Episode #26: From an Idea, to a Business That Feels Like Her Own with Katiya Plummer
October 6, 2026
Click to watch on YouTube.
She Climbed the Corporate Ladder, Then Wanted Out
Episode Summary
What happens when you’ve built a successful corporate career, climbed the ladder, led a team of 65 people, and eventually realize the life you worked so hard to build no longer feels like yours?
In this episode of The Building Well Podcast, Amanda sits down with Katiya, founder of The Katiya Experience, to talk about leaving a demanding career in technology and building a travel company rooted in meaningful experiences, connection, and creativity.
Katiya shares what it has been like to move from employee to entrepreneur, including the unexpected challenge of shedding years of corporate conditioning. From learning to talk about her business without feeling uncomfortable to building a client base from the ground up, she opens up about the parts of entrepreneurship that have made her question whether she is cut out for it at all.
The conversation also explores the freedom she has found since leaving corporate, why entrepreneurship has required her to become more comfortable with visibility and networking, and the female founder retreats she is creating around the world through women-owned properties and experiences that support local women.
At the center of the conversation is a powerful question for anyone building something of their own. Why are we sometimes willing to work incredibly hard for someone else’s vision, yet hesitate when it is time to show up with that same commitment for our own?
3 Key Takeaways
Your old professional identity does not disappear overnight
Katiya spent years operating successfully in corporate environments, and those habits followed her into entrepreneurship. She found herself introducing herself by her employee position instead of mentioning the business she was trying to build. Becoming an entrepreneur has required more than starting a company. It has required intentionally letting go of the rigidity, structure, and conditioning that once helped her succeed.
Building your own vision requires getting comfortable with visibility
One of Katiya’s biggest challenges has not been knowing how to organize or execute. It has been repeatedly telling people that her business exists. Networking, following up with previous clients, promoting her services, and risking rejection can feel uncomfortable, but she has realized that people cannot support a business they are not reminded of.
Success can still feel heavy when the life behind it no longer fits
Katiya had climbed the corporate ladder, led a large team, and earned the kind of paycheck that made leaving difficult. Yet she describes feeling increasingly disconnected from the work and immediately lighter when that chapter ended. Her experience is a reminder that building well is not only about what looks successful externally, but also about recognizing when the life attached to that success is no longer one you want to keep living.
Guest Bio
Katiya is the founder of The Katiya Experience, a travel company providing services ranging from individual travel bookings and full-scale trip planning to corporate travel logistics and on-site support. Her work has a particular focus on meaningful travel experiences, including milestone trips, solo female travel, group experiences, and curated retreats.
Before focusing on her travel company full time, Katiya built a career in technology and held a leadership role managing a team of 65 people. Her background in organization, planning, time management, leadership, and technology now informs how she approaches entrepreneurship and travel planning.
She is also developing a series of female founder retreats for 2027 centered on a women-supporting-women ecosystem. The retreats are hosted at women-owned properties, with experiences intentionally selected to support local women in each destination.
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
Entreprenista League of Female Founders
Some links above may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission from purchases to support this show.
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