I’d rather talk about you but this is the part where you learn about me

About

I’m glad you’re here

Hi. I’m Kathy Sacks.

I build, study and write about strategies that unlock potential. I’m endlessly fascinated by the human mind and all the ways it can help us move forward—or get stuck, undermining our greatest ambitions.

My teams and I have built valuable brands, worked with incredible leaders, questioned the unquestionable and grown companies.

Today, I spend my time working with early-stage and high-growth companies through my strategy firm where I help founders and CEOs of tech companies lead movements and drive change. I invest and sit on boards of tech companies.

I make early-stage investments in tech companies through Sacks Ventures while also advising or serving as a director on boards.

I’m deeply curious.

I live at the intersection of two questions. What do you want? What is holding you back?

As a leader of high-performing teams, I’ve observed the patterns and the keys to growth and performance. I’ve worked with all kinds of CEOs in my career. I’ve seen patterns emerge and I’m also an angel investor in tech companies through Sacks Ventures. I’m an entrepreneur, marketer,

I’ve worked with all kinds of CEOs in my career. I’ve seen patterns emerge. After years of more short-term and mid-term focus in my career, I’m now an entrepreneur who likes to play the long game.

My roles as a mother, wife, daughter and friend I hold most precious. Professionally though, I don’t mess around. I drive hard at making this one chance at life the very best it can be in all areas of my life.

Seeking certainty holds you back. It’s time to see what’s on the other side of bold. That’s where I support you. Leaning on my decades of growing and building lifestyle businesses and venture-backed startups.

I hold your hand and fiercely (yet lovingly) challenge you. We co-create the very life and business you’ve yearned for,. You sidestep your hesitations and stuckness. No more kicking the can down the road. And you gain more ground than you ever thought you could in, in mere months, not years.

I’ve built a career on trust and showing up. My reputation for helping high-achievers transform their mindset into an asset that finally gets them exactly what they want without the high-cost of life imbalance or stress.

Let’s talk.

I’m a survivor of hustle-and-grind culture now i’m focused on helping you get free

I was singularly focused - no obsessed - with success and proving myself and keeping up and being great on paper and in person. And never letting them see me sweat. Add a small child into the mix and big jobs that called for a lot from me and it was a recipe for burnout. The breakdown led to a breakthrough: I wanted to orient my life’s work to helping people, especially women, move beyond their biggest blocks and take action towards their dreams.

Fiercely love is what I do best >> My family, my friends, my clients. I hope my legacy will be singular, people saying “she loved me so extraordinarily well”

TIMELINE FOR CONTEXT

  • 1974: born in New Jersey

  • 1987: got my first job at a pizza place answering phones (told them I was 15)

  • 1989: moved to Hillsborough, New Jersey, changing high schools middle of freshman year

  • 1990: managed a local deli after school and weekends called Sub n’ Jug, decided I was meant for more

  • 1993: graduated Berkeley College of Business with an Associate’s in Fashion Merchandising

  • 1994: landed first entry-level corporate job, on the Hudson river with a view of NYC

  • 1995: quit my job and moved to Arizona for ASU to get my Bachelor’s in Marketing

  • 1997: hosteled across Europe with three friends visiting 12 cities mostly living off bread, cheese and wine

  • 1998: started first job as 4-year college grad in marketing for an eyewear company

  • 1999: joined a startup business magazine, bizAZ to sell advertising

  • 1999: fell for my future husband - he was the founder, took on Editor-in-Chief role

  • 2000: bought our first house together, launched web and events products in our print media company

  • 2001: got married a month after 9/11, guests overcame fear and flew from all over

  • 2002: working with a spouse ain’t easy, left bizAZ for VP job at nonprofit AZ Tech Council and later launched TechConnect magazine, covering Arizona tech scene

  • 2004: Brian and I sold bizAZ magazine to publicly-traded Gannett Inc. I’m ready to get back to working for myself. Left Tech Council to start Sacks PR my marketing and PR agency supporting mostly tech companies

  • 2005: launched bizSanDiego, with partners and Brian, him leading sales and me getting editorial off the ground with the first three issues

  • 2006: miscarriage at 10 weeks, wondering if it’s not in the cards for us

  • 2007: second miscarriage, but marketing agency business was booming. Wrote my first angel investment check for $10k

  • 2008: Partner strife at bizSanDiego, unclear what mag’s future will be. Shifted Sacks PR’s strategy, transitioning B2C clients to agency employees, now freelancers and doubled down on fractional CMO’ing for software company clients.

  • 2009: bizSanDiego folds, had a baby, turned down full-time CMO job, took 6 months off to care for my baby girl

  • 2010: joined Infusionsoft as VP Marketing and Communications, proud to be part of its 250% growth over the next 4 years

  • 2013: rough year, left my big job inside the machine (it was time), mother died of cancer within four months of diagnosis, I turned 40 six months later

  • 2014: first angel investment delivered a return, started advising startups and joining boards, more angel investing in local tech companies

  • 2015: formally coaching women entrepreneurs and execs, started IVF

  • 2016: had a baby

  • 2017: joined a women’s health startup and raised money, but that wouldn’t last long

  • 2020: founding member of team seeking to accelerate investment in women, bringing Golden Seeds chapter to Arizona

  • 2021: bought our first investment rental properties, started writing a book based on my coaching methods

  • 2022: let go of financial advisor, learned how to manage public stock strategy

  • 2023: sabbatical from coaching, added three doors to real estate investments

  • 2024-: coaching and writing + holding my breath as older daughter learns how to drive OMG

My life philosophy

I’ve always had a fascination with hard work and forward movement, stemming from watching my immigrant parents build something out of nothing. I watched them reinvent themselves over the years, despite the lack of education. I also watched my father pursue money and more. it would teach me later that money is good for money problems, nothing more, and in the pursuit of more, absolute freedom lies in less.

I believe that women hold the key to the present and future. Money invested in women and invested by women offers an unmatched domino effect of good.

If you’ve got a sense we should work together, I’d like to invite you to send me a message, and we can connect.

“i used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now i’m afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.”

— Author Bob Goff, capturing so eloquently what so many high achievers feel