Cat Donohue: An Artistic Designer's Journey from Luxury Fashion to Motherhood to Business Owner

As the leaves turn and the seasons shift, so do the chapters of our lives, and no one knows this dance better than my friend Cat Donohue. Join us for a heartwarming conversation where Cat, a beacon of resilience and creativity, shares her globetrotting journey from the charming streets of Lucerne to the electrifying avenues of New York City. Her story, laced with the aroma of French patisseries and the sounds of bustling metropolises, is a reminder that home isn't just a place, but a feeling found in new beginnings.

Brace yourself for a tale of transformation that blooms in the most unexpected places, as Cat opens the door into her world which traverses the landscape of luxury fashion to motherhood to starting her own business. Her stunningly original jewelry and striking home decor line, made of ropes and knots, took root amidst the pandemic's quiet. Discover how a makeshift macrame project evolved into a moment of connection and creativity, with each piece infused with the intention to spread joy. We celebrate the power of repurposing the simplicities that surround us and the bravery it takes to share your craft, an inspiration that could very well ignite your own hidden talents. Be inspired to overcome your fears and achieve your dreams, leaving no regrets behind. 

As our laughter echoes through this episode, so does the wisdom of persistence and the embrace of technological and difficult frontiers. We approach the importance of attributes such as discipline and consistency. Cat not only weaves threads but also weaves together a tribe, proving that your vibe truly attracts your kindred spirits. Together, we traverse the landscape of social media, discovering how the click of a button can open worlds of opportunity. So, if you're craving a dose of positivity and a nudge towards your creative potential, let the story behind Cat and her Smiling Knots be your guide.  

You can get to know Cat and also purchase her beautiful creations on her Instagram page @catdonohuestudio.

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Intro voiceovers by her family: son, Billy Alexander; daughter, Mackenzie Alexander; and husband, Bill Alexander.
Music by Bill Alexander
Produced by Bill Alexander

Transcript

Meghan Alexander: 0:01

Hello and welcome to. We Are Made For More. I am your host, Meghan Alexander, and this is my podcast and we're back. I have to say we're back because it's been a few months off from podcasting, but we are determined. I am determined not to have what they call pod fade and let this podcast fade out into the universe. So I'm back with an incredible guest today and it's a dear friend of mine and her name is Cat Donohue. So welcome, kat, to our show.

Cat Donohue: 0:31

Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited.

Meghan Alexander: 0:35

Hello, darling, Hi my sweet friend, I'm so happy to have you here. It's funny for those like possibly watching at home if you go on the YouTube channel, or for anyone that's listening and can't see this setup. We're a little bit far apart in this recording studio, but we're going to make it look natural.

Cat Donohue: 0:53

Be close and hard. So it's okay, we deal with that little distance. There you go.

Meghan Alexander: 0:58

But so welcome to Kat. I'm going to share a few tidbit details with everybody about Cat before we get started on our conversation today. First of all, this is one of our first 10 episodes of this show. I want to say it may be episode five or six that's being released. We're not sure which one this is going to fall into yet, but you're in the first 10, kat, so that's pretty excited. I like that number.

Cat Donohue: 1:25

Nice and even.

Meghan Alexander: 1:27

But Cat Donohue. You could follow her first of all on her Instagram called Smiling Knots. So that's Smiling Knots on Instagram. I hope everybody goes and checks it out. But Kat is a mother of two amazing young teenage sons, jackson and Cooper, and she's married to her husband. Chris Donahue lives here on Long Island in our North Shore coastal town. We live in a town called Centerport that's really this just charming community on the North Shore of Long Island and we met years back. We've been friends for a number of years now, right, kat?

Cat Donohue: 2:01

Yes, we are. So, what years through the kids really, we met through the kids some local basketball league, I think it was, and your husband was one of the coaches actually.

Meghan Alexander: 2:12

Yes, I remember that, and my son Billy and her son Jackson were on this basketball team together. So we're going back when they were gosh I don't remember how many years ago, but a bunch maybe like eight, seven, eight, Okay.

Meghan Alexander: 2:28

It started back then and our friendship has grown over the years. But we're, you know, we kind of go on a lot of walks together and we've really enjoyed, especially this past year, just our I feel inspirational conversations. And I should have asked her a long time ago, but it was like this moment of why aren't we doing a podcast and having you on the show? Because all of our talks are just so natural and we talk about the meaning of life and I'm like we've got to do this, let's get together and talk. So here she is.

Cat Donohue: 3:01

And I'm glad you asked me because, frankly, I'm like I did it. I was like, yes, I'm going to do it because you're my friend and I love this. We are made for more. I think it's so inspirational when I listen to you on our walks, on your podcast. But I was like, ah, I'm like really an introvert. So for me this whole situation might be a little bit like, um, you know new, uh, but I, over the years, at my age, I have become a learned extrovert. So I am here and I'm doing this. Good for you.

Meghan Alexander: 3:36

I think that's amazing, First of all, and it's funny cause some people call themselves introverts and really I don't know if everyone realizes, but introvert doesn't just mean people are quiet, right, but it often means you get your energy from doing things without a lot of people around you. You know I don't right.

Cat Donohue: 3:55

I actually need often to be alone. You know, that's when I'm creative even though that I love, like the inputs from my friends or other creatives but I need to kind of like, have this space and go back but like, just like. In general, I I'm not a person who likes to put herself out there. So a lot of things lately I have been, um, you know, trying to be just go for it. I want to be in 2024, a little bit more a yes person. Okay, I like that. So here I am, here you are. That's one of my yeses.

