Introducing Our New Account Executive, Kelly McLauchlan
Calvert Creative welcomes its newest addition to the team, Kelly McLauchlan. As Account Executive, Kelly will assist with business development, project management, and client interface. View the full press release here.
We recently sat down with Kelly to learn about her past experiences and find out a little bit more about her time in Spain, her dreams of becoming a hairdresser, and how her time in the food industry has helped her with the art of communication.
Calvert Creative: Where did you grow up?
Kelly: Philadelphia, PA
CC: Where did you attend school?
K: James Madison University, Class of 2007.
CC: What did you want to be when you grew up?
K: A hairdresser. I had a lot of Barbies that I styled and my mom let me cut her hair once. She said I did a pretty good job. I think I was 10. Or a veterinarian, I had a lot of animals as a kid. At one point I had a golden retriever, 3 cats, a hamster and 4 guinea pigs. Now I have a dog and a cat. I’ve scaled it down some.
CC: How did you realize or come to know this is what you wanted to do? (class or professor)
K: I count myself as a creative person, but not in the art sense, so I had to manifest my skills into a field that would allow me to be part of the team. I switched my major a few times in college since I wasn’t convinced on one particular field. If I could go back I would have taken more history classes just to round it all out for good measure.
CC: What hobbies do you enjoy?
K: I love to garden. At night. It’s so relaxing and therapeutic. I love waking up in the morning and seeing my plants looking all happy, as if a garden gnome came in. I also love to cook and bake. Most people enjoy one or the other but my mom has a catering business on the side and she taught me to love both. I’m her ‘mini-me’.
CC: Tell us about your time abroad. What were some of your favorite experiences?
K: I lived in Salamanca, Spain for 3 months in 2007. It was a blast. We traveled almost every weekend between classes and my favorite trip was to the north of Spain to the ‘Picos de Europa’. This place was gorgeous! I still look at pictures and can’t believe I was standing on the mountains in Spain like it was just another day. I had a ridiculous roommate that really shaped the trip. She was from some small town in NY and extremely sheltered, a true test of my patience. She demanded that we only speak Spanish to each other the whole time, starting when we met in the airport of Madrid. Even in the privacy of our small bedroom she insisted on Spanish. Let’s just say I didn’t fulfill her wishes but I still came back to Philly fluent in Spanish.
CC: Where is your favorite place to travel?
K: My favorite city in the world so far is Barcelona. It’s so international, it’s a huge hub for cruise ships so it caters to all languages and nationalities. It’s got that big city feel but once you’re walking around it has so many side alleys with cafes and shops tucked away. When I got back to the states I had a goal of moving to Barcelona within a year of returning, sounded good in theory. Eso si que es.(It is what it is) I’ve also travelled a lot to Portugal, which has amazing beaches and great seafood. My next trip big trip is going to be Thailand, or Italy with my mom and grandmother.
CC: What do you hope to get out of your time here at Calvert?
K: I’m looking forward to immersing myself into the marketing network within Raleigh. Even in my short time in the city I’ve had the opportunity to meet some awesome personalities within the local business sector. Calvert is well connected in the city and I am so glad to have joined the team.
CC: What would you say are your best skills that you bring to Calvert?
K: I’ve learned that being organized and slightly controlling creates a great manager, so that’s the role I tend to take. My coworkers in Charlotte used the nickname “Momagerial” because I was ‘ordering them around’, like their mother reminding you to clean your room. I also love interacting with people on all levels. As stressful as the food industry can be it teaches you patience and how to communicate with paying customers. Some people love it some hate it but if you can grow through the situation then you’re better for it.
