Nicheology

Nicheology is where seasoned leaders build the systems that turn their deep expertise into a high-value practice.

We provide the strategic framework and high-touch partnership for accomplished professionals transitioning from successful corporate careers to profitable independent businesses.

What we do:

• Deconstruct decades of corporate experience to engineer a potent, defensible market position (your Niche of One).
• Architect that expertise into a premium offer. Whether it's a signature program, a fractional role, or a consulting package.
• Build a simple, effective go-to-market plan and client acquisition system to attract and enroll your first high-ticket clients.
• Establish your personal brand as a trusted authority in your new space.

Our new high-touch program, The Nicheology Accelerator, is launching soon. The best way to receive exclusive details and weekly strategies for seasoned leaders is by subscribing to the newsletter.

► Subscribe for program updates and weekly strategy here: nicheology.co/newsletter

Founder

Popup

Ever felt trapped by rigid e-commerce platforms? So did we. That's why we built Popup. We raised $3.5 million from top-tier investors to reinvent how online stores are built. Our mission was to give power back to the entrepreneurs.

Popup isn't just another e-commerce platform. It's a no-code revolution. We created a system where anyone could build powerful sales funnels and unique shopping experiences without writing a single line of code.

As COO, I built our team and systems from the ground up. We grew to 35 people across multiple countries, all working remotely. I learned more about hiring, culture-building, global operations, customer development, software sales, corporate finance, and international law in three years than most people learn in a decade.

Our product lets you visually control the customer journey. Think of it as Lego for e-commerce - flexible, modular, and limited only by your imagination. We made it possible to build and launch a Popup Store to sell anything, anywhere in the world, in minutes. No coding required.

The future of e-commerce isn't about technology. It's about empowering entrepreneurs to bring their unique visions to life, without barriers.

COO & Co-Founder

Viceroy Group

Business Advisor

We started Viceroy with a laptop and a vision. No funding, no office, just pure hustle. In less than two years, we scaled to mid 8-figures in revenue. Here's the real story:

I built our operations from scratch. We're talking OKRs, SOPs, workflows - the whole nine yards. Turned a chaotic startup into a well-oiled machine. All while fully remote.

Our customer success team? Grew it from 1 to 15 multi-lingual agents in 6 months. Established a Product Success Network that bridged the gap between marketing, product, and customer needs. Result? 5/5 star feedback across the board.

Managed an international supply chain spanning 5 fulfillment centers. Learned more about logistics than I ever thought I'd need to know.

But here's the thing. We did all this while building a culture that attracted top talent and kept them engaged. No ping pong tables or free lunches - just a shared mission and the freedom to do great work.

What I learned: Building a successful remote company isn't about fancy tools or perks. It's about creating systems that empower people to excel, no matter where they are. That's how you turn a startup into a multi-million dollar operation.

Co-Founder & COO

The Fragile Club

Before mental health became a buzzword, we built The Fragile Club. Our mission was to turn mental health awareness into a movement through socially conscious apparel.

We didn't just sell t-shirts. We created a brand that spoke to people's struggles and hopes. Our Ambassador program turned customers into advocates overnight. Why? Because they believed in what we stood for. We leveraged influencers not for their reach, but for their stories. Each collaboration supported our message: it's okay not to be okay.

Partnerships with Mental Health Organizations weren't just for show. We funneled profits into real support systems, creating tangible impact. 

And our social media wasn't about likes. It was a community hub where people felt heard and supported. Sure, we ran targeted FB ads and retargeting campaigns. But our growth came from something deeper - a shared purpose.

Here's what I learned: A compelling mission isn't just good karma, it's good business. We proved you can drive profit while driving change. That's the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

In the end, The Fragile Club wasn't just a brand. It was a movement. And it showed me that when you align business with purpose, magic happens.

Co-Founder

Leave Comfort

Ever wonder how luxury brands tell their stories? That's where Leave Comfort came in.

My husband and I started this content creation agency on a wild idea: quit our jobs, travel the world, and create stunning content for high-end brands. Sounds crazy, right? It was.

We traded our comfortable Vancouver apartment for Bali beaches and Asian metropolises. Our office was anywhere with WiFi. 

Our mission was to transform how luxury brands connect with their audience. We didn't just take pretty pictures. We crafted narratives that made people want experiences they didn't even know existed. 

