We recently connected with Krystin Hamlett and have shared our conversation below.
Krystin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?
Talking the talk without authenticity. A recent example would be a practice called Rainbow Washing. Corporate Marketing teams believe they’ve launched an incredible DEI-focused campaign by adding a rainbow to their logo for a month and making a few posts about inclusivity. Everyone gets a warm feeling, the company may see a temporary spike in engagement, but without adding framework to truly become an inclusive company, employees and customers alike will feel duped. Marketing executives need to utilize some of their budget to push for inter-company diversity to truly maximize ROI long-term.
True diversity equity and inclusion expands far beyond displaying “diverse” stock images on websites & social media platforms. Currently, I work in Corporate America and have the distinct privilege of working with Range21, a company whose core foundation was built on DEI and ESG. It’s a company that actively works to bring diverse perspectives into the tech space. Together, we are working with state and local governments to provide Salesforce centered literacy training for previously incarcerated individuals so they may have the opportunity to work in a space that was previously unattainable to them. With flexible work arrangements, assistive technology, and more, training and hiring this caliber of personnel facilitates direct collaboration and amplifies diverse voices.
Oftentimes, our industry is too focused on intercompany culture fit in order to avoid tension in the workplace. This leads to new hires with similar pedigreed backgrounds who look and think similarly to one another, excluding many people who could bring new perspectives. Instead, we should actively seek to hire and train people who are totally different from the company “norm” because our people, clients, and communities benefit when the voices of diverse talent are amplified. Without friendly tension and a safe space for questioning one another, no lasting growth will occur.
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 background and context?
I faked my way into every pivotal career I’ve had. I began my working life at 22 as a High School Physics Teacher on a Title I campus, where almost 90% of my kids were considered “at risk.” I applied for the position midway through the first semester with ZERO knowledge of Physics, or teaching. I’m full transparency, I’d only completed one class towards my teaching certification. During my interview, they asked if I felt comfortable teaching Physics to Seniors (only a few years younger than me). I lied and said “yes.” They told me to start the next day at a Substitute Teachers Pay until I was certified. When I met my students, most of them were failing the filled-to-the-brim class. Three teachers had been hired and quit during those first few months. We had very few resources. A couple textbooks, a handful of calculators, and zero working computers. Hilariously enough, on day one, a fellow teacher informed me that we’d be focusing on instructing an equation that I’d never heard of before! Being savvy (but scared out of my mind) I googled the equation moments before students entered my classroom. I figured it out, and successfully taught it 7 class periods that day! It’s a culmination of stories like these, a tale of “ineptitude to expert” is how my career should be described. This experience, these amazing kids who followed me blindly into the dark is how my passion for DEI was born. They put their trust in me, and that trust sparked my determination and obligation to work as hard as they were. By the end of the year, none of my students were failing, and after a grueling but satisfying school year under my belt I found myself being asked to lead the Physics Department.
My next career leap of faith was when I left teaching to become the Director of Marketing & Sales for an aesthetic medical device company in Germany. I had already been running social media pages for several local companies while teaching to supplement my income, and was put into contact with the CEO of this company. Had I ever run a marketing department before? No. Had I ever sold anything before? Nope! Had I ever worked with aesthetic medical devices before? Absolutely not! Did I get promoted and then head-hunted by another American Medical company a short while later? Yep!
I think my secret to success is: I’ve always said yes. I may not have had the experience, the knowledge or the expertise to work in any of these fields, but I do have the drive and passion. My career path has been anything but typical, and I believe that’s been a blessing. Not everyone has the empathy and understanding to serve such a wide range of clients, but my experience has given me just that.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
How I met my sister & business partner Lauren is pretty much how all siblings meet: fighting over toys! No, all joking aside, the more interesting part of our story is how we align professionally. My sister is a modern day Da Vinci. The textbook definition of a renaissance person. She’s a polyglot who loves painting, cooking, baking, playing the piano, and more. Her entire skeleton is constructed from creative bones. I, on the other hand, never considered myself a “creative.” I am an animal lover, a voracious reader, a lover of science and an autodidact. Simply put, I love to learn. When I taught myself to build websites and utilize the Adobe Suite, Digital Design suddenly became my creative outlet. Finally, I could go toe-to-toe with my sister…
I distinctly recall a time where my family of 6 sat to enjoy dinner together and I suddenly received a call from a rather large client. This particular client wanted a very extensive project completed in a short time frame, which wouldn’t be feasible while maintaining my obligations to other clients. My sister nudged me and whispered: “How about I help?”… and that’s when it clicked. We could join forces to accomplish more than either of us could apart. If that sounds like a marriage vow, it’s because when you become partners in business- it’s truly more than just paperwork. It’s the truest test of personality compatibility. Being that we are sisters and business partners means that we truly share a symbiotic relationship, and our dynamic works wonders for us, and for our clients!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I made the transition from teaching to working in a large Corporate Structure, my mentor was ultra-competitive. I was given the perception that there could only be one industry leader, and I needed to dominate. That was wrong, there is room for everyone at the table. The more voices that can be represented, the better we are as a collective. Thankfully, I unlearned that lesson fairly quickly and I was able to utilize my position to holistically and authentically amplify the company, accomplishing data-driven results. When those in a position of power learn to listen with an open heart, everything else follows suit.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abezabranding.com
- Instagram: @abezabranding
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abezabranding
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abeza-branding
Image Credits
Helden Hoierman