Most service-based founders didn’t start their business to run spreadsheets, chase team issues, or babysit backend chaos.

But that’s where they end up—wearing the COO hat, buried in operations, and stuck running a business they never meant to build.

That’s where I come in.

I work hands-on with founders to:
- Plug profit leaks
- Create clarity with cash
- Build simple systems that scale
- Reclaim time, margin, and control

My 8-week Profitable Growth Accelerator™ is built for service businesses doing $300K–$2M who are ready to grow on purpose, get paid properly, and stop the chaos—without adding more hours.

📊 We start with your numbers
📈 We fix what’s broken
🧠 You get your business—and your life—back

If that sounds like the kind of help you’ve been hunting for, DM me or visit the link above.

Damien Foglio

After coaching 30+ small business owners, one thing stands out: 
High performers do things differently.

They don't get caught up in the chaos. They have clarity. 

Every move they make is backed by a clear vision and sharp goals. 
They're not just waiting for opportunities; they create them.

Delegation? They master it. 

Instead of micromanaging, they trust their team. They empower others to own their work, innovate, and grow. That's how scalable businesses thrive.

They are perpetual learners. Whether it's industry events, online courses, or self-study, they stay ahead. They evolve. That's how they dodge the trap of stagnation.

Failure? They see it as fuel. 

Mistakes aren't setbacks, they're lessons that help them pivot faster. They don't fear failure; they embrace it.

Networking isn't just about exchanging cards. It's about building genuine relationships that open doors to new opportunities and fresh insights.

And they don't sacrifice life for work. They get that balance fuels sustained success. Family, health, passions, these are part of the game plan.

This is the blueprint for real growth, not just hustle.

I help $300k-900k service owners fix profit & cash flow by installing the operating system their business should’ve had from day one — So they grow on a plan, not hope | 8-Week Profitable Growth Accelerator™

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I hated to hear from my employees "I was too busy" or "I didn't have time" as if they weren't in charge of their time throughout the week. 

The truth? 
Everyone only has 40 hours a week.

And by the end of it, most of us look back and wonder what we actually accomplished.

Here's the reality: Each employee is a self-manager. 
They're managing their own time, their to-do lists, their priorities.

They add, do, subtract to it throughout the week, without checking in, verifying, that the right things are getting done. 

But if your to-do list keeps growing, that's not the problem. 
The problem is you're not prioritizing correctly.

If you only have 40 hours, those hours should go to the right things. 
Not just the urgent stuff, but the impactful stuff.

Here's a trick I recommend, whether you're the owner or the employee:

Review this week's to-do list every Monday. 
Look at what absolutely must get done before the weekend.

Then, decide: 
- Prioritize those items 
- Re-assign tasks that don't need your direct input 
- Discard the noise

Reset your priorities. 
Make sure the right things get done. 

The rest? Put on hold. 
Because doing everything means doing nothing.

Stop fooling yourself. 
You don't need more time, you need better focus.

You'll be surprised what gets accomplished when you cut the clutter.

What's the one thing you're going to prioritize next week?

I was tired all the time. Showed up drained for work, trying to force my body into gear it wasn't ready for.

It hurt my work.
It hurt my family.
It made handling problems feel impossible.

Then I realized something: 
𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲.

Getting a good nights sleep was more important than more hours at my desk. 

A well-rested person outperforms the smartest, most talented one tired out of their mind.

I'd rather work focused and sharp for 8 hours than stretch into 16 hours of exhaustion.

Because tired equals irritability.
Energy drops.
Problems seem bigger.
People like you less.

Getting good sleep isn't a luxury. 
It's a game changer.

Are you risking your success by ignoring your sleep?

Make rest your secret weapon. Start today.

DM me "Sleep" if you would like to know the items that I have made a part of my routine every single night.

Wife & Mother of 7 | Venture Capital | Scientist | TOP 30 Patent Drafters | United States Patent Examiner | Violinist | Polyglot | STEM Children's Author | #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law

Kathryn Vatt is a scientist, former USPTO Examiner, and devoted wife and mother of seven, with over 25 years shaping the future of innovation. Recognized as one of the Top 30 Patent Drafters and Prosecutors and the #1 LinkedIn Global Influencer in Innovation/IP Law, Kathryn has built a career at the intersection of science, law, and business—helping inventors, startups, and global companies turn creativity into competitive advantage.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S. Biology) and Johns Hopkins University (M.S. Biotechnology), Kathryn is currently pursuing her Juris Doctor in Patent Law at the Franklin Pierce School of Law, one of the world’s leading IP programs. Her rare cross-disciplinary background gives her both the scientific insight and the legal strategy to protect ideas at the highest level.

