Marketing plays an important role in every industry sector. In its simplest form, it is about ensuring that customers' needs are met while maximizing the profits of a company. As the Marketing Program Manager and Purchasing Manager at Design2Sell, Kristine oversees all the marketing efforts. Her responsibilities vary enormously to include marketing communications, managing preferred vendor accounts, managing charity and outreach endeavors, handling photography shoots and contributing to strategic planning. She also assists with managing inventory vendors and making special purchases for the designers. With a creative background from childhood all the way to college, Kristine loves being surrounded by inspiring designers. When asked what motivates her in her career, she responds, “Working for a place where I feel my skills and interests add value and working for a company with a sense of camaraderie between coworkers.” She continues, “This is a place where there is an opportunity for growth and an ability to foster new skills in areas that align with my interests.”
Kristine’s mother was an art teacher, so she naturally grew up drawing and painting. After completing her university degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto, Canada, she relocated south. With a career of an Occupational Therapist in mind, she began working in the field. She quickly realized it wasn’t her passion. She wanted creativity, and she wanted to be around creative people.
Five years ago, Kristine began her internship with Deisgn2Sell. Since then, she has had the opportunity to apply her graphic and photography skills and cater to the business side of things, which she enjoys. “My favorite thing about working at Design2Sell is being around such creative people and beautiful things - it’s inspiring,” states Kristine. “It’s great to be around people you can bounce ideas off of.”
The most challenging part of Kristine’s job is wearing the many hats of a marketing manager. Design2Sell has a relatively small staff and one of the biggest challenges is constantly adjusting priorities while still making sure the company is staying aligned with its main goal. While there are challenges, there are also many rewards. According to Kristine, the most rewarding aspect of working for Design2Sell is being able to witness how the company has grown from three people to a staff of 20.
“It has been a real benefit to be included in all aspects of the business, which has been such an invaluable learning experience,” she said. “You really get a sense that your hard work has and is adding value and contributing to the growth. It is such a team effort and is great to see and understand how each one of us contributes to the company.”
Atlanta is a beautiful city with the homes to match. One of the best experiences in Kristine’s time at Design2Sell is the installs she was able to attend the photo shoots for. “Not only did I get to see the beautiful photography afterward, but also the installs in the flesh,” says Kristine. “One home I particularly loved was a home on Powers Ferry Road. We used it as the backdrop for a photo shoot of our designers. The designers had to install so many matching books on the shelves and it just looked exquisite.”