vitalink: 30 Defining Moments - Kat GoldfadenInterview Questions

We spoke with Kat Goldfaden about her journey from vitalink intern to Vice President of Brand Strategy, the lessons that shaped her career, and the impact of client-focused marketing.

1. Let’s start from the beginning: What brought you to vitalink, and what was it about

the company that made you say yes?

I started with vitalink as an intern back in 1997 while I was attending Peace College, which is

now William Peace University. I had secured a senior-year marketing internship in advertising

and creative art design, and vitalink was where I landed. When I graduated in 1998, Jeanne

offered me a full-time job, and honestly, it felt like the dream. I accepted almost immediately and never looked back.

2. What was the work you were most proud of during your time at vitalink, and why

did it matter to you personally?

The project I am most proud of is the Carolina Cobras campaign. They were an emerging arena football brand in Raleigh, and this was around 1999 to 2001. It was a significant challenge because we were building the team's brand from the ground up and driving traffic to games, which meant success was completely measurable. I was doing double duty on that project, serving as both the account executive and handling graphic services. One of the things I got to design was a Seven Up can featuring the team's schedule. It was one of those projects where you could really see the tangible impact of the work.

3. vitalink considers you one of its 30 Defining Moments. What does that recognition

mean to you, and how do you think your time here shaped who you became

professionally?

Honestly, it is wild to be considered a cornerstone of vitalink's business. I attribute so much of who I am professionally to Jeanne's mentorship. The core philosophy that drew me in and that I carry to this day is the belief that client service is everything. It is about bringing strategy and real ideas, and truly listening to what the client needs. We were never just "selling spots and dots." We were focused on solving holistic problems. That client-first approach has been the bedrock of everything I have done since.

4. Were there any pivotal moments, mentors, or challenges at vitalink that you still

carry with you today?

vitalink's size meant we had to be scrappy and adaptable, especially as digital marketing was

just beginning to take shape. We had to be lifelong learners, and we often said "yes" to projects and then figured out the solution from there. That scrappiness has never left me. One moment that really sticks out is when we traveled to Nevada to work on a state RFP and ended up helping a friend from Make-a-Wish with their press events at the National Finals Rodeo, because the child's own agency completely failed to show up. That kind of improvisation, showing up and solving a problem you did not even know you were walking into, that is something I still think about.

5. You've gone on to build a remarkable career since your time at vitalink. Can you

walk us through some of the highlights and what you've been working on most

recently?

After vitalink I moved to another agency, and then I was recruited to LM Restaurants, where I

have now been for 16 years. I originally joined to build their in-house marketing department from scratch, which is essentially a tiny agency inside a company. Today I serve as the Vice

President of Brand Strategy, overseeing the full marketing department and keeping a close eye on the guest experience inside the restaurants. Over that time I have developed somewhere between 15 and 20 brands for this entrepreneurial, family-owned company. Most recently, I have been working on a serious, emerging restaurant and franchise brand project in Florida, and finding a small, scrappy agency down there that is ready to pivot and work collaboratively has been genuinely difficult. Good ones are hard to come by!

6. Tell us about the chapters beyond your career. What are the things in your

personal life that you’re most proud of?

Outside of work, I am a full-time working mom. I have been married for 16 years and we are

raising two boys who are deeply involved in sports. Between the two of them, I am managing

four teams, including soccer and high school volleyball. My weekends are fully consumed by it, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

7. What would you say to the team at vitalink today, and to anyone just starting their

own defining chapter?

Never stop learning. The pace of change is relentless, and you have to be a lifelong learner and an early adopter who is willing to make mistakes. Be curious. And above all else, listen. Your job is not to run an ad. Your job is to solve your client's specific problem and demonstrate real value. Clients are not looking for a cookie-cutter solution. They want to know you actually heard them and that your approach was built for them. That’s what makes the difference!