EP.79 SWITCHTRACK Kat Vandal Swaps Kids' Fashion for Full-time Art

What happens when you realise the dream you've been chasing isn't actually yours anymore? Kat Vandal returns to share her bold decision to completely walk away from her children's fashion brand to pursue a full-time career as an artist.

When we last spoke with Kat, she was still trying to save Vandal Kids – seeking partners or buyers who might keep the brand alive while she remained as Creative Director. Today, she reveals the moment she asked herself the question that changed everything: "Am I trying to save my brand, or am I trying to save my ego?" This powerful realisation led her to close that chapter and embrace her rapidly accelerating art career following her first solo exhibition in Berlin.

The conversation takes us deep into the psychology of pivoting, exploring the fears, challenges, and surprising joys that come with dramatic professional changes. Kat speaks candidly about financial anxiety as a self-employed creative, the impatience for success, and the tendency to focus on what hasn't been accomplished rather than celebrating wins. Yet her story ultimately reveals how following your gut can lead to greater alignment, even when the path seems uncertain.

Kat offers thoughtful advice from her experience: take time to properly evaluate major decisions, create detailed lists of what you like and dislike about your current situation versus your potential new direction, and crucially, speak with people already working in your desired field to ensure your expectations match reality.

Connect with Kat on Instagram @kat.vandal or through her website katvandalart.com, and look out for her upcoming solo exhibition in London this September. If you're feeling that itch to pivot or need clarity on your next move, book a free connection call with me, Zoe, through the link below...

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Switch Track
• 1:18 Kat's Decision to Pivot
• 6:28 Letting Go of a Fashion Brand
• 12:31 Selling Art and Financial Fears
• 14:34 Surprising Success Without Help
• 17:47 Advice for Making Big Changes
• 22:04 Finding Your Unique Strength
• 25:40 Closing Thoughts and Connect

Transcript

Zoe Greenhalf: 0:00

Welcome to Switch Track, a summer mini-series brought to you by the Mischief Movement podcast. These are the real-life stories of rebels who changed direction by choice or by force, and found freedom on the other side, because sometimes life plays a tune that doesn't quite fit and the most powerful thing you can do is flip the track entirely. I'm your host, zoe Greenhalgh, disruptive coach, mindset mentor and mischievous guide for quiet rebels and unconventional humans who are done settling and ready to redesign a life that actually fits. In this series, we're catching up with past guests who've dared to pivot, disrupt and create something more aligned to who they really are Short, snappy and full of insight. Each episode is a reminder that you're allowed to change, to evolve and to burn the old script if it doesn't serve you anymore. So, whether you're standing at a crossroads, itching for more or quietly plotting your next move, this series is for you.

Zoe Greenhalf: 1:15

Let's jump into today's SwitchTrack story. Okay, so I'm back for another Switch Track episode, and this time I'm speaking with Kat Vandal, and I am so happy to have you back because I know that you have taken quite a pivot from the last time we spoke. Our original conversation was episode 10. So, kat, welcome back, thank you when were?

Zoe Greenhalf: 1:46

you in life the last time that we spoke uh, so, um, it's funny.

Kat Vandal: 1:53

So you're saying episode 10, but we we both struggled to know exactly which month it was, but it feels like a long time ago. Yeah, indeed, and it feels like a lot happened since. But yes, I was still very much involved with my kids fashion brand called Vandal Kids, which I had launched in 2022. And I was still quite determined to kind of save it, save the company in a way. I don't know if I was saving it from me or I was just trying to save appearances, but basically I was in the middle of trying to find either someone to buy me out, buy the concept you know, the brand IP out and potentially keep me as a creative director, or find partners. But basically the objective at the time was that how could I still be involved, how could I keep Vendor Kids alive but make it work with what I love doing and what I think I'm good at, which which is the creative direction. And it came from having a bit of a burnout and, you know, loss of motivation, passion and faith a little bit, a little bit in myself, more than the concept of the brand, and thinking that I really needed help. So it took me a while to realize that it took me probably two years where I was kind of, you know, doing coaching here and there, thinking I can still do it on my own, and then to realize actually, no, I need to delegate what you know I don't want to do because it's really not making me happy and also it's like caring for your baby, you know, like you want to have the right, especially do the right thing. You want to give the best care and not just like a quick coaching here and there, like you want to have someone who can really take over. So I was looking for that person who could take all the business size of things and the sales and marketing, because selling is just, I mean, my, my, my background is in marketing, but more visual marketing, branding, yes, so still a bit more on the creative side.

