23
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 17:23
So I. 

So the graphic design pet portraits and something else that you do because and correct me if I'm wrong, you're very sociable, aren't you? 

Katherine Klimitas 17:36
I try to be. 

Most days I am, Yeah. Um, well, here's the thing. Like I am. So there's there's two reasons for that, I think. One is that I grew up with adults around me all the time. Because I had to, right? I mean, I. I was never without an aid or my parents or my parents friends or, you know, any of the. Right. And of course, both of my parents had a whole staff at the office and I was around them, you know, So I was never. 

Rich Bennett 18:11
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 18:11
Not around adults. So I learned how to talk to them at an early age, you know, And then. And the second thing is I live at home and I work at home. So like any time that I can go out and not be at home and be like. My house with other people. Kind of exciting, you know? 

Rich Bennett 18:37
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 18:38
So yeah. So yeah, 

Rich Bennett 18:40
So. 

Katherine Klimitas 18:40
I try to be I mean, there are days where I'm not, but. 

Rich Bennett 18:44
Right. We all have those days that's allowed. But what led you into public speaking? 

Katherine Klimitas 18:54
I I've had several people over the course of my life tell me I should get into it, because I do have an interesting story. You know, it's not it's not like a lot of people's. 

Rich Bennett 19:09
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 19:09
I have. If you are on my website, you'll see that one of the interesting things about me is that I weigh down the pain. And so I take from a very different perspective, literally and figuratively. And so and I lay down a lot of things like I weigh down. Draw and type and work and all that. And so people are fascinated by that because that's not normal for them. 

Rich Bennett 19:38
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 19:39
It's relatively normal for me, but it's not normal for them. So, um, people just are interested in it. And I think and this kind of goes along with my book, but I also think that it's great for people to see somebody who has a visible challenge and still works and contributes and, you know, does the thing you're supposed to do and society. Um. 

Rich Bennett 20:07
Yes. 

Katherine Klimitas 20:09
And I say a visible challenge because everybody has them, right? I mean, whether it's a mental disability, physical disability. You take care of somebody sick. You have financial issues. You know, you have fertility issues, whatever, whatever it is. Like, everybody has something. But you can see mine. So. So it makes it a little easier to understand. 

Rich Bennett 20:34
So with the public. Here's here's the thing that. Thank God for the Internet and I think during COVID. A lot of people got to think outside the box. Well, I'm. 

Katherine Klimitas 20:47
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 20:48
A lot of your a lot of people fall outside of the box. And to me, it was a blessing because it was a blessing. I know that sounds strange to say, but it was because. 

Katherine Klimitas 21:01
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 21:01
Grow and with you, because you can do the public speaking. You're doing the public speaking, you're selling your art through your website. Right? People. 

Katherine Klimitas 21:15
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 21:16
Was the book? Did you do the book during COVID or after? 

Katherine Klimitas 21:20
No, no, no, no. It was before It was. 

Rich Bennett 21:22
Before. Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 21:23
It actually started as my college senior thesis so 

Rich Bennett 21:27
Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 21:28
I. Yeah, so I. Let me try to tell this in a short way. My professors, when we went to do our final projects, what they said was you have to create a project that something you can show at the end of the year in a in a show like in an art show. And it has to be something only you can create. And that was it. Like, that's the only, like, guidance we got at the beginning and we had to present to them three ideas. One of mine was this book called Looking Up. And I basically they wanted me to write a day like about my life, right? About 

Rich Bennett 22:09
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 22:09
my perspective, about all the things we're talking about right now. And, um, and I did photography for it, and I designed it, of course, because I was in graphic design and. So my I showed it at the end of the year. I had like a day in my life set up video to that I put with it and, um, it worked out really well. I actually had a local publisher publish it after I graduated. 

Rich Bennett 22:40
Oh, wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 22:40
Well, you know, we had it at an editorial and so. 

Rich Bennett 22:43
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 22:44
Actually available on Amazon. Um, but yeah, it, uh, it was, yeah, that was back in 2011. I mean, that 

Rich Bennett 22:52
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 22:52
was a ways back. 

Rich Bennett 22:55
So explained book breed all about us. 

Katherine Klimitas 22:58
Okay, So that book. 

Rich Bennett 23:00
I love the title. 

Katherine Klimitas 23:02
Yeah. My. 