At the USPTO, Kathryn examined thousands of patent applications, conducted exhaustive prior art searches, and made determinations that shaped industries and influenced global innovation. After leaving the Patent Office, she founded Vatt IP Management, where she develops bulletproof IP strategies, drafts airtight applications, and supports litigation teams in defending patents. She also mentors engineering and life science students through Arizona State University’s Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute and judges international startup competitions, nurturing the next generation of innovators.

Her entrepreneurial vision extends to her ventures:

My Startup Shield™, a founder-focused program that helps startups secure their innovations before they pitch. It protects ideas at the earliest, most vulnerable stage and positions founders to raise capital with confidence

My AI Examiner™, the world’s first proprietary patent search platform that combines examiner-trained AI Patent Examiners with Kathryn’s own human review. Unlike conventional tools, it doesn’t just search faster—it “thinks like an examiner,” offering inventors and startups clarity, precision, and strategy.

MyKidVentors™, a STEM-inspired children’s book series born from her seven children’s real “What if?” questions. Through these imaginative stories, she nurtures curiosity in the next generation, showing that every big invention begins with a single question.

For Kathryn, the same motherly instinct that guides her family fuels her professional mission: to protect, guide, and nurture startups with care, strategy, foresight, and integrity. She believes innovation doesn’t just start in labs or boardrooms—it starts in the curious minds of those brave enough to ask, “What if?”

Kathryn V.

OREOS FOR MOTHER’S DAY

At a small neighborhood shop, a man quietly changes lives.

He gives free food to kids who show him their grades...a reward not just for doing well in school, but for trying, for caring, for showing up.

In this video, one young boy steps up to the counter, offered the chance to choose anything he wants.

Today, he picks milk, bread, eggs...and cookies for Mother’s Day.
And the shop owner...touched by that choice...adds a bouquet of flowers for him to bring home.

Neither of them realizes that what just happened will be remembered for years.
Because kindness like that doesn’t end at the counter...it multiplies.

Every act of generosity plants a seed:
A child whose confidence blooms.
A parent who feels seen and loved.
A community reminded that humanity still shines bright.

So here’s to the everyday heroes: the ones who lift others quietly, who give without expecting anything in return.

You may never see the full impact of your kindness...but someone’s world is brighter because of you. 


------
If you enjoy my posts please follow me:
Kathryn V.
VATT IP Management
My AI Examiner™
My Startup Shield™
https://lnkd.in/gAERstmz
https://lnkd.in/gmAS9P7Z
https://lnkd.in/gJyb28T8

FIRST TOGETHER


At Founder Chapel, we believe real leaders don’t climb alone.
They rise by lifting others.

In a world obsessed with rankings, valuations, and visibility, it’s easy to believe leadership means standing above everyone else. 

But the founders who build legacies understand something deeper:
Nothing meaningful is built alone.

Behind every breakthrough are unseen sacrifices, honest conversations, shared burdens, and people who stood steady when things felt uncertain.

True leadership isn’t about guarding the top spot.
It’s about making space on it.

Because titles fade.
Headlines move on.
Momentum comes and goes.

But character remains.
Stewardship remains.
The way you build...and who you build with...remains.

That’s why Founder Chapel exists.

Through our Learning Pods, founders gather not just to scale companies, but to sharpen judgment, strengthen conviction, and build with integrity alongside others who believe leadership is a responsibility, not a spotlight.

If you’re building something that matters and you want to build it with depth, wisdom, and community...we invite you to apply here → https://lnkd.in/gM9xz6qk

Founder Chapel: Build well. Lead faithfully. Rise together.
David Y. Jay Jin Katrena Drake

Three founders will leave my Arizona Tech Week event patent-pending.

We’re getting closer…

My Patent Pending Party™ at Arizona Tech Week (April 6–12) is coming up, and the response so far has been incredible. I’ve already had the chance to speak with some truly impressive founders and I’ve even started getting requests to bring the party to other cities 😊 

The event itself is shaping up to be something really special.

We’ll be hosting:
• A founder panel featuring raw, honest conversations about the entrepreneurial journey: the highs, the lows, the mistakes, and what founders would do differently knowing what they know now.

• An “Ask the Examiner” AMA session,  where you'll get to ask questions about patents, intellectual property strategy, and how the system actually works from an investor who spent fifteen years inside the U.S. Patent Office deciding which innovations got approved and which ones didn't. 

• A live patent hackathon, where three pre-selected founders will leave the party officially patent-pending. On me.