Meghan Alexander: 4:33

So bucket list, check that box. Here you are putting yourself out there on a podcast. It's going to be out in the universe. Why not? Why not Good for you? Um. So, kat, I want to talk, like let's talk a little bit about your background and tell people a little bit about who you are before we kind of get into our fun. But your journey and um, bringing it back to where you're from originally and of course I have these, I know these things about you, but it's way more fun hearing it from you directly- Sure, sure.

Cat Donohue: 5:02

So, um, I'm originally from Switzerland. I grew up, uh, in a medium town called Lucerne in the Swiss German part of Switzerland. Um, I had a lovely childhood, surrounded by nature. Um, I had wonderful parents. I have two uh, much older brothers, um, so there were so much older that I grew up kind of almost Like an only child, um, but I had a wonderful childhood, um. I then, when I was in high school, you know how it is like you always want to like see the world and go out there and explore.

Cat Donohue: 5:47

So my town in Switzerland, I thought like that's going to be a little bit too small for me. I really want to like explore other countries, and I happened to love French in high school.

Meghan Alexander: 6:00

Okay.

Cat Donohue: 6:00

And it was like oh, you know, I would love to go to Paris to college. Yes and um, and that's exactly what I did. I ended up in Paris. I was in college there. I got my degree there in a very specific um school for fashion and design, and I was always very creative. I always loved to.

Cat Donohue: 6:23

A lot of times, in order to get out of my shy skin, I drew. I drew all my childhood. I love just making things with my hands and as a young girl I thought fashion was something that interested me, so I did that, and arts, history and subjects like that. So I was there, I did get my degree there and then I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to go back, so I stayed. I started doing some internships and, um, I got like some jobs that were pretty much under the table, because at that point, switzerland, even though it's in the middle of Europe, it's not part of the EU. So, um, whatever I worked was kind of a little bit under the table, but you know I got a lot of experiences.

Cat Donohue: 7:15

I worked for um trend offices, um several ones, um yeah, so that lasted like seven years. I spent like seven years in.

Meghan Alexander: 7:27

Paris. That's amazing. I'm just picturing Paris like young, early twenties fashion industry. Yeah, we had absolutely no money.

Cat Donohue: 7:37

I lived in the tiniest little uh room under the roof for the first year because my parents didn't want to like rent an apartment for me, so they had me like first in a youth hostel with other students from all over, from the Saabon and you know all kind of schools in Paris, so I had like a social network. Um, the room was the tiniest, tiniest little room under the roof and I remember it had a tiny shower and I was like, wow, that's cool, I have a shower in my room. But it was one of those that you have like to push the buttons on the wall that the water comes up. And I was on, I was on the sixth floor so and I had this long hair and I couldn't ever get the soap out of my hair because the water was stopped and it was cold and it wouldn't come up. It wouldn't come up. So my mom told me when she heard she goes like you should go once a week to one of these little hair salons and just get your hair washed correctly.

Meghan Alexander: 8:36

That's great.

Cat Donohue: 8:38

Anyhow, but nevertheless, um, it was fabulous. Like you know, when you're young, like that, you don't need anything else, you can be in the tiniest room. We had no money. We went out, we made our own clothes. We kind of were like a little colorful group, so we got into all the clubs for free.

Meghan Alexander: 8:56

Yes, Um, you know, we never drank anything at the club.

Cat Donohue: 9:01

We just danced the nights away and it was a beautiful city like full of culture, and that's really what interests me. I was so, you know, into art and history and architecture and there's just so much going on.

Meghan Alexander: 9:15

It was like a plethora of like offers, what we could do even on a super small budget Absolutely so exciting to I'm thinking back to, uh, those days of my life as well and just, you're right, that feeling of I don't need much, it was exciting just to be out in the world, right?

Meghan Alexander: 9:31

And here you were doing it in Paris and I don't have to. I've never been to Paris. It's definitely on the top of my list of places to visit, but have to go. Yeah, I bet. Is there anything specific about Paris that stands out to you that you would tell people you've got to go to certain spots?

Cat Donohue: 9:45

or Well, you know, there's so many sites, right, Like the big sites. Of course you need to see the Eiffel Tower and of course you need to see the Louvre, and you know, I mean these are like kind of you have to do it.

Cat Donohue: 10:00

But then they're like I remember when I lived there I love to have like great um, thrift, thrift. Not thrift stores, but like markets, thrift markets on the weekend. There is one in like that. They're on the outer skirts of Paris, one is a part of the clinic or and the other one is part of the other. They have amazing like thrift markets and I remember I got a lot of like inspiration from going there on the weekends, you know, but there's like there's so much. The Chinatown is fabulous there.

Cat Donohue: 10:41

We went there after we like handed in a dossier like a body of work at school. That's kind of out. That was our treat. We will go to Chinatown and have like have like a meal there, you know very nice. There's so much theater.

Meghan Alexander: 10:58

I mean there's, it's endless.

Cat Donohue: 10:59

You could spend absolutely days and days.

Meghan Alexander: 11:03

So how long were you in Paris, did you say? Did you say seven years Like?

Cat Donohue: 11:06

seven years. Ok, and then, what then bring us?

