Around the Ladder with Morgan Katz

In this episode of Around the Ladder, host Erika Steinberg sits down with Morgan Katz, founder and CEO of Ticketnology, to explore her unconventional career path from live event management to tech entrepreneurship. Morgan shares insights on identifying as an entrepreneur later in life, building a tech platform from scratch, and her passion project-Gunny’s House, a charity for senior rescue dogs. The conversation covers the challenges and rewards of pivoting careers, lessons learned from leading a tech company, and the importance of clarity, adaptability, and compassion in both business and life.

Key Topics Covered

• Introduction to Morgan Katz

  • Founder & CEO of Ticketnology, a platform transforming how businesses manage live event tickets

  • Background in live events with sports teams, venues, and corporate hospitality

  • Frequent speaker on client experience, event strategy, and business growth

• Gunny’s House: A Mission of Compassion

  • Morgan’s charity for senior and medically challenged rescue dogs

  • Focus on providing a loving, quality life for dogs who are often overlooked in shelters

  • The inspiration behind the charity and the impact it’s making

• Morgan’s Career Journey

  • Early career in live events, always “with a walkie talkie”

  • Transition from employee to entrepreneur after a major shift in company leadership

  • Realization of her entrepreneurial spirit and how it shaped her approach to business

• Building Ticketnology

  • Started as a consulting and ticket brokerage in 2019

  • Pivoted to a tech platform during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to industry shifts

  • Launched the software in April 2021, focusing on client experience and data-driven solutions

• Lessons in Entrepreneurship

  • Embracing the “big picture” mindset and learning to communicate vision clearly

  • Navigating the challenges of not being a technical founder

  • The importance of a strong development team and customer-first product design

• Personal Growth & Reflections

  • Discovering new strengths through entrepreneurship, such as strategic planning and self-regulation

  • The ongoing journey of balancing doubt, adaptability, and purpose

  • The value of combining diverse skills, big-picture thinking and attention to detail-in building successful ventures

Memorable Quotes

“I’ve always been kind of that out-of-the-box thinker, but I never just titled it as an entrepreneur… Once that happened and it was time to figure out my next move, that’s when I really started to understand and invest in my side of being an entrepreneur.”

“Gunny’s House mission is to extend the life for a dog… taking those dogs that have medical issues that are not adoptable and letting them enjoy the rest of their quality of life at a nice place.”

“Being clear is being kind. If I haven’t fully explained the mission or the vision or what we’re trying to do, we’re not going to g