Rich Bennett 23:03
Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 23:05
My neighbor's kid came up with that, actually. Um, which he will remind me of. $80 million. But, um, we, uh. So I. Okay, let me back up a little bit. When I do my art, like my wild animal art. I put it on a lot of products to sell it on a lot of products. So it's on pillows and blankets and towels and all kinds of things that you can buy in my Etsy store. Okay. 

Rich Bennett 23:36
Smart. 

Katherine Klimitas 23:36
So I would go to shows like I would put all these shows and 

I would I get asked for dogs. Like, do you paint dogs? Know, do you have a dog on a club? And that is one of my dogs. You have a dog on a club? Do you have a dog? Do you have a pug on a pillow? Whatever. I say no, because at the time, I mean, I was only treating people's dogs like specific pets. Right. And I don't reproduce those. And so I would I would tell no. Well, then I said, Well, I'm going to just pay the top tab. Right. Like a lab. The poodle, you know, all the ones that people are asking me for, all the time. So I do that. But but it turned into like I mean, it eventually turned into 64 instead of ten. But yeah, but I mean, it turned into more pretty quickly. And I have a friend who is also an artist who came over one day and saw the progress and she was like, You need to turn this into a book. But I had already written a book. I didn't want to write a book again. It's a lot of work and I'm not a writer like I can write, but I don't like. It's not my thing. 

Rich Bennett 24:57
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 24:57
And my neighbor. It just so happened I just quit her job in law and she wanted to do creative writing. Like, she just she just wanted to try it. She could take some time off for a little while and asked if she could write it with me. And I was like, Well, yeah, you have to submit some examples. But your and what she submitted was really cool because it was told from the dog's perspective. And so. 

Rich Bennett 25:28
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 25:29
Yeah. So it's really cute. So like, she happened to have a beagle at the time. 

Rich Bennett 25:34
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 25:35
He submitted a paragraph for the Beagle that was just perfect, you know? And it was it was it was a really good balance of facts. Like, you know, the beagle is this big and this, you know, whatever this color and, you know, like hard facts, but combined with, you know, what she experienced as owning one, which is which is cool. So what we ended up doing, what she ended up doing was interviewing people who owned each of these breeds in order to get the information for the book. So it's really cute. It's really cute. Like we up and she talks about the Saint Bernard eating like if you if you leave me alone too long, I might eat your couch because the person didn't do that. She came home one day and the dog had literally eaten her couch. You know. 

Rich Bennett 26:36
So this sounds like it would be a book for all ages. 

Katherine Klimitas 26:39
It is. It is. And kids love it, like 

Rich Bennett 26:42
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 26:42
because players go through you know, obviously, I illustrated the whole thing. The kids go through and they're like, Oh, that was like my dog and that looks like that dog. And, you know, and they love it. So it's it's a lot of fun. It's a cute little coffee table book. 

Rich Bennett 26:57
Okay, So this because I thought this was the only book you've written, but the book you were talking about before was something different. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:05
Yeah. So that's just about me. That's. 

Rich Bennett 27:08
And that's on Amazon. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:09
I think it is. They both are. 

Rich Bennett 27:11
Okay, So what's what's the name of the first book? 

Katherine Klimitas 27:16
The first book is called Looking Up. 

Rich Bennett 27:19
Oh, okay. And that's a it's a memoir, more or less. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:24
Yeah. More or less. More or 

Rich Bennett 27:26
Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:26
less. 

Rich Bennett 27:27
All right. So those of you listening, when you go to her website and you buy both of the books after you read them, make sure you leave a full review on Goodreads, Amazon, all that be. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:38
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 27:39
It's going to drive the algorithm up. And and actually, while you're there, you might as well buy some portraits. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:45
There you go. 

Rich Bennett 27:47
Other. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:47
And if you if you go 

Rich Bennett 27:49
Closed. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:49
to. Yeah. Go to my Etsy link. There's an Etsy link on my website. If 

Rich Bennett 27:54
Yes. 

Katherine Klimitas 27:54
you. That you'll find a lot of stuff. 

Rich Bennett 27:58
So despite the challenges you faced. What do you believe are the key factors that have actually contributed to your success as an entrepreneur? 

Katherine Klimitas 28:10
Oh, I mean, my parents for sure. Um, I you know, my parents, first of all, I never got away with anything. I mean, very rarely did I get away with something. 

Rich Bennett 28:22
Oh, my. 

Katherine Klimitas 28:22
If I got away with something, it was because of my dad, not because of my mom, for sure. 

