Kate Bates

Background

About Kate Bates

As a theatre kid growing up and working on guest ranches in Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana, it only follows I would have an interesting career. You may ask, “What can be learned from the guest ranch and theatre industries?” I’ll answer that with “Quite a lot, actually.” First and foremost, you learn the importance of collaboration in achieving a common goal — creating a rewarding and memorable experience for your guests. You learn to work effectively with people from all backgrounds, with wide-ranging personalities and expectations. You learn to be flexible and quick on your feet, figuratively and physically. You learn that no one person or job is more important than the next, and the greatest success comes from working together. A director can direct the most talented cast, and the box office can sell out the house, but without the stagehand running the curtain, none of that can be seen. Deadlines? Opening night is a fixed date, and the audience expects a show, so you dig in and get to work to make sure they have a show to see — a show you can proudly say about your role, “I did that.” Success can be measured in countless ways, and my success comes from having done my part to the best of my ability, allowing each subsequent person to excel at theirs, resulting in the successful completion of the project. Learning is part of who I am. My formal education didn't stop at graduation. It got me to the door, but it's the things I've learned on the job that have propelled me through. When there's been a part of the job that I didn't know or understand, my first instinct was always to say,"Teach me," and I have had some wonderful teachers. They gave me a solid grounding in many different fields and allowed me to succeed in the best way possible. I've been able to apply all these lessons to my career in the entertainment, production, and marketing industries, and as a result, I’ve found a fulfilling, interesting career path where I’ve been able to learn and grow. I want to learn and I think that's why I've achieved so much over the years. It's certainly part of what makes me such a good team member.