Meet Catalina Peña, the Founder of Catalyst Creation, an executive coaching company on a mission to help underrepresented individuals thrive in their careers.
Catalina’s journey from an Afro-Colombian immigrant to the Founder of Catalyst Creation was far from typical. After working in corporate recruitment roles at companies like Facebook and Twitter, she realized that the doors to success were often closed to people like her. Rather than waiting for a seat at someone else’s table, Catalina boldly stepped into entrepreneurship, armed with a fierce determination to make a lasting change. Since launching Catalyst Creation in 2019, she has empowered more than 10,000 job seekers and helped generate millions in salary raises, all while ensuring that traditionally underrepresented voices are amplified.
We spoke with Catalina about the pivotal moments that have shaped her journey, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and the advice she would give to her younger self.
Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Catalyst Creation?
I started my company in a very unconventional way. I am so grateful for how much we’ve been able to accomplish and how many people we’ve been able to impact. It truly is the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. When I started my company, I had been fired three times and laid off once. I went from being an individual contributor to a founder and CEO without any prior experience or a business plan in less than six months. I remember thinking, “How hard could it be?” Well, five years into it, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s also the most fulfilling and most impactful. I plan to continue dedicating myself to my mission for the rest of my career. Our mission is to help underrepresented folks thrive in their careers and generate $1 billion in salary raises and offers throughout the lifetime of the company.
That mission came about for two reasons. I wanted to share the knowledge I’d gained with others. Additionally, I wanted to increase the wealth of those I helped as my company grew. I’m proud to say that in the last five years, we’ve done just that. We've been able to work with more than 40 organizations, served over 3,000 people through workshops and coaching, delivered over 1,200 coaching hours, and generated over $7 million in salary raises and new offers. We are just getting started!
I want to have a life I truly enjoy while building a company that impacts folks in a tangible way—no matter how big the company actually is.
In what ways has your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as an entrepreneur?
These experiences keep me grounded and aligned with helping others like me no matter how big the company grows. Growing up, my life was the furthest thing from the life I live now. In my childhood, I experienced eight out of 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including homelessness, being on food stamps, and living in a single-mother household as a Black Latina. Navigating out of those circumstances was very difficult and almost seemed impossible—especially when there were statistics at every turn telling me the odds weren’t in my favor. As a result, I don’t take anything for granted, I celebrate every win, and I try to be as down to earth as possible when it comes to building my business. It's really beautiful because being an entrepreneur has granted me the freedom to design my life how I want it to look. That’s a reality I didn’t even think was accessible to me when I was younger. And if it is possible for me, it is possible for anyone.
Have you struggled with self-doubt as an entrepreneur? How do you navigate this?
Yes, I have absolutely struggled with self-doubt as an entrepreneur because of the way that I grew up. In addition, I’d never had employees, led a large team, or managed a major vertical. So when I first started, I often thought, “Who am I to do this?” Every time that thought comes up, I push past it because who else but me? I ask myself, “If I did not show up today and put myself out there, who would be impacted?” And that reminds me that the work I’m doing is valuable and impacts people’s lives every day, which means I am meant to be doing it.
Has your definition of success evolved throughout your journey as a founder? How do you celebrate successes along the way?
My definition of success has definitely evolved as a founder in the five years I’ve had my company. When I first started, I thought success was scaling your company as much as possible and growing as big as you could to make the greatest impact and revenue. I embraced that definition of success for the first few years. But my definition of success shifted in the last two and a half years. Now I want to have a life I truly enjoy while building a company that impacts folks in a tangible way—no matter how big the company actually is. I want to impact people, while growing slowly and intentionally to ensure that there is a true integration between my work and life. A big part of that integration is celebration.
I never forget about the little things. I make sure that I celebrate even the smallest of wins. I have a celebration ritual, whether it’s getting myself a little treat, sharing the win with someone, or just taking a moment to really feel it internally. Having a ritual helps ensure you are celebrating as much as you can. I think this is really important, especially with the small wins, because they can help you keep your mission top of mind.
What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?
Go even slower. I know that sounds counterintuitive. However, I think if I had started a little slower while I was in corporate, I could have had a more seamless transition into entrepreneurship. When a transition is a need versus a want, there's a lot of pressure to make it work. In my case, I think some of the enjoyment was lost. I wish I could go back and take a part-time job or even transition into a job that required less than the job before it, work on it a few years, and then fully launch. That track would have shifted my perspective and experience of entrepreneurship to become more aligned, easy, and intentional.