Rich Bennett 28:28
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 28:30
And. Yeah. I mean, they just they didn't, you know, I never was entitled to anything, you know? I mean, that's not the mindset 

Rich Bennett 28:40
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 28:40
that. Me left. And so and they raised me. I watched them work. I mean, they both owned businesses. And it's hard to own a. You know, let alone two in one 

Rich Bennett 28:54
Is. 

Katherine Klimitas 28:54
family. And and, you know, I watched them do it. So I just I mean, you know, I just did it because that's what they did. You know? 

Rich Bennett 29:07
Yeah, it's great. We have parents that have that entrepreneurial spirit as well. 

I think it trickles down. At least I've seen in my family and a lot of other people I know as well. Yeah, they just. 

Katherine Klimitas 29:23
Yeah, definitely. 

Rich Bennett 29:23
Airspace 

Katherine Klimitas 29:23
I mean. 

Rich Bennett 29:24
on. 

Katherine Klimitas 29:25
And there are advantages in that. Yeah, there are advantages and disadvantages, right? I 

Rich Bennett 29:30
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 29:30
mean. You know, you own your own business. Yes. Technically, you set your own schedule, but really you work all the time. I mean, you don't you know, you're not taking a whole lot of time off. Right. But, you know, you work a 9 to 5. You work 9 to 5, and then you go home and you're off. But it's harder to take off days during the week. I mean, you know, there's like I said, there's advantages and disadvantages, but 

Rich Bennett 29:54
Yeah, 

Katherine Klimitas 29:55
I like 

Rich Bennett 29:55
well, 

Katherine Klimitas 29:55
it. 

Rich Bennett 29:56
and I think I think that's where a lot of people myself up that want to start their own business is they they want to get out of the corporate world because they want to work less hours. Well, if you're. Be prepared to work more hours. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:11
Exactly. 

Rich Bennett 30:12
No matter, 

Katherine Klimitas 30:13
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 30:13
especially if you're a solopreneur. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:15
Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. You're not working less hours. 

Rich Bennett 30:19
No. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:19
You're working all the time and you're doing every job. 

Rich Bennett 30:23
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:24
The beginning. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 30:25
But I think one of the things that you do learn is how to whereas in the corporate world, you're working hard. I think as an entrepreneur, you learn real quick. Hopefully you learn real quick how to work smarter. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:41
Yeah. I mean, you have to. 

Rich Bennett 30:43
Oh, yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:44
You have to and you and you figure out how to build a around you that that help you do that. 

Rich Bennett 30:52
Yes. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:54
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 30:54
Yeah, without 

Katherine Klimitas 30:54
And you're going 

Rich Bennett 30:55
a doubt. 

Katherine Klimitas 30:55
to. People that you're going to go through, people that you think are great and then they're not. You know, I mean, everybody does it, you know. 

Rich Bennett 31:05
So you remind me a lot of very good friend of mine when he was younger. He was he was confined to a bed and. He? I set up a computer for him. He was always taking college courses. He loved astronomy. 

He had me getting into fantasy sports. And he never stopped, no matter what. 

Katherine Klimitas 31:31
Awesome. 

Rich Bennett 31:32
He just kept on going. He didn't want to stop it to me. He was like an inspiration to me because I always, you know, if I was having a bad day right away, I would go As I orient, I need to go talk to Patty because I know he's going to set my ass straight and he. He's like, Rich, I'm here, Big. Come on, man. You're big. But what is? 

Katherine Klimitas 31:55
Right. 

Rich Bennett 31:56
What advice would you actually give to young artists or even entrepreneurs who also may be dealing with physical challenges? 

Katherine Klimitas 32:07
I mean, honestly, for me, it's just you just keep working at it. I mean, eventually something is going to something is going to give somewhere. And I mean, I'm at a point in my business right now where I'm basically saying that to myself every day because it's just I mean, I've had some clients change over in graphic design and. I have a big show at the end of the year that I'm trying to get ready for. And it's just, you know, when. Part of the problem with artists specifically is when you're painting for a show, you're not going to I mean, even if you're going to sell your work at the show, you're not going to make any money till the show. 

Rich Bennett 32:52
Mm hmm. 

