15 Fun Facts About Kristin

Because life shouldn’t be all business all the time, and I’ve taken a serious approach over the last year to sharing 15 marketing lessons I’ve learned since founding JONES more than 15 years, today I want to lighten the mood.

You may know from my bio that I’ve been in public relations and marketing for 25 years, 15 of those owning my own agency. I’ve worked with consumer products companies, small businesses, and some of the largest tech companies in the world. But here are a few things you may not know:

1. During my time working for Mutual of Omaha Insurance, I spent two years traveling with the most visible outreach of the company, Jim Fowler, Peter Gros and the animal friends of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, as they appeared on national television and in local markets. (Don’t remember them? Here they are on Late Night With Conan O’Brien.)

2. I’ve run one marathon, three half-marathons, two 10ks and three 5ks, and this year I am training for my second marathon, the Chicago Marathon in October.

3. I have two dogs and two cats—who frequently pout because they have been locked out of my home office during work hours.

4. Summer is my favorite season, largely because I love boating in Lake of the Ozarks, which I believe is the best place on Earth. It’s my little slice of heaven.

5. When I’m not running, I am practicing martial arts. I am a recommended black belt in taekwondo and was the Missouri state sparring champion in my division for two consecutive years.

6. I am a huge Wonder Woman fan.

7. I have a Star Wars hand bag, and it’s fabulous.

8. Does it surprise you, then, to learn that I’ve seen all of the Star Wars movies, Star Trek movies, Planet of the Apes movies and Superhero movies?

9. I don’t just watch movies. I also love to read. Mystery novels are my favorite.

10. I am obsessed with skincare.

11. I have two children – both boys (now teenagers!). I love cheering them on in all their endeavors – football, taekwondo, art, science research. And, I truly enjoy our weekly card games, as it gives us a chance to connect and have fun as a family.

12. I have one small tattoo. On our 16^th wedding anniversary, my husband and I got ring tattoos. Mine is a heart. This year, we celebrate 25 years of marriage.

13. I had a speech impediment growing up and attended speech therapy daily from kindergarten through 6^th I sometimes still slip on my Ls and Rs, and stutter slightly, when I’m tired or stressed. 

14. I played fast pitch softball when I was young, earning a scholarship to play in college. I was first string pitcher on my college team. Thank you, softball, for providing me a means to a college education.

15. If I weren’t in marketing and PR, I would be an astrophysicist. Instead, I fill my need for science, learning and exploration by partnering with technology and science firms, and building a knowledge base to serve them well.

Now you know a little more about me, what makes me tick and how I wind down. Marketing and PR are my career, but it takes all of this together to make up my life. And I’m still learning more every day — about marketing, about my clients and the industries they work in, and about myself.

If you missed my marketing lessons from my first 15 years as an agency owner, you’ll find them all here. Then stick around and subscribe to the blog, because I love to share what I learn, and I’m definitely not stopping now.