Faith, Grit, and a Little Bit of Coffee — Kaitlin Wilkins on Learning to Keep Up with Life’s Fastballs
You never know the people you’ll meet through social media, but every now and then, someone comes along and you instantly know they’re meant to be your friend. That’s exactly how it felt when I met Kaitlin.
At the time, I was spending hours trying to build my own website — and failing miserably at turning my ideas into something that looked right on screen. Then, during one of those late-night scrolls, I came across a post that said “Empower Her Media” and an open call for website clients. I messaged her right away, and the rest is history. Six months later, I still thank God for that scroll. If you’ve seen my website, you already know how talented she is — this is Kaitlin’s story.
Tell us about yourself!
Kaitlin: I’m Kaitlin Wilkins, and to be honest, I’m in a season of figuring out who I am. I’m learning that identity shifts are just part of life. I’m a mom, a wife, a website designer, and a paralegal — and I’ve recently niched down to support other women entrepreneurs. Oh, and I’m also “married to the game” — my husband is a minor league pitching coach.
Tell us about EmpowerHer Solutions and how it started!
Kaitlin:
I worked for Costco in college and loved connecting with people, but I hated the marketing side of things. Eventually, I left and started nannying. One of the families I worked for had a driven mom with big business goals who needed a website. Because I wanted to impress her, I decided to learn to code — from scratch!
Bree: Wait, you just casually learned to code?
Kaitlin: Yep — Udacity.com!
From there, I started building websites for everyone I knew in my early twenties. But after saying yes to everything, burnout hit hard. I took a step back for a while. When I had my son, though, that creative spark reignited, and I knew I wanted back in — but this time, with purpose. Working with women, especially those in the baseball community, has been incredible. We’re all trauma-bonded in a way, and helping them succeed gives me so much fulfillment. There’s room for everyone —
How did you meet your husband?
Kaitlin: This is my favorite story to tell! Before meeting Zach, I was in a long-term abusive relationship — actually engaged — and two weeks before the wedding, I called it off. I realized that path wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t grow up with a strong model of healthy love, so I didn’t think meeting someone like Zach was in the cards for me.
After that breakup, I went all in on single life — bought a house, started looking at sperm donors, truly ready to do life on my own terms. Then some friends made me a Bumble account as a joke… and that’s how I met my husband.
Our first FaceTime call lasted twelve hours, and he sent me coffee the next day. I knew then he was it. We met halfway in Vegas for our first in-person date
— I told myself if it didn’t work out, at least I’d have a fun weekend. But it ended up being the best weekend of my life. We planned to get married that November but instead, we got pregnant and welcomed our son that same month! No regrets — skipping the big wedding saved us a ton and gave us the life we have now.
Funniest ballpark memory?
Kaitlin: I don’t really have a funny one, but the ballpark is my favorite place. The staff there has become my family here in North Carolina since we don’t have family or close friends nearby.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for a young entrepreneur?
Kaitlin: Just start. You’re never going to have it all figured out. The biggest key is to jump in and learn as you go. Surround yourself with people who know more than you and who genuinely want to see you succeed — that’s where growth happens.
You had to shift your career dreams because of baseball – tell us about that!
Kaitlin: I’m a certified paralegal and would love to get my law degree one day. But with my husband’s career, we had to make a choice to put all our eggs in one basket. Baseball is transient — we move constantly — and most states require five years of residency before taking the bar. It just didn’t make sense. Still, I’ve found purpose working in child advocacy and staying connected to the legal world.
What’s your rose and thorn moment of being married to the game?
Kaitlin: The rose is being able to stay home with my son and witness all his milestones. The thorn is the loneliness that comes with it. It can be isolating living far from family and friends, but baseball has taught me resilience — and it’s shown me that my son and I are stronger than we ever imagined. That’s the beauty of the game.
Favorite quote?
Kaitlin:
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” (Cinderella Story, anyone? Cheesy, I know!)
Favorite TV show?
Kaitlin: The Summer I Turned Pretty — Team Conrad all the way!
Biggest Self-care ritual?
Kaitlin: A shower so hot it’s borderline dangerous — the “I need to get out before I pass out” kind of shower.
This or That
Heels or sneakers? Sneakers
Hat or no hat? No hat
Fanny pack or large bag? Backpack
Chocolate or gummies? BOTH!
Coffee or tea? Iced Coffee
Full face or minimal makeup? No makeup team
Hot dogs or nachos? Hot dog (but I ate so many while pregnant I might be done for life!)
Pretzel or peanuts? Pretzel — extra cheese, please.
What’s a stadium secret you can share?
Kaitlin: Be extra kind to the stadium staff — the bag checkers, ticket takers, and ushers. When you treat them with respect, they’ll go above and beyond for you… and you never know who you might meet!
Where can we find you?
Kaitlin:
📸 Instagram: @therealkaitlinwilkins
💻 Website: empowerhersolutions.com
Kaitlin’s journey reflects the strength that comes from perseverance and purpose. Her ability to adapt, lead with faith, and create meaningful work amid the ever-changing pace of baseball life is both inspiring and authentic. Through her creativity and determination, she continues to remind others that even life’s fastest pitches can be met with grace, grit, and a clear sense of calling.