Katherine Klimitas 32:53
At all. And in fact, 

Rich Bennett 32:55
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 32:55
you have to. You have to pay without being paid. And you have to pay to frame everything ahead of time. So it's hard. Right. So financially, like, that's very difficult. I mean, I'm I love I don't do that often, but like a lot of artists do this. I'm running a go fund me right now to frame all of these paintings because, I mean, there's like 50 paintings. And custom framing is very expensive. You know, Um, and so it's, uh, I mean, it's going to, I think it's going to be about 50 paintings. So anyway, so like. I know that the show is going to go well. You know, like I say, this is focusing on Louisiana animals and it's in a part of Louisiana where it's it's going to go well. But you have to get to that point, 

Rich Bennett 33:52
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 33:52
you know, And so I just keep trying stuff, you know, like I've changed the way I'm doing some of my social media. I've changed the way even my schedule during the days, during the weeks, like I'm trying to make sense of it. I give myself a couple of days to paint. We're I'm not working on design at all, and I'm just painting because otherwise I don't get anything done, which, you know, is frustrating. Um. 

Rich Bennett 34:22
You're not giving up. 

Katherine Klimitas 34:24
You just don't give up. You just. And if something's not working, you just try something else, 

Rich Bennett 34:29
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 34:29
you know? And eventually something's going to work. It just takes some time sometimes. 

Rich Bennett 34:35
Sometimes you got to fail to succeed 

Katherine Klimitas 34:38
That's right. 

Rich Bennett 34:39
and. 

Katherine Klimitas 34:39
That's right. There is a there's a line. I'm a huge fan of Sugarland. It's a it's a band for. 

Rich Bennett 34:45
Uh huh. 

Katherine Klimitas 34:46
We don't know. And actually it's a band they have not sworn in years. They're touring at the end of this year. I'm 

Rich Bennett 34:52
Oh. 

Katherine Klimitas 34:53
so excited. But anyway, 

they there's a line in one of their songs that says sometimes you got to lose, so you win. And I mean, it's totally true. Like, sometimes you lose lose, and then eventually you win. You know? 

Rich Bennett 35:08
The main thing is to learn from it. 

Katherine Klimitas 35:11
Right. 

Rich Bennett 35:12
And. 

Katherine Klimitas 35:12
But. 

Rich Bennett 35:13
Don't. Don't. You know, just don't delve into it and be like, Oh, God, I did this wrong. Think a prime example is during COVID. We mentioned it before a lot of people. 

Katherine Klimitas 35:27
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 35:27
Outside of the box. That's one of the things that's frustrating me right now. Well, you see it with the economy, an inflationary thing, you're starting to see businesses shut down. My thing is covert was a lot worse. 

Well, because you couldn't go anywhere unless you were. 

Katherine Klimitas 35:46
Right. 

Rich Bennett 35:48
Essential. Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 35:50
Right. 

Rich Bennett 35:51
And you thought outside the box and you figured a way to stay open. Do that now. But I think one of the things I've seen where a lot of businesses messed up after COVID and you work from home. I work from home. I seen a lot of small businesses decide to get a brick and mortar place. 

Katherine Klimitas 36:12
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 36:13
They didn't need it. It's like if you don't have. Coming in. You don't need 

Katherine Klimitas 36:18
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 36:18
a. 

Katherine Klimitas 36:18
Why do you need that angry? I mean. I agree. I was already kind of set up for that. The only thing I mean, what was hard for me is that I had kind of built a business model also around doing these art parties where 

Rich Bennett 36:36
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 36:36
I'm bringing my art into somebody's home. And it's kind of like a like a Tupperware party, right? 

Rich Bennett 36:43
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 36:43
Like, I bring I bring my stuff in. They invite all their friends and their family. We have a party because it's Louisiana, you know. Any excuse. Right. And so, you know, we have food and drinks and whatever, whatever they want to have. And then they get a certain percentage of what I make 

Rich Bennett 37:02
That's 

Katherine Klimitas 37:02
as 

Rich Bennett 37:02
a great 

Katherine Klimitas 37:02
a. 

Rich Bennett 37:02
idea. 

Katherine Klimitas 37:03
Corey Yeah, it's fun. And I like it because, um, you know, it's outside my house, I. 

Rich Bennett 37:10
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 37:11
Meet people and I feel like in my. Because. Because. Yes, I'm an artist. I'm a graphic designer. But I'm. People are buying my work not just because it's good, but because I did it. So I went. 

Rich Bennett 37:28
Hold up, hold up. Wait a minute now, Catherine. Your work, your art is not good. 

Katherine Klimitas 37:34
Yes. 