Meghan Alexander: 11:09

like past that. What is that? When you left and came to New York?

Cat Donohue: 11:14

Yes, so after that seven year mark in Paris and, mind you, I never wanted to leave Paris. I, that was the city for me. I was in love with it. I love the people there. I never had the urge to go somewhere else, right, right. But I made a really good friend in in school and she was German and she at that point lived in New York. She had done like an extended study of six months at FIT and then she found a job in New York.

Meghan Alexander: 11:50

Right.

Cat Donohue: 11:51

And she said, like you know what? We haven't seen each other in a year. Come and visit.

Meghan Alexander: 11:57

Come to.

Cat Donohue: 11:57

New York, it's fun. You know I said like you know you're right, I haven't seen you in ages. I've never been to New York. Right, I'm coming Got to do it, and she said like you know, maybe you could get an internship here. So my bosses are actually at the Premier Vision, which is like a big fabric show in Paris.

Meghan Alexander: 12:19

OK.

Cat Donohue: 12:20

They're there right now to buy fabrics. I can arrange like a little get together, you could introduce yourself and maybe you can get an internship at the company that I'm working Right now. I said that sounds really good, let's do it. So she organized that and I did meet her bosses and I did talk to them, if it's possible. You know, we went to a little. It was actually really funny because they said you know what? You pick a place where we can have dinner. You live here, you pick a place.

Cat Donohue: 12:58

So I did pick a place, but it was a tiny little place in the 14 arrondissement in the south of Paris, where I lived at that point, and it's just like it was a little hole in the wall, but it was really good food.

Meghan Alexander: 13:14

That's kind of what I did.

Cat Donohue: 13:16

I didn't live in a fancy place and went to fancy restaurants, you know. So I said, oh yeah, I know this little place, we could meet there. So they came and they loved it because they were. So it was so refreshing to them because they were all always in these fancy restaurants and it was just a little typical Parisian little bistro and it was. The food was good. So we had a really nice time. They had a nice time and they said well, we will, we will get back to you.

Cat Donohue: 13:47

So now I call my girlfriend right away and I said, like you know, they said they're going to get back to me. I don't know if I can do an intern or not. She said I will find out. And she did. And she called me back and she said well, they said like you're a little bit over qualified for what we can offer you, but you're welcome to come if you want to do it. Right, it was not paid and I was, like you know, I yes, I'm coming. Because what am I going to do for three weeks? I planned on going there for two New York for three weeks. That will be my only stunt in New York. And I said look, after a couple of days I'm going to be bored, seeing museums and then walking around. You going to be at work. My girlfriend was going to be at work. I might as well work with you.

Meghan Alexander: 14:38

What a great idea.

Cat Donohue: 14:40

So I just did it and after three weeks they offered me a job. Wow, so that's a moment. That was a moment because I was like I'm going to be a good girl, because now I had to go back and actually think about it. They said, look, we will take our lawyers, we will take care of the visa for you until then. That will take a couple of months, until then we pay you, you know whatever. And I was like, wow, I really have to do my homework. I went back to Europe. I didn't give up my apartment right away. I was really tempted to. I was like, pretty sure, I'm going to take that job in New York. I figured it's like a one time opportunity and I did so. It was an Italian company. Okay, what was it? It was a company called Ermene G Lazzegna. It's a menswear Italian company and they hired me to assist the designer for a specific sportswear line that they were just creating for the United States.

Meghan Alexander: 15:43

Wow.

Cat Donohue: 15:44

Because sportswear in Europe and sportswear in America are two totally different animals. So I was a little bit lucky that I just came at the right moment where they were building the team and they just needed, you know, young people to join.

Meghan Alexander: 16:01

And welcome into the world of luxury high fashion brands. Exactly so.

Cat Donohue: 16:05

I was a little bit lucky that way, and that's how my journey started in the States.

Meghan Alexander: 16:11

Right, wow, that's amazing, it's incredible. And also into, like you've been mentioning, fashion, culture, the art world. It kind of all came together. Yes, paris, new York.

Cat Donohue: 16:21

Yes, and it is a culture shock, let me tell you, tell us, I was in shock, probably for a week. I have never been to the United States and everything is different from Europe. Everything as colorful, and you have so many different countries close together in Europe, it's, and they all different, have their own identity. It's just a culture shock. Yeah, everything, the smell I remember. So it was November. I remember the smell. We lived in Chelsea, all the restaurants. I remember like very pleasantly, the smell of all these restaurants, like garlic everywhere, the Italian restaurants, the steam coming off the subways, you know, in winter, out of these Everything, the police cars sound, the sirens sound different Everything, just everything. But it was super exciting, I'm sure.

Cat Donohue: 17:23

You know, I was my friends. Actually, when I arrived in the United States, they picked me up in a stretch limo. Oh, how nice A thing that I have never seen, nevertheless experience.

Meghan Alexander: 17:40

Nice friends, exactly.

Cat Donohue: 17:42

So they were. It was super cute. They like came in this big stretch limo and we had like a bottle of champagne and it was like fun. We went to a brand new bar right away that had opened down on 14th street and I was like just like, wow, I can't believe I'm here.

Meghan Alexander: 18:01

What a great number and what a great story into the US, Totally so how long did you did?

Cat Donohue: 18:06

you live in the city, so I lived in the city from. So I came to the States probably around 1996. And I lived in the city until 2001.

