Leader of The Pack: Developing Management Instincts with Kate Wolff

At Lupine Creative, Kate Wolff serves as pack leader on all business. An award-winning advertising executive, she has stewarded some of the world’s most impactful brands, helping them tap into popular culture.

She built LA-based agency Lupine Creative in February 2020 with a base of experiential, social and cultural expertise – boasting year-over-year revenue growth. The approach that’s made the difference? Sparking solutions with cultural strategy, and then creating experiences and partnerships that manifest as cultural capital. Lupine clients include Spotify, HBO Max, LG, Google, Teva, FX, BoxLunch and more.

The team has an impressive events innovation story: in their first three months of existence, they created HBO Max’s first-ever, award-winning virtual Pride celebration, resulting in a continuous partnership. Kate and her team also champion a diversity story; she is a co-founder of Do the WeRQ, a movement to increase queer creativity, representation and share-of-voice across the industry.

To date, the organisation has coordinated 50+ active volunteers to create annual research studies around reception to LGBTQ+ ad inclusion; a monthly newsletter with 500+ highly engaged subscribers; the first-ever survey of LGBTQ+ ERGs in adland alongside 4A’s; onstage presence at Cannes Lions, Advertising Week and SXSW; Project Violet, the first LGBTQ+ adland mentorship network in the US; and more.

Kate sat down with LBB to chat about having leadership in her DNA, developing her style through trial and error, and successfully reframing imposter syndrome.

LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?

Kate> I’ve always had leadership in my DNA. When I was younger, people called me ‘bossy,’ but I just liked taking charge. Even on sports teams, if I wasn’t the best player, I somehow ended up setting the tone.

In school, I loved group projects – whereas most people dreaded them. I saw them as opportunities to connect ideas and personalities that didn’t naturally fit together. That’s still what I do now: bring people together to make something better than any of us could alone.

And I’ve always been entrepreneurial. When I was 10, I started KateTrix Trick Sticks, a backyard devil stick business. I made them with dowels, hockey tape, and colorful electrical tape, selling them for five dollars less than toy stores. Honestly, it might still be the most profitable business I’ve ever started.

LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?

Kate> Leadership and power are two very different things – and I learned that the hard way: through trial and error. When I was younger, I thought power was something you earned through command, not through kindness and clarity. I confused control with confidence. In trying to lead, I sometimes ended up pushing instead of empowering – bullying instead of bolstering.

As I began managing larger teams, I believed I needed to project authority to be respected. But that version of leadership was rooted in insecurity, not strength.

Over time, I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come from control – it comes from clarity. The best leaders I’ve had the privilege to work with created space for possibility, not fear. They made you feel seen, trusted, and capable. That’s the kind of environment I try to build at Lupine and [production studio] No Sheep – one grounded in direction with empathy.

For me, leadership is about creating belonging while still demanding excellence. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room – it’s about being the one who listens, steadies, and makes others braver.

LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?

Kate> My biggest lesson came when I realised imposter syndrome isn’t something to overcome – it’s something to use. For years, I saw it as a weakness. Now, I see it as a built-in accountability system.

If you’re in a position of power and never question yourself, that’s when you should worry. Confidence without reflection turns into ego fast. I’ve learned to keep imposter syndrome in the passenger seat; it doesn’t get to drive, but it reminds me to stay curious, self-aware, and human.

LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?

Kate> I definitely didn’t always know I wanted to be a leader. I’ve always been a maker first.

Leadership came naturally when I realised it allowed me to make on a larger scale – to build environments where creativity, culture, and care coexist.

If you asked me whether I’d rather ‘be the boss’ or ‘make something great,’ I’d always choose making something great. The joy is in the process, not the power.

LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?

Kate> Developing leadership is both instinct and muscle. Empathy, curiosity, and intuition are innate. Communication, delegation, and resilience are learned through experience.

One of the flaws in our industry is that to make more money, you have to manage more people. That goal does not make good leaders. Real leadership requires self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to sit in discomfort without losing your grounding.

LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?

