Say hello to Karen
roux LLC • July 23, 2020
The last time we published a croux feature, you got to meet our creative director, Lauren. This time around, we’re getting to know Karen!
Karen works in account strategy here at roux, and because of her extensive background in the transportation and logistics industry, she primarily deals with our clients in that vertical, including Averitt—a client we’ve been fortunate to work with for years now. Karen is also the talent behind much of roux’s own branding and culture.
Karen made the switch from corporate to creative life after meeting Stefan at a previous agency. Now, she jokingly refers to herself as the aunt of the roux croux, and we are incredibly blessed to have her with us.
We asked Karen a few questions about everything from her career path to her favorite homecooked meal—you didn’t think we’d let a blog post slip by without mention of food, did you?
Keep on reading to learn more.
Tell us about your career path. How did you get here?
Back in college, I was one of those people who didn’t declare a major until I got sent a letter from the dean that said I wouldn’t graduate on time if I didn’t. I went with English because it’s where I had the most credits, but I really didn’t have a specific career path back then.
I ended up spending most of my career in the transportation industry, and before I met Stefan, I was leading the marketing department for a global third-party logistics provider. I’d worked with agencies for years, but I was always on the other side of the table.
After six years at that company things began moving in a different direction, not only in leadership but in company culture, and I was miserable. Eventually my position was eliminated, and I needed to find a new job.
I knew I wanted to stay in the transportation industry and in middle Tennessee, and one of my former ad reps asked if I had ever talked to Stefan. At the time Averitt was a client of his, and he needed someone to help with client relations. We scheduled a meeting and ended up running into each other at a local marketing event earlier in the day. We were like, “Aren’t we supposed to be meeting later today…?”
I freelanced for them for 18 months and then took a full-time job. When Stefan left to form roux, he asked me to come along, so I always joke with him that I’m “OG roux.”
What was it like to switch from a corporate setting to an agency?
Typically, someone who’s never worked for an agency before doesn’t get that kind of opportunity right away—to dive right in with such a great client. But I loved the transportation industry, I knew most of the terminology, I understood the business model, and I wasn’t nervous about taking on that side of things.
I was so “corporate America” when I got started though. Walking into the agency, I wore a suit on the first day. I realized the people there didn’t care about that stuff. You don’t have to look a certain way or work in a certain office to get your job done, and at the time it was kind of shocking.
It’s not that I wasn’t around creative people in my previous corporate settings, but it just wasn’t that same kind of creativity where people are coming up with all sorts of off-the-wall stuff. One of the coolest things about roux is this culture that wants to help others. It’s not just about creating success in our little world, it’s about “What can we do for other people?”
What’s it like to be part of the roux croux?
I think of it as a family, and I kind of feel like the cool aunt because of my age and because I do have a lot of experience that I try to impart to some of the younger people. I can share some of the great things about being in a corporate setting so they can understand our clients’ needs, and I also try to help them see why they want to stick with an organization like ours.
It’s personal things, too, like encouraging them to put money in their 401ks while they’re young –even just a little bit–and you’ll see it grow. It’s not that I have this vast knowledge, but I’m just trying to pass along the little bits I do know.
Is there a typical day in the life for Karen, or does every day change?
My role is different from your traditional client services role because I primarily work with Averitt. I usually have this one sole focus, and it’s neat to be able to work on some of the other clients here and there to get in a different head space.
My days consist of keeping projects moving and doing all the back and forth with Averitt. Our relationship is long standing, and we do a lot more than just work with their marketing team. We might be developing something for safety or HR, or we might be working with their drivers directly––there are so many different facets to our relationship.
During normal, non-Covid-19 times, I spend two days a week at Averitt’s corporate headquarters, so I'm there face-to-face with their team in meetings and strategy sessions. We have an office there so we’re kind of part of their team.
What do you love about living in middle Tennessee?
First and foremost, it’s my family. My entire family is here, and I built the house I live in to be close to my parents. It’s home. There are four distinct seasons, and that’s not something you experience everywhere. I love them all, but fall is my absolute favorite. Plus, Nashville is a big enough city to have lots of fun opportunities, but it’s not crazy and overwhelming like some of these larger cities.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Franklin?
I have to say Puckett’s Boathouse (now renamed Americana Taphouse). They recently changed the menu, so I’m not sure what my favorite dish is, but the reason I always wanted to go there was their gumbo—or “fish chili” as Lauren calls it.
Do you have a signature recipe of your own?
I don’t have a specific recipe, but I like to take inspiration from the seasons—that’s where my creativity comes through. Recently, because it’s summer and all the vegetables are starting to come in, I’ve been obsessed with different ways to cook and eat veggies and fruits. I’ve made zucchini soup and tomato soup, and it’s all just vegetables and seasonings.
If I had to pick something I was going to be eating for the rest of time though, it would have to be Stefan’s gumbo.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about Karen! Keep watching the kitchen for more fun stories from our team, client news, and the occasional freebie.
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