my purpose is to champion bravery through storytelling. I hope that by elevating stories of bravery and courage, you too will be inspired, motivated, and moved to conquer your fears
the WOMAN
Catenya McHenry is a single mom of three, an award-winning journalist, award-winning marketing and communications executive, entrepreneur, TV host, producer, author, and inventor, with a career spanning more than 20 years in broadcast journalism, communications, productions, and public and media relations.
her WORK
In 2021, Catenya earned an Edward R. Murrow award and a National Headliner award for excellence in journalism related to the Pandemic Pass or Fail project – a national solutions journalism project that uncovered stories about how communities and individuals solved problems exacerbated by the pandemic. Also in 2021, Catenya launched her podcast Fuck Fear. An extension of her first book, the podcast is an exploration of fears we face in relationships, life, career, and parenting. Committed to developing and elevating stories about bravery and women’s issues for streaming and broadcast platforms, in February 2020 Catenya’s production company VisionAries launched The Mom Who Can’t Cook show, a comical cooking series about a mom who can’t cook. In 2018, she released her first book, Married to a Narcissist: Enduring the Struggle and Finding You Again. Featured in Business Insider, Ebony, HuffPost, Good Morning Washington, Midday Maryland, and more, its story chronicles her devastating journey of life in a toxic, narcissistic relationship but guides her readers through how to break free of the same abuse, set boundaries, and rediscover who they are. Catenya has been featured in a number of national articles as a go-to expert on toxic relationships. Catenya is also an inventor. In 2016, she invented SoleMate Sox, patent-pending magnet socks that cling together in the wash – the world’s first solution for lost and single socks.
her STORY
Born+raised in L.A., the hub of film+fashion, Catenya was destined to be the mix. Her Dad owned a video production company and from there, her love of stories and storytelling ignited but she was always drawn to the message and the story behind the story — the story that’s not always told and the one with a different human perspective. She began her career as a TV news reporter in Lafayette, Louisiana. Within eight months, she was advancing to an education reporter position in Austin, Texas and later became their morning show anchor. As a news broadcaster with a career spanning two-decades, Catenya has logged thousands of stories and TV appearances for all the major networks, including NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX and the CW.
Her constant curiosity and aspirational ambition framed her next opportunity. She flipped her skills and quickly ascended to corporate executive level becoming a public relations executive, communications consultant, and crisis communications coach–helping clients navigate reputation management, marketing, and strategic communications. She later used that experience to open two PR and media relations firms & a production company. Never satisfied with just one thing at a time, Catenya’s love of film and the creative process prompted her to probe the industry which yielded tremendous success. She is SAG credited for principal roles in two films, Miss Congeniality and The Life of David Gale. She has also appeared in dozens of industrial commercials for TV, corporate and print campaigns and has been voice-over talent in a host of radio commercials.
the CURRENT STORY
Catenya is producing and hosting her podcast about fear, working full-time as a Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at an independent school, producing other original shows, operating SoleMate Sox, thinking about other ways to innovate, and raising her three teenage children. Together, they love to explore the outdoors and run as well, finishing a handful of 5K races. Catenya stays active as a marathoner and rollerblader.
Awards:
University of Texas at Austin Excellence in Marketing and Communications, 2019 & 2021
Edward R. Murrow Award, 2021
National Headliner Award- Excellence in Journalism, 2021
“Be brave enough to separate yourself from things and people that disrupt your peace.”- Catenya