But why did it work? We provided real value that resorts wanted. We didn't have a social media following at the time, but because our offer was 10x the value any influencer provided, we got the gigs. 

We helped forward-thinking, innovative brands stand out in a saturated market by offering them reports on how to improve and key insights into the experiences their competitors were providing. 

Key takeaway: In the world of content creation, providing more value than your competitors wins every time.

Shopify

Worked with workforce planning software including Teleopti, Salesforce, and Workday. My role emphasized data analysis, capacity planning, and forecasting. My role also included planning and creating schedule plans for Shopify Retail LA, and other programs and teams across Shopify - mainly focused on the support department.

Workforce Analyst

In this role, I educated entrepreneurs about the world of e-commerce and how to use the platform, including and not limited to product sourcing & supply chain, shipping, fulfillment, inventory, theme customization, domains, social media integration, social media marketing, payment processors, branding, SEO, and company growth.

Merchant Success Manager

ShopClass Calgary: August 19th-20th, 2017
ShopClass Vancouver:  August 1st-3rd, 2017
Gateway '17 Alibaba Detroit:  June 21st-22nd, 2017

Shopify Events IRL, Merchant Success

Graft Sport | Pro Slacklines

My first real business. Imagine two twenty-somethings in a tiny apartment. That was me and my husband when we started our first online business selling on Amazon. 

We created a top-tier slackline kit and started learning e-commerce from the ground up. Product design, Chinese manufacturing, international logistics - you name it, we figured it out.
Hustled for a few weeks until we hit Amazon's first page. Started seeing daily sales roll in and felt invincible!

Then one negative review from a competitor ruined the party. Amazon couldn’t do anything about it and our listing tanked. So we pivoted to direct sales and learned the hard way that heavy products and shipping don't mix.

Ultimately sold to a California buyer. Not a huge exit, but the lessons were invaluable.
Graft Sport was my crash course in entrepreneurship. It taught me resilience, problem-solving, and laid the foundation for every business venture that followed.

Key takeaway: Your first business probably won't make you rich, but the experience is priceless. It's all about the long game.

Co-Founder (Acquired)

kate spade new york

Retail Merchandiser

Retail Specialist

lululemon

Fit Model

Retail Merchandiser & Educator

ROXANNE NIKKI

Ever wonder what it's like behind the scenes of a fashion brand? I got a front-row seat interning for Roxanne Nikki, a Vancouver designer with 30 years in the game. This wasn't your typical coffee-fetching internship. I was in the trenches, scissors in hand, cutting everything from faux fur to leather. 

Learned real quick that different fabrics demand different techniques. Prepped fabric bundles for sample sewing. Sounds simple, right? Well, It's an art form. Got my hands on industrial sewing machines and picked up hand-stitching techniques. Basting seams became my new party trick.

But the real gold was sitting in on design and strategy meetings. Watching a seasoned pro navigate the business side of fashion was eye-opening and I ate it up.

Key lesson: Fashion isn't just about beautiful clothes. It's a business, and a tough one at that. This internship taught me the grit required to build something real — a lesson I've carried into every venture since.

Fashion Design Internship

After a successful corporate career, you’ve reached the point where you’re ready to build something of your own. 

You have the deep expertise, the reputation, and the drive. 

But you've likely discovered the skills that made you a brilliant executive aren't the same skills required to launch a profitable independent business from scratch.

I understand this transition because I've lived it from every angle—from the inside of a major corporation, from the trenches of a bootstrapped startup, and from the boardroom of a VC-backed company. 

I’ve co-founded and scaled businesses to 7 and 8-figures, generating over $20M in revenue. 

As Co-Founder and COO of a portfolio of e-commerce brands, I built the operational engine that allowed us to scale. This included growing our customer success team from 1 to 15 agents in just 6 months and managing a global supply chain shipping to over 120 countries—all while maintaining a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score.

As the COO of a VC-backed tech company that raised $3.5M from top-tier investors like Accel and Seedcamp, I built the operational systems—recruiting, HR, culture, finance, customer experience, and business operations—from the ground up. 

And at Shopify, I guided over 900 founders through the complexities of building a profitable online business.

Through these experiences, I discovered a fundamental truth: successful ventures aren't built on passion alone. They are built on a strategically engineered market position. 

The most successful founders don't just pick a niche. They deconstruct their deepest experience and build a potent Niche of One that is impossible to copy.