Kat Vandal: 4:08

So after we spoke, there was a few months of looking for someone I started to talk with some people and to have proper perspectives of what could happen. Yeah, so that was the state I was in could happen. Um, yeah, so that was the, the state I was. I was in and we we were going to relaunch a bit bigger with a budget, hopefully, if we could raise the money with a partner was going to take over the whole business size and actually probably two months ago I kind of called it off.

Kat Vandal: 4:42

So it's like I pivoted again or kind of continued this pivot where I just realized am I trying to save Vendor Kids or am I trying to save my ego, because I can't really just let go of it and I kind of don't want it to end on something that's really not finished or I didn't give it, it's like, everything it needed to actually be successful. It was a very hard decision but I decided to call it off because I wasn't. Something in my guts was telling me that I was. It was a distraction from what I really wanted to do and and also, I guess, the the art was. It's been picking up a lot in the last six, seven months since I had my first solo exhibition in Berlin and in the gallery and a lot of things happened and, being a little bit stuck in finding a way to save or relaunch Vandal Kids, I decided to basically call it off and focus full-time on the arts okay.

Zoe Greenhalf: 5:49

So I'm getting the sense that even when we spoke the first time around, there was already a bit of um. You know, you weren't necessarily 100% sure where you wanted to take your brand, but something's happened, something happened so. So what changed and what made you take that leap?

Kat Vandal: 6:08

I think it's noticing the pattern of my anxiety and coming back and and just feeling like it was very close to how I felt after I launched Vandal Kids and realized, oh my god, why did I put myself into? Because I loved that first year of creating the brand, the concept, the product. And then, as soon as it's out there and I have to show up and sell it and and hustle and I I really didn't like it and I mean it's, it's, this gets this got, feeling that it just didn't feel right. And uh, probably even if I was going to step back and let other people run the company, I should still have this spark. Like I felt like I had lost it a bit.

Kat Vandal: 6:58

And and also I think what helped is because the arts journey was really accelerating and it was taking a lot of time because you know making the art but also there is still a lot of marketing and selling around this. But yeah, um, I just thought you know, if that's really the dream, why do I keep having this distraction? And I think I was also thinking am I keeping this vandal kids thing like a foot in it, which is probably not enough? Like, probably need to be a little bit more all in, but keeping my foot in it, just as if I was worried to put all my eggs in the same basket. And is it? Was it more of a decision based on fear that, okay, if the art doesn't work, then maybe even the kids would work? But no, actually it's just really hard because the the art, uh, art career is very it's not very linear. I mean, it could be very slow, right, it's just you don't become a famous artist overnight.

Zoe Greenhalf: 7:54

Yeah, so is that what you're doing now? Have you? You've stepped away from your clothing brand? Yes, entirely, but you're moving your way out of it so that you can concentrate on your art.

Kat Vandal: 8:06

Yeah, I've made the. You know, I've emailed on my newsletter to say this is, you know, this is maybe not goodbye forever, but for now I'm doing a clearance sale. I'm looking for a clearance stockist to take the stock, but it's taking a lot of space in my home and actually I think it was taking a lot of space in my head, I'm sure. Lots of pollution. So I feel like once I get rid of that stock and I really don't want it to end up in the landfill, so I'm finding ways to, you know, do massive discount for my customer or whoever couldn't afford Bandol Kids, because I know it's not cheap brand and finding a reseller would be great, and then I would make a lot of space and I'm sure somehow there will be this, this big weight off my shoulders, and I can't wait. But already I feel the weight off my shoulders for having taken the decision.

Kat Vandal: 9:02

I think it was, I was dwelling, I was, it was dragging along and it's like I didn't want to give it up. But actually sometimes it's very important to know when to to stop something and to to move, to move on and and in a way I'm like you know what a lot of people who have got successful companies or successful projects. It was never. I mean, it's rarely the first one, right. So in a way I thought, maybe that was my mock how do you call it my, my trial, and now maybe that means the art is gonna do very well.

