Podcast Summary: Call Her Creator with Katelyn Rhoades

Episode 131: How Women Are Leaving Corporate to Build Careers They Love Without Waiting for Permission
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Katelyn Rhoades
Guest: Brianna Doe, CEO of Verbatim & Creator Economy Strategist

Overview

This episode dives into the powerful and rising trend of women leaving corporate roles to carve out careers they love—careers built around their interests, values, and presence in the creator economy. Katelyn speaks with Brianna Doe, who has personal experience transitioning from corporate marketing to building her own successful influencer marketing agency. Together, they dismantle the myths about professionalism, share unfiltered truths about burnout and ambition, and provide practical strategies for building your personal brand and generating income as a creator.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brianna’s Career Journey: From Corporate to Creator Economy

• Background: Started in film and media, self-taught in marketing to help friends’ nonprofits, entered corporate marketing after college.
• Struggles: Felt like a misfit in corporate jobs, jumped from job to job due to cycles of burnout, underpayment, and a sense of not belonging.
• Turning Point: A business coach helped clarify that Brianna was better suited to entrepreneurship—not managing up in the corporate hierarchy.
• Agency Launch: Launched her own agency, Verbatim, nearly three years ago and has since niched down to influencer marketing and speaker sourcing for events.

“I just never felt like I fully fit in. ...I struggled with this, like, cycle of burnout.”
— Brianna Doe (06:13)

2. Building a Career You Love

• Learning from Every Role: View every job as a chance to grow, even in roles that don’t feel right.
• Advice for Aspiring Creators: Try new things, identify what doesn’t fit, and remain open to unexpected opportunities. Your dream career might be found through elimination and experimentation.
• Personal Stories: Both Katelyn and Brianna share how dissatisfaction led them to what really “lit them up.”

“You have to try out a lot of different things before you actually decide what it is that you want to do.”
— Katelyn Rhoades (12:34)

3. Imposter Syndrome & The ‘Unapologetic Professional’

• About the Book: Brianna’s book started as a business guide but became a candid look at imposter syndrome, self-worth, and building a meaningful career beyond job titles.
• Process: Opportunity arose from being visible on LinkedIn, reinforcing the value of doubling down on your medium of choice.

“How do you untangle your sense of self worth from your job title and still find joy outside of your career?”
— Brianna Doe (13:04)

4. Shifting Definitions of Professionalism (2016 vs. 2026)

• Then vs. Now: Professionalism is now internally defined (integrity, work ethic) rather than externally (outfit, appearance).
• Inclusion: Tattoos and unique self-expression are no longer professional dealbreakers.

“I’m seeing a shift towards professionalism being defined by your integrity...not so much if you wear a white tee to a meeting, which I think is really powerful.”
— Brianna Doe (15:56)

5. Ambition, Burnout & “Balance”

• Healthy Ambition: Recognizing that ambition is seasonal and understanding the importance of rest and replenishment.
• Self-Worth: Red flags when work becomes the only source of personal worth—signs include irritability, lack of interest in hobbies, and the inability to turn off work.
• Small Steps Matter: Prioritizing sleep, hobbies, and frequent self check-ins to ground and sustain yourself.

"You might feel like you are betraying yourself or not working hard enough...but careers are about longevity, not about sprints.”
— Brianna Doe (44:19)

6. Creator Economy & Practical Guidance

• What Makes a Creator Attractive to Brands (31:47)
  • Authenticity: Demonstrating a clear point of view and personality—people want to know the real you.
  • Quality of Engagement: Brands care about community and thoughtful conversation, not just likes or follower count.
• Common Mistakes in Brand Partnerships (33:01)
  • Creators often forget to frame their value in terms brands care about (audience, engagement, results) rather than content aesthetics.
• Agency vs. Solo Representation (34:10)
  • Having agency representation can lend credibility with brands, but only makes sense once capacity, negotiation, or opportunity management become bottlenecks.
• How to Start as a Creator (36:04)
  • Don’t overthink your content; just start posting and iterate. You don’t need everything figured out—learning comes from doing.
  • For Instagram: 3-4x/week; TikTok: ideally daily or 4-5x/week; LinkedIn: 3x/week is sustainable.

"It's not necessarily about being the one that's posting the most. It's about being the one who's posting consistently."
— Brianna Doe (36:58)

7. Exiting Corporate: Practical Steps

• Build a Safety Net: Don’t quit without a plan; multiple streams of income and savings offer peace of mind and flexibility.
• Diversify Revenue: Brand partnerships, freelance writing, speaking, etc.
• Preparation Pays Off: Brianna was laid off right before she planned to resign, but preparation made the transition painless.

“The more you can build up that foundation for yourself, you’ll just be in a more comfortable spot when you launch."
— Brianna Doe (39:33)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Outgrowing Traditional Career Markers
  “I used to think that I could not consider myself successful until I specifically hit the CMO title... I now define success by the level of joy and contentment I feel in my life.”
  — Brianna Doe (40:08)

• On Setting Boundaries and Self-Care
  “There are a couple things I won’t sacrifice: my sleep and my hobbies...I’m just a nicer person and a harder worker when I’ve had enough sleep.”
  — Brianna Doe (27:06)

• Advice for New Creators
  “If you spend the next three months figuring out what kind of content you want to create, those are three months that you could have just been testing and growing.”
  — Brianna Doe (36:04)

Key Timestamps

• [03:10] – Brianna’s career beginnings and early struggles
• [07:07] – Realizing entrepreneurship was the answer
• [10:32] – Advice: How to decide when it's time to go solo
• [12:44] – Brianna on writing her book, “The Unapologetic Professional”
• [15:46] – Professionalism: 2016 vs. 2026
• [20:02] – Ambition, burnout, and signals for healthy balance
• [24:10] – Signs of hidden struggle beneath outward success
• [27:06] – Brianna’s non-negotiables for protecting personal happiness
• [31:47] – What brands look for in creators
• [33:01] – Common mistakes in influencer partnerships
• [36:04] – Practical, start-now advice for new creators
• [38:36] – The importance of financial safety nets
• [40:08] – Letting go of outdated success beliefs
• [41:40] – Hot takes/bad advice in the creator industry
• [44:19] – Final advice: Longevity over hustle

Final Takeaways

• Define Success for Yourself: Success isn’t a job title—it’s fulfillment, freedom, and joy.
• Start Messy, Iterate Often: Don’t wait for perfection to start building your brand or business.
• Prioritize Rest and Hobbies: Your best work and personal happiness are built on sustainable energy, not constant hustle.
• Prepare for the Leap: Build a financial cushion and multiple revenue streams before leaving your 9-to-5.
• Show up Authentically: Brands reward creators who foster real connection and have a clear point of view.

Connect with Brianna Doe

• Agency: weareverbatim.com
• LinkedIn: Brianna Doe
• Newsletter/Podcast: brianadoe.substack.com

If you're an ambitious woman craving more freedom and impact, this episode underscores that you don’t need permission—just clarity, courage, and consistent action.

For more practical insights and empowering conversations, subscribe and tune in weekly to Call Her Creator. All resources and links from this episode are in the show notes.