Meet Kate McLiney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate McLiney.

Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my blog and the Instagram page (loKCal.co and @lo.kc.al, respectively) as a way to highlight local businesses in the area and share their stories with the rest of Kansas City. As a result, I have gotten the chance to meet with so many inspiring entrepreneurs, chefs, artists, and more in Kansas City and learn about their passions and goals for their work. To me, there is nothing more inspiring than a story about someone starting their own business or pursuing their life dreams. It has been an honor to meet so many people in Kansas City doing just that.

Lately, I have gotten the chance to meet with several people who started their businesses during the pandemic after losing their job or just finding themselves with more time on their hands than normal. And how amazing is that? The ability to see an opportunity in such a dark period and chasing that dream despite the odds is something that inspires me deeply.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the early stages of loKCal, I had just moved back to Kansas City after growing up here and I felt myself fall into a rut of doing the same things every weekend, going to the same places, and seeing the same people.

I pitched the idea for a blog where you could find a centralized hub of information about new businesses, local events, and other tidbits about the local community and my feedback was very mixed. Some people were on board from day one (and I can’t thank them enough for believing in me and encouraging me to just start), but some people insisted this was a bad idea and no one would be interested. They always had a story about a friend who tried something similar or they would tell me that people don’t read blogs and they certainly wouldn’t read one only about Kansas City. At the time, it was easy to believe them and I almost put this project on hold.

After some self-reflection, I realized this negative feedback was exactly why I needed to push forward and get the word out about other local makers, artists, and business owners. And after hundreds of conversations with these people, they shared similar stories of negative feedback that almost derailed their dreams. I thought if I could help get these stories into the hands of even one person who became an advocate for local businesses, it would be worth it. And it was.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started a blog dedicated to promoting local businesses and entrepreneurs of all kinds called loKCal. I showcase anything from local restaurants to local comedians, artists, and other creatives to local businesses and more. The entire goal of my blog and corresponding Instagram page is to create awareness around the people in Kansas City who are chasing their dreams and how we can support them. I also like to mix in some fun restaurant or bar reviews as well.

One thing you will never find on loKCal is a negative review. I believe in only sharing positive or inspiring stories and positive reviews of restaurants, bars, art, events, etc. There is so much negativity in the media that I want to ensure loKCal is a positive place where you can find anything uplifting stories, inspirational leaders in Kansas City, or the best thing to order at a new restaurant in town.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My (humongous) family is my biggest team of cheerleaders. I really can’t thank them enough for all of the support they’ve given me since day one. They have introduced me to amazing people in Kansas City, spread the word about my blog, and share just about every Instagram post I make. I honestly wouldn’t have even started this blog if it weren’t for their support and the final push from them to just start. They are my biggest advocates in all areas of my life and starting loKCal was no different. Now to repay them, I take them to all the new restaurant openings in town and feed them. It’s a win-win!

Some of my biggest supporters have been the businesses I write about as well. It’s been so rewarding to walk into a meeting with someone I have heard about or admired from a distance, but never met, and walk out as friends who are both wildly passionate about promoting each other’s work. I never expected loKCal to bring me this close to so many people, but it’s been the greatest gift.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: loKCal.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lo.kc.al/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loKCal/