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:37

I think you're right. I think it's really difficult to let go of something that you feel like you've put everything into and maybe at the time it felt like this is it, this is the thing that I'm gonna do, and then at some point along the lines you start to lose that spark and you think, actually I'm not quite as convinced as I was. What's going on. And then that gets bigger and you think, should I just carry on with this? Where's it going?

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:00

Does it make sense? Like logically maybe it does, but my gut feeling is like not so much. It's a really scary place to be in. What do you think were the scariest parts of pivoting? You've already touched on something which I think is very common is that idea that it's hard to make money as an artist, but I know that you've had exhibitions and I know that you are selling your pieces, aren't you, which is brilliant to hear.

Kat Vandal: 10:28

Yes, and I guess I'm very impatient, maybe because I feel like I started the journey of finding myself and finding my career a while ago now, because I left. I left my big, you know corporate job in 2020, so now it's been a while without having a regular monthly good salary. So I I just feel like, okay, now it needs to happen at some point, because obviously, having a startup, like in fashion industry or I guess any other industry, you don't really make money the first few years anyway. So it just feels like, okay, I'm starting again and now you know I need the money to come, but compared to, I think, I mean compared to my expectations, which are really high, I always feel like, okay, it's not enough, I need to. I'm still a bit scared that you know I couldn't provide for my family, you know, if it was just based on this, so that stresses me out a bit. Once I have a bit more financial uh safety, I would feel much less anxious. So this is it. But when you think about it in a, in a few months only, yeah, there's been a lot of exhibitions and you know I have, I have sold, uh, I quite I try to reinvest quite a lot in.

Kat Vandal: 11:48

You know, doing art fairs, you know all of those have cost, right, but it feels less stressful than the Vandal Kids because Vandal Kids was always a lot of investment. You know, if you want to create a new collection you have to spend a lot of money up front and you're not sure that you're going to sell. You know everything. Whereas this is more one, one by one piece of art, another and it's much more. You know smaller um investment here and there. So it feels a little bit more manageable but it's very uncertain. An artist can be trendy, uh, one year and not at all the year after, and then it's constant as you do a solo exhibition. But then. So what after this? You still have to find the next opportunity and the next. So it's also constant hustling as well.

Kat Vandal: 12:36

But yeah, it feels more right to me to talk about art, like to talk about, uh, like to talk about my passion, when actually I think I realized with vandal kids, was I really that passionate about the closing? I mean I was. There was initially a passion for, for doing something different I think, something that people would talk about and that could be useful. And you know it's a pure pose and I feel like I found my pure pose with, with the arts, and it's just making me happier. So, and then the other scary thing is, I guess because of it's kind of my second or third, because if you think about, okay, my career in in a, in office, then I tried something else, then I'm trying again. So I'm hoping third time that I'm lucky.

Kat Vandal: 13:34

But also I'm there's a bit of pressure. I'm like this has to work and this is a little bit the ego. I think that's talking as in well, even for myself. But I just kind of I want to, I need us, I want the success story now, and I was talking to my partner about this was like but you know, you've been on tv, you've been, you've been on press, you've said like many pieces you've done so exhibition, like you've done a lot of things. But it feels like for me, as the success is also partly due to okay, if I'm financially viable and independent, that would be, it's a big, I would be a big thing for me and I know artists, a lot of people who do art.

Kat Vandal: 14:16

they also do it on the side as a hobby. It's a pleasure, but I guess now I'm making it my job, it also needs to be kind of. It's not just a pleasure as well yeah, of course.

Zoe Greenhalf: 14:30

What has surprised you most? Do you think about life on the other side of this change?

Kat Vandal: 14:34

I guess what surprised me it's actually realizing how much I've done in the last because I'm so focused. So basically, I spend way too much time focusing on what I can't do or what I haven't done. And you know, I feel like I've spent the last few years I mean since I realized that Vendor Kids was too much, not enough creativity and too much of the things I don't like to do or don't do well, I've been just focused on finding people to do it for me, or finding people to train me or do it for me. And then I started to feel like this a little bit with the art, thinking, okay, maybe I need galleries to sell the art for me, because I can't like, you know, I don't want to sell it, I just want to make the art. Or I need an agent to find me all those opportunities and negotiate with, you know, companies, brands.