That's why I created Nicheology. It’s the strategic framework I developed over a decade of building companies and the methodology I've used to guide hundreds of others. 

It’s designed to help you translate your decades of hard-won corporate experience into a premium signature program and a go-to-market plan that gives you the clarity and financial return you deserve.

Ready to turn your expertise into a high-value business?

My new high-touch program, The Nicheology Accelerator, is launching soon.

The best way to receive exclusive details and be the first to know when applications open is by subscribing to my weekly newsletter for seasoned leaders.

► Subscribe for strategies and program updates here: nicheology.co/newsletter

Cait Holmes

Katya Samotoi

Katya Samotoi Coaching

I help entrepreneurs with Bipolar and ADHD, just like you, to unlock their potential using personalised coaching and psychology without struggling with attention and focus.

ADHD Coach

In The Room

As the Growth Advisor at In The Room, I play a crucial role in driving the company's growth and success by focusing on innovative strategies that elevate our AI-driven platform, which bridges the gap between AI efficiency and human empathy in customer experiences. Reporting directly to the CEO, I'm an integral part of a team that's revolutionizing customer engagement.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic Vision: Shape the strategic direction of the company by identifying new opportunities, potential partnerships, and innovative ways to expand our market presence.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Analyze data and insights to inform growth strategies, ensuring In The Room continues to deliver exceptional value to our clients and their customers.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with team members across sales, marketing, product development, and customer success to drive growth initiatives and ensure alignment on shared goals.

Mentoring & Coaching: Share expertise and knowledge with the team, fostering a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and professional growth at In The Room.

Market Awareness: Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends, technology advancements, and competitors to keep In The Room at the cutting edge of customer engagement and AI-driven solutions.

Building a Growth Mindset: Instill a growth mindset within the company, promoting an environment of innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement.

Friendly and approachable, I bring a unique and energizing perspective to the Growth Advisor role, making a significant impact on In The Room's journey to redefine customer experiences.

Growth Advisor

Magic

As a Growth Advisor, I play a pivotal role in driving Magic's growth strategy, fostering sustainable logistics practices, and enhancing profitability. I am committed to bridging the gap between sustainability and business success, leveraging data-driven insights to pioneer a greener future in logistics.

Key Responsibilities:]

Strategic Growth Planning: Develop and execute strategies to expand Magic's market presence, identify new business opportunities, and foster sustainable growth.
Partnership Development: Cultivate strategic partnerships with key industry players, enhancing our ecosystem and driving collective progress towards sustainability.
Data Analytics and Insights: Analyze market trends and logistics data to inform decision-making, optimize operations, and deliver tailored solutions to our clients.
Sustainability Advocacy: Champion the cause of sustainable logistics, demonstrating the tangible benefits of our solutions to the environment and our partners' bottom lines.
Client Engagement and Education: Provide expert advice and consultancy to businesses, guiding them towards more sustainable and profitable logistics practices.

As the Managing Director for a group of seven DTC brands, I played a pivotal role in driving growth and overseeing the operations across all departments. With a strong focus on teamwork and collaboration, I helped scale the company's revenue from $1,000 to a whopping $16 million – all while remaining bootstrapped.

Key responsibilities:

Operational Oversight: Ensured seamless functioning across all departments, driving efficiency and effectiveness in every aspect of the business.

Revenue Growth: Spearheaded the company's rapid growth journey, increasing revenue from $1,000 to $16 million, while maintaining a bootstrapped approach.

Team Expansion: Successfully scaled a remote team from just 4 members to a robust group of 42 professionals, fostering a collaborative and results-driven work environment.

Creator Agency Launch: Innovatively launched a creator agency focused on building brands for prominent creators and influencers, further diversifying the company's portfolio.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Led cross-functional teams to achieve shared objectives and drive business growth, establishing a strong culture of communication and collaboration.

Strategic Planning: Developed and executed strategic plans to ensure continued success and growth for the company and its brands.

As a dynamic and hands-on Managing Director, I was instrumental in the company's expansion and success, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and high performance across all departments.

Managing Director

As the Head of Growth for a group of seven brands, I successfully led the development and execution of omnichannel marketing strategies, branding, and content initiatives. My strategic vision and data-driven approach resulted in impressive revenue growth and customer retention rates.