Rich Bennett 37:35
Your art is freakin awesome. 

Katherine Klimitas 37:38
Well, thank you. But I find that when I actually meet people. 

Rich Bennett 37:44
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 37:44
That's when I do better, right? Because then you create this relationship with people and, you know, you get to actually talk to them and learn a little bit about them. They learn about you. I mean, it's just it just works better. You know, so finding a way to do that online is harder. You know, I mean, there are ways to do it, and I've had to implement some of those. But it's it's harder. 

Rich Bennett 38:11
Yeah. Yeah. But that's a that's a I've never heard of an artist doing that. That's a great idea. Going into homes and doing a home party and selling your stuff. I mean, and it just made me think because of all the authors I get on here, it'd be a good thing for authors to do as well. Why not? You know, you do it for book clubs. 

Katherine Klimitas 38:33
Yeah. I mean, it's fun. Yeah, this is fun. I mean. So I started doing that because my grandparents, um, they live about 2 hours away from us. And like, Cajun. Cajun. 

They started doing it for me when I was about 15 in their home with their group of friends. And I mean and I grew up with their group of friends, so I knew a lot of the people, but it got so big in like in their homes. And so many people wanted to bring so many people every year because we started doing it annually that we had to move it, like I had to move it out of their homes because it just got to the point where I was like, okay, I'm not comfortable having people I don't know in my grandparents home, you know? So we ended up moving it. 

Rich Bennett 39:25
Yeah, it's understandable. 

Katherine Klimitas 39:28
Yeah. Yeah. And but that's, that's how it starts. 

Rich Bennett 39:31
Certainly understandable. 

Interesting. I think you may have just sparked some. I think your idea hopefully sparks some interest in other artists and authors because that's a that's a hell of an idea. That's a great idea. It's something. And this irritates the hell out of me, too. And if I piss anybody off by saying this, I'm sorry. But a lot of artists and a lot of authors that I met do not look at their. They don't consider it a business. 

Katherine Klimitas 40:08
That's very true. 

Rich Bennett 40:09
But yet they're trying to stop. 

Katherine Klimitas 40:12
So here's 

yeah, here's the problem. Like they they want to just do the art and I get that like I. 

Rich Bennett 40:21
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 40:23
Art, I, i, I completely understand that. However, um, that doesn't work. You can't do that. I mean. 

Rich Bennett 40:31
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 40:32
Can't do that and expect to make a living. If you just do the art, then it's a hobby. It's not a job, it's not a business. And that's fine if that's what you want to do and you don't expect to sell it, that's okay. But if you want to sell it and you want to live on it, then you have to do the business side. 

Rich Bennett 40:52
Yeah. So. So what is next for CEC? Art and design. 

Katherine Klimitas 40:57
Well, what is next? Well, I have this big show at the end of the year, so I'm getting ready for that. 

I, I mean, I have my design clients. Um, I am. I am trying to kind of move more to the art side and less of a. But I mean. If it happens, it happens. I mean, you know, it's it's one of those. Like, I'm kind of happy with the balance I have right now. 

Rich Bennett 41:26
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 41:27
I am trying to increase my public speaking days just because it's something that. Is it 

physically difficult for me. So like, you know, I mean, I just get there and talk. Right. So that's not. Not physically hard. Um, and I can make a little bit of money doing it, which is nice. And I get to meet people, which is awesome. 

Rich Bennett 41:54
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 41:55
I like that part. You know, so I'm trying to increase that. So if anybody's listening and they need a speaker for an event, you can reach out through my website and 

Rich Bennett 42:07
You'll 

Katherine Klimitas 42:07
let 

Rich Bennett 42:07
travel 

Katherine Klimitas 42:07
me know. 

Rich Bennett 42:07
to travel to other states and everything. 

Katherine Klimitas 42:11
Yeah, I mean, there'll be a travel fee, 

Rich Bennett 42:13
Well, 

Katherine Klimitas 42:13
but. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 42:14
yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 42:16
I'd actually done. I'd actually done a. Speaking engagements on Zoom. They have gone really well. You know, 

Rich Bennett 42:24
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 42:24
I've done like for libraries and classes and things like that, and they've gone really well. 

Rich Bennett 42:30
You know what I thought? I think this would be great idea. I think Sugarland should have you get up on stage and talk before they perform. 

Katherine Klimitas 42:40
Oh, Lord, no. That's okay. 