Kat Vandal: 15:25

And then I was like, actually, when I think about in the last nine months, you know, having all those things that happened, like the solo exhibitions in England, in France, in Germany, the press and all of this was without anyone and yeah, my partner was like maybe stop focusing on because actually you've done it. And yeah, my partner was like maybe stop focusing on because actually you've done. You've done it. So, yes, like it's because I'm impatient and I want more, but actually I couldn't. Even I wouldn't have more time. If I had more opportunities, I wouldn't have physically the time to make all the art anyway. Yeah, so it's like actually it's quite surprising how in the last few months, I've done it right, like in a way it's gonna, you know, it's slowly getting there, and it was like, if you maybe continue like this for the next year, I meet someone new that gives me a new opportunity and a new sales, and then I just maybe need to stop being impatient.

Kat Vandal: 16:20

so, yeah, that was quite surprising to have to change that um mindset and just think, actually, what have I done? And I keep, I can keep doing and don't focus on. Can someone help me, you know, yeah, yeah, I mean, I was.

Zoe Greenhalf: 16:36

I was thinking the same in the sense that I know Instagram is a set of highlight reels, but I do see the press, that you're getting, the attention that your work is getting, and for me on the outside, it seems like very little time that that's happened. I mean, maybe it's not because that's just on the surface of what I'm seeing and this has been bubbling away for a while now, but, but really there are some people who who will not get noticed for the first 10 years of the thing that they're doing, and you're already on a lot of people's radar. Um, and I love the way that people are really understanding what your art is about, which is this sense of fun and a sense of joy, and that's what you're bringing to people. Um, and if people are already tapping into that and seeing that, then I think it's wonderful because, as you said, keep doing what you're doing and keep saying yes to those opportunities.

Zoe Greenhalf: 17:32

Yeah, yeah, true finally, then, I just want to ask you what you would say to someone who knows deep down that they need a change, but maybe they feel stuck or scared, and I know that you've been there. So what do you think you would say to them?

Kat Vandal: 17:46

so I would say you know, really, make sure that you, you really know, you know inside, so don't, don't rush too much or you know, it's okay if it takes months or years before making that decision. It's finding that balance between not going too fast, I think, not being too impulsive with something that's quite, you know, a big change, and but also not dragging it for the wrong reason, like I think there's a lot of value in doing those like least stuff, you know why. What do I like about what I'm doing, what I don't like and what would I like in that new career and what I wouldn't like, and also what's important to you and not so important. I think doing this, like kind of doing that work, is quite important, but I would say also, there is your gut, so it's important to follow your gut, but I think it's good to to educate yourself and get different perspectives and, and I would say, don't hesitate to ask people so you can, you know, use a coach for, like transition and then they probably those people you know, obviously they're trained to ask the right, the right question.

Kat Vandal: 18:49

Sometimes the question, and of the hardest, that you might not want to ask yourself, yeah, or or ask around you. But I would say, be very careful asking advice from your family or your friends, because you never like. Just make sure there's no agenda, because you know it might be like your parents who are worried about you and they would might want you to do something a bit more like classic, like my family's. You know my mom would have loved if I did like just a really nine to five job, not too much. You know every everything that I did was either too much or too, you know. So she would have something to say. And then you can have friends who you know are polite and they don't want to hurt you and they were. You know lots of people would say oh why? Why are you stopping vandal kids? It's so good. You know they love v Vandal Kids as a customer, and then they're my friends and they think what I've done is amazing. So it's making sure you ask the people who maybe know you very well, or people who have been through this, or also people who are doing the job or whatever you want to do, pivot to and really understand what it takes, because sometimes I feel like when I went from my big corporate job to creating Vandal Kids, maybe the reason we're not exactly aligned with the reality of that new, uh lifestyle. Yeah. So, um, and maybe, um, I was a little bit naive on certain things.

