Insights from the Inside: The Expert Edition - Kate Bowes Renna

At VenturePath, our expert network brings together those who’ve built, backed, scaled, and exited businesses - and who now help others do the same. They’re not here to share theoretical advice, but to offer practical, actionable insights drawn directly from their own experience.

In this edition of Insights from the Inside: The Expert Edition, we’re excited to feature Kate Bowes Renna, Founder of Vermillion Coaching. Kate is a communication coach who helps people find their authentic voice and tell compelling stories. With a background as a classical actor and twenty years of coaching experience, she brings unique insights into presence, storytelling, and managing performance anxiety. Her fascination with how the brain works led her to complete neuroscience coaching certification, which she now uses to help thousands of individuals and companies stand out from competitors, perform under pressure, and win new business. Here's what she had to say:

Q&A with Kate Bowes Renna

What’s the one mistake you see founders making that holds them back from scaling effectively?

"The one mistake founders make when pitching that holds them back from scaling is that they don't develop their story so that it has a crisp core message  that speaks even when they're not in the room."

What’s one small change that can have a massive positive impact on a founder’s ability to scale?

"One small change they can make to have a massive positive impact when they pitch is to lead with the audience's problem rather than the product itself. This way you are connecting with your audience's emotions - as it's from these we make decisions!"

What’s one trend you see shaping the future for startups over the next 12 months?

"The one trend I see shaping the future in the next 12 months is the need to tell a good story which is tight, tailored and emotionally resonant, with the use of AI to support and personalise it for each stakeholder."

What’s one thing that founders waste time and money on while scaling that they shouldn’t?

"The one thing founders waste time and money on while scaling is spending too much time focusing on the product and not thinking about the user. They need to understand what customers need and are willing to pay for, and keep solving problems rather than chasing perfection."

About Kate

Kate has been coaching clients to help them access their unique, effective communication style for the past twenty years. Trained as a classical actor, she worked on stage and screen for some years, her performing giving her an extensive knowledge of presence, flexibility and storytelling, as well as an understanding of controlling nerves. This led to her fascination with the brain and neuroscience and she completed a certificate in neuroscience coaching with the ILM, becoming a Master Practitioner in Neuroscience-Linguistic Programming, and certified to use the Hogan and EQi 2 assessments, as well as Giant's 5 Voices. Over the years she has coached thousands of individuals and companies to identify what differentiates them from their competitors, to present at their best when under pressure, and to win business.

Kate is actively involved with VenturePath to support scaling founders. Connect with her and tap into her wealth of knowledge and experience through the platform. If you’re not yet a member, sign up today to access Kate's insights and support as you scale your business.