Interview With Sheertex Founder: Katherine Homuth
What excites you most about your Showfields activation?
KH: We’re most excited about getting our product in front of people in real life! While we’ve loved being online and DTC, it’s always amazing to see people’s reaction to the product when they finally get their hands on it.
What inspires you?
KH: I’m inspired by people that have faced adversity and have pushed through it. People who things don’t come naturally to, who do it anyway. I think perseverance in the face of obstacles is incredibly inspiring.
How would others describe you?
KH: Others would probably describe me as stubborn or persistent. They’d say I’m always pushing for more, for better. Once we get to one level I’ve always got my eye on what’s next (and what’s next after that).
What do you do in your free time?
KH: If I’m being really honest, I enjoy napping and watching television in my free time. Going out to fancy brunches and dinners would be pretty high up there. That said, my perfect morning is spent at the cottage looking over the water with a great cappuccino in hand and my husband and great dane, Zeus, nearby.
What do you believe is your superpower?
KH: I have a very clear vision of the future, particularly when it comes to the SRTX and what we’re building and am very solutions oriented. Sometimes this can be an achilles heel too because it’s hard for me to understand how something so vivid and clear to me isn’t quite so clear to others or why anyone would be focusing on anything but the solves. I also must have the superpower of a very short term memory because I am willing to go after the same problem again, and again, and again, failing every time without losing conviction that this next solution might be the one.
What has been the most powerful piece of criticism you've received and how has it affected your career?
KH: As an entrepreneur I honestly think you hear every piece of criticism in the book. The most powerful thing I think I’ve done is to be able to ingest criticism and try to use it to make me better, rather than letting it tear me down. It’s honestly something I still have to work on, it’s not easy putting yourself out there.
Do you ever experience burnout and how do you handle it?
KH: I have definitely experienced burn-out. The best thing I could do was take a vacation, a long one, and trust the team I had in place to carry some of the load. Sometimes you don’t realize just how tired you are. Talking to doctors, therapists, and other entrepreneurs can also be really helpful. The journey of bringing new things into this world is not an easy one.
What motivated you to start your company?
KH: At the heart of it, I’m probably a bit insecure. From the time I was a kid I saw people starting companies and doing all of these incredible things that I wish I could be doing. I’d feel badly about myself because I wasn’t as smart, or as cool, or as accomplished. I wanted to prove to myself that if I worked hard enough I could operate at a world class level. That drive has pushed me throughout my entire career. Starting companies is in my opinion one of the biggest challenges and hardest paths someone can pick, and it’s probably why I chose it.
