She’s interviewed countless stars and A-Listers. She’s an award winning, Emmy recipient. She’s also a fighter; overcoming the hardships and emotional journey of fertility struggles. That strong woman is: Katie Krause Mork. Katie overcame adversity to have the family she dreamed of. It also inspired a new journey for Katie; by bringing to life her business, with her husband, Jason, called Novalynn Fertility. The company provides test kits for women’s health and wellness challenges. Novalynn also recently partnered with Fertility Cloud to provide additional consultation services. You can feel confident with this service, as the business also follows all HIPAA compliance procedures, to keep your medical information secure. She now hopes to help other women and families, who went through this struggle as well. Katie shares her personal journey, and career background:
Meghan Forte: Can you share a little about your Emmy Win and the career you have in the media?
Katie Krause Mork: My lifelong dream was to work as an entertainment reporter and I made it happen by working my way up the entertainment ladder and am fortunate enough to have had a career spanning over a decade. I started out as a founder and co-creator of a site called Hollywire.com and from there was poached by Clevver Media to start up ClevverNews, which is where I created The Daily Hollywood Rundown (which is now owned by Hearst!). I had my eyes set on broadcast television though and I made the move to Entertainment Tonight in 2014, I interned at college. I was there for 7 years as both a producer, and eventually senior producer — and was part of the correspondent pool. I was on the ground floor as ET amped up their digital presence – producing thousands of videos for the brand and interviewing celebrities such as: Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, Shawn Mendes, Jacob Elordi and hundreds of others A-Listers. In fact, I was the first reporter for a major news show to interview Billie Eilish. It was for my time at Entertainment Tonight that I actually earned my Emmy award for the 2021-2022 year. In 2022, after receiving an exciting offer with ET for more correspondent work, I made the decision to leave after receiving a job offer at Extra, but after suffering two pregnancy losses — and then when I was just about out of my first trimester, the door at Extra closed. I did receive 3 additional Emmy nominations during my time there! I interviewed celebs like Kim Kardashian, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. All that to say, my experience and hardships with starting a family while also being career-driven became one of the biggest catalysts to launching Novalynn Fertility.
Meghan Forte: What was your journey like in deciding what treatment might be right for your body?
Katie Krause Mork: So my journey was an emotional one. After getting married, my husband and I did get naturally pregnant twice but lost both pregnancies. Thankfully, I had tested my AMH and proceeded with creating embryos with my husband before all of this. We decided to use our first embryo we had created and implanted her in September of 2022. She is now 7 months old! I hope people can learn from my story and recognize how important it is to stay on top of your health and fertility as early as possible.
Meghan Forte: What makes your at-home fertility and health test kits stand out from the other tools out there?
Katie Krause Mork: So many things! First of all, I started this company because I have been through the journey! Our tests are more affordable and insanely accurate. In fact, we sent a kit to a well-known fertility doctor and she tested her levels with our kit on the same day she did a test with the other leading brand and the results were the same. Our tests use an easy blood card collection process, eliminating the need for several test tubes, dangerous needles and painful vein punctures. We are the only company that offers an AMH and Vitamin D at-home kit which is something I personally learned the importance of when going through all of our baseline testing. Our tests are priced better than other leading brands on the market . For example, our Comprehensive Fertility Kit tests 7 different hormones for $159. We use CLIA-certified labs and provide secure and easy to read results in our portal just 2 to 5 days after the lab receives your sample. Remember, each fertility journey is unique too. but the more we share and talk, the less alone we feel.
Meghan Forte: What have you learned by creating your business, about the importance of self-care and being confident with your own body?
Katie Krause Mork: So much! Running Novalynn Fertility can be demanding, but I’ve learned that prioritizing self-care and also family time is crucial. My favorite thing to do at the end of a long day is just watch a good show with my hubby, ha. You will definitely feel defeated at times, but perseverance is key – as is true with everything in life. If you chip away at a little bit a day, you will be amazed at how much you accomplished when you look back after a year.
In terms of being confident in my own body – I try every day to be kinder and more patient with myself as pregnancy definitely changed my body. I walk almost every single day, drink as much water as possible and eat well.
I think the biggest thing is to feel grateful for what my body was capable of doing and to give myself grace and time!
Meghan Forte: What would you tell women now looking back at what you overcame, about the fertility journey?
Katie Krause Mork : I would tell everyone to test your fertility early so that you can plan ahead! Career was so important to me but being proactive is ultimately what helped us to start a family. Also, I think it’s good to acknowledge the emotional aspects of the fertility journey. Talk openly with your partner or support system about what you’re going through. Be patient and yeah, stay informed. No one ever says “oh man, I wish I didn’t test” – but so many people say “Ugh! I wish I had tested so much earlier so that I had more options for the situation I am in now.”
Meghan Forte: Do you feel empowered or a sense of catharsis, when you share your story with women who are also going through this journey?
Katite Krause Mork: Yes, I think up until a few years ago talking about all of this was very taboo. I have found such community and love in sharing my story. My DMs on Instagram are constantly filled with women wanting to share their stories or talk… and I think that’s a beautiful thing. The more we share, the more information we receive, and the less alone we feel. I strongly believe that.
Meghan Forte: How has becoming a mother changed your perspective on life and success?
Katie Krause Mork: It has changed everything… it really is one of those things you don’t understand until you experience it but now, everything in my life is for her, you know? For so long, I equated success and even self-worth with my professional achievements but now it’s about the happiness and well-being of my family. I still struggle sometimes with balancing things… and am trying to make sure I maintain a sense of purpose for myself. I look at life from a more long-term and future-oriented perspective now and have a deeper sense of empathy and patience, especially for mothers in the workplace. While ambitious goals are still important, I guess I am learning to appreciate and celebrate the little victories more.
Thank you, Katie, for sharing your story. It is truly inspirational to remember that we all have something to overcome, yet we are not alone. By sharing our struggles, it also helps others in the same “shoes” or situation, and helps us all be kinder and more empathetic towards fertility struggles, and one another. If you are considering having children, doing the research now can help with tests from Novalynn Fertility.
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