Meghan Alexander: 18:21

Okay, yeah, and that's when you then moved to Long Island. Yes, yeah, okay so.

Cat Donohue: 18:26

I met my husband, chris, at Zenia. I was on the way out, already off to a new job, and he just started and we wanted. We got engaged super quick and we got married a year after and he is originally from Long Island, so that's how we, kind of like, found our way out just to have a little bit more space. We wanted to have a family and that's when we moved out, so in 2001.

Meghan Alexander: 18:59

So you know for I have to say right here, like your husband's an amazing person. First of all, we love Chris and you've got, as I said earlier, two incredible young sons. But what a great, what a great story Like this is just so exciting. Just to follow that journey of from Switzerland and I know some people that know you call you Swiss Miss, it's such a fun nickname, yeah but then to go to Paris and then New York and then fall in love and come to Long Island, start a family, I mean just here we, here we are. So let's talk, transitionally, though, about you went from working at Zinnia to what was next for you, yeah.

Cat Donohue: 19:36

So then I worked for another Italian agent in the city and Italian men, wonderful men, who represented a couple of different Italian brands in America, and I worked for him probably until 2004, I believe, and I was like so. At Zinnia I worked more in design and then, for this different company, I worked more in sale because I sold my soul to sale, because I knew I could make a little bit more money.

Meghan Alexander: 20:10

Yeah.

Cat Donohue: 20:11

Yeah, Sure, and I was. I was good at sales. But it's not really totally who I am. I'm really more a creative.

Cat Donohue: 20:21

I love the creative side of the fashion business, more so, but it was interesting. So 2004, I was already like three years living on Long Island, I told. Back then, I remember I said to Chris. I said, like I'm not so sure I'm going to like Long Island because I always lived in cities, yeah, and I'm not sure I'm going to be far away from all my friends. And he said, okay, so how about we try it out for one year? If you don't like it, we move back. Of course he knew that I'm gonna like it.

Cat Donohue: 20:56

That was a good tactic.

Meghan Alexander: 20:57

Yeah, that was why not give it a try.

Cat Donohue: 20:59

Exactly so I really liked it. I loved to be closer to nature and have the water close, even though, I mean, I was commuting to the city every day and we didn't have kids at that point. So to make new friends is maybe a little bit harder. I think when you have kids that just open the door to so many like social contacts, that helps a lot. But so I didn't have that. And then in two thousand and four, we decided that I will retire from my sales job in the city because we were trying to have to start a family, yeah, yeah. So I stopped in 2004 and I found myself on Long Island and I found myself like a little bit bored, like you know how much you know house cleaning and like this and that Can you do.

Meghan Alexander: 21:56

Yeah, exactly, I didn't really have a social network at all.

Cat Donohue: 22:02

So I did something interesting. I took a job through another contact from the fashion industry that we had at as one of these annoying spritz girls the girls that spritz perfume in Bloomingdale and Sax in the mall, right. I took a job like that because I just needed to get out of the house.

Meghan Alexander: 22:30

Okay, I do remember now you telling me this. I told it. You know the ladies who like, would you like?

Cat Donohue: 22:35

to try this new fragrance. That was me Wow, and I didn't like that job, but it got me out and you know it was on my own time. I had to go to certain stores at the local mall, whatever, and I did it, Okay. And I met a girl there, a girl from Santa Port, really nice. She said, like you know what, I need to connect you, this is not for you here. I need to connect you with my interior designer that we're using at the moment. She's in need of an assistant. I think you will be good at that. You have fashion background, you know fabrics, you know you should meet her.

Meghan Alexander: 23:16

Okay.

Cat Donohue: 23:17

So I met her and I became her assistant. Oh, that's how it happened.

Meghan Alexander: 23:20

Okay, yeah.

Cat Donohue: 23:22

So this and I love that she is a wonderful, wonderful person, very talented, amazing human being, and I got to do a lot of kind of what touched a little bit on my background. I like to be creative with her and she let me do that and it's like dressing up a person. It was dressing up a room, yes, and I felt more at ease doing that. So I worked with her for a couple of years, okay.

Meghan Alexander: 23:53

And this was still now, before you had kids.

Cat Donohue: 23:55

Yes, okay. So now I got married in 2001 and we had our first son, jackson, in 2007. So it took us, as you can see, it took us a long time, but you know it was worth to wait, absolutely. But then, as I became a mom, then again my life switched right. We tried in the beginning to have me still work with this interior designer, with the baby being there, but it was getting harder and harder as they get bigger and more mobile. It just becomes not feasible. So I stopped and then I really plunged into being a mom.

Cat Donohue: 24:39

And I wanted to be a mom for so long and finally I was a mom so and I enjoyed it. You know, I really truly, truly did.

Meghan Alexander: 24:47

Was it hard for you to let go of doing some of the creative things or no, because now you're being fulfilled as a mother.

Cat Donohue: 24:55

I really was.

Meghan Alexander: 24:56

It wasn't.

Cat Donohue: 24:57

at that point it wasn't really hard for me to let go because I was really doing what I wanted to do for so long Just being with my baby. So I really loved it. And through having children you do find a different type of network of new friends and other moms in similar situations. So I really enjoyed doing just that. And it's everybody who says well, you know, oh you're, oh you're. You don't have a job, you're a stay at home mom.

Meghan Alexander: 25:32

Right. What does that feel like when you hear that?

