We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Knipper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.
Katie, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I’m generally a pretty risk-averse person, so when I knew I needed to quit a generally decent job because I wasn’t getting any fulfillment I was terrified. My position at the time was comfortable enough, paid decently and had some benefits, but it was the type of job where no matter how hard I worked there wouldn’t be an opportunity to grow. My only issue was that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do instead. So as I started quietly applying for new positions I did some soul-searching and listed out the things that I wanted from my “dream life” instead of just my “dream job.” This included things like finding a balance between creative and analytical work, the opportunity to write and sharpen my craft, and being able to unplug and find better work-life balance. Seeing everything I wrote down seemed a little crazy at the time, but I knew if I could just find something to check most of the boxes I would be a thousand times better off.
After a few months of looking I didn’t have a new position lined up yet but I knew the toll that job was taking on my mental well-being couldn’t go on much longer. I put in my two weeks, fully prepared to go back to a job in retail for a while to make ends meet. Within a few days of my separation, I received my perfect, “dream life” job offer while eating lunch with my dad in Florida. Up until that moment, he had a lot of doubt in my decision-making since quitting a perfectly okay job without another lined up was definitely not something he grew up seeing. But going into my decision I had more clarity than ever before in what I wanted my life to look like and I felt I deserved to be passionate about my work. Fast-forward to almost two years in my new role and I’m grateful I took a chance to build trust in my ability to steer my own life (and my dad is pretty proud too!).
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I work as an Account Executive at Lexington Public Relations, where I get to help clients build out the story of their brand and gain visibility through traditional media. My journey to the PR world started at Belmont University where I studied Communication and Journalism. Growing up I always loved a good story and was a nuisance at the Super Bowl parties where I was constantly critiquing the strategies behind those million-dollar ads. Today working at a PR agency means doing something new every day – whether it’s writing a new pitch for different clients, doing research on different industries, building connections with media or even event planning. I love that if I’ve run out of things to say about a tech company for the day, I can quickly change gears and start planning a campaign revolving around fashion and beauty launches. My proudest moments are when I’m able to land client placements in huge outlets like Forbes, CNBC, or Cosmopolitan – knowing that hundreds of emails usually went into making that happen!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Growing up there was a lot of emphasis on the “dream job.” I was on the go from 7am to 11pm most days in high school because I divided my time between leading student government, dance, and a high-level course load to become the perfect college candidate. In college, I balanced my classes with 4 internships, a position at our student news publication, and a part-time job in a restaurant. Pretty much from middle school, my life revolved around finding that dream job and doing everything I could to prepare myself for it. The conversation no one was having with me was that a job is meant to fit into the life you want. Realistically, if I wanted to have a generally consistent schedule and stable work, journalism was not the best place for that. I had to unlearn the idea that work is the greatest driving force in life. When I think about times I’ve felt true fulfilment and accomplishment, I’m grateful that many of them are from my work. But I’m even more grateful that so many moments have been hosting genuine together-time with friends, caring for myself through hobbies and reflection, being present in my relationship, and being the best dog-mom I possibly can. I think those little moments where you can be proud of your growth as a person unrelated to work are some of the most meaningful.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
It’s so important to be someone that people genuinely enjoy working with. Reliability is a huge part of this – everyone loves the person who gets things done when they say they will. The idea of a “personality hire” is fun too because even if you’re not the life of the party, being someone who can confidently connect with people, ease tension in a sticky situation, and genuinely care about the people you work with leaves a lasting impression and a halo effect around your work as a whole. I think people just want to know that what they ask for will be done well and with a bit of fun along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katieknipper.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/