Rewriting Your Story with Kay
Kay’s a writer, visibility strategist, and community builder based in Madrid. Her passion for community, content, and creating her own work-life balance has
Hi Kay! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Kay Fabella, a Filipina-American from California who’s lived in Madrid since 2010. I’m a visibility strategist who helps underrepresented leaders grow their audiences for their ideas, businesses or causes — without paid PR. I’ve been featured in Fast Company, Thrive Global, HuffPo and El País, and have coached several local community-builders behind-the-scenes with their own brands and businesses. My Spanish husband, Javi, and I live in Madrid with our two cats, and the official language in our house is Spanglish.
My first book, Rewrite Your Story: How to Find Who You Are & Thrive After Burnout, shares how I overcame burnout at age 22 to eventually end up living my dream life as a business owner in Spain!
What made you decide to lead a community here in Madrid? What are some benefits of being involved in a local community?
As a work-from-home entrepreneur with a remote team and clients from all over the world, I spend a lot of time exercising my Master’s degree in “waist-up dressing”. Jokes aside, it can be isolating when you spend a lot of time alone in front of a computer, and I was looking to connect with other like-minded creatives when I came across The Rising Tide Society from the U.S. I reached out to the folks at RTS to inquire why there wasn’t a TuesdaysTogether chapter in Madrid — and they suggested I start one!
Now with my co-chapter leader, Elli Runkles, we host monthly meet-ups and run a bilingual Facebook group for other creative entrepreneurs who believe in the spirit of #communityovercompetition. We’ve consistently had members tell us that they’ve met local clients, biz besties and collaborators as a result of the group, and we couldn’t be more excited for the connections we’ve helped make!
How would you describe your typical workday?
Entrepreneur workdays are never the same, but I try to follow some kind of routine. I start my days by making time for my mental health: meditating, journaling and some form of exercise. I then have a cup of coffee and a healthy breakfast before sitting down to work at my home office between 9 and 10am. I spend my day creating content, serving clients in my 1:1 or group programs, or corresponding with team members alongside my two kitty co-workers. If the weather is nice, I’ll go for a walk in the park near our house. And I try to wrap up my days between 6 and 7pm.
What business-related book inspired you the most?
I’m a huge fan of Bernadette Jiwa’s books on storytelling for businesses, but my favorite is her Story Driven: You Don’t Need to Compete When You Know You Are. This was especially timely given my shift last year recognizing that identity = stories = visibility = representation = inclusion.
When we embrace what makes us unique, it helps us create brands, businesses and audiences that are aligned with who we are — and put out our greatest work into the world. And it’s vital that the leaders who are often unseen, underrepresented and underestimated continue to show up and lead change in industries where their voices are needed most.
Do you prefer working alone or with people? Where do you usually like to work?
I’m more of an introvert who needs a lot of mental headspace to write client stories and content, so I prefer working from my home office. But even introverts need to take care of their mental health by connecting with others from time to time. When I’m craving “people-ing” time, I tend to work from cafés or meet up with fellow creatives from TuesdaysTogether for an in-person co-working day somewhere in Madrid.
What are 3 things you would recommend through your experience, for freelancers and remote workers living/coming to live in Madrid?
I’d recommend connecting with people before you land, there are a ton more groups and forums for remote workers and freelancers than when I first started!
Next, I’d try and find an in-person community that hosts regular events that you can attend regularly, whether that’s finding a co-working space through Croissant or monthly meet-ups for creatives like TuesdaysTogether.
Finally, I’d recommend blocking out time in your calendar to disconnect from your laptop regularly. You’re operating your own business so you can do what you love, when you love, right? So connect with a group of people around a shared hobby like running or hiking, meet up with your new biz buddies for coffee, or simply take time to explore the awesome things that Madrid has to offer!
Download Kay’s free visibility guide to grow your audience here.
Buy Kay’s memoir-meets-how-to-guide on how to recover, reclaim and rewrite the story of your life after burnout.
Or join us at our next monthly meet-up for creative entrepreneurs at TuesdaysTogether Madrid.