Cat Donohue: 25:34

Yeah, that's. I mean not that people would say it like that, but sometimes you could kind of tell in their body language oh okay, you don't have to work, you know? I mean everybody who is a mom knows that it's probably the hardest job that we ever do.

Meghan Alexander: 25:53

Absolutely.

Cat Donohue: 25:53

The most meaningful. So it's really. I was full. I was full just being a mom and it's not easy. My husband traveled a lot for business so I was often like a single mom for weeks at end and you know it's it's not easy, but I had wonderful support from my in-laws that live in St James, just 20 minutes from here. So I was really lucky and I was happy.

Meghan Alexander: 26:21

Absolutely. I love that you just shined a light on that, though. What you just said about you know sometimes people you know they say those things and they may not mean anything by it when they say things like oh, so you don't have to work or um, oh so you're a you know, a full-time mom.

Meghan Alexander: 26:37

and you, right, and again, like, like I said, maybe they didn't mean it a certain way, but it can come across a certain way sometimes too. Right, when, when it's when it's said, but the other side of that is what a gift to be able to be a full-time mom. And you, you're also right, like, I'm also a mother, so I could say hardest job in the world for a mom could say that right, um, and and so meaningful.

Cat Donohue: 27:04

So absolutely yeah, I don't regret one minute of it, you know yeah, it's, it's a blessing.

Meghan Alexander: 27:10

And we're, you and I, are both now going through the college search for our kids, um, so we talk a lot about that too, and we'll, we'll, we'll say that the kind of stages of life change right, and now we're their teens.

Meghan Alexander: 27:25

So, to kind of flash forward a little bit, at what point? And I want to, because I want to tell everybody about the business that you're doing now, which we started here by saying smiling knots on Instagram. So please head over there and check, check out Kat's page, but she does incredible. Um, I'm wearing it now for those of you that could see. But incredible knot jewelry and I personally am such a huge fan of this I wish I could be a bigger influencer maybe someday, because I just feel it's so unique. Um, it's so beautiful, dramatic, soft, elegance, and this is come from uh creations that you started out of the pandemic. So here I'm on my little soapbox right now talking about Kat, but, um, let's talk about how you got into this knotting jewelry. I know it started with macrame, but can you talk a?

Cat Donohue: 28:15

little bit about this. Well, first, first of all, off the bat, you are one of my muses. I mean, you just perfect for the jewelry that I create. You inspire me. I often have you in mind. I'm like, hmm, would that look good on Megan? I think it would, so let's go with it, you know. So. No, truly like all my clients, I I appreciated so much that they are wearing my things. And then there's certain clients that really spice things up and inspire me so deeply, and you're one of them, so thank you for wearing my little creations my pleasure.

Cat Donohue: 28:56

Um, yeah, so how did I come about this? It started like probably, yeah, it started in the pandemic at 2020. And, um, I was just desperate with these kids at home.

Cat Donohue: 29:13

They were on the screens, they had to be on the screens all the time right, that's right For school and I tried desperately to get them off for little segments of their of the day.

Cat Donohue: 29:25

Yes and um, I had like, funny enough, I had material in the basement, okay, um, like ropes and things like that that a couple of years prior to that, I actually had started trying to do a couple of jewelry attempts with these ropes, but it didn't lead anywhere. I kind of let it go again. I just left it there. I figured, ah, I keep it, maybe one day I will drag it out again, and I did so. We did like. I was like ah, yeah, I have this stuff in the basement, let me take this rope, bob, and let let us make a little bracelet, even if it's half an hour, to do something with their hands, because I feel the kids do so much on these iPads and everything they lose, like the ability to really use their, their hands, their fingers to craft something. So I tried to get them away from the screens, which I did, and then that was it.

Meghan Alexander: 30:23

Well, half an hour.

Cat Donohue: 30:24

They were like they were good sports. They said, okay, let's do that, and then they were done with it and I just kept on going. So what I did? It really became a therapeutic moment in my day during the pandemic, when the kids would watch like a show or something in the evening. I would just start nodding. I would look up a couple of YouTube videos and they're great ones out there for anybody who wants to try start macrame or do the art of nodding. They're great videos out there that easily are findable.

Cat Donohue: 31:06

So I did that and what I did is I took sticks that we found on our family walks, like everybody right, like we just left the house just to get outside into nature and get everybody outside. And we did walks, family walks, stony bro comm set, you know local walks every day, and I would just pick up sticks and I would draw little smiley faces at the beach, in the sand, or I would, you know, collect little acorns and make little smiley faces. It was just such a dooming moment that it actually I just wanted to put a little smile out there and I'm getting there, because smiling knots is my Instagram page, so that's kind of I'm getting there where this is all coming from. So these smiley faces would be out in nature with rocks, acorns, whatever, and I will post that on Facebook and I will call it social distancing day.

Cat Donohue: 32:14

One Like you know where we went for a walk and the little smiley face drawn in the sand, at the beach or wherever we were, and so this smiley face stayed with me. I just wanted to smile, I just wanted to put something positive out there. So I took the sticks from the woods home and at night I would just start making wall hangings with macrame knots that I taught myself from YouTube, right, and I will post them and people like very quickly, people will be interested in buying them. Like, oh, do you sell them? This is pretty, I like it.

