1. Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a proud South African woman who was born and raised in Pretoria to a father of Greek and Italian descent and a mother of Dutch and British descent – though she also claims there’s a bit of Spanish in there as well. Humor is my default setting and I love a good dad joke.
My father’s job moved us to Pietermartizburg in 2011. I was fortunate enough to attend a girl’s private high school. My first job was as an au pair for the 3 years while I was studying for my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Corporate Communications. After this I decided it was time to fly the nest and moved to Durban where I did my Honours in Strategic Brand Communication. Yes I am still paying off my student loan, but it was worth every cent.
2. What work do you do?
I am a Social Media Executive for a global market research company called MMR Research. My responsibilities include planning, managing, and executing all organic social media across MMR’s platforms and for a few of MMR’s sister brands. The majority of my teamwork from the UK and most communication is online. I am currently lending a hand in building our brand awareness in Africa. I am always looking for new opportunities to get involved in every aspect of our company.
3. How long have you been in the industry?
This is my fourth year in the marketing industry. You can say that I am still a new bee but the knowledge and skills I have obtained in these last few years are incredible. The first corporate job I did was for a small digital marketing company where I was an Account Executive. This really allowed me to learn the ropes of the industry and recognise my own potential.
4. Has your work always been your passion? Tell us why?
For me, this is a no and yes question. At a young age, I used to pretend I could read before I learned how to. I would gather all my friends around and ‘read’ them a story just by looking at the pictures in the book. Today I do exactly the same thing. Well sort of, let’s just say I can read now, and getting to this point involved a lot of real reading. Being in marketing and social media is not just about looking at the pictures (brands) and making up a story (writing copy, creating campaigns, etc.). It’s also about creating the pictures from scratch, but this time you are not alone, there’s a whole team doing it with you.
This is the mindset I had coming into marketing but I soon realised that company culture plays a huge role in motivating you to get the job done. I was extremely challenged in my first corporate job. I began to realise the company culture was not as it initially seemed and my values were starting to be questioned. It’s crazy how something you were once so motivated about can become something you dread doing. This was my ‘no’ moment – In such a short time I was no longer passionate about my work.
However, this all changed the day I decided there is more out there for me. Working for MMR has brought back my enthusiasm and passion. I work with people from around the world every single day and the company culture is beyond what I ever imagined. A company that molds itself around its employees. Instead of molding its employees around them, creates a culture of passion, excitement, opportunity, collaboration, and my favourite creativity.
5. Being a woman in the industry – what does it take?
In short, it takes a lot of proving people wrong. At the start of my corporate journey, I noticed a bit of a trend – People are underestimating me. Don’t get me wrong I love proving people wrong and showing them that there is a lot more to me than their first impression but it does get frustrating when you feel that you have to constantly prove yourself. No matter the level of frustration as women we’ve learned to keep our heads up so that our crowns don’t fall off and embrace the challenge.
6. What has been the most difficult challenge of your career?
Knowing when to move on. One thing that my career journey has taught me is that once you lose the passion for the work you are doing, it is very difficult to get it back. Especially if you are stuck in the same place. I have been faced with three career-altering situations in the last few years but each time I’ve trusted my gut and weighed out the pros and cons of course, and I can now truly say I am happy for making the change and moving on, or should I say moving up.
7. What advice do you have for other women in your industry?
Take the opportunities! If they are presented to you then take them. If they aren’t presented to you, then create them. Yes, it is easy said than done but once you find something that you enjoy doing, it does make things a lot easier.
8. Plans for the future?
I have so many. First and foremost I am going to become an expert in my field. It’s going to be a long and tough journey but I welcome it. Social media has so much more to offer and I want to be part of the good it can bring.
I am going to travel the world and meet people from different cultures/ backgrounds – by July I would have already got this plan in motion. Once I am secure in my career, I will get married and start a family. I have always dreamed of being a career-driven mother that can inspire others to be what they want to be.
Short Bio:
I am a proud South African woman who was born and raised in Pretoria and later moved to KwaZulu Natal. I am passionate about bringing