“Do what’s right for you,” Katy Hornaday from BarkleyOKRP

Meet Katy Hornaday, CEO at BarkleyOKRP, where she has spent more than a decade shaping the creative side of the company and now leads over 700 people across the US. Her vision, “The Big Indie,” is an approach she uses daily, where she combines the scale to make things happen with the heart and soul to stay authentic, nimble, and relentlessly creative. Katy’s leadership style is rooted in empathy, optimism, and the belief that culture is built better together. Her expertise spans across industries, touching on aspects of legal, HR, storytelling, and beyond. And her passion for creativity is about more than the work, it’s how she connects the dots to what’s next. 

Katy joined Morgan James, Content Marketing Specialist, SiriusXM Media, for a new, upcoming edition of the Pass the Mic Podcast called Mentor Me. Katy uncovered her thoughts about company loyalty and how young professional women today can read the room and decide what path makes the most sense for their careers, and how Katy’s story has led her to where she is today.

Listen to the full interview below, then check out highlights from the conversation.

Ask the right questions.

Highlight: “There are certainly people I could point to who leave and go to other jobs that are a better fit for them, or do offer them a different path, or an opportunity that they wouldn't have been able to get here. And it is just so personal. Ask all the right questions, make sure that you walk into it eyes wide open and do what's right for yourself and your family. And know that at the end of the day, that's all that matters.” - Katy Hornaday

Go where the opportunities are.

Highlight: “If you're just staying somewhere purely out of loyalty, I think that's probably a signal to move on. But if you're staying somewhere because it's giving you new opportunities, new challenges, new excitement for what you get up and do every day, then why go somewhere else and start over? Because I think if you're getting new challenges, if you’re getting new opportunities, the money will follow. And I think you just have to trust that if you are in a company that you believe has your best interest at heart.” - Katy Hornaday

Don’t get wrapped up in timelines.

Highlight: “I've always had big goals for myself, but I've never been one to have specific timelines. So I've never thought, ‘I have to be a creative director by this age or this date, or this point after my last promotion.’ I’ve always been one to keep my head down, to work really hard, and to believe that the people who I worked for would see that and would offer me the next opportunity when it was right, both for me and for the company. I just have never gotten too wrapped up in timelines and milestones and specifics in that way.” - Katy Hornaday

Ask for honest feedback.

Highlight: “I think a lot of companies are really bad at giving people really honest feedback. And so, I would say, before jumping ship and going somewhere else because you think it offers you a new role, I would sit your manager down and really, really ask for some honest feedback about what's holding you back. Oftentimes, there's something that you could be working on. And even if you have that conversation and you still leave, getting that advice and perspective from someone who's been managing you is only going to benefit you at your next place.” - Katy Hornaday

Be honest about what motivates you.

Highlight: “What keeps you at a job and what do you love? What do you not know about the job that you're going to? And trying to find as many paths to understand where you're going, because of course, everything looks really rosy in another interview. You're going to get another title, you're going to get more money, and everybody was so nice. And hopefully, that's the case… So, it's just like, getting really honest about what is motivating you to leave and is it enough to motivate you to stay somewhere else? Or is it something that maybe is short-term and it might pass and you might actually find that if you stuck it out, you would get the thing that is your motivator to look elsewhere.” - Katy Hornaday

Outline your ambitions.

Highlight: “I would outline what your ambitions are. I would get really clear on what you're hoping for. I would talk about places that you see your ability to do that inside the company that you're at, and then talk about places where you're unsure, and then ask your manager to bring some clarity to that… I would just try to have a really open and honest conversation that's really about what your ambitions are and see if you can't recruit your manager to give you some clarity on how you get there.” - Katy Hornaday

It’s not always about company loyalty, it’s about figuring out what is the right fit for you by finding opportunities, asking the right questions, and putting in the work. Ready to listen to other inspiring conversations like this? Check out the Pass the Mic page. 

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