MY STRENGTH PROFILE

I lead with the Strategic Thinking Theme.

I crave to know more. I gather information, put it together, figure out the way forward, then communicate what’s happening.

Input
Achiever
Activator
Communication
Strategic

Emily Kendall

MARKETING STRATEGIST

she/her | Cincinnati, OH

I am always looking for information, seeking answers and working to connect people through shared knowledge.

MY SIDE HUSTLES

For Impact:

Down syndrome advocacy
Mentoring young professionals
Advisory to Startups

For Fun:

Running
Reading
Cooking

How I think:

MY MARK:

I take pride in bringing people together, to get things done– well.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I love to cook and serve Thanksgiving dinner to my loved ones. It takes careful planning and execution to bring it all together - from the wine pairings to dessert - and the end result is a beautiful meal and memories enjoyed together. I approach my work in the same way - from input to execution to bring together beautiful results.

MY WHY:

I want to unleash and enjoy all the good our world has to offer.

We are surrounded by good. It’s easy to forget when we are constantly bombarded with messages otherwise. It’s always there - we just have to keep bringing it into the light. And I believe when you start your day with really good coffee, it’s hard to go wrong.

WHAT LED ME HERE:

My career started at NASCAR.

I’m from Cincinnati. When we hear Junior, we think “Ken Griffey.” I had never been to a race in my life and my first day was the Thursday before the Daytona 500. I learned a lot, have a deep respect for the sport and got to travel to Toronto, Montreal, and Mexico City multiple times working on the international licensing team. The most important thing I took away was the deep connection between the sport, the brands, and the fans. No other sport gives fans access like NASCAR - and fans always came first.

I’ve always worked in high-growth business units or at start-ups.

From being a part of the new international licensing division at NASCAR, to working for a credit card start-up, to being part of the team taking a student housing company public and all the way to raising $3B of alternative equities at a retail commercial real estate firm - I’ve always been embedded in high growth areas. This is the major consistent theme throughout my career, and as I’ve reflected on it, it’s not a coincidence. It’s because of my skill set and strengths, and my ability to bring people together to get things done well. My positive spirit has enabled me to lead teams through challenging times when it felt like we were assembling the plane as it barreled down the runway. I leverage my strengths to make sure I’m not letting that plane take off without all the parts and people in place.

My former boss and mentor calls me a frustrated salesperson at heart.

He also says if you tied my hands behind my back I wouldn’t be able to talk anymore. It’s true, I do love sales. I hail from a long line of salespeople, but have always been drawn to writing, storytelling, and art which led me to marketing. Sales is always at the forefront of how I approach marketing strategy. I believe when those two functions are in alignment, magic happens and the numbers follow.

I am the nerdy girl who married the high school sports star.

I can’t beat him at any athletic endeavors, but I do give him a run for his money at Scrabble. He’s an awesome partner, and helped me achieve the best title - mom. I am a mom, step-mom, and dog mom. I learn more from my kiddos than they do from me. Together, we are proof that fairy tales (and sometimes cheesy rom-coms) do come true but you have to remember it doesn’t just happen to you - you make it happen.