How Katharine McKee Is Reimagining Digital Commerce

Meet Katharine McKee, the visionary Founder and CEO of Morphology Consulting, a digital commerce consulting firm that helps businesses achieve profitable growth by harnessing the power of algorithms. 

Through an impressive career as head of e-commerce across a variety of categories, Katharine recognized a recurring pattern: despite the hard work of brilliant minds, businesses were still grappling with inefficiencies stemming from structural issues. This epiphany paved the way for Morphology Consulting—a strategic response to these challenges. Rather than navigating the intricate dynamics of organizations from within, Katharine's consultancy allows her to offer an objective vantage point. Removing herself from the confines of internal politics enables her to deliver unadulterated insights, fostering a culture of candid decision-making and paving the way for impactful solutions.

We asked Katharine about the most meaningful impacts Morphology Consulting has had so far, the biggest misconception others have around entrepreneurship, and what’s next for her and her company.

Q: Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Morphology Consulting?

A: I had been a head of e-commerce for several different categories for years and found that each time I came to a new brand, the same basic issues were present. Many smart people were working really hard on tactics that wouldn’t get them anywhere due to structural issues. I hit a point where it just made more sense to form a consultancy rather than try to organize a full-time equivalent. It is hard to be the objective layer of truth in an organization when you have teams to emotionally support and political systems you need to navigate. And in the world of e-commerce there isn’t a compromise; half right is 100 percent wrong. Stepping out has made it much easier to help clients get ahead and give them cover for hard decisions.

Q: What problem does Morphology Consulting solve? 

A: Morphology solves the foundational layer for the digital go-to-market. Is your site high quality? Does a search engine understand what you do? Is your data clean and actionable? Are you speaking to your customers needs and the subsequent downstream effects? Are you ordering the right inventory? Does your innovation meet a need in the market? Are your marketing levers set up for success?

Q: What are some of the most meaningful impacts Morphology Consulting has had so far? 

A: The most meaningful impacts have been helping brand owners relieve stress. My background was all enterprise organizations. When I added in the small/medium business layer, we went from making huge organizations more money to being able to help individuals who put their livelihood into their business, succeed. Watching their stress drain away when we reduce their ad spend but increase their revenue is such an amazing feeling. I like to say that we democratized selling online. You don’t need to have huge ad spend to succeed or destroy your margins with big wholesale givebacks. When your go-to-market is strong, you will be profitable.

Q: What makes Morphology Consulting different from other similar organizations in the industry?

A: Unfortunately our biggest point of differentiation is that we tell the truth. No comforting white lies when you work with us. We will show you where you made a mistake you can own and fix, which has the benefit of giving brand owners their power back.

Our other point of differentiation is years of operating experience. I have done literally every element of digital commerce, from picking and packing to brand creation. I know exactly how to fix your problem because I have solved it for 100 other brands already. No hacks, no B.S.—just clean math.

Q: Have you ever felt like you’re “different”? If yes, in what ways has this contributed to your journey as an entrepreneur?

A: Yes. I am autistic, which is very much my super power. Having the gift of hyperfocus and deep pattern matching made e-commerce a match made in heaven for me. I can process a lot of disparate information at a time and see the threads through it to get to the mathematically correct answer. This doesn't work in wholesale so I always say that I am incredibly lucky that e-commerce took off.

Q: Did you always know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

A: No. I was Kathy Corporate. In a lot of ways I was pushed into owning my own business and am super thankful that the events in my career led me here. It isn’t what I thought I wanted and it turns out to be exactly where I needed to be.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception that others have around entrepreneurship?

A: That it is “better” than a 9-to-5. It isn't. It's a slog. You own every single tiny step of your business. For some people that is amazing and they thrive. For a lot of people though, working for someone else in their area of expertise is hugely rewarding. I will also say that a lot of the entrepreneurs on television/media who are flashy are mostly lying to you, so there is a layer of false veneer on a lot of this life that is hard to see past. Instagram filters on life have come for us all. Owning a company is not for the faint of heart—it's tough. Only do it if it really speaks to you.

Q: Have you felt like giving up? What made you persist?

A: I haven’t ever felt like giving up but I have had bouts of imposter syndrome. The biggest help is seeing how much sharing your gift can benefit others. I have so many incredibly talented friends who run amazing businesses and have been really lucky to be able to help solve a technical or profitability problem for many of them. If there is something you are good at, share it. It makes me feel amazing to help a friend’s company get more traffic in the same way that they feel great helping me find a product, secure my finances, or build a course. We are often taught to always be humble. Truly, that is just hiding your light from those who need it. Shine on!

Q: We dare you to brag: What achievements are you most proud of?

A: Removing people’s stress. E-commerce is very efficient when done right, so we have posted some huge numbers that are fun. But by far the most rewarding is watching people go from panicked and stressed to excited and thriving.

Q: Have you discovered any underappreciated leadership traits or misconceptions around leadership?

A: I had had the pleasure of large teams when I was still in corporate and thought that I would be happy to leave that behind when I began consulting. And it was amazing for a while. Managing talent is stressful and should be taken really seriously. I have benefited from some amazing bosses and have had some awful ones. The good ones were the ones who took the time to care. As I have started hiring again, that sense of care and fulfillment in watching someone grow is back with a vengeance.

Q: What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?

A: I would tell younger Katie: “Play to your strengths and be steadfast in how you approach your business.” There is a lot of snake oil in the world of digital marketing. While it can feel like you are all alone, that’s ok, because you are helping people to really grow. The tide always shifts. Being early can feel terrible. You’re shouting into a void and no one agrees with you. The thing is, math is right whether anyone likes it or not, and they will all come around. Just wait it out.

Q: How would you describe the journey you’ve had in a few sentences? Would you do it all over again?

A: My journey has been felicitous. I used to describe it as falling into it. Problems that I could uniquely solve all coalesced at once; brands that needed the help were in places that I had access to; tools have been steadily improving in the space, and people now want to work in this field. Truly I have been lucky for most of it.

Q: What’s next for you and Morphology Consulting?

A: We are continuing to grow. In July we just launched a suite of tools for small businesses and corporate people who want to get some development in the e-commerce space and I am over the moon about it. Continuing to help brands in luxury and CPG get their margins back and meaningfully reach their consumers and improve their innovation pipeline, helping brands of all sizes navigate Amazon—the sky's the limit!

Katharine is a member of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders by securing PR opportunities, forging authentic connections, and curating high-impact resources. Learn more about Dreamers & Doers and get involved here.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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