For marketers questioning the traditional 9-5 and designing a career on their own terms.
Hi, I’m Kate — a marketer based in New York, with a career that’s taken me from coordinator to senior director, across brands like Flamingo, Nurx, Keeps, Thirty Madison, Glowbar, and several other early-stage startups. I’ve rebranded a women’s health business, launched celebrity campaigns, led insights and brand strategy, and consulted for consumer brands like Poppi, Sabai Design, Open Spaces, and more.
In 2025, I left my full-time role to freelance full-time, and for the first time in years, felt optimistic about my career again. I published 45 newsletters, grew my personal brand, and built a community of people who share my desire for work that is more meaningful, flexible, and creatively fulfilling.
If that sentiment feels familiar, you’re in the right place.
What Is False Start?
False Start is a career publication and community for marketers rethinking the traditional path. If you’re hitting a dead end, in the middle of a pivot, or looking for permission to start, welcome.
False Start includes four core pillars:
False Start Stories: Conversations with marketers who walked away from traditional paths — and those who stayed but built creative, alternative lives alongside their 9–5s.
False Start Signals: Commentary on what’s happening across marketing as more people reconsider (or reject) the standard career ladder.
False Start Field Notes: Behind-the-scenes updates on my own pivot: how I structure my work, find clients, manage my schedule, think about money, and build a portfolio career in real time.
False Start Playbooks: Actionable guidance for people in transition: setting boundaries, preparing for self-employment, redesigning your career, or starting something of your own.
Why listen to me?
I’ve spent the last decade in the trenches of marketing — navigating internal politics, building teams, launching brands, and learning to think strategically without big budgets or perfect information. While holding full-time roles, I advanced from coordinator to senior director, increased my salary by over 500%, and launched a $100k freelance side hustle.
But the real fun started when I left my job to pursue self-employment in the spring of 2025. I earned over 8% more per month while working fewer hours and with greater control over my schedule. I’ve built communities in the thousands on Substack and LinkedIn — and responded to zero work-related Slack messages and texts on weekends.
But most importantly, I know what it feels like to want a career that aligns with your life — not the other way around.
For Paid Subscribers
The paid tier is where I can offer deeper guidance, more tools, and behind-the-scenes clarity for anyone actively navigating a pivot or designing a more meaningful career.
False Start’s paid subs are usually plotting or acting on a career pivot — not just reading about them.
Free subscribers will receive 2 newsletters/month, and paid subscribers will receive weekly newsletters, including the exclusive content outlined above.
If you’d like to support my work or get real guidance through a transition, becoming a paid subscriber is the best way to do it.
Why “False Start”?
Careers are rarely linear — and they’re not a race, either. You’re allowed to change your mind about what you want.
Act before you feel ready, do something new, fail spectacularly, pivot, and try again.
There are no penalties for false starts.
Where to start
If you’re new here, start with a few foundational pieces:
These will give you a good sense of my writing, my approach, and what this community values.
How can we connect?
Say hi on LinkedIn, Instagram, or email me anytime at kcitron27@gmail.com.
If you’re at a crossroads in your marketing career, big or small, I’m so glad you’re here.
— Kate
