Podcasts Technology Outspoken with Shana Cosgrove Can You Hear Me Now: Kristen Parks, Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Eleven Peppers Studios.

Can You Hear Me Now: Kristen Parks, Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Eleven Peppers Studios.

Published: May 9, 2023, 8 a.m.

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Creativity, Collaboration, and Staying Collected.


In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Kristen Parks, Owner and Chief Creative Officer at Eleven Peppers Studios. Kristen shares the challenges and excitement of being a creative professional in the world of government contracting, emphasizing the importance of creative engagement as a "have-to-have." She recounts the journey of founding a creative services company that delivers a wide range of solutions, from UX to branding and marketing. Kristen sheds light on the collaborative structure at Eleven Peppers, highlighting the value of stepping back and allowing others to create exceptional work. She underscores the significance of scheduling\\u2014even for breakfast\\u2014in maintaining a work-life balance, and she smiles at the younger self who thought a two-hour commute on the DC Metro Orange Line was a good idea.\\xa0


QUOTES


  • \\u201cThe business is kind of a baby in itself . . . especially in the beginning. Right now it feels like a third child.\\u201d - Kristen Parks [17:10]
  • \\u201cI rely on relationships of all kinds to kind of support that mentorship piece. Like I wouldn\\u2019t say I have one mentor. I would say I have a lot of confidence in colleagues that I trust . . . . I have different pieces that make up the puzzle of a mentor.\\u201d - Kristen Parks [30:25]\\xa0
  • \\u201cI would just say don\\u2019t be afraid to let us in. Don\\u2019t look at it as an added expense, an extra, a \\u2018nice to have,\\u2019 if we have it in the budget. . . . Look at it as a \\u2018have to have.\\u2019 Just as much as you need an engineer, you need a creative person, because it\\u2019s like two superpowers combined.\\u201d - Kristen Parks [42:04]

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TIMESTAMPS

  • [00:04] Intro
  • [01:34] Meet Kristen Parks
  • [04:33] Mixing It Up: Working with Government and Commercial Clients
  • [08:32] Seeing an Opportunity, Starting Eleven Peppers
  • [12:53] Building an Entrepreneurial Perspective
  • [16:45] Blending in Family
  • [21:10] Education in Visual Communications Design and Graphic Design
  • [27:27] Pushing Back on \\u201cDon\\u2019t Be Too Creative!\\u201d
  • [29:18] Putting Together the Pieces of the Mentorship Puzzle
  • [33:29] Stepping Back to Watch the Team Create Amazing Things
  • [37:11] Being Proud When People Choose\\u2013and Stay with\\u2013Eleven Peppers
  • [38:19] Learning Lessons and Managing Stress
  • [41:09] For the Engineers: Welcoming Creativity, Marrying Art and Technology
  • [45:52] Looking at Yourself . . . and Making Sure You Know Your Own Lane
  • [53:11] Outro

RELEVANT LINKS


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Live well, Shana

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