Kat Vandal: 20:16

I was thinking you know, my work is like you know, I would commute two to three hours a day and it was quite intense and I would spend an hour a day with my son. So a big driver was I wanted to be more flexible, have a better work-life balance, do all the drop-off, the pick-up, not having a nanny do it. Have a better work-life balance, do all the drop-off, the pick-up, not having a nanny do it. And then, yes, there was this idea of wanting to launch a brand, do my own brand, be my own boss, not having all those processes to decide on something creative, and I really thought the job would be very creative.

Kat Vandal: 20:51

So there was a lot of naivety, naiveness, I was a bit naive on this and in the end it wasn't much better work-life balance, it was actually worse, because there was no more borders, everything was blurred between work and home, because I would work from home, I would physically be there, I'd drop off and pick up, but always constantly on Instagram, on my email, on my head. So I wasn't uh, emotionally, like mentally here yeah, and then being an entrepreneur is actually not that much creativity as well, and I found out, maybe you know, after. So really, I think asking the people, um, who do what you want to do, to really understand if it aligns with the reason why you want to do it yeah, uh, and what's and if it aligns with what's important for you yeah, that's great advice have you actually met any full-time artists who have given you any sort of tips?

Kat Vandal: 21:49

or, yeah, I have met. I have met quite a few artists now through doing all those art fairs and some of them we keep in touch. It's quite difficult because the art world it's so different fromtime job. Now it's trying to bring my marketing kind of background into what I do to make it successful. So I treat it still a bit like a business with a story, with a marketing concept and I think this is probably something that helps me through the transition because it's kind of trying to still use my skills, because the art world is new for me. I don't really know, so I'm learning as I go, but at least branding marketing. So it's a little bit reassuring and I think this is probably helping me stand out a little bit.

Kat Vandal: 22:53

It's not just me painting and doing things that I. I feel like it and I love like I'm trying to find the in between where I'm using my strengths from my before, yeah, and my passion. So I would say this as another actually advice is what can you use? What was your strengths or your job or your expertise before that you can use in this new, uh, life or career? Um, that could make you keep a little bit sane and feel like a bit comfortable and confident with what you're doing and also make it you, you know, like quite unique to you. So I think that's a little bit what I'm trying to do fantastic Kat Kat.

Zoe Greenhalf: 23:35

Listen. Where can everybody connect with you or find out more about you and your amazing artwork?

Kat Vandal: 23:41

So I am quite active on Instagram and my handle is katvandal V-A-N-D-A-L. This is my last name. It's my real name. I've got a website which is katvandalartcom, then, in September, a website, uh which is katvandallartcom, and then, in um, in september, I'm gonna have a new solo exhibition in london, in fitzdrovia, and so I will share more information about this. You know, uh, but yeah, instagram and websites is uh the main place to to see what I. I share lots of videos about my art, my process, a bit of funny videos as well. Fantastic, just trying to bring a smile to people's face, I know, but your art does that doesn't it?

Zoe Greenhalf: 24:27

So you know Thank you. Yeah, thank you so much for coming back and updating us on. You know what's been happening since we last spoke. Before we go, I've got a feeling that I totally pronounced your surname wrong at the beginning with my big, silly british accent. Say it properly for me, please well, I mean it's.

Kat Vandal: 24:51

If I say it the way, I would say it's French, it's Vandal. But I have learned that in England, every time I'm on the phone and I say my name Vandal, so I say Vandal, but I say it in an English accent, I mean a French-English accent, but the real, when I speak in France, it's Vandal, cat, vandal, vandal, vandal, but you can say vendal.

Zoe Greenhalf: 25:19

Well, it's like that was so english. Why did you say that? Thank you, um. In that case, I wish you all the best thank you, you too honestly thanks for having me.

Kat Vandal: 25:34

It was really nice to have a chat.

Zoe Greenhalf: 25:37

Thanks again, Take care my love.

Kat Vandal: 25:39

Bye, bye-bye.

Zoe Greenhalf: 25:40

Bye. Thank you for listening to this summer mini-series. If you're already feeling that itch to pivot, or even just to pause and rethink, this is your reminder that you don't have to do it alone. Whether you're craving clarity, courage or just someone to say you're not crazy for wanting more, I'm here for that. You can book a free call with me using the link in the show notes. No pressure, no expectation, just space to explore what's next for you. So stay rebellious, keep making mischief and meet me back here next week for another episode of Switch Track. No-transcript.