We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kate and Katy Rhamey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kate and Katy, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Hands down, our most meaningful project was Motherhood Maternity’s “You Do You, Mama” campaign, which won the national gold Addy for Best Campaign and Entertainment. Their in-house team hired us to write, create, and produce all content, with the goal of forming engaging narratives that celebrate the complex history of breastfeeding. Their team was absolutely amazing and gave us creative leeway, allowing us to craft a campaign that balanced heart with humor. The set was filled with babies ranging from newborns to 7 months. They might say, “Never work with kids and dogs,” but we loved every minute.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

KR Squared is the brainchild of the mother/daughter duo Kate and Katy Rhamey. Our vision was to create a full-service video production and marketing agency that leaned into the essence of who we are- moms. Our work mentality is the embodiment of a mom purse; you know, we have everything you need and are ever reliable, endlessly resourceful, and always there with just the right touch at just the right time. With our mom ethos, our talented team of creatives received the National American Advertising Federation’s Mosaic Award for promoting diversity and inclusion along with the Gold Addy. We also created a video for Lionsgate Studios to promote the film Wonder, which won a Digiday Award. Together, we’ve sold concepts to the likes of Procter & Gamble, MillerCoors, and Mastercard; made branded shorts for Disney and Johnson & Johnson; and produced digital content for Bayer, Nestle, and Expedia. Our national TV commercial credits include Credit Sesame and two spots for Abbott Nutrition.

Kate is a Women in Film Fund Finalist and Hollywood Foreign Press Fellow.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

This sounds so corny, but our big lesson learned is to be true to yourself. When KR Squared began, we were so eager to establish our company that we took a ” be all things to all people” approach. However, we quickly became uninspired and burnt out. So, we pivoted our approach and worked with clients and brands that inspired us. With the subtle shift, everything changed. Our work was spot on, and the office energy increased tenfold.

Honestly, when we threw away the “whatever you want” response for a “this is our vision” mindset, everything changed for the better. Brands had more confidence in our work, and project collaborations became inspiring. Our team is no longer afraid to pass on projects or clients that do not fit within our company’s culture. But here’s the kicker: when we became more selective, we actually attracted brands that share our attitude and values.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting has been a cornerstone at KR Squared. Like many production companies, we were hit hard by the Covid outbreak. With commercial production coming to a screeching halt, we had to find a way to stay afloat.

Ironically, through the years, clients had asked for additional campaign creative. We’d built websites, set social strategy, created campaign strategy, made and revamped logos, etc. Still, we had yet to recognize that KR Squared unwittingly became a full-service creative agency. Instead, we added these requests to the production budget and moved on. But in lockdown, we identified the full extent of our creative and leaned into our marketing prowess. The result: KR Squared experienced a record-breaking year!

Today, Katy leads the marketing division, and Kate runs production. However, both departments work hand-in-hand, providing clients with a full-service experience. I guess the saying “Every cloud has a silver lining” pertains to our “jeez, we gotta pivot fast” experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: krsquared.com
• Instagram: krsquaredproductions
• Facebook: KR Squared
• Linkedin: KR Squared

Image Credits
Tongie Award Image credit is @tongal