Paying to speak? Not on my watch.

In this Pullin' Punches mini-episode, Katrina Owens shares her unfiltered take on the rise of pay-to-speak opportunities—and why they’re often the biggest red flag for personal brand entrepreneurs.

As a top PR and personal branding expert (who’s spoken on countless stages, both free and paid), Katrina is pulling back the curtain on:

• Why paying to speak can actively hurt your brand reputation
• How to spot the difference between a strategic speaker sponsorship vs. a shady speaker fee
• What high-quality events actually look like (and why you should hold out for them)
• The ROI of creating your own room—and how to start one without a huge budget
• Why speaking for free isn’t the problem… but paying to be there is

If you’ve ever been tempted by a “speaker opportunity” that requires your credit card first, this is your green light to say no—and a blueprint for what to do instead.

Follow Katrina for more personal brand insights:
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinaowenspr/
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenskatrina/
→ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@koyourbrand
→ Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koyourbrand/

This week on KO Your Brand, we’re doing something totally new: our first-ever guest episode—and it’s a good one.

Meet Heather Jude, Knockout Directive’s behind-the-scenes creative powerhouse and the founder/designer behind Jude Canada, a custom eventwear brand for bold, powerful women. Just two weeks ago, Heather pulled off a completely sold-out fashion show in Vancouver—combining red carpet-worthy looks, immersive experience design, and even a surprise choreographed dance.

In this raw, funny, and inspiring conversation, Heather and Katrina unpack what it really takes to bring a bold personal brand vision to life—including:

• The mindset work Heather did to silence imposter syndrome and stay in her zone of genius
• How she filled the room without knowing who would come
• Why creative control matters—and what happens when you finally trust your own vision
• The post-event ripple effect: media interviews, creative clarity, and client momentum
• Behind-the-scenes secrets from the event (yes, even last-minute printing drama)

Plus, Heather shares her best advice for anyone sitting on a big idea that feels “too much” or “too bold.”

This episode is packed with personal brand gold for designers, entrepreneurs, creatives—and anyone who needs a reminder that your dreams are worth betting on.

Follow Katrina for more personal brand insights:
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinaowenspr/
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenskatrina/
→ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@koyourbrand
→ Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koyourbrand/

Follow Heather to see her designs & learn more about her work:
→ Follow Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather.styles/
→ Follow Jude Canada on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judecanada/

In this week’s Pulling Punches micro-episode, top Personal Branding & PR Expert Katrina Owens shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she’s using AI (specifically ChatGPT) to streamline content creation and build omnipresence across Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn, and her podcast email list.

But this isn’t another generic “AI for content” chat.

Katrina breaks down exactly how she trained ChatGPT to understand her unique brand voice—and how you can do the same to save time, stay consistent, and sound like you (not like a robot).

Inside the episode:

• The mindset shift that helped her stop resisting AI and start leveraging it.
• How she uses podcast transcripts to write SEO titles, show notes, and weekly emails (without sounding “AI-generated”).
• A simple way to turn one Instagram caption into three additional platform-ready posts.
• How AI helped her finally start showing up consistently on Threads, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
• Why brand clarity must come before AI—and what happens when you skip that step.

This episode is short, actionable, and packed with tips for anyone trying to do more with less time (without diluting their personal brand). If you’ve been trying to post across multiple platforms but keep hitting a wall, this one’s for you.

Want Katrina’s help developing your brand voice before you automate it?
Learn more about the Fame Ready Entrepreneur Program—a year-long visibility coaching experience designed to make your personal brand profitable, memorable, and press-ready. Click here to get the details: https://knockoutdirective.myflodesk.com/group-coaching

Follow Katrina for more personal brand insights:
→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katrinaowenspr/
→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenskatrina/
→ Threads: https://www.threads.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katrinaowenspr
→ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@koyourbrand
→ Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koyourbrand/