Kate> Patience is my biggest challenge. I’m a big believer in taking big swings and failing fast – but that also means sitting in uncertainty while waiting to see if something will hit.

As a founder, I used to want to control every detail. Now I focus on setting the direction, not steering every wave. Leadership is about trusting the people you’ve empowered – and letting them surprise you.

LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?

Kate> I fail fast and often. To me, failure means I’m stretching beyond what I already know. If everything’s working perfectly, you’re probably not taking enough risks.

The key is to learn quickly, adjust, and move forward with clarity. Failure has taught me that sometimes the best leadership move isn’t to push harder – it’s to pause, listen, and recalibrate.

LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?

Kate> I believe in transparency to a point – but not as a blanket rule. In the last few years, I’ve learned that not everyone should carry the full weight of the truth, and that’s okay. It’s not everyone’s job to hold the hard stuff.

When you’re the final decision-maker, oversharing can cause unnecessary confusion or stress. As a leader, part of your role is to protect people from what they can’t change so they can focus on what they can.

There are moments where you have to sit in the uncomfortable and the hard alone. It’s not about withholding – it’s about stewardship. Real transparency isn’t dumping information; it’s communicating with clarity, purpose, and respect.

LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?

Kate> Early in my career, there weren’t many women or queer leaders at the top, so I didn’t have much guidance. That absence made me determined to become the kind of leader I needed back then.

Now I mentor emerging leaders, especially women and LGBTQ+ creatives. I love helping people see their potential and watching them take it further than I ever could. That’s the best part of leadership: seeing others rise.

LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?

Kate> By focusing on agility over anxiety. The world changes fast – pandemics, social movements, technology – and we have to move with it.

At Lupine, we’re always iterating. I believe if you’re not evolving, you’re dead – and if you’re actively moving forward with tech and culture, you’re already behind. But for actual forward thinking? I truly believe that curiosity is the fuel.

LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?

Kate> At Lupine, inclusion isn’t an initiative – it’s our foundation. The agency reflects the culture we serve, with diversity of thought, background, and perspective built into everything we do.

I’m also co-founder of Do the WeRQ: an LGTBQ+ grassroots organisation and platform for change specifically geared for the US advertising and marketing industry. Our mission is to increase queer creativity, representation and share-of-voice. Through that volunteer community, I’ve helped build frameworks for inclusive ERGs and allyship, but I also believe inclusion doesn’t have to wait for a DEI brief. You just need to have intention – and then pay attention.

LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?

Kate> Culture is everything, but it’s not something that leadership hands down. It’s a living agreement shared by everyone who contributes to the company. Each new person adds to it, shaping it in real time.

Leadership’s role is to build the foundation – safety, benefits, growth, good snacks, and opportunities – and the team brings it to life through kindness, curiosity, and communication. That’s the heartbeat of Lupine and No Sheep. It's a group of delightful, wonderful, weirdos who make this place impactful, creative, and fun.

LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?

Kate> I’m a behaviour nerd. At this point, I basically study people – what they consume, what they care about, and why. Trends, humour, food, art, music: they’re all signals of how humans connect. Understanding those patterns has been one of my greatest leadership resources because it’s taught me empathy, curiosity, and how to listen beyond what’s being said.

Early in my career, I learned an important lesson about resourcefulness. I had just restarted my career after the 2008 crash, stepping into a junior account role with little to no experience. A few days in, I was asked to take notes in a client meeting. I could see my boss was completely slammed, so after the briefing, I went to the company server and searched ‘brief.’ Hundreds of examples came up. After scanning through them, I noticed a few consistent formats, so I took what I’d heard on the call and drafted it into those structures.

When I handed them to my boss, she looked at me and said, “How did you know how to do that?” The truth was simple: I used the resources I had right in front of me. That’s still how I lead today. I seek guidance from those I respect, focus on what’s in my control, and trust that I can and will figure it out. Sometimes the best resources aren’t out there waiting to be found – they’re already within reach, in your team, your files, your conversations, and your own intuition.