We’ll also have investors in the room, and we’ll end the evening with time for networking with founders, investors, and builders from across the ecosystem.

If you want a chance to be one of those three founders, there is still time to apply.

There are three Saturdays left this month, and I’m using those days to hold short 15-minute pitch sessions on Hubble.                                

The pitch session itself is the application process.

You get 15 minutes:
• 5 minutes to pitch what you’re building.
• 10 minutes for me to ask questions the way an investor with an IP strategist lens would.

From those conversations, I’ll select three founders to be invited to my Patent Pending Party™ during Arizona Tech Week.

And don’t worry...you don’t have to live in Arizona to apply.

If you’re selected, we’ll simply Zoom you in.

If you aren’t selected as one of the three, don’t worry.

You’ll either receive feedback on your pitch, or I may connect you with someone from my network of angels and VCs.

And you’re always welcome to come back and pitch again for the next party.

Ideas are everywhere.

Protected ideas are much more valuable.

If you want to pitch yours, you can book a Saturday slot here:
https://lnkd.in/g_jESdm3

Slots are limited.

Event details:
https://lnkd.in/g3dJgkzm


A special and heartfelt thank you to my sponsors, Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at Arizona State University and Stearns Bank N.A. This event wouldn’t be possible without your support.

Open article: RSVP to A Patent-Pending Party #AZTechWeek | Partiful by partiful.com

RSVP to A Patent-Pending Party #AZTechWeek | Partiful

I’m honored to be returning for the second year in a row as a judge for Pitch the Pros® on April 10th in Greenville, SC.

As a former United States Patent Examiner I have spent more than 25 years helping founders and inventors protect what they build.

And I have seen how often founders focus on perfecting the pitch, raising capital, and gaining traction...only to think about protection later while losing ownership rights in the process. 

That is why this year, I am proud to personally offer a Protection Prize to the Top 3 presenters through moatly™.

Each of the top founders will receive dedicated intellectual property strategy support to help ensure what they are creating is properly protected. Not just celebrated. Not just visible. Protected.

Pitch the Pros® brings together a select group of founders, investors, and industry experts in an intentional setting. 

Ten founders will pitch live. The top three will also be invited to a private VIP evening featuring a Fireside Chat and networking experience with Daymond John of Shark Tank, along with dinner and live entertainment.

If you are building something meaningful and ready to step forward, I would love to see you there.

You can learn more here:
https://lnkd.in/eZyx78ge
Christopher Guerrera LSSMBB The Modern Inventor

Looking forward to supporting the founders who take the stage and helping them protect what they have worked so hard to create.

More than a thousand years ago, an army approached the gates of a Persian fortress.

Warriors gathered. Fear spread through the walls.

And then something unexpected happened.

A young woman rode out to meet them.

Her name was Gordafarid.

In the great Persian epic Shahnameh, written by poet Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi, Gordafarid sees her homeland under threat. 

Warriors gather. 
Fear spreads through the fortress.
So she does something no one expected.

She fastens her armor.
Mounts her horse.
And rides into the battlefield herself.

Even her enemies were astonished. They had never seen such bravery from someone so young.

But Gordafarid was not written as a fragile figure or a symbol of tragedy. 

Ferdowsi portrayed her as a strategist as well as a warrior. When she realized she could not defeat her opponent by strength alone, she relied on her wit, delaying the enemy long enough to protect her people.

For many Iranians, Gordafarid has become a symbol of something timeless:
the courage of women.

Today, on International Women’s Day, I find myself thinking about that courage. 

Not just in ancient stories, but in the lives of women all around us.

Women who stand up.
Women who speak out.
Women who lead.
Women who lift others even when the path is difficult.

Because women have always done this.

One woman opens a door.
Another holds it open.
Another widens the path so others can walk through it.

We all rise when we lift each other.

Today I want to honor women everywhere.

And I want to dedicate this day especially to the women of Iran whose courage continues to inspire the world.

Your courage has reminded the world that the strength of women is one of the most powerful forces on earth.

Across centuries, from Gordafarid’s battlefield to the voices we hear today, one truth remains:

The courage of women cannot be extinguished.

Happy International Women's Day to all of the amazing women in the world 💐

DOLPHINS IN THE DESERT 🐬🌵

Today is the day, Arizona!!

I am so excited to be serving as a panelist and workshop speaker for Dolphin Tank with Springboard Enterprises.

For more than two decades, Springboard has been accelerating women-led, high growth companies with an extraordinary track record:

850+ portfolio companies
$36.4B+ in value created
225+ exits
26 IPOs

And today, Dolphin Tank is happening at Grand Canyon University.