Cat Donohue: 32:58

You know, can we buy it? I'm like, hmm, somebody wants to buy this. Okay, you would like to have it. I would love to make one for you, or you can buy it. So I would sell it and then I will give like a percentage back to the local hospital. Oh, wow, so that was like a feel good thing. I felt good that somebody finds joy in my creation and then I will give something back. And it was just a feel good thing, right, and so that's where kind of the smiling knots come from. It really is born during the pandemic, so not too long ago, like in 2020.

Meghan Alexander: 33:38

Like this month. Actually it was exactly. I can't believe it. And even just hearing you say social distancing day one, I haven't heard that in so long Do you remember that it brings it all back. Yes, I thought we'd never get away from that to be honest.

Cat Donohue: 33:52

So but yeah, thankfully we did, thankfully we did.

Meghan Alexander: 33:56

But I also got one of your macrame designs as well. Yes, you did that's right and those really took off, though like that started a certain way, like when you for those of you that check out her page you could scroll back and see where it started. And then next thing, you know, you would introduce neon into it or all of a sudden, like the creative juices were going totally, yes, yes, then I would start experimenting with color.

Cat Donohue: 34:24

I love, I just love trying new things, you know, things that I never did before. So then I was like, oh, let me die the yarns, you know, let me die them with turmeric, turmeric or turmeric, let me die it with onion, with onions, let me die it with all kind of like different natural things, because we all had time at home. So I would experiment with dying wooden beads, or the rope with um, with color.

Meghan Alexander: 34:59

Actually, this is a good moment for me to tell my producer that's in the room, my husband. If he has that photo, I'm sure he already put it up there, but we have a photo of this too. Yeah.

Cat Donohue: 35:09

To show some of these things, your napkin rings right.

Cat Donohue: 35:12

Exactly yes. So then I was just like exploring into different categories, right, and as I said, I had tried to do some necklaces years ago. So I was like you know what, let me try this again. So I tried it and then people kind of like started oh wow, this is cool, you know, this is really unique. And then I had made a friend that is in the jewelry business and has her own fabulous brand, lulufrost. So she became a friend of mine and then we had this creative energy going and we like I said to her one day, maybe you want to do a little collab with me in terms of jewelry. And she kind of like introduced me more and more into this whole world of jewelry. I was kind of more a plain girl. I always wore a watch on my wedding band. I was never really really a jewelry girl and I must tell you I'm really into it now, as you can tell sometimes more is more, right, okay, got to pause for one moment.

Meghan Alexander: 36:21

Kat and I have this thing we sometimes say more is more. You know, some people say, well, less is more. Well, sometimes, kat, less is more.

Cat Donohue: 36:28

Yes, we agree Absolutely, but sometimes more is more, sometimes more is more, sometimes less is more, sometimes, like your daughter said earlier on, sometimes less is less.

Meghan Alexander: 36:40

Yeah, it depends on the moment and the mood and what works for you and brings into the mind. We had dinner one night with another dear friend of yours and we, what did she say? She said she said I'm a minimalist. And I said I love that I love that, and I said I'm a maximalist, she's a minimalist but she does wear she's with Katrina my jewelry, like she's.

Cat Donohue: 37:08

You know she's a great muse also yes, she is. We're all different, but we're all different it's, and that's what I like about jewelry, because you can just express your personality. You can express a certain mood that you have that day or a certain energy that you want to like bring out to the world with color or texture, Right. So I really love that aspect of it. So then I just started playing more and more about, you know, necklaces. It's mainly necklaces. I didn't really like start to dive into the bracelet, which there are a lot of rope bracelets out there, but I will find my own way eventually. Right now I just like concentrating on necklaces.

Meghan Alexander: 37:58

Right, and so you did that. You like you said, lula, for us to do. Lisa had introduced you to this kind of world of more jewelry and look where it's. I mean, that's also a fun thing to look back on when we look back at where you started that journey and where it is now, and all the different colors that you've done in the types of rope, right.

Cat Donohue: 38:18

Exactly, yeah, I mean like the possibilities are endless and that's kind of like the fun thing with rope and I like the. I like the aspect of soft jewelry. You know, when you think jewelry you think usually metal. Right, chains are all kind of different metals and there's constant, certain like a hard texture with that. So I kind of like love to play with jewelry, with soft materials, soft jewelry, and actually the piece that you're wearing today has a little metal aspect on it, right, like it has I just started doing like metal transfers on them, so it's like a metal sheets that are heat transferred.

Cat Donohue: 39:12

Exactly so. You have that little metallic hard look, but yet it's soft and malleable.

Meghan Alexander: 39:19

Absolutely so. Where do you want to take this business? What do you? What's on your mind about it? Where is it headed? You?

Cat Donohue: 39:24

know it's. I'm. I'm going for it, megan, I'm going for it, love it. I'm really excited to say that I started the process of getting my LLC going, so that's kind of a big step for me. It's a little bit scary, but you know what? Again, my 2024 model is yes, and why not? And why not? And I don't want to regret anything. I, like I've been thinking about this lately at my age. You know, like when you sometimes see these videos where people are asked you know older people are asked Like, if you regret anything, what would it be? Or do you regret anything in your life? And I don't know, it's kind of like resonating with me this question and I'm like you know what I don't want to regret at the end of the day of my life and say I didn't give it a shot.

Meghan Alexander: 40:25

So I got to give it a shot. Good for you.

Cat Donohue: 40:28

And I'm going for it. So I love it. I love it.

