What Can’t She Do? Kate Monroe Tackles Just About Every Project in the Book—And She’s Just Getting Started
Written by Nia Bowers
Kate Monroe is a study in motion—a multi-hyphenate whose energy seems limitless. From running businesses to producing and acting in films, writing music, and even owning a professional basketball team, Monroe’s days are a whirlwind of creativity, strategy, and action. And yet, she insists, it all comes down to one thing: intentionality.
“My approach to managing my time and energy really comes down to my schedule,” Monroe explains. “I tell people all the time—if it’s not on my calendar, the odds of it happening are very slim. I like to happen to my day, instead of letting the day happen to me. Too often in life we’re just reacting to things as they come, but I prefer to start the morning with intention. When my feet hit the ground, I want the devil to be a little nervous that I’m awake.”
She likens herself to an unstoppable force.
On any given day, Monroe might make a hundred phone calls, send hundreds of texts to her staff, manage her businesses, appear on a show, and brainstorm her next venture—all simultaneously. “Somehow I’ve learned to operate like I have ten brains working at once instead of just ten percent of one,” she says. “I’ve been able to partition things in a way that lets me stay present and focused, even while juggling a lot of different roles.”That same intensity can be intimidating to others, but Monroe points out that the perception often masks a misconception.
“The biggest misconception about people like me—people who seem to have it all together or look like everything is always going our way—is that people forget we’re still human beings. I have feelings. The amount of bullying and harassment I sometimes get from people can be pretty wild, because they assume I don’t feel any of it. They think there’s no chink in my armor. A lot of people say that I’m intimidating, but I’m really just being myself. I think if people approached someone like me with a little more reverence instead of fear, it would change things.”
Monroe’s relentless pace is fueled by both personal drive and responsibility.
“I never really feel pressured to slow down—except when I’m with my son, who’s turning nine this week. Sometimes he’ll say, ‘Mommy, I need a little more of you. I need a little more of your time.’ And that’s the one place where I’ll slow down. I try to be as present as I can with him…Other than that, I’ve got ten open apps running in my brain all the time. I’m constantly trying to get better at what I do—taller, better, faster, stronger—so I can deliver excellence for myself, for my family, for my 230 employees, and for everyone depending on me. The reality is, I don’t really have the luxury of slowing down or having an off day. I have to show up, because people rely on me to feed their families. So I go full speed, every single moment of my life.”
Monroe’s entrepreneurial instincts extend naturally into storytelling.
She’s produced and acted in projects like Bodyman and created her vertical series The Hales. “The most fun part of the filmmaking process for me is that, at the end of the day, it’s a business—just like my company, Vetcomm, or even running for Congress. At some point it was just an idea in my head, and then I brought it to life,” she says. “What I really enjoy is the journey of building the thing—convincing people to come on board, getting their buy-in to direct it, to act in it, to market it, to distribute it. It’s about bringing people together and turning an idea into something real.”Monroe is energized by the evolving entertainment landscape. “The most exciting thing about where entertainment is going is the rise of the creator mindset. Over the last few years, you’ve seen everyday people—not necessarily stars or celebrities—start creating their own content.
Audiences are consuming that kind of creatorship at a higher rate than a lot of traditional entertainment. The Hales lives more in that world. It’s a format built around creatorship—something more people can participate in. And I think the next evolution is going to be new models that allow fans to participate in projects and share in their success. Right now, a handful of people make most of the money while everyone else just consumes the entertainment. I think that entire model is about to change.”
Monroe’s entrepreneurial mindset extends even into professional sports.
She is a part owner of the San Diego Surf. “Honestly, I didn’t even play basketball. I actually tried out for my eighth-grade team, and I was already 5'9" at 12 years old—and I still didn’t get picked. But I’ve always loved the game. One night I was at dinner with my lawyer, who is now one of my partners, and he mentioned he was helping stand up a team in the USBL in San Diego. I said right there, ‘I want to be an owner of the team in San Diego.’ I went home that night and told my son, ‘Hey buddy, we own a pro sports team.’ He thought that was the coolest thing in the world, and honestly that’s a big part of why I did it—to help make his little dreams come true.”Monroe also recognizes the broader impact of her presence in a space still dominated by men. “It’s exciting for me to be a female owner of a sports team. What it really does is create space for more women to realize, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’ It’s not that women can’t do these things—it’s that many have been trained to believe they can’t. The moment you start believing that you can, anything becomes possible.”
Creativity is woven through every aspect of Monroe’s life, from business to film, music, and beyond.
“As a little kid, I always thought I could sing. The first song I remember singing was from The Little Mermaid, and I probably drove my mom absolutely berserk singing it a thousand times. Music has always been really important to me. It’s like an anchor—it centers me. Sometimes when I’m driving and listening to a certain playlist, a lyric or a beat will spark an idea and open my mind in a different way.” She’s recorded songs, written rap, and even flirted with a singing career in Nashville. “But for me, music is really that creative outlet. It’s the thing that exists outside of my business ventures. It’s something I love purely for the joy of it, and it really breathes life into my spirit.”Songwriting, she explains, offers a different intimacy than film.
“Unless you’re attaching it to a music video, the song itself really has to carry the emotion. I try to make music that transcends time. I wrote a song called ‘Miss AmerICAN’ that really captures a moment for me as a woman realizing I can be whoever I want to be. I can be a CEO, a singer, an artist, a filmmaker, even a basketball team owner—whatever I set my mind to. That song really memorialized that moment in my life. And I think that’s what songs do—they capture a moment and preserve it.”Even with all she’s accomplished, Monroe continues to push forward. “With everything I’m currently involved in, I don’t even know if my brain is ready to tackle an entirely new genre right now. But ask me again in a year, because I’ll probably have created a lot more by then. I’m constantly learning—almost like machine learning all the time. Over the last two years, it honestly feels like I’ve collapsed ten years of a timeline just by realizing I don’t have to wait. I don’t have to ask for permission to be a Hollywood star or stand in line begging for attention. I already have people’s attention—and I’m going to keep building on that.”
For those looking to emulate her multi-faceted career, Monroe offers both spiritual and practical advice. “The first thing I’d say is that if you look at my life and think, ‘I could never do that,’ you’re right—because your belief shapes your reality. But if you look at my life and say, ‘I can do that,’ you’re also right.
About two years ago, I realized there’s a word that can radically change your life: decided. When you decide something, you’re past tense about it—your energy, intention, and presence are aligned to make it happen.
My biggest advice is this: you’re thinking too small. Dream bigger. Then act. Opportunities are everywhere, and help is available. Most importantly, you can only do two things in life: be inspired, or be tired. I choose inspiration every day. So ask yourself: which one are you? Because inspiration is where the work begins, and that’s how you achieve multiple passions.”
Watch the full interview here:
https://youtu.be/DpRyH6HHvMc
Discover more about Kate Monroe and stay up to date on her upcoming projects: https://www.katemonroeceo.com
