Meet Katrina McKay. One look at her Linkedin profile tells you just interesting he life is. Not only is she brilliant, but she’s bringing a subject that’s still taboo in most parts of the world, and allowing people to have honest conversations about.
I have two great passions – helping people express their sexy (via my company Ohhh Canada and as a sex speaker), and helping entrepreneurs succeed in new ventures. The most interesting? I’ll travel anywhere, anytime with very little notice. I’m also a big language nerd – I speak a few words of a LOT of different languages, and I’m relatively fluent in a few as well. I also LOVE creatures – most of my travel involves some sort of animal-watching. In January on a diving trip to Belize, I held a five foot nurse shark under water and petted his belly.
What do you do for a 9-5? What do you find most challenging? And what is the most rewarding part of it?
I don’t have a 9 to 5! I never stop working, and I never really start working. Whenever I’m asked this question in interview, I usually reply with “I don’t have a real job.” I believe in a concept I coined called “plurking” – it’s way play and work come together, so you can no longer really feel the difference. But to actually answer your question, I’m a serial entrepreneur. I run an international marketing agency, I’m a business coach, and I’m most well known as the CEO & resident sex expert at Ohhh Canada.
What gave you the push to start your own company in an industry that still’s considered taboo for most Canadians?
When I founded Ohhh Canada, I was still working in marketing a large very conservative Canadian charity. You’d think that I would be worried about how I’d be perceived, but actually I didn’t even think about it. I love talking about sex, and I wish more people would talk about sex in positive ways. We’ll talk on and on about food and other appetites, but we clam up when it comes to conversations about sexuality, and that’s too bad. Sex is fun! At heart I’ve always been an entrepreneur, and I am proud that I chose to follow my dreams instead of taking an easier road.
As a business owner, were there any mistakes you made at the beginning that you would advise others about avoiding?
As an entrepreneur, success and failure are two sides of the same coin. You have to really become comfortable with the fact that you don’t get anything by standing still. Most of my early mistakes (and there were a LOT of them), revolved around my listening to other people who had great intentions but no experience in entrepreneurship. When you start a business, everyone has an opinion for you – especially people who have no business being in business. Make sure you listen with a critical ear, and trust your instincts.
What’s your typical day like?
My days aren’t very repetitive which is one of the things I really love about my life; and that’s entirely by design. If I’m in Toronto, I get up and grab a matcha almond latte from Rooster Coffee and settle in to my home office. I’m also a regular at The Spoke Club – I’m often in the library in back-to-back meetings. So in short - answering emails, going to the gym, meetings with vendors and with my amazing staff, Skype calls, writing, press engagements, speaking engagements… It all sounds pretty drab, I know. It’s more exciting than it sounds!
I am wearing: An emerald snakeskin print Vince Camuto top, black skinnies and my Donald Pliner strappy heels. The latter remind me of Vegas because that’s where I bought them.
The most versatile item in my closet: I have two; a black pleather jacket from some brand I’ve never heard of (it was an NYC score!) and a printed tunic dress by Dotty Dress. I wear that dress all the time – over jeans, with tights, over a bathing suit. It’s ridiculously multi-purpose. It also travels well – I can scrunch it up into my suitcase and it never gets wrinkled.<
Beauty must-haves: One thing every girl should have: A fragrance that makes you feel like a sex goddess; I wear Flirty Little Secret.
What are you listening to right now: “Space Stories” by fellow Torontonian, Rayna. She has a sexy, haunting voice.
The one thing I can’t leave the house without: I MUST have flats on hand – I walk everywhere, and as much as I love pumps, I can’t cover much ground in them.
Favorite place to eat in the city: I’m a big fan of Origin’s King East location. Little bits of lots of different things keep it exciting. If there’s just two of you, ask to be seated right at “the pass” which is where the food from the open kitchen is “passed” to servers. That way you can eyeball others’ dishes before making up your mind!
Ideal Friday night plans: I have pretty eclectic tastes. Depending on my mood I could be dancing my little heart out at a club with my guy, or meditating in my candlelit bedroom (ohmmmm…).