Meghan Alexander: 40:30

Like, even in that moment, you just brought your energy into it. Did you feel that You're like I'm going for it, I'm doing it?

Cat Donohue: 40:35

There's like a shift in the room.

Meghan Alexander: 40:36

I got, I'm like getting goosebumps, and those are some of the moments that I feel that we have on our walks together, where we inspire each other and we say what are we here to do? What what are we here to do? And yes, we've been here to like.

Meghan Alexander: 40:49

You know, you had your life in Switzerland and then you know Paris and New York City and Long Island and as a mom, and those things are all still part of your journey. But but look at what is coming next. Like there's this next chapter and you're going to have kids that go off to college and exactly, you know you don't want to have regrets, you want to do it. And what? What do you think holds people back? Like that's some stuff that you and I talk about.

Cat Donohue: 41:12

Like I think people are just scared. I think people are scared of failure. Yeah, you know, I mean, people are also like. I think, generally speaking and I'm one of them people are a little bit procrastinators.

Meghan Alexander: 41:30

Yeah.

Cat Donohue: 41:31

Yeah, okay, and I like I want to do it, but there is always tomorrow. I can do it tomorrow. And I think where does the procrastination root? Right, it roots. Like you, you might be fearful. Oh, will it work? Will I? You know, if a business is an investment, will I make the investment back? Or what will happen if I don't succeed? Or you know it's? I think it's just fear.

Meghan Alexander: 42:00

It is and we I'm loving you're saying this because this is the truth and even I'm going to go there for myself, too. Same thing even with this podcast. We talked about it, I did it, I launched, I got off the ground, I was so excited and then, yeah, I could say all the reasons why there was a pause in there. They're legitimate, but fear is one of them. It's like okay, I'm so busy, anyway, I have all this other stuff going on, anyway, is it really going to work?

Cat Donohue: 42:23

Is it going to go anywhere, is it?

Meghan Alexander: 42:24

going to do anything and we, we talk ourselves out of doing things that are meaningful to us.

Cat Donohue: 42:31

Absolutely.

Meghan Alexander: 42:32

It makes it kind of makes no sense if you think about it.

Cat Donohue: 42:35

Yeah, it it. It doesn't make much sense, but this is the main thing.

Meghan Alexander: 42:39

I think it's just fear. There's this quote, that um a simple quote, and it's what would you do if you knew you could not fail? Imagine that. Imagine what would you do if you knew you could not fail. And like there's failures.

Cat Donohue: 42:55

You would do much more. You would do much more.

Meghan Alexander: 42:58

I mean right, we laughed it's so true though you would you would lean into it. You would lean into it instead of backing away from things.

Cat Donohue: 43:04

Exactly.

Meghan Alexander: 43:05

So I think this is incredible that you are going for it, Like that's going to be. I'm going to write that down. That's Kat's new. I'm going for it. I'm going for it. Yeah, I just decided, Like I and you know what it is.

Cat Donohue: 43:16

It's also like by going for it, you know that there's certain moments you're pushed out of your comfort zone. Like comfort is another thing that I think holds people back, and holds me back Absolutely. You need to do things that you know you're not comfortable doing or that you don't like doing. For example, for myself right now, going through the whole bureaucracy of opening an LLC, it's it's totally out of my comfort zone. I bet I'm not liking that. I'd rather be in my little room creating new styles, trying out new ways. That's what I love doing. But, like you know, if you go for it, you need to know there are parts of the business or whatever it is that you want to create that you're not comfortable or that you don't like doing it, and I think we like kind of shaggy away, we don't want to do that. So I'm like, ah, you know, I stay away from it.

Cat Donohue: 44:16

So that also goes with. I go for it. Good point, I'm like ready to do things that I know will push me out of my comfort zone.

Meghan Alexander: 44:24

Well, I think I say Bravo to that because that's a super important point as well is the things that you, to do something successfully, like to build a business in order to chase your dreams and do the things you love to do, which for you, like you said, is creating. You have to also then embrace there's going to be really hard things to learn, right Like the business side of it, and it may mean you hire people and down the road or have you to do some of those hard things. But initially, right, we have to do these things that we haven't done before.

Meghan Alexander: 44:54

And that sometimes slows the process of Absolutely Create today, because I've got to go to see a lawyer today to open a business, or what have you right Exactly? But also think of the things your kids learning from you, as you're their mom and they've always kind of you know, they've seen you one way, they know a lot of things about you, but all of a sudden they're seeing you dive into some things for yourself and how inspiring that is for your kids.

Cat Donohue: 45:16

Yeah, absolutely, that's. That's a very good point too. Another thing that just came to my mind that I think could be a reason why people shy away from making this jump in a cold water is discipline. Discipline is another point that is very important, for for me, you have to have discipline to get good at what you're doing. I mean, I made like thousands and thousands of knots Right and I'm getting good at it. There's always stuff to learn right, always, always. This curiosity of always learning something new, that kind of drives you forward. But discipline and consistency is another or other terms that I think are very important to be successful. Like I try even though, even if I have to do a lot of other steps during the day and I'm still a mom and have to drive around and cook and wash and clean and all that but I try to find, even if it's 10 minutes to do something creative every day.

Meghan Alexander: 46:32

That's great.

Cat Donohue: 46:33

Every single day, and it can be the smallest thing, but it has to be done. There needs to be a certain consistency of the process.

