Career Questions
Tell us your job title, how long you’ve been at STACK, and briefly describe a typical day at work for you.
I’ve been a multimedia designer at STACK now for just about 9 months. My day typically consists of burying my head into Adobe Creative Cloud while I make designs for our social media, sales team, customers, and more! I work super closely with our Senior Designer and strive to make our brand look consistent and consistently awesome!
What do you love about your job that would surprise most people?
That it’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. Even as a kid, I wanted to be a designer (before I even knew that was a job!) I would design fake flyers and websites, and get t-shirts made for brands I made up. So I feel like I get to live out 8-year-old me’s dream job. It’s a job where I get to feel creative and make beautiful stuff and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
What is the best piece of career advice you ever received?
To never stop learning! I love taking as many online classes as I can get my hands on. I’m currently in one on font designing and another on book cover design. I think the best way to level up in your career is to keep learning more and expanding your skill set, which can be super fun when you’re doing what you love anyway.
Do you have any funny or embarrassing stories related to work (and safe for work)?
I definitely forgot to mute myself during a Zoom meeting once and all of the team got to hear me trying to comfort my crying baby until a flood of my teammates alerted me to my active mic. Lol.
Fun Questions!
We know you’re great – hey, that’s why you work at STACK! Tell us about the great things (in detail) you do outside of work. Hobbies, interests, secret lives…
Outside of work, I like to do a lot more of what I do at work. Ha! I love doing design projects and taking design classes. I also love to paint! I’m a wife and mom of two kids whom I love to spend lots of my time with. We enjoy making art and music together and going outside to explore. I’m also an avid reader and spend a lot of time with my nose in a book when I get the chance.
What’s your favorite local spot and why (restaurant, bar, music venue, whatever you want to share about your hood!)?
I’m relatively new to Cincinnati so I’m still discovering! I love the little coffee shop by my house, Wholy Beans. They have great coffee and affordable food. In the city, I love Salazar for dinner and Longfellow for a drink.
What song have you completely memorized? Will you sing it for us? What about playing it on an instrument? How about a little dance instead?
I feel like most of the songs I have memorized I didn’t memorize on purpose. They’re the ones that played constantly on the radio when I was growing up. Probably every 90s country song ever. And no, I will absolutely not sing it to you but simply because I care way too much about you to subject you to that.
What makes you truly happy?
My children and any time I’ve created something I’m truly proud of (I guess that includes my kids too! Ha!)
If your life was a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
Probably one of these playlists from my Spotify from the year I moved out of state for the first time and fell in love with my husband. Playlist 1. Playlist 2. Playlist 3. (And yes, I design the covers of my Spotify playlists too; I told you I can’t get enough of design!)
If you could choose your own nickname, what would it be?
I… don’t know that I want one. That’s a lame answer. But I love my name. Kendra suits me well. Though I do get called Ken by close friends and I don’t mind that. I do use a fake last name for all my design and artwork outside of the office. It’s an Americanized spelling of my great grandfather’s last name (Vicken).
What causes are you passionate about?
Social justice causes of all sorts. That was my other degree in college. I studied global poverty and social justice and still feel very passionate about those areas. Equity is very important to me.
What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
Birth my baby at home! I’ve never felt like more of a courageous woman than enduring 23 hours of unmedicated labor at home. Talk about feeling like a superhero!
