Katie Xu is not your average college student. She’s the President of Creator Lab at Duke University, an Investment Partner at Dorm Room Fund, and an online creator with over 100,000 followers on TikTok — all before graduating. But it wasn’t until she decided to go all in that everything started to change.

In this episode of Personable, Katie sits down with Harvey Bracken-Smith to share how she turned a gap year and a side hustle into a six-figure consultancy, what it really takes to grow on social media, and why authenticity always beats perfection.

They dive into:

How Katie built a $370/hour creator business

The mental shift that led to her first viral video

Balancing Duke, Dorm Room Fund, and content creation

Why true fans matter more than follower count

What going “all in” actually looks like — and what it costs

If you’re a student, creator, or just someone unsure whether to follow your passion — this episode is for you.

Personable is a podcast dedicated to helping listeners become the best they can be by learning from the world’s best in their respective fields. This mission is inspired by my mother, Louise, who encouraged me to become the best version of myself before she passed away from cancer in 2023.

Connect with Harvey:
Harvey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harveybracken-smith/
Harvey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harveybsmith/
Personable Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harveybsmithpodcast_/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JOTYDER6m2FDrlhop4api

My dad's startup: https://www.thedraft.io/
Donate to the charity we have founded in memory of my mum: https://www.loulouracefoundation.org