Kathryn Aragon: One step at a time
The founder, disability advocate, and marketing leader shares how she built a business while paralyzed.
Kathryn Aragon is a business writing strategist. She’s also the author of multiple books on writing and business, and a frequent speaker on content strategy, digital marketing, and thought leadership. See her work on her website.
Ritika: I’ve always perceived you to be such a dynamic person with a beautiful imagination and intellect. Your storytelling career path is something I admire quite a bit.
Have you always been this way? What were you like as a child?
Kathryn: I was an explorer.
A thinker.
A people watcher.
I read constantly—so much that teachers worried I’d walk into a wall with a book in my hand.
On planes, I’d have a stack of books with me.
As long as I had something to read, I was content. I loved learning. I loved following my curiosity, whether that was through a book or a bike ride out into nature.
I wasn’t especially social. I was happiest following whatever idea or topic had captured my imagination in that moment.
Ritika: When did you realize that storytelling would become such a long-term part of your journey?
Kathryn: Pretty early.
I wrote my first story in second grade, and people fussed over it enough that I thought: this is it. I also won a poetry contest around the same time. That kind of validation lit a fire in me.
I thought I’d be a fiction writer.
But I struggled with it. I’d get discouraged.
Maybe I overanalyzed everything because I studied English. Whatever it was, I couldn’t quite get it right.
But over time, I discovered I’m really good at nonfiction storytelling.
It took a while to accept that. I didn’t come from a writing family. There was no roadmap. It felt like I was missing a secret handshake everyone else knew.
Ritika: What happened next? How did your journey continue to unfold for you?
Kathryn: In my early 20s, I realized: maybe I’d built up my skills, but I didn’t have something to say yet. So I paused. I had kids. I lived life. And then one day, it hit me…I was helping everyone else chase their dreams, but I was ignoring mine.
I told my family: I’m not ignoring you, but I need to put this first. This is my time.
I went to a writing retreat. I started reconnecting with the writing community. And I came across a book by Bob Bly about making money as a writer.
At first, I resisted writing for business. I’d worked in a university PR department, and they wanted me to go pro in that space. But I thought, no—I’m a creative. I didn’t want to compromise my writing dreams. Eventually, though, I reached a point where I didn’t care what I wrote. I just wanted to make a living as a writer.
Bly made the case for copywriting. So I gave it a shot.
I read books, taught myself the craft, and used my self-promotional writing as my portfolio. That landed me a senior copywriter role at a financial services company.
Ritika: How did freelancing come into play after this time of career exploration?
Kathryn: I stayed in that financial services job about three and a half years, then jumped back into freelancing. I wanted more freedom. I wanted to work on different projects. I wanted to see what I was capable of.
The day after I quit, I sat at my desk thinking: Now what? But then it hit me—I’d already done everything I needed to do for that company.
I just needed to do it for myself.
So I created my own marketing systems. Started a blog. Got on social media.
That’s when I realized: content had been my thing all along. I’d been doing content marketing before I even had a name for it.
Ritika: And then came a major life disruption.
Kathryn: Yes.
In early 2011, I had a car accident. At first, it didn’t seem serious. But within days, I was in excruciating pain. A back injection caused bleeding inside my spinal cord. I became paralyzed. Not immediately—but over a few days, my legs stopped working.
Emergency surgery saved my life, but the prognosis was bleak.
They told me I might never walk again. I went home unable to feed myself. I was in bed, mostly flat, for four years.
Ritika: In all of this, you chose to keep your business going…
Kathryn: That first year, I kept the blog going. I did a few client projects.
Every morning, my husband or son would set up my laptop next to me. I couldn’t hold it or sit up, so we rigged a way for me to type.
I worked from bed. One post at a time.
After a year, I was stronger. I decided it was time to grow again. I couldn’t go to events. I couldn’t network in the usual ways. So I went all in on digital. I tweeted. I blogged. One of my posts caught the eye of Russ Henneberry at Crazy Egg. He brought me on as a writer.
Within a few months, he recommended me to take over the blog.
That role was a turning point.
I discovered what I’m best at—content strategy, writing, helping others find their voice. I loved it.
Ritika: And then, another curveball.
Kathryn: Yes. Years later, just as I was getting back on my feet—literally—I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I chose not to do chemo because I’d been doing stem cell therapy, which had helped me regain mobility. I didn’t want to undo that progress. I did surgery and radiation.
And I kept working.
Right as I finished treatment, Sales Hacker reached out. They offered me a content manager role. I’d always resisted full-time jobs, but this one felt right. It reminded me of Crazy Egg—only better.
I was tired of working seven days a week to juggle clients. I wanted a five-day week.
So I said yes.
Ritika: What helped you keep going during the hardest moments?
Kathryn: Planning helps me stay sane.
Having something to work on—even a single blog post—gives me purpose. The first year after my spinal injury, I could barely move. But I had four weeks of blog content scheduled, and that gave me a cushion. From there, it was one post a week.
Then social media. Then client work. One step at a time.
Eventually, I made a rule for myself: I wouldn’t take projects that didn’t bring me joy. If I didn’t like the work—or the people—I let it go. When your circumstances are hard, you have to create joy wherever you can. That meant being more intentional. More selective. More honest about what I wanted.
Ritika: Looking back, what surprises you most?
Kathryn: Honestly, that I built a career from bed.
Everything I’m doing today grew out of those years. It wasn’t part of some grand plan. I didn’t have a vision board. I just kept layering the next thing on top of what I’d already built. It was intuitive. Step by step.
Ritika: And what have you discovered about yourself along the way?
Kathryn: That I’m more of a people person than I thought. And more of a leader, too. I always saw myself as task-oriented. Head down, get things done. But I’ve learned I care deeply about people. About helping them find their voice. That’s been powerful.
Ritika: You now work with sales professionals. What drew you there?
I’m not a sales expert—but I’m a content strategist.
I help sales leaders tell their stories in a way that resonates. I help them sound like the best version of themselves. That’s where I shine. I love helping people feel confident in their message.
Ritika: What’s your broader mission?
Kathryn: To teach people how to use their voice. Through content. Through storytelling. Through writing.
I want to help people communicate clearly, confidently, and with purpose. Whether that’s in business or in life. Whether they’re navigating a personal challenge or just trying to build something that matters.
I’ve also got a lifestyle blog—Vivacity—that I’ll return to one day. It’s about resilience. About choosing joy. About building a life even when things fall apart.
Ritika: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Kathryn: Don’t wait for clients to give you permission. Just start.
Start a blog. Start building your space. Use your own projects as a sandbox. Learn how to express your ideas. Learn how to run your own platform. It builds your skills—and your confidence.
When clients do come, you’ll know what works. You’ll understand what they need. Because you’ve done it for yourself.
Portrait illustration by Kat Cao