Kate Mac

TV & Radio Presenter | MC | Health Coach | Personal Trainer | Videographer | BikeBar Instructor | Rotto Swim Enthusiast

How many Identities do you have?

- TV/ Radio Presenter

- Videographer

- Business Owner/ Video consultant

- Fitness/ Yoga/ Bike Bar instructor

- Health Coach

- MC

- Wanderluster

- Voice Over Artist

- Mother to a sausage dog called Rodney!

What inspired you to begin a career in radio & media?

I guess it all started in high school. I was a drama student and public speaker and excelled in media & photography. I didn't know radio would be where I went but I had a gut feeling I would be in media from a young age. It all started when I got a job as a Casanova at Nova 93.7 when I was 18 (through my brother as he worked there) and I just loved the radio world. The music, the people, the fun and I've always had a bubbly personality so running around and being silly on the streets of Perth as a Casanova came naturally. It was my love for music that made me want to go down the radio path rather than the TV path initially. I've played & sung in bands all my life so it seemed the natural path. I loved interviewing artists and learning about music so radio was the obvious choice. I went to WAAPA and learnt all I could and its all just progressed from there. I was told that I should give TV a go and slowly started dabbling in different life style shows and I've been lucky enough to have solid opportunities come my way ever since. I was never one for news reading, I worked out pretty quickly I found it hard to be too serious and much preferred to be myself and unscripted and natural in front of a camera. I guess media and radio was always in me. 

What started your journey in the fitness industry?

I've always been big into fitness. In school I was quite competitive and did every sport under the sun and It was always a release for me. I'm very high energy in general so fitness was a great way for me to release some of the excess energy and calm my self down! It was actually my mental health struggle that got me into fitness. Like every young female when you leave school life changes dramatically and I found myself anxious and depressed and scared about my future. I began to realise whenever things became overwhelming it was a run, swim, a fitness class or even a walk with a mate that made me feel better. It became my coping mechanism and I just became very interested in health and wellness and the effects exercise and food choices have on your mental state. It wasn't until I moved over seas and had limited options work wise that I thought I would take me interests further. I did my yoga instructors course in the Cayman Islands and studied Health Coaching with the Institute of Integrated Nutrition and really enjoyed working in that area. I ended up doing health plans and teaching Yoga for the Cayman National Rugby Team and then when returned to Perth I just fell in love with HIIT training and how it made me feel. I guess from there I started studying more in my spare time and gradually it became the highlight of my day. I loved being asked about fitness and heath and I loved helping others. I felt needed and knowledgeable and like I was making a difference to peoples lives which I hadn't felt before.

What has been your biggest Challenge in life so far?

If I'm honest, I've had quite a number of big challenges in the last 3 years that have been life changing but my biggest achievement and challenge that I overcame was my mental health. My anxiety and bipolar tendencies over the years have made my life very hard to balance. I would be motivated and committed one minute then overwhelmed, anxiety ridden and withdrawn the next. I would find myself being unreliable and overcommitting and going a thousand miles an hour only to come out of a manic stage and disappoint people. This was then followed by guilt, being ashamed, anxiety, self doubt and it was a horrible cycle which definitely hindered my work life and relationships. It was hard to admit these problems and finally accept that something wasn't right and needed to change. The minute I admitted this and sourced help and looked into it all and applied my health and fitness knowledge to myself and not just to clients my world changed. Despite my life looking pretty amazing on paper I was really struggling inside and hated myself for not being happy or grateful for what I had. My biggest challenge was admitting I needed to fix something and actually doing it. Since I took a step back and resigned from Radio (also one of the biggest challenges in my life) and started to truly listen to myself my life has changed dramatically and I'll be forever thankful I had people in myself who supported me and encouraged me to take charge of my mental health. 

What's your secret to running multiple business and staying focused?

Don't OVER COMMIT! Learn to know yourself and know how much you can take on. If you have multiple people relaying on you, be open and honest about your commitments else where and what your can honestly commit to them. Don't say yes to absolutely every opportunity. Weigh it up and ask yourself will this completely overwhelm you and it is worth your time? Staying focused in your own business is always really hard. You'll have days where you may achieve nothing and others where it all falls into place and you just need to revel in those days. Try to implement a plan aka I never plan meetings or video shoots on a Monday. Mondays are my admin days  where I get everything sorted for the week and try and put some plans in place. Have another day or 2 that you have as your meeting days and try best to stick to those so you have some structure. I also have a business couch who I speak with once a month who keeps me on track and helps me with the next phases of my businesses and what I need to focus on. My other secret is always be prepared to ask for help or to delegate where you can - you may be a wonder woman but even wonder woman needs a break!

What’s next for Kate Mac?

To be honest, I really don't know and I love it! I'm at a point where I'm really enjoying my life and work and I'm not pushing too hard to grow to the next level, I'm just enjoying where things are now. The universe has a funny way of helping you out when you are ready and sometimes if I push too hard it all comes crashing down. I've got some exciting things coming up with Channel 9 and with the new AFL season coming up where I'll be presenting a lot and my business The Passion Collective is running along at a nice easy pace. I would like to grow my videographer business and put more time into that and continue my fitness studies too. I'm loving working as a spin instructor at Bike Bar in Claremont as it keeps me fit and motivated and it's just a lot of fun! I'd like to ultimately blend all my identities together and create a TV show on health and wellness, exploring the options in WA and then take it further. All the different and unique fitness fads and crazes that are coming and going would be amazing to showcase and being able to use my years of interviewing skills on health and fitness experts would be ideal. I would not only be living in the media world still, but I'd be educating others on health and wellness and if that makes a difference to someone then that’s my ultimate goal! 

What advice would you give other women out there who want to start a second business but are afraid of taking on too much?

I would say to really, REALLY have a solid business plan in place and make sure you've looked into it properly before jumping in. Speak to like minded people and really look at the benefits and if can, try to get someone on board to help you. No matter how organised or prepared you may feel, you cannot control life! There will be a point where it will become overwhelming and you'll need a sold partnership or someone to lean on to get you through it. Get supported, be prepared and speak to those who have done similar things to you and find out their initial mistakes. If you can avoid as many mistakes or hiccups as possible that is key. Lastly, be resilient and know you will need to stand your ground.