Now, because that night is going to be the night is just going to be me having fun. That that is my hobby. Like my hobby is going to see live music. 

Rich Bennett 42:54
Oh, really? 

Katherine Klimitas 42:55
Yeah. So I don't, um. Yeah, I don't want to mess with that. 

Rich Bennett 43:00
All right. Well, in that case, I will, because I'm being a deejay and playing in bands. Before I have to ask you this. And I know you can't have it can't be just one. So name some of your favorite concerts that you've been to. 

Katherine Klimitas 43:19
Concerns. Okay, Well, I grew up on country music. So I but but I also grew up on like my parents music, which is like seventies mostly. Um, so I mean, Garth Brooks is. 

Rich Bennett 43:34
Awesome in concert. 

Katherine Klimitas 43:36
I mean, one of the best performers I have ever seen hands down in my entire life. Incredible. 

Rich Bennett 43:44
So here's a little trivia for you. Do you know who one of his main influences were was for his stage performances? 

Katherine Klimitas 43:54
I don't. 

Rich Bennett 43:55
Kiss. 

Katherine Klimitas 43:57
That makes sense. 

Rich Bennett 43:58
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 43:59
Yeah, I can see that. 

Rich Bennett 44:00
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:00
That makes sense. That makes sense, because I like what's great about him is that he doesn't need all the pyrotechnics and. 

Rich Bennett 44:08
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:09
It's great. Like it's he's great on his own, you know? I love how. 

Rich Bennett 44:14
Hell of a show. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:15
Yeah, he's incredible. Um, as far as, like, the performance and staging and the production, we saw Queen with Adam Lambert a few years ago, and that production is unbelievable. 

Rich Bennett 44:32
Really? 

Katherine Klimitas 44:32
I mean, Oh, my God, the stage. And I mean, Adam Lambert has an incredible voice. 

Rich Bennett 44:38
Oh, yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:38
I mean, he's not ready. He's not Freddie Mercury, but, like, 

Rich Bennett 44:41
Nobody. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:41
says 

Rich Bennett 44:42
Freddie 

Katherine Klimitas 44:42
it. 

Rich Bennett 44:42
Mercury. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:43
And he says that during the show, he's like, you know, I love this music. I'm singing it, but I'm not Freddie Mercury. I'm doing it like me, you know? 

Rich Bennett 44:52
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:52
And. 

Rich Bennett 44:53
Which is good. 

Katherine Klimitas 44:55
It is that production was fabulous. Um, I. Yeah, I loved Fleetwood Mac. They were great. Um, I'm trying to think. I mean, my. My favorite bands are probably Sugarland and Little Big Town, just because 

Rich Bennett 45:13
All 

Katherine Klimitas 45:14
they're so incredibly talented and they're some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. 

Rich Bennett 45:19
right. 

Katherine Klimitas 45:19
I mean, just kind of good, you know, down to earth people. 

Rich Bennett 45:25
Are there are there any musicians that you were able to meet that you haven't met? 

Katherine Klimitas 45:30
Then I haven't or have not. 

Rich Bennett 45:32
Yeah. Now. Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 45:34
Yeah. No, I mean, 

Rich Bennett 45:34
Hoodie. 

Katherine Klimitas 45:36
I've got a bunch of reasons. I actually this is a long story, and I don't know that we have time for it, but I. 

Rich Bennett 45:43
You got time. Go ahead. 

Katherine Klimitas 45:45
I actually got to work for Rod Stewart for about four or five months, which was pretty. 

Rich Bennett 45:52
What? 

Katherine Klimitas 45:53
Yeah, that was pretty cool. Um, he. 

Rich Bennett 45:57
Though, Rod Stewart. 

Katherine Klimitas 45:59
Yes, sir. Isaac. He came to Jazz Fest a few years ago, maybe five years ago. And my friend and I travel to see musicians all the time. We actually had met at Jazz Fest about 15 years ago. Anyway, she and I went to see him and he kept singing to us, like, because we were in the front. We camped out all day for a good spot. He kept singing to us and at the end he pointed at us and said, Do you want to go backstage? And we were like. 

Rich Bennett 46:34
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 46:36
Okay. We went backstage, the security took us back and. 

