Katie’s Notebook: June 12, 2024
Hello!
Today marks the end of the school year in our house and the beginning of summer. The neighborhood elementary school parents organized a swimming / pizza party at our pool today as soon as the bell rings. Our family moved into our current neighborhood three years ago and I couldn’t have anticipated in my wildest dreams how wonderful it would be to become part of the community. The longer I am a parent the more I truly appreciate that it takes a village. Having neighbors who will pick up your kids from school, let them run around in their backyards and give them a snack, or participate in a summer hang out by the pool has really made my life sweeter. I think we all search for a sense of belonging and I’m grateful that this is one of the many places I feel like I belong.
Katie’s Notebook is a bit delayed because last week I published a longer research piece, Are there any women’s health SaMD companies? (SaMD = Software as a Medical Device.) I had a lot of fun answering this question and digging into the data. If my LinkedIn and website analytics tell me anything, over 3,000 people have also felt like this was an important topic to explore. This is another piece of the digital health evidence puzzle for women’s health I am constantly trying to put together. Stay tuned for a new page on my site dedicated to all things evidence + digital + women’s health.
On to my top five for this issue!
Travel tips: At the end of May my husband and I took a trip to Paris to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! I always love to see what people pack and wear, so I complied a list of all my Paris favorites, including guidebooks, suitcases, and the blazer that made me feel Parisian. (Some items may contain affiliate links; I only recommend things I have personally used and enjoyed.)
Florida Allows Doctors To Perform C-Sections Outside of Hospitals: CRINGE. This is a money play dressed up like a health equity play and it infuriates me. The amount of physicians quoted in this article backs up my fear that this will increase complications for moms and babies.
Carrot Cake is better served cold: The recipe post turned introspection article I’m sending to everyone. The article digs into how creative people feel the need to constantly promote themselves in order to continue to do what they love. This is a burden that I feel, because as a solopreneur, who else is going to share my work other than me? I have to toe the line between representing myself as a human (that’s what this little newsletter really is) and Well Made Health, the BRAND. My favorite takeaway for anyone else toeing that line, “While people love to say everyone is “a brand” these days, I would just like to remind everyone that no, they aren’t. They’re humans, people, individuals, and we shouldn’t feel so much pressure to behave as if that’s not true.” PS- I still need to make that carrot cake but it’s on my short list!
Fractional vs. Freelance vs. Consultant: I found this article to be super high value. I’ve always thought of freelance work as being very transactional, which I don’t find fulfilling and shy away from that terminology to describe myself. Consulting seems like something people find to be vague and expensive and have a hard time wrapping their heads around, but it felt like a nice way to speak to the expertise I bring to the table. I’ve come in as a fractional chief product officer or chief marketing officer for clients and I couldn’t really explain why those engagements were more fulfilling to me, but this article outlines why I enjoyed it so much! The lightbulb moment: “Fractional work is often both strategic and hands-on, involving decision-making, leadership of freelance talent or even existing employees, project management, and specialized expertise in one or more particular fields, and frequently involves doing some or all of the hands-on work themselves, depending on the project's budget and timeline.” Perhaps I should revamp my branding!?? Thoughts?
How women’s health conversations with investors have evolved: A brief interview with a few founders. The TL;DR: VCs are now seeing the huge financial opportunity that is women’s health and moving from a single company in their portfolio to backing more. Good news all around.
I’m off to the pizza and pool party!
Be well,
Katie
