#102: Kindness as a KPI
How Good Morning America's Catherine McKenzie Is Redefining Leadership in TV News
Join us next Thursday, March 13th live in NYC for a day of connection, celebration, and boosting our collective courage to do big, bold things, because goodness knows we are gonna need to be brave this year!
Proceeds are going to Emma's Torch (empowering refugees through culinary education + catering our amazing lunch), 826NY (uplifting the voices of diverse young authors), and Lonely Worm Farm (an arts and ecology organization for people of all abilities).
Check out the agenda, our amazing lineup of speakers, including past Uplifters Podcast guests
, , , , , , Laura Kavanagh, , Maysoon Zayid, , Rachel Everson Fink, , , Taylor Ratliff, and many more, including a very special surprise guest!!
Today’s Featured Uplifter: Catherine McKenzie
As we kick off Women's History Month, I can think of no better leader to spotlight than Cat McKenzie, who makes everyone she meets feel like the most important person in the world. That's her superpower – making space for every voice in the room, whether she's at a social gathering or running a high-pressure television production meeting.
While most executives in the cutthroat world of television measure success by ratings, Cat has built her remarkable career, and ratings records, on a radical premise: you can be both successful and kind. As the first Black woman to executive produce a primetime special for ABC News and the first to hold an EP title at the network, she could easily rest on her impressive credentials. Instead, she measures her wins by how well her team treats each other.
Walking into our conversation, I expected to talk about her groundbreaking achievements and television experience. What emerged instead was a masterclass in courage – specifically how to find our footing when disappointment knocks us sideways (which it inevitably will). "The most courage comes when I'm disappointed," Cat shared, describing those moments when colleagues or organizations fall short of our hopes. "How do you get up and go the next day? How do you chart the next path forward?"
In an industry known for its intensity, Cat has created a different kind of leadership model entirely. One where the best idea always wins (no matter who suggests it), where quiet voices are actively sought out, and where no one has to answer emails immediately. It's a refreshing antidote to our reaction-driven world, and a powerful reminder that sometimes the bravest (and ironically the fastest) thing we can do is simply slow down.
Her Courage Practice: The 24-Hour Gratitude Shift
In a world where gratitude journals often become rote exercises listing the same general blessings, Cat has made an adjustment based on the suggestion of a recent Good Morning America guest: her daily gratitude must focus specifically on something that happened in the past 24 hours.
"That really changed my mindset," she explained. "When you get up in the morning, it's easy to be like, 'I'm grateful for my friends' and then move on with the day. But if you have to think about the last 24 hours, what's one or two things that you're grateful for, that really boils it down to taking it one day at a time."
This shift grounds her gratitude in the present moment rather than abstract concepts, creating a powerful antidote to the morning anxiety that can sometimes feel overwhelming. It's a tiny adjustment with enormous impact – transforming a routine practice into a daily anchor that keeps her connected to the current moment rather than getting lost in future worries or past disappointments.
Listen to this if:
You're navigating disappointment and need courage to keep showing up
You're looking for a fresh approach to leading diverse teams
You want to build success without sacrificing kindness
You're tired of feeling like you have to respond to everything immediately
You believe connection matters more than ever in our digital world
Check out more Trailblazer stories below:
Let’s keep rising higher together.
💓 Aransas
PS: Did you get your Uplifters Live ticket yet?!? I can’t wait to share this day with you!
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