Key responsibilities:

Omnichannel Marketing Strategy: Developed and implemented comprehensive marketing strategies across channels such as Pinterest, Meta, Quora, Native, and Google, driving brand awareness and growth.

Revenue Growth: Played a crucial role in increasing the company's revenue to $16 million through cold acquisitions across multiple channels, showcasing the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.

Branding and Content: Oversaw the branding and content creation for all seven brands, ensuring a consistent and engaging brand identity that resonated with our target audience.

Retention Initiatives: Successfully implemented retention initiatives, leading to a remarkable 40% return rate, demonstrating our commitment to building lasting customer relationships.

Performance Analysis: Continuously monitored and analyzed marketing performance metrics, optimizing campaigns and strategies to maximize ROI and drive sustainable growth.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborated closely with other departments to align marketing efforts with broader business objectives, fostering a culture of teamwork and shared success.

As an experienced and results-driven Head of Growth, I was dedicated to optimizing our marketing strategy, branding, and content efforts, ultimately leading to impressive revenue growth and customer retention rates for the group of seven brands.

Head of Growth

BrandRanx Media

As the COO of a leading advertising and marketing agency, I played a pivotal role in managing multi-million-dollar budgets and driving exceptional results for a diverse portfolio of clients. My strategic vision and operational expertise facilitated the growth of our remote team and contributed to the success of well-known brands.

Key responsibilities:

Budget Management: Oversaw the management of advertising budgets ranging between 8 and 9 figures, ensuring the efficient allocation of resources and maximizing ROI for clients.

Client Success: Worked closely with high-profile clients such as SNOW, STRONGER, OODIE, GOODIEANDCO, and others, delivering outstanding results that fueled their growth and brand recognition.

Team Building: Successfully expanded the agency from a 2-person operation to a full-time remote team of 20 professionals, fostering a collaborative and results-driven work environment.

Operational Excellence: Streamlined agency operations, implementing best practices and optimizing processes to deliver exceptional service and results for clients.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborated with various departments to align efforts and ensure seamless execution of marketing and advertising strategies for our clients.

Agency Growth: Played a key role in the growth and development of the agency, establishing it as a trusted partner for a diverse range of clients and driving business expansion.

As a highly effective COO, I took pride in guiding the agency to new heights by managing substantial budgets, delivering outstanding results for clients, and fostering a collaborative and high-performing remote team.

Hi there!

I'm Katya, a growth-focused professional with a diverse background and over seven years of experience in managing and scaling businesses.

My journey has led me to some amazing accomplishments, such as:

* Driven revenue growth for 7 DTC brands that I managed from 0 to $16 million bootstrapped.
* Founded a ecom digital marketing agency and a brand management agency for 8 figures brands
* Have raised over $150K in 2 weeks for charity, led a network of 100 volunteers in Ukraine.
* Worked with clients like SNOW, STRONGER, OODIE, managing budgets up to 7 figures.

Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with fantastic clients like SNOW, STRONGER, OODIE, GOODIEANDCO, and more, managing budgets up to 9 figures and building remote teams from the ground up. I'm always eager to take on new challenges and find innovative ways to help businesses grow.

But my passion doesn't stop with business growth. In response to the war in Ukraine, I co-founded DIDO, a non-profit organization aimed at reinventing and decentralizing charity systems. By leveraging my expertise in e-commerce and fundraising, I've been able to support a network of volunteers and create a new model of charity that benefits small businesses and the communities they serve.

My unique background, including finishing medical college and later transitioning to dancing, has given me a wide range of skills and experiences that I bring to my work. I believe that embracing our diverse interests and passions is what makes us truly unique and capable of driving positive change in the world.

In my spare time, I enjoy engaging in conversations about #mentalhealth, #impactdrivencommerce, #purpose, and #impact. I believe that sharing our thoughts, feelings, and emotions is crucial to fostering meaningful connections and driving positive change in the world.

#As I continue to embrace new challenges and opportunities, I remain committed to helping businesses evolve into impactful, purpose-driven organizations that make a real difference. Let's make the world a better place, together!

As the managing director my role was to oversee the operations of all departments for the 7 DTC brands.

Together with the team we grew from 1000 to 16m in revenue bootstrapped.

Scaled a team from 4 to 42 people remotely. 

I also launched the creator agency, where we build brands for large creators and influencers.

taplio

The Battle

Cait Holmes

Katya Samotoi

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