Rising Stars: Meet Katie Uckotter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Uckotter.

Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was a teenager, I knew that I loved writing, reading, creating, and connecting with others. I found myself always having a journal expressing how I felt, and what my life consisted of at that moment, and eventually, I got the courage to start sharing those thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people. I quickly realized we are all a little bit more similar than we think.

There’s so much importance in being real with others for me. Through forming genuine bonds and connections with people through my honesty and my vulnerability, a lot of doors opened up for me and introduced me to creative, joyful, and supportive worlds. I started working at a local pottery place about 6.5 years ago; this job has allowed me to form a local community and grow in ways I could’ve never imagined.

While working there, I graduated high school, went to college at the University of Cincinnati, and I juggled other small jobs as well. I created my little side gig during the pandemic, Lettered by Katie, where I created digital drawings of people and their families, babies, dogs, cats, etc., and also did a lot of calligraphy for weddings, baby showers, and other events. I was a day-of-wedding coordinator a couple of times; random, but so fun and trusting.

I had a partnership with Aerie for three years. I did sponsor ads on Instagram occasionally. I took care of people’s dogs. I babysat whenever I could. And now, I work for Balloon Therapy Cincy- a new on-demand balloon company. I find myself loving working and putting myself into things that help other people and encourage my creativity. I believe it’s my purpose to care for others, create for others, and try to understand others.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always going to be obstacles in anybody’s story. Without obstacles, how do we grow? Throughout all of my experiences, I found myself struggling with my mental and physical health some days, and thriving other days. It would not be ‘My Story’ if I did not share the hurdles and setbacks I had to face over the past few years. Anxiety has always been present in my life, but I was officially treated and diagnosed when I was seventeen.

I am so thankful for therapy and medicine for helping me cope with anxiety. It can be debilitating, alienating, and all-consuming. Some days when I’m anxious, I don’t even feel connected; I feel so distant, which makes me struggle with moving forward and making decisions. While dealing with anxiety, I also had a long health journey almost a year and a half that eventually landed in getting diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and POTS.

These affect me deeply with chronic fatigue, widespread pain, brain fog, and lightheadedness. I manage them both but it’s still a struggle most days. However, my story thus far is something I’m thankful for and proud of. I have learned and changed and grown in so many ways and I don’t want to change anything.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am currently the manager at The Pottery Place, which is a paint-your-own pottery studio located in White Oak (Cincinnati). I run their social media, connect with customers and teach them how to paint, amongst so many other studio-related tasks. I also work for Balloon Therapy Cincy, a new on-demand balloon company located in Cincinnati. I am the Lead Designer and installer, which just means I design the balloon garlands and arches, what colors and decor to be included, and then install it on site of the event.

I also have my own little side business, Lettered by Katie, where I create anything under the sun for people; this includes, chalkboards for local businesses, wedding boards, graphic drawings of people’s pets and families, etc. On top of those, I also “blog” on my Instagram page – which is what I feel I’m most known for outside of Lettered by Katie. I am a former partner of Aerie, where I advertised their clothing for about three years as their ambassador.

This allowed me to connect with people all over the country and form relationships with “strangers”. I always post about real things going on in life, because social media can be so fake sometimes. I always say Instagram is my creative journal and I use it to document my life, good or bad, in photos and words. I would say I’m most proud of the side work I do for Lettered by Katie because I built it all myself and learned everything myself as far as using the right programs and marketing.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding a mentor can be difficult, however, I feel like you just have to engage in your local community as much as possible. I was very lucky enough to find my mentor at a younger age because she is my boss at The Pottery Place. However, other ways you can find a mentor are through going to local stores that pertain to your interests and talking to whoever is working, and mentioning your interest. You would be surprised at how many people you could get connected with if you just start a convo with your local barista, boutique owner, or waitress.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @katieuckotter instagram.com/letteredbykatie