Employee Spotlight: Kenley Jones

Name: Kenley Jones

Position: Digital Marketing Strategist

Location: Lubbock, TX 

Job Description: As a Digital Marketing Strategist, I help clients implement the right digital marketing plans to help grow their business. I am the main point of contact between my clients and the agency, and help make sure client's needs are met while communicating internally so the team stays on track with what needs to be done. Sometimes I compare it to Air Traffic Control – there are lots of moving parts and things change day to day, but it’s all about prioritizing various client needs so we can overdeliver for them. 

What is your personal background?
I’ve been working in public relations/marketing for over five years. I caught the bug during an internship with Country Music Television, where I worked with both their Consumer Marketing and Corporate Communications teams. From there, I started at a boutique public relations agency in Dallas where we focused on PR for a large Spanish wine company, Freixenet. Then, I found myself at Moroch, an integrated marketing agency in Dallas where I continued to work in PR for clients ranging from McDonald’s to Dolby Cinema. After nearly three years at Moroch, we made the move back home to the Texas Panhandle and I started at Primitive in 2018. 

How have you grown since your previous positions?
From starting as a recent college grad to now, I’ve grown in more ways than I can count. Of course, I’ve learned a lot and gained a lot of experience along the way, but I think one of the most important ways I’ve grown is learning to roll with the punches – both good and bad. Marketing requires a lot of quick thinking, and clients trust and depend on you to guide them to success. Sometimes things happen that are out of your control, so it’s about thinking creatively how you can best meet the client’s goals and move the ball forward, even though that path isn’t always clear. 

How did you get your start at Primitive?
In April 2018, my husband and I found out he was being transferred to the Lubbock branch of his company. While we were thrilled to be back in the area we grew up, I was also scared and at a loss for what I was going to do for work. But as usual, God had a plan and a friend of mine sent me Primitive’s website because she knew it was similar to the type of work I’d been doing. I clicked the link and much to my surprise, there was Kade Wilcox – a guy from my hometown who I’ve known since I was little. Long story short, everything started to fall into place and I started at Primitive in August of that year. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?
The fact that no two days are the same keeps me on my toes and I really enjoy that. There’s always a new challenge to tackle, a new process or strategy to learn, or a win to celebrate. I also enjoy the client relations side of things. I’m a people person through and through, so I enjoy getting to know clients, understanding who they are and what makes them excited about their business. My coworkers and the people I get to work with each day are another huge perk. It's hard to beat getting to work with your friends each day! 

What is the most challenging part of your work?
Being challenged each day is actually something I love most about my role, but that can come with a lot of pressure. The reality is we play a small but extremely important part in our clients’ business, and they’re entrusting us to help them improve. That can seem daunting at times, but it’s also something that motivates me each day. 

Do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on at Primitive?
Honestly it’s hard to choose just one. I’ve gotten to work on a lot of different projects since starting, and they’re all in different areas than I’ve worked in before. My favorite projects are the ones where clients really challenge us creatively and we get to team up to produce something that knocks it out of the park for them. 

What does a typical day look like for you? Are you someone who follows a similar routine each day, or do you prefer variety?
I wouldn’t say I follow the same routine each day, because every day is different. Some days are filled with back-to-back meetings where others allow me to plug away at a long list of things. That being said, I do tend to start my day the same. Lucky for me, it usually starts with coffee, some smiles and snuggles with my son, Brigham, and quality time before daycare. Then I try to jump on the Peloton before checking emails and tackling my to-do list for the day. Family time in the evenings after work is precious to me and my favorite part of the day! 

You manage a lot of clients. What are some tactics you use to stay on top of your emails, messages, and replies?
I find myself using the flagged/starred feature in Gmail a lot and sometimes flag emails in different colors based on priority. Our project management tool, Hive, is also crucial in staying on top of things. 

How do you stay motivated?
I’m a competitive person so I think the day-to-day challenges are what keep me motivated. While it can be hard at times, it’s such a great feeling to tackle an issue or project that originally felt like a roadblock. I also love trying new ideas, seeing them come to life, and learning what worked and what didn’t so that we can do something even bigger and better next time. 

What’s one guaranteed way to get you in the flow while at work? (Music? Podcast? Quiet?)
Definitely music. Anytime I need to really hone in and focus on a project I pop both headphones in, start my playlist, and get after it. I usually don’t like it when it’s too quiet; even at home, I have to have music or the TV on. 

What are your top recommendations on Netflix? (or HBO Go, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.)
Game of Thrones, New Girl and Ozark are some of my recent favs! 

Who do you admire and how have they influenced you and your work?
I’m blessed with many influential people in my life, but my dad is the most hardworking person I know. He instilled that work ethic in me from the time I was little and taught me that if you are willing to work hard, you can do anything. I believe that’s what’s helped me accomplish what I have so far and certainly continues to influence me today. He taught me to show up every day, give it my all, and get ready to do it again the next day so that you can be proud of the work you produce. 

What's your ideal vacation?  
A trip to the mountains! I mean, I like the beach too, but a mountain getaway with some skiing, wine tasting and laughs by the fire is my heaven on earth.  

Do you have a hidden talent?
Apparently it's still hidden.... But I like to think that I’m an awesome in-the-car singer, although I’m afraid my husband would disagree. I’m also really good at beating Parker Brown at pretty much all of our office challenges!