The Story So Far — Kathryn Donoghue

Prologue

Once Upon a Time…

There was a girl who loved to read. She’d spend hours hidden between the pages of books, dreaming of fairies and dragons, knights and knaves, all fueled by her imagination. As time went by, the little girl discovered she had the power to create her own stories, so she put pen to paper and created worlds within her world.

Time passed, as it does, and things changed, as they always seem to, but no matter where she was, who she was with or the obstacles in her path, she knew she could always return to her worlds within words.

Chapter 01

The Root of it All

If you read the prologue, you’ll already know that I love reading, writing, art and movement. But behind that love is a core desire to connect, to feel seen, to feel heard, to matter. If I could sum myself up

and what I want to do with my life, it is to make a meaningful difference wherever I am: to uncomplicated things, to create space for ease, to leave things better than I found them. These are my roots.

There is no glory except straight through your story.Glennon Doyle

Chapter 02

Education and Publishing

Throughout my life, I’ve always loved learning. Whenever I found something that fascinated me, I dived into the topic, trying to figure out as much as I could until I felt like it was a part of me.

But school taught me that first, I had to learn how I learn best. My mind doesn’t work in the traditional way (although nowadays, what is traditional even?). Absorbing information the way they wanted me to in school and university didn’t work for me, so I found ways that did. Despite doing things a little differently to others, I thrived in all my courses, even graduating top of my class for my Bachelor of Arts Honours in Publishing Studies.

My education didn’t end when I finished my undergrad, nor did my hunger for learning fade when I finished my postgrad. Even during my studies, I was always studying something else as well, from creative writing to copywriting. I wanted to uncover as much as I could from as many people as I could.

But while school, university and courses are great and serve a valuable purpose, a lot of my education, and what shaped me into who I am, came from outside the classroom: therapy, personal relationships and yoga and movement. Learning about myself in these spaces is what helped me understand, adapt and thrive.

Therapy was a big part of that. I attended weekly sessions for years, searching for new methods, new techniques, new ways to hold space for myself. I was hungry for knowledge, for understanding and for the tools I needed to live my life the way I wanted. I had a burning desire to understand my mind better, so I studied psychology. When I needed to know how to use art as a tool to process my emotional mind, I attended art therapy courses. Then, I wanted to learn how to better hold space for others, and myself, so I went on to do counselling training.

My relationships taught me just as much. They taught me the value of being seen and heard, and that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It really does take a village, and almost everything feels better when shared.

Along that journey, I also fell in love with yoga and aerial hammock, so I dived into courses there too (you can learn more about them in “A History of Yoga and Aerial”).

All these puzzle pieces, from publishing to psychology, therapy to aerial, have made me into the person I am, and shaped my career as well.

What we know matters, but who we are matters more.Brené Brown

Chapter 03

Becoming a Content Professional

I finished university with no clear idea of what I wanted to do, but I knew that writing would be a part of it. University reignited my passion for writing and the dance that happens when art and words get together.

I began working as a content writer and was able to spend my days writing while also learning something new: Search Engine Optimisation and how websites work. Everything about it fascinated me. I was so eager to learn, and as I spent more time with the company, I found myself discovering a love for content and project management, as well as mentoring other writers.

I leaned more and more into SEO as I progressed in my career, but always kept writing as a major part of what I did. Along the way, I was able to step outside of SEO and try new things within my roles: events, outreach, social media, copywriting, UX writing and more. But the foundation was always in creating content, whether I was handling it myself or managing the process.

You do not just wake up and become the butterfly—growth is a process.Rupi Kaur

Chapter 04

Building a Career Across Different Disciplines

Over my 7 years of remote and hybrid work, I’ve had the privilege of working in travel, education, advertising, B2B, B2C, SEO, AI, SaaS and more. Additionally, I’ve mentored colleagues, interns and even contributed to internal online training courses for companies. I’ve worked with content writing, project management, UX, content management, SEO and many things in-between.

For a while, I ran my own freelance business, allowing me to explore different niches and expand my skill set with sales, client relations and account management.

I then shifted into a full-time role again when the right opportunity presented itself, but unfortunately, the rise of AI impacted the company, Miss Tourist, in a way that made the entire team redundant.

From there, I moved into a new full-time space at WLDM where I thrived for awhile, but it became clear after a few months that the company wasn’t a good fit for me.

Following that, I worked some contract roles in between jobs while I searched for my next full-time role. I then began working with Premiere Creative at the end of 2025, taking on a position that allowed me to work with different tools and new clients, allowing me expand my skillset. This position offered more responsibility and leadership opportunities. However, the company was unable to keep me on board due to a lack of resources.

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.Joseph Campbell

Chapter 05

Where I Am Now

After my last role ended, I needed to take sometime to rediscover myself and what I wanted from my career. The thought of hunting for my next role felt daunting, so I allowed myself the space to gather my strength, bolster my arsenal and nurture my soul.

I discovered my new home, enjoyed my first European summer, tried out countless fitness studios, read plenty of books, established an incredible group of friends, found a beautiful space to teach aerial yoga in the evenings and learned some valuable lessons. Additionally, I spent time building this portfolio, a wonderful challenge that sparked my creativity. I wanted it to be an expression of who I am as well as a digital archive of everything I’ve done. Going back through my career to put this portfolio together, offered me the opportunity for in-depth reflection and allowed me to be honest about what I want moving forward.

Now, I feel refreshed, determined and hungry for the next chapter.

Chapter 06

What I Am Interested In Next

For my next role, I am searching for a place where I can be challenged but nurtured, ideally in an environment of creativity, structure and trust. I am looking for work where I love what I do, am passionate about what I create, and can work independently and collaboratively.

I want nothing more than to work alongside people who make a difference for the better. I’m interested in writing, project and content management, UX, and most importantly, learning and the opportunity to discover something new.