This is not your average pitch event.
It is a true launchpad. Women founders receive real time, thoughtful feedback from investors and operators who genuinely care about growth, strategy, and long term success.

I am honored to join an incredible panel and lead a special session during the Founder Workshop from 3-5 PM focused on protecting what you are building before you pitch, scale, or raise.

Joining me on the panel:
• Mitzi Krockover, MD, CEO, Founder, Investor at WomanCentered and Women’s Health Council Member at Springboard Enterprises
• Azin Radsan van Alebeek, Co founder and General Partner at Emmeline Ventures
• Rory Bidinger, Community Development Officer at Stearns Bank N.A.

If you are a founder, investor, operator, or supporter of women entrepreneurs, this is where you should be.

And Arizona…it is not too late.
🔗 Dolphin Tank RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eQDSywgq

🦾 Founder Workshop (3 to 5 PM): https://lnkd.in/ei4XZGSW

Come support the founders who are bravely stepping forward to pitch what they are building.

There is something powerful about watching vision meet opportunity in real time.

Proud to support this right here in Arizona. 🌵🐬

There is something defining about walking into a room and realizing you may be the only woman there and deciding that you belong anyway.

I have felt that in government spaces. In investor meetings. In high level technical discussions. In rooms where expertise is tested before it is trusted.

What I have learned is this. Leadership is not about blending in. It is about standing grounded in who you are, even when the room was not designed with you in mind.

My path began internationally, where at 21 I cofounded a company in Pakistan and learned firsthand that leadership is rarely about position and always about responsibility, requiring conviction, cultural awareness, and resilience. I later served as a United States Patent Examiner, and went on to found and lead my own firm, invest in innovation, mentor founders, and raise seven children. 

Each chapter has shaped how I understand leadership, not as authority, but as stewardship.

As Women’s History Month begins, I am honored to join a panel at The New York Public Library on March 4th for a conversation on growth and leadership alongside remarkable women whose journeys are equally layered and powerful.

We will be speaking candidly about what it truly takes to build influence, the pivots, the pressure, the persistence, and the quiet strength behind the scenes that rarely gets highlighted.

If you are building something, a company, a career, a life, while trying to remain fully yourself, this conversation is for you.

Grateful to James Corry for creating space for this meaningful dialogue and for bringing together such an inspiring group of women. I look forward to sitting alongside Christina Mitine, Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, and Rechelle Balanzat for this important conversation.

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

Sr. GTM Leader at AWS | Head of GTM at Women in AI | Agentic AI Strategy & Digital Transformation | Industry Speaker

I know what it feels like to be the only woman in the room. If you’ve ever navigated climbing the leadership ladder while authentically showing up, this conversation is for you.

As Women’s History Month begins, I’m honored to be a panelist for “Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership” on March 4th hosted by The New York Public Library.   

I’m joining four resilient women to share our career journeys and dive into the real grit required to build influence in both the corporate and government sectors.

Huge thank you to James Corry for hosting this important conversation! See you soon, Kathryn V., Laura Kavanagh, Olga Alcaraz, Rechelle Balanzat. 

👉🏼 Join us this Wednesday: https://lnkd.in/gtz_23Eu

#WHM2026 #WomensHistoryMonth #LeadingTheChange #IWD2026 #GiveToGain #WomenInTech #NYPL #Leadership

Open article: Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership by nypl.org

Five Powerful Women: Their Journeys of Growth and Leadership

Founders: if you are fundraising, you do not want to miss this event.

And if you can, make sure you are in Bettina’s room.

I am not just saying that because she is one of my dearest friends. Bettina is truly one of the most thoughtful, caring, and brilliant investors I know.

The level of care and intention she brings to every founder conversation is rare. 

She listens deeply, asks the questions that actually matter, and shows up for founders long before there is ever a deal on the table.

That kind of stewardship is something special in venture. 💛

Silicon Valley Angel Investor (Pre-Seed) + LP | AI + FinTech + DeepTech + B2B SaaS + Sports Media + CPG | Ex-GoPro + Semiconductors | Hubble Advisor + Boardy Deal Partner + Incubator Mentor | Skiing + BucketHat Lover

Are you #FundRaising?  Come join me, along with 100+ other VCs, Angels, FO's

I'm hosting a networking room at the VC Virtual Conf on March 31 hosted by Max Pog.    There will be 40+ breakout rooms & 6 hours of VC networking & insights.

If you’re interested in joining the discussion
Register here:   https://vcconf.com?172

See you on the 31st... 
I'll probably be the only one in a #BucketHat

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