He he I mean, he was back there with his band, his family, I mean, his kids and grandkids. I mean, they were all back there having a party because one of his backup singers. It was her last day with them. She I think she got a spot on Broadway or something. So she was 

Rich Bennett 47:03
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 47:03
moving on. Yeah. So Jazz Fest was her last performance. So they had cake. And I mean, he's like, Here, you want some tequila? I'm like, No, but I'll take a glass of wine because, you know, we had been out there for 10 hours baking in the sun and barely eating right. And so I'm like, Yeah, why not tequila today? Um, but he, uh, he was great. I mean, he was really, really kind. Um, he introduced us to everyone, and then my friend Christy gave him one of my business cards kind of as a joke and said, you know, Catherine's a graphic designer. She loves to design for the music industry, which I do. And she if you ever need anything, you know, hahaha. And he actually. Said, Well, actually I have an album coming out in September and I don't have album art for it yet. You know, do you want to have a go at it? And I was like, Okay. And so we he has a talk to his manager and she's like, You know, I'll be home on Tuesday. I'll, you know, I'll get back with you. Okay? And I'm thinking at this point, like. Right. I mean, 

Rich Bennett 48:25
Right? 

Katherine Klimitas 48:26
it's already cool that we just had a glass of wine with Rod Stewart, you know, and hung out with him for an hour. 

Rich Bennett 48:31
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 48:31
Like, that's already, like, more than enough, right? Well, she did get back with me and sent me the specs and you know what he needed and all that. And over the next four months, we went back and forth about different design ideas, and, um, it came down to my design and another designer, and he went with the other designer, which is fine because it was 100%. 

Rich Bennett 48:58
It's still an experience. 

Katherine Klimitas 49:00
Yeah. I mean, to work with somebody, that high profile 

Rich Bennett 49:04
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 49:04
was extremely like it was a really valuable experience for me. Um, and, and of course now, you know, I'm like, okay, I could have done that differently. I could, you know, But it, it was great. It was great. And he gave us tickets to one of his shows afterwards, and I've gotten tickets to a few of them since that. 

Rich Bennett 49:25
He is also. 

Katherine Klimitas 49:27
Yeah. And he he did pay me like he paid me for my time, which was really kind. 

Rich Bennett 49:33
Wow. 

Katherine Klimitas 49:34
And yeah, I mean, so we just went to see him because my mom had never gone to one of his shows. And so we just went to see him in Las Vegas and that was I'm sorry. Um, but we have we just went to see him in Las Vegas at his residency in November. And that was a lot of fun because, you know, we got to go backstage and mom got to meet him and, you know, that was. 

Rich Bennett 49:59
I was going to say, well, maybe say your mom, your mom and your dad were into the seventies music and your mom. I went and saw him. 

Katherine Klimitas 50:07
While she never got to meet him. I mean, she. 

Rich Bennett 50:09
Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 50:10
Yeah, she's seen it many times, but it is cool just cause, you know, we got to go backstage and again. 

Rich Bennett 50:17
Oh, I bet she was at la la land when she. 

Katherine Klimitas 50:19
She. She thought it was cool. Not like big into celebrity stuff, 

Rich Bennett 50:26
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 50:26
you know. But he I think she was just because I kept telling her how nice he is and like, you know, what a down to earth guy he is. And I mean, granted, like he's still a rock star, you know, like he's still used to a certain lifestyle. Right. But like, I mean, he's a nice guy. He's basically a good person, you know? And I think she was happy to see that. 

Rich Bennett 50:51
That's somebody I have never seen in concert yet that I would love. 

Katherine Klimitas 50:54
You good. He is great. He is great. You should. You should go to Vegas and see him. It's there. 

Rich Bennett 51:02
Well, now that I'm comfortable with flying again, who knows? Maybe I will. 

Katherine Klimitas 51:06
Well, he's got a residency in July and August, I think. 

Rich Bennett 51:11
Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 51:12
Still in Vegas. And it's a good show. I mean, it's a it's a really good show. 

Rich Bennett 51:17
Yeah, I know. My sister seen him a couple of times, I think a couple of 

Katherine Klimitas 51:20
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 51:20
times and just loved it. 

Katherine Klimitas 51:24
And he kicks soccer balls out into the audience that are signed. You know, it's just. I have one of those. But yeah, they. 

Rich Bennett 51:34
I. 

So before I get to my last question, is there anything you would like to add? 

Katherine Klimitas 51:42
I kind of feel like we covered it all. 

Rich Bennett 51:47
I hope not, because you're going to have a hard time answering my last question then. 