Meghan Alexander: 46:41

You've told me this before. I have this written in my notes here. I was going to bring it up. The word consistency You've said this to me probably a dozen times and I think it's a mantra for you, because I've thought about it myself of what does cat mean by that?

Meghan Alexander: 46:55

I mean, I know we could sit here and say we know what consistency means, but here's the thing I'm going to tell you that I've noticed about you is you continue to post on your Instagram page, like, even if you don't have all of the pieces solved yet or figured out what's down there.

Meghan Alexander: 47:10

You don't even maybe know all the stepping stones that are in front of you, but your consistency shows up over and over again because you still put your material out there and it tells people here I am, I'm doing this, I'm creating this, this is going to catch and it catches on. So I have learned from you in that way, because, trying to build this own brand of mine, and sometimes I'll say, well, gee, maybe I shouldn't put another reel out there, but I watch you do it.

Cat Donohue: 47:35

And I'm like no, you got to put yourself out there. You do, and you're doing a great job, by the way, too. I really love all your reels in the car. This that, whatever, I always get something out of it, so please keep on doing it.

Meghan Alexander: 47:49

My kids tease me about it, by the way, but that's another story, that's all right. Yeah, that's all right.

Cat Donohue: 47:55

That's okay. That's okay. I think, like, look, for example, yes, you're talking about Instagram. That's like the platform I'm using and that's out of my comfort zone. Believe me, I'm like a tech dinosaur. This is very hard for me, it's really hard for me, but I'm trying and I know it's far from being perfect. But, like you're right, I had another friend a week ago tell me, like you know, you're working a lot, you're bringing out a lot of stuff. I said how do you, why do you think she goes? You're posting like, every day I see something different. This is shows you put a lot of time and work into this. Yes, you know which which I try to do, like every day, what I, what I can, and but yeah, you're right, it's a consistency.

Meghan Alexander: 48:51

It's consistency.

Cat Donohue: 48:52

You need to just keep on plugging at it.

Meghan Alexander: 48:54

It is, and so you know again, we're going to have bullet points after this. What I love about AI let's talk about AI for one second. What I love about AI is it's changed the platform for people to be able to do the things that we're doing right this minute.

Meghan Alexander: 49:07

The first podcast, cat, I sat and wrote like the copy for my first guest. It had her. You know, after the show you watch it back, of course, and a couple of times, and take out all the good bits and you write it down and it's something that I, frankly, I love to write anyway, but it's time consuming and we have a lot of other things to do. It's like okay if there could be something to come in and do that work for you, and AI is one of them. Why am I bringing it up? Because AI is going to come back and write this episode for us so that we could put it out there to have everybody have the good bits of like hey, here's what's coming in this conversation. Fabulous Megan can't wait.

Meghan Alexander: 49:43

And these are going to be some great tips, like get out of your comfort zone, having discipline, going for it, consistency. These are words that really stand out, and I'm so glad we did today. And I don't want to end the show without talking about something else, which is this People have heard me say it already, but we are here today. Everybody, with the guests that taught it to me which is your vibe attracts your tribe. This is from you. That's a good one?

Cat Donohue: 50:10

No, this is from you.

Meghan Alexander: 50:10

Yes.

Cat Donohue: 50:11

I did tell you that, yeah, I love that one. Yes, and it's true, I love that one. Just surround yourself with people that bring you good energy and that, like you know people that it's not a one way street, that it goes both ways, and just like, yeah, people have the same vibe. Just enjoy and be selective, be selective. You know, at my age I'm selective, yeah.

Cat Donohue: 50:40

And you know I like to be pleasant and friendly to everybody. That just the type of person I am. I'm kind of a lover, not a fighter. I like to have harmony and love and everybody has a good time. But you can't spend really quality time with everybody. You can't. You just don't have the time. So just be selective and choose the people that inspire you, people that you feel comfortable sharing your best moments and your worst moments. And you know, absolutely I love that one.

Cat Donohue: 51:10

It's so you're one of them, you're one of my tribe, and I'm so lucky and happy that I'm part of your tribe.

Meghan Alexander: 51:17

I feel grateful for you, I really do. So, before we close today, is there anything that we haven't talked about that you would want to mention?

Cat Donohue: 51:28

I don't know, help me.

Meghan Alexander: 51:30

Well, you don't need any help, that's for sure. Seriously, but as I looked through my list, see, do I have any notes? I think we kind of hit on a lot. How could people purchase your beautiful designs?

Cat Donohue: 51:43

Yes, so right now it's just like on DM on Instagram, but like, hopefully I want to say realistically speaking maybe by the very beginning of summer I will have like a buying platform on Instagram linked with my own website, and it will be. It will be really exciting. So then it will be easier for people to do so. But for now, people just reach out, DM me and I'm more than happy to create. I love bringing happy energy to people. I love to bring a smile to people.

Meghan Alexander: 52:22

I love it too, and that's why it's called smiling knots. I'm going to say we the show. I am so grateful that you came and spent this time with me today. Thank you so much for bringing your energy and your wisdom and your beautiful story. I hope everybody enjoyed it.

Cat Donohue: 52:37

Thank you so much for having me.

Meghan Alexander: 52:39

Thank you.

Cat Donohue: 52:40

And we are all made for more.

Meghan Alexander: 52:44

Thanks, everybody, peace out.