Katie Leimkuehler, Storyteller and Executive Producer of FRESH TRACKS

Our guest: Katie Leimkuehler

Katie Leimkuehler is an executive producer of the documentary FRESH TRACKS, Senior Manager, and Social Media Coach at Charles Schwab, and the Executive coach for Leimkuehler Media. She is a well-rounded creative person who is not only a social media expert but also a brand consultant. 

Her creative engine

Katie has always liked to learn new things and there is usually a point where you’ve learned as much as you can in a given field, so when she gets to that point she liked to hop on to another project of field and start learning something new. She gets the most joy from the act of creating something, not so much the final product but the actual part of starting from scratch and putting the pieces together to make an idea come to life. 

Background on her documentary story

"Fresh Tracks" is a story inspired by her grandfather who was essentially the first amputee skier in the US. He lost his leg during WWII in the Battle of the Bulge, and came back to Cleveland, Ohio, started a prosthetic business, and wanted to get back into sports. 

And that's when he discovered skiing and design this device called the Outrigger, which is a ski pole with a mini ski attached to the end that helps for balance. He decided not to patent it so other people could have access to it. Fresh Tracks follows his story of designing the device and turning tragedy into triumph by giving adaptive athletes and paralympic athletes today the device they are using today.

Katie originally wanted to write a screenplay but decided against it since she wanted to have more creative control. Choosing to tell her grandfather’s story wasn’t too hard either since it was something she grew up around and inspired her to think that if he could do it, so could she. Which is the mindset she looks to convey with her film, to spread positivity and empowerment even in these dark moments. Katie believes that dark moments in our life do not define us but rather how we pick up from those moments and what we do next. 

Lessons learned along the way

Katie didn’t have a background in film so she had to talk to as many filmmakers and producers as she could first. Everyone had a different process, but it gave her an insight into how to start and find the path that worked best for her. She learned that there is not a formula to make a documentary and that it can sometimes be overwhelming when you’re not sure of the path forward. She interviewed a lot of people, watched similar documentaries, and started to reach out to production companies that produced said films. That’s how she ran into the TFA Group with whom she partnered for the documentary. 

The reaction

So far, the sports community has received her documentary in a great way. She has gotten only positive feedback and a lot of people are just learning the story which is really interesting for them. Most athletes who use the technology are very interested in the story behind the design and recognize it as a crucial part of their equipment. 

The document is currently available on Vimeo on Demand and Amazon Prime. You can find more information about it on freshtracksfilm.com 

Her work as a Personal brand consultant

Katie says that a lot of her work has always been in storytelling. Discovering what is it that her clients want to share and how they can do so. Helping them find what connects them with their target. She works on finding the unique moments, perspectives, or challenges that their clients may have come across to create their branding story. 

What the future holds for her

Katie sees another film in her future, she has some ideas she is working on and looking for the right team and people to work with. 

To know more about Katie, check her LinkedIn account and website.

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