Katherine Klimitas 51:50
Oh, no. Okay, well, no, just go to my website. I'm on Facebook and Instagram. Technically, I'm on LinkedIn. I'm not as active on that. And technically, I'm on TikTok, but again, not as active on that. So Facebook and Instagram, those 

Rich Bennett 52:08
I 

Katherine Klimitas 52:08
are. 

Rich Bennett 52:08
actually. Or on your Facebook account. Are there any videos of you painting? 

Katherine Klimitas 52:15
Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 52:16
Is it okay if I if I download one of them to. 

Katherine Klimitas 52:19
Well. 

Rich Bennett 52:20
Show notes. Okay. 

Katherine Klimitas 52:21
Yeah, absolutely. And if you have trouble downloading it, let me know. Yeah. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 52:28
So you've. I know how many interviews you've been on now. How many different? 

Katherine Klimitas 52:32
No, I have no idea. I have no idea. 

Rich Bennett 52:36
So out of all the hosts that have spoken to you, is there anything a host has never asked you that you wish they would have asked you? And if so, what would be that question and what would be your answer? 

Katherine Klimitas 52:51
Oh, my goodness. I should have never asked. 

Oh, no. Um. Cause sometimes they come up with questions that I'm just like, Where the hell did that come from? Um. I mean, I can't think of one right offhand, but I know the last interview I did, there was one question that I was like, I don't even know how to answer that. Um, 

I don't know. I mean, I, um. 

Rich Bennett 53:24
All right, I'll ask you that. I got one for you. That. 

Katherine Klimitas 53:26
Okay. Yeah. 

Rich Bennett 53:27
Now, now that you're doing public speaking, is there any company or place or anything where you would love to actually speak at or speak for? 

Katherine Klimitas 53:48
I'm not going to say a specific one because I can't come up with it right this second. But I will say this. I just spoke to the Goodwill Conference of Executives. 

Rich Bennett 54:01
Really? 

Katherine Klimitas 54:02
Yeah, actually, that's on my YouTube channel if you want to, we'll pull that up. But the Goodwill Conference of Executives there, their annual meeting was in New Orleans this year. And I, I just did a keynote speech for them and that that was it was a good fit for me because it was very in line with what I believe. 

Rich Bennett 54:26
Right? 

Katherine Klimitas 54:28
You know, I mean, these are people literally doing good. Well, right. I mean, 

Rich Bennett 54:31
Mm hmm. 

Katherine Klimitas 54:31
these are you know, they're they're the people in charge, but they're the people that are making the changes and are running the organization. And, um, you know, it's just it's it's my demographic, you know. 

Rich Bennett 54:47
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 54:48
People who 

are educated and in jobs where they can make change. 

Rich Bennett 54:57
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 54:58
I don't know a better way to say that, but, um, so that was, that was a really good, um, audience for me. Any audience where. Something like that. Any audience 

Rich Bennett 55:11
Yeah. 

Katherine Klimitas 55:11
where 

they need like some motivation or they need to see a different perspective. 

I talk to I like to talk to people in education because I not necessarily I mean, I don't mind talking to students, but I'm talking about like teachers. 

Rich Bennett 55:35
Yes. 

Katherine Klimitas 55:36
People who are 

administrators and people like that in the school system, because I think that school inclusion is I mean, that's one of you asked me earlier, what are the things that really helped me become who I am 

Rich Bennett 55:55
Right. 

Katherine Klimitas 55:55
and. And one of the things is being included in a regular school, because, you know, not only did I learn how to interact with kids my own age and people around me and you know how to function in a world that's not really made for me. You know, for my young age. Right. Um, I learned how to do that. But they also learn from me. 

Rich Bennett 56:20
Yes. 

Katherine Klimitas 56:21
You know, And so, like. Like one of my best friends. We've been friends since we were six. Okay? We've been friends since first grade. And she one of the things she says is you were just Katherine like, you are never to me, you know, to her. Never. The girl in the wheelchair, never the, you know, never the one that didn't fit or didn't belong or any of those kinds of things. And all of my friends growing up learned early like, you don't stare at people in wheelchairs in public. It's okay that they're different. Like it's okay that they function differently. This is how, you know, when you see somebody in a wheelchair in the mall, this is how you interact with them. And I learned that in first grade. 

Rich Bennett 57:09
Well, Catherine, thanks a lot. It's been a true pleasure and an honor, continued success to you. And God, you know, I have a funny feeling we're going to be talking again.