Hello, fellow Business Nerds! I’m Dr. Brie-Anna Willey, and welcome back to Business for Nerds, where we celebrate all things geeky, creative, and entrepreneurial. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I thrive on discussing sci-fi, video games, fantasy novels, and of course, business. It’s a space where we can grow, collaborate, and support each other as we build our dream ventures.
In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of talking with fellow nerd and writer
, creator of The Katacombs on Substack. If you love writing, cats, or a little bit of Dungeons & Dragons, then you’re going to love this conversation.Nerding Out Together
From the start, it was clear that Kathy and I had a lot in common. We both have a love for video games, fantasy, and deep rabbit holes of creativity. Kathy is currently playing Stardew Valley,1 Diablo 4,2 and Animal Crossing.3 I shared that I’m a fan of classics like Thief II,4 and Fallout 35 and New Vegas6 aka The Tale of Two Wastelands!7 We talked about how games inspire creativity, with their immersive storytelling, intricate worlds, and deep character-building.
But if there’s one game that has inspired Kathy, it’s Dungeons & Dragons.8 She was introduced to it last year and it’s become an important aspect and inspiration for her storytelling. She’s even writing a novel based on her character, a complex, half-demon samurai-barbarian. Check out the first episode in her D&D characters backstory where she demonstrates the art of complex character development here.
Speaking of D&D, Joseph Robertson also pointed out in this post that inspiration often comes when he takes breaks and plays D&D with his children. So many interconnections here!
We've Been Punished Enough—Now We Focus on Fun
One thing Kathy and I both agreed on? We’ve done our time in the traditional workforce. Now, we’re focusing on work that is interesting and brings us joy. Writing, creating, collaborating—it’s all about doing what we love and making it sustainable.
Kathy is working on her own horror anthology, collecting her short stories into one compelling volume. She’s also deep into her What If Cats Wrote… series.
🐱 What If Cats Wrote Haikus? Amazon Link9
🐱 What If Cats Wrote Poetry? (Coming Soon!)
🐱 What If Cats Wrote Horror? (In Development)
Collaboration and Community
One of the biggest takeaways from our chat was the power of collaboration. Kathy has worked on multiple writing projects, including a horror anthology and a deep-dive research project on an urban legend in Calgary. Like me, she’s found that working with others—whether on Substack, in writing groups, or through business collaborations—has been the best way to grow and stay motivated.
Check out her story Even in Death from Beyond Stories: Beyond Stories Review. And it looks like we are both working on tales to include in Beyond Stories 2!
We both agreed that marketing is one of the toughest parts of running a creative business. The key? Be yourself and engage with the people who genuinely resonate with your work. Trial and error is part of the process, but collaborations have been one of the most effective ways to build a strong audience.
For more thoughts on how collaborations amplify our voices, check out this collab as an example.
AI as a Creative Tool
Kathy and I also touched on AI and its role in creative work. She sees AI as a tool—like the internet when it first arrived—something that can make writers more efficient and creative rather than replace them. In her view, AI is helping create a new generation of even better writers because now, more than ever, originality stands out. We both use AI to help organize thoughts and refine ideas, but never to replace our creative process.
Kathy put it perfectly: “We are going to have a generation of very good writers because of AI.”
We also discussed how AI can save time, money, and energy, but ultimately, you still have to do the creative work. If you use AI entirely, we can tell—it’s missing heart. As Kathy pointed out, we will always have to be better than AI.
Recharging After Socializing
One thing we both admitted: after collaborating, socializing, and engaging, we need time to recharge. As introverts, we find joy in connection but also value the quiet moments afterward. It’s part of what makes solo work so appealing, but we recognize the power of collaborations.
Oh, and I’ve officially deleted Mondays from my work schedule—because why not?
Wrestling: The Unexpected Storytelling Goldmine
Kathy recently fell into a new rabbit hole—wrestling. Initially skeptical, she found herself drawn in by the elaborate storytelling, costumes, and character development. Turns out, wrestling is basically one big D&D campaign—with rivalries, love triangles, and dramatic character arcs.
As she put it, “Move over catwalks—wrestling costumes are where it’s at.”
While I don’t love most sports, I do enjoy hockey, and maybe—just maybe—wrestling could win me over.
Timestamps⏳
00:37 - Introducing Kathy Enriquez-Nguyen
01:37 - Nerding out: D&D, anime, video games
05:47 - Video games we love: Stardew Valley, Diablo 4, Fallout mod
10:15 - Kathy’s writing journey: From numbers to fiction
12:06 - Writing from a cat’s POV—The What If Cats Wrote series
15:25 - D&D character backstory & novel writing
24:10 - The power of collaboration
26:40 - Upcoming anthology of Kathy’s short stories
28:10 - What If Cats Wrote Haikus
34:41 - Substack Twins: Growing through collaborations
37:23 - Wrestling & storytelling—It’s like a D&D campaign!
43:03 - AI & writing: It’s a tool, not the enemy
49:08 - Jake Anderson podcast episode
Where to Find Kathy
If you want to check out Kathy’s work, be sure to visit her website, subscribe to The Katacombs on Substack, or follow her on BlueSky or Patreon here.
Until next time, keep creating, keep collaborating, and most importantly—stay nerdy!
Dr. Brie
ConcernedApe. (2016). Stardew Valley [Video game]. ConcernedApe.
Blizzard Entertainment. (2023). Diablo IV [Video game]. Blizzard Entertainment.
Nintendo. (2001). Animal Crossing [Video game]. Nintendo.
Looking Glass Studios. (2000). Thief II: The Metal Age [Video game]. Eidos Interactive.
Bethesda Game Studios. (2008). Fallout 3 [Video game]. Bethesda Softworks.
Obsidian Entertainment & Bethesda Softworks. (2010). Fallout: New Vegas [Video game]. Bethesda Softworks.
Tale of Two Wastelands Team. (2018). Tale of Two Wastelands [Video game mod]. Combines Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Retrieved from https://taleoftwowastelands.com
Wizards of the Coast. (2014). Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook (5th ed.). Wizards of the Coast.
I am an Amazon affiliate.
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