Category: Austin Office

It’s been a little while since I’ve published a piece of writing under my name. By a little while I mean about six months, but those six months have been a welcome reprieve.

That’s because for three and a half of the last four years, I was immersed in the hectic but rewarding world of sports journalism.

I arrived at the University of Texas as a wide-eyed freshman with goals of becoming the next hot-shot, up-and-coming sports journalist, with my path set towards a career writing and talking about sports for a living.

My background in journalism

Attending UT was practically a no-brainer for someone like me who grew up in Texas and wanted to pursue sports journalism.

The J-School in the Moody College of Communication is the best in the state and one of the best in the nation, and Texas boasts one of the most prominent, iconic and successful athletic programs in the country. It was the perfect place to make a name for myself.

Over the next three and a half years, I was blessed to accomplish just about everything that a wide-eyed freshman might set out to do.

I have 150 or so bylines to my name, became an expert (or as close to one as a student journalist can get) on Texas sports and enjoyed a dream internship with Sports Illustrated. I got to cover a fantastically fun volleyball team, experienced the Red River Showdown in all its splendor and placed second in a national writing competition at the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans.

I truly had the time of my life.

But over time, I began to realize the cost of such an exciting career – I was incredibly burnt out. Sports journalism is a tiring profession that does not lend itself to a strong work-life balance, at least for a morning person like myself.

That’s why I decided to shift focus my senior year before graduating.

My transition into PR

I wanted to find a place where I could apply the skills I developed as a writer and journalist, learn about new industries and develop new skills. This led me to PR and communications, and I’ve loved each step of my journey so far. I took classes in PR my senior year and got my foot in the door with an Austin PR and communications firm that represents clean energy and technology companies.

I’ve always loved storytelling, and I love how I can continue to do that in PR while developing knowledge and expertise across many industries too.

While I have not closed the door on journalism and sports forever, I am so glad to have found a path that I really enjoy and is more sustainable for me as I begin my professional career.

How I ended up at Ketner Group

As my graduation this May quickly approached, I searched for an opportunity in PR that would not only allow me to continue my professional growth but also put a premium on work environment. I was instantly drawn to how Ketner Group advertised itself as a fun, energetic and joyful place to work.

Over the course of my interviews with members of the Ketner team, I really picked up on how that’s not just lip service here. Ketner Group sounded like just the place I wanted to work and grow as a PR professional (it has some recent recognition to back that up, too). That’s why I was ecstatic when I received an offer to intern with the Austin office, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.

It’s only been a week, but I’ve already felt how committed everyone at Ketner is to each other, their work, and their strong company culture. I can’t wait to continue learning from the incredibly talented and awesome team at Ketner.

Here’s to a great summer!

Hi everyone, it’s Katherine. I’m ecstatic to be joining the team as a Senior Account Executive!

My love of words (and how it got me here)

I’ve always had an affinity for words. As a baby, I spoke in whole sentences before I could even stand on two feet. In elementary and middle school, I was a voracious reader, known for carrying a book everywhere I went. In high school, I became the editor-in-chief of our school’s yearbook.

Naturally, when it came to choosing a career path, I stuck to what I knew. For a people person who loves to read and write, what’s better than PR?

My professional experience began at an agency called 10Fold Communications. There, I serviced a variety of clients in the enterprise tech space, including cybersecurity, supply chain and big data verticals.

After that, I ventured to Zilker Media, where I worked alongside authors and entrepreneurs building people-driven brands and helping to bolster their thought leadership.

Now, I’m excited to return to my roots in tech at Ketner Group. Impressed by the agency’s two decades of tenure in the industry, I felt drawn to KG’s core values, domain expertise and bright, welcoming team.

A few of my favorites: Travel, music and cats

Outside of work, one of my biggest passions is travel; I just love getting lost in new places. Traveling has been such a valuable tool in helping me to better understand myself and the world around me.

So far, I’ve been to 14 different countries and 15 U.S. states, and I plan to keep growing that list. Right now, my dream destination is Japan!

I’m also a huge music fan. Encouraged by my mom who went to Queen and Led Zeppelin concerts back in the day (yes, I’m infinitely jealous), I try to go to as many shows and festivals as possible. Besides that, I enjoy exploring new genres, artists and albums I’ve never heard before. Swapping playlists is for sure one of my love languages.

I currently live in Austin, Texas with my two perfect cat children: Monkey and Goose. On an average weekend, you can find me thrifting, roller skating, spending time outdoors or watching scary movies.

Well, hello there! My name is Abby, and I am happy to report that I am Ketner Group’s Spring 2023 PR intern. I believe an introduction is in order. Here goes!

What makes Abby, Abby?

Here are the basics: I am a senior public relations major and business foundations minor at UT Austin, and I hail from Plano, Texas.

If you saw the recipe of me, energy would make up at least half of the ingredients. I am the world’s most obvious extravert, with the propensity to over-tell jokes and the audacity to perform my pizza raps for strangers. Yes, pizza raps. And yes, strangers.

I love music. You can find me leading worship in the local church, yell-singing Taylor Swift’s “reputation” album in my car, doo-wopping with my a cappella group and even sitting at the piano writing songs of my own. 

In fifth grade, the poetry unit was my favorite. I found joy in placing the perfect rhyme in the perfect spot with the perfect phrasing. At the time, I did not realize that was an indicator of a long-term trend in my life. Writing.

And that is a perfect segue into my next section.

The creative writer to PR professional pipeline

To be honest, PR as a major was my second choice. But thank goodness, the more classes I took, the more I saw a future in the PR field, where I can both make a difference and be made different. I fell more in love with writing and learned tools that help me bridge the gap between the creative and technical.

There is something to be said of creativity within the field of PR. The bounds of communication are endless. Why tell an audience something when you can show them instead? 

My growing curiosity directed at media and its intersection with writing first took form through leadership positions on campus (hook ‘em!). I served as marketing executive with a campus ministry and ran the social media accounts for my a cappella group.

Those experiences turned into a client-side PR internship in the large corporate setting. Finally, that turned into the realization that to complete the real PR crash course of life, I needed to head agency-side. Enter Ketner Group.

How I landed at Ketner Group

Ketner Group is an interesting agency because of its niche. I mean, come on. What on Earth is retail tech? That was my exact question when Ketner Group showed up on my radar. Of course, any good soon-to-be graduate does her research. So I did mine. 

With my research came the understanding that retail tech is an industry that is growing rapidly. There is great value in gaining a frame of reference with an industry that’s on the up and up. 

Not only that, but every single person I come into contact with at Ketner Group is friendly and on the ball. Starting with the recruitment process, I quickly understood that this is an agency that values efficiency in conjunction with kindness. And after being here a week, that observation holds firm. 

I look forward to honing my skills and developing new ones here at Ketner Group. Bring it on.

Hi there! I’m Maya Halabi and I’m super excited to join Ketner Group as the newest assistant account executive.

Storytelling and writing had always been at the core of my college experiences and one of my greatest passions. Through a myriad of writing internships and positions, I learned about my love for connecting with others through words. And I enjoyed the creative process of researching and developing pitches.

It wasn’t until my great friend and mentor gave me more of a glimpse into branding and what I like to call, the “business” side of storytelling, that I learned about PR and how much I enjoy it.

Learning the ropes at Spark Magazine

During my time at UT Austin, I initially joined Spark Magazine, an independent fashion publication, as an online writer.

Developing additional interest in the visual side of the editorial world, I made my way up to the role of digital director, where I oversaw all of Spark’s digital visual content. While I was digital director, our then editor-in-chief, Joanne Xu, a PR-maven, decided it was time for the magazine’s first major rebrand.

My curiosity into this process peaked, so I hopped into the “rebrand task force”, where I learned a ton about the strategic creative process behind branding and how it plays into the way people perceive organizations and platforms like Spark.

Shortly after we completed our rebrand, I stepped up to become Spark’s next editor-in-chief at the very tip of the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. I strived to hone into the reputation and crisis communications side of PR amid this experience and in turn, embarked on a path towards corporate communications.

Striking work-life balance at Ketner Group

After I learned about Jeff and Catherine’s focus on work-life balance and their dedication to their employees’ career growth, I knew I wanted to be a part of Ketner if given the chance. I’m also stoked to be doing PR in an innovative and quickly growing sector such as retail tech.

Outside of work, I’m usually jamming with my band, reading about bands, or listening to and discovering new ones.

In the other bulk of my time, you can find me working on my Substack newsletter about vintage and rare antiques, or hanging with my mini-schnauzer, Dotti.

Hi! My name is Susan Nam and I have the privilege of being Ketner Group’s newest intern for the summer, based in Austin.

I’ll graduate from the University of Texas at Austin this summer with a degree in public relations as well as communication and leadership. Sounds like three majors, but thankfully it’s only two. 

A little about me

I’m a second generation Korean American born and raised in College Station, Texas. After living in Aggieland my whole life, I was ready to move somewhere new for college.

My time at UT Austin gave me two precious things: identity and community. Through meeting my tribe of friends in college, I’ve grown to cherish my Asian American heritage and forge my values with a group of people. It’s also been nice to struggle through post-grad life together with them.

When I’m not struggling with adulting, you can catch me drinking boba with friends, adding books to my TBR list, or curating my 19-hour Spotify playlist for the summer. 

Why I choose PR

I stumbled across the world of public relations while searching for a major that had a definitive career path and could provide me with technical skills to stand out.

PR not only meets those criteria, but it also combines relationship building with storytelling. As a self-proclaimed people person who loves creativity, PR is the ideal career field for me. 

Despite half of my college experience occurring during a global pandemic, I’ve had incredible opportunities to intern in a wide variety of places – a nonprofit, a grassroots organization, a tech company, and my own university to name a few.

Although I gained extensive experience in internal and external communications at these organizations, one experience I felt that I lacked was work in an agency setting. Enter Ketner Group!

Why I choose Ketner Group

Out of all the PR agencies I explored, Ketner Group stood out to me in that it emphasizes work life balance alongside serving its clients.

Agencies tend to be known for being all-encompassing work environments. As a new communications professional, I wanted to experience working at a place that balances spontaneity and hard work with respect and protection for employees’ personal lives. 

Ketner Group also serves a niche clientele, retail tech companies, which allows the agency to become experts for its clients.

I look forward to learning the ins and outs of the retail tech industry niche. Already I’m learning a lot from my coworkers who talk excitedly about all the cool aspects of retail tech! 

What I’m looking forward to

After working one week at Ketner, I feel encouraged by the work I’ve been trusted with and the support offered to me by Team Awesome.

While interning at an agency does feel a little intimidating, I look forward to challenging myself to grow in my PR skills and soaking up as much wisdom as I can while I’m here.

It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been five years since I joined Ketner Group! I’ve grown a lot during my time here — from a new graduate entering the world of PR to a senior account executive embracing the fun and exciting challenges the industry brings.

A lot has changed in my personal life as well. Due to family circumstances, my husband and I recently decided it was time for us to move from Austin back to the suburbs of Dallas. Ketner Group was incredibly understanding and flexible, allowing me to continue working remotely.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a senior account executive (SAE) at Ketner Group, here is a peek into the day in my life — remote work edition!

Emails, meetings and a smoothie break

Today is Monday, so I started off the week by catching up on emails and newsletters. I also put together weekly tasks and assignments for the client accounts I’ve started project managing. Ketner Group is great about providing these types of opportunities for us to step up and take on new responsibilities.

As my other teammates have pointed out, there’s not a dull day in PR. Every day, we are working on different pitches, content and campaigns.

This week, my calendar is filled with client update meetings, webinars to attend, and a client’s quarterly marketing sync. After getting organized for the week, I worked on scheduling a media briefing, reviewing blogs and bylines and following up on pitches.

It’s been a busy day, so in the afternoon, I decided to get a little pick-me-up. Ketner Group offers a snack budget each month. Today, I used the budget to pick up a smoothie from a Tropical Smoothie Café that just opened near my house — just what I needed as I write this blog!

Welcome to my home office

Where do I spend my day working? My husband and I put together a home office where I spend the majority of my time.

We painted the room a dark and moody color to create a space that feels separate from the rest of the house. It’s also one of the rooms that get the most natural light in the house, so my desk is surrounded with plants!

Since I share the office with my husband, we’ve also put together a “conference room” where I can go and take meetings throughout the day. Today, the weather was particularly nice, so I decided to go work outside on my patio for a bit. It’s always nice to have a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air.

Tips on working remotely

Now that I work remotely, here are a few lessons I’ve learned that are helpful to stay connected:

1. Zoom meeting are still important – We may all have Zoom fatigue, but really, Zoom is still a powerful tool to help me collaborate and stay connected with my team!
2. Slack is key to connecting – Our team stays active on Slack. Not only do we discuss projects on there, but we also have fun sharing funny TikTok trends.
3. In-person events are valuable – Even though I live remotely, I still love getting to see the Austin office every so often for events, client meetings, etc. We also had a Ketner Group get-together in Austin recently so that the whole team could bond!

A day in the life of a PR professional is, by nature, unpredictable. And that’s what I love most about being an account executive (AE) at Ketner Group.

Every day is a new day. The news cycle is fluid and every client need is different. So while it’s tough to pinpoint a concrete 9-5 experience, I’ll dive into some of the best parts of my day as a PR Power Ranger – my official unofficial title. 

A typical day as an AE

I start my day by checking my inbox, listening to NPR News Now and catching up on the latest trends via newsletters from Retail Dive and Retail Brew.

Since I lead media relations for several accounts, it’s important to keep a pulse on the retail space and weave client perspectives into the mix. For example, I might notice fashion reporters are focusing on red carpet looks at the Oscars, and then deliver a tailored pitch to Women’s Wear Daily leveraging relevant insights from a fashion market intelligence client. 

Depending on the day of the week, I attend a few client check-in Zoom calls to align on active projects. This could include brainstorming the media strategy for an upcoming product launch, finalizing an award submission in real time or solidifying next steps for onsite conference interviews with press. 

Regardless of the internal or external project that I’m working on, one thing stays the same. We’re in the business of relationships, and that’s one of the most rewarding parts of PR.

Whether I’m bringing a reporter helpful sources for stories or catching up with a client about the latest Wordle, nurturing relationships is key in my day-to-day life as an account executive.

Developing great friendships in Austin

Speaking of relationships, one of my favorite parts about my job is that its allowed me to develop great friendships with the Austin-based team. Transitioning from a fully remote job to Ketner Group’s hybrid environment has been so fulfilling.

When I’m not working from home alongside my favorite furry co-worker Odie, it’s nice to make the short 15-minute commute to our WeWork space and experience real human interaction. Everyone else has full length conversations with their pets… right? 

Our WeWork building is located near The Domain, a shopping hub with all the best local lunch spots. My sources say that every now and then, after the Austin team collaborates to drive client success at the office, you can most definitely find them eating way too many pretzels at Culinary Dropout. 

Whether we’re putting our heads together to craft a new business proposal or debating whether there are more doors or wheels in the world via our #WaterCooler Slack channel, the Ketner Group team is full of collaborative, fun and curious minds that I’m so thrilled to work with every day.

Three valuable lessons

My time as an account executive at Ketner Group has taught me three very valuable lessons:

1. Don’t ask questions, just eat the bell pepper – At my first official Ketner Group team dinner, I learned of a very odd company-wide tradition, in which new employees have to take a bite of a bell pepper. So that’s why they say, keep Austin weird!
2. Collaboration is king – Every account structure is designed with collaboration at the core. As an account executive, I can always depend on my directors for strategic guidance and assistant account executives (like my lovely friend Jenny) for support. 
3. PR is a highway – Much like the Rascal Flatts hit from critically-acclaimed blockbuster film “Cars,” something new and exciting always lies ahead in the world of PR. I knew I loved the industry before, but my time at KG has made me love it even more.

Hello!

I’m Andre Lenartowicz and I’m thrilled to join Ketner Group (i.e.: Team Awesome) as a content specialist. One thing I get asked a lot is why I chose to write for a living. It’s a bit of a long story so I think the best way to introduce myself is to explain that journey.

There’s beauty everywhere

Words are more than character sequences to me. I always try to find the most impactful way to say something. A client’s brief or style guide may not always lend itself to allowing that. But when possible, I thoroughly enjoy either finding beauty in words or, at the very least, having fun with them. For example, one of my all-time favorite headlines is: “Big rig carrying fruit crashes on 210 Freeway, creates jam.”

One thing I love doing in my spare time is traveling. Everywhere I go, I can always find something so beautiful or different or unique that I realize there’s so much to see and experience in the world. In some ways I experience something similar when I read or write something that’s relatable on some level – it’s like finding beauty in words.

From journalism to PR (via a dentist office)

It always seemed like journalism was in the cards for me: childhood memories include recording myself reading the newspaper onto my My First Sony and feeling excited about getting the newspaper from the front door every morning. After being told by teachers that I was a good writer I figured I should do something with that skill.

However, journalism never felt right. It wasn’t until a chance encounter with an issue of PR Week – a trade publication about the PR and communications business – at a dentist’s office that it seemed like I found something else to do with that skill. I don’t know why an issue of PRWeek was at a dentist’s office, but perhaps it was simply the the universe nudging me onto this career path.

Fútbol is life!

When I’m not writing, I enjoy reading about, playing and watching soccer. This ranges from watching my favorite player, my daughter, to any match on TV. As mentioned, I love traveling – whether it’s alone or with my favorite partner-in-crime, my partner Jess. We recently got a dog named Harrison who occasionally photo bombs video calls. I’m also always on the hunt for a good espresso, craft beers and exotic potato chip flavors.

Another thing I’ve been asked by friends and family is, why the switch? This one’s simpler to answer: during the interview process, I asked people why they thought so many employees stay at the agency for so long. The answer was universally the same: Jeff and Catherine cultivate a workplace culture laser-focused on work-life balance. After hearing this, I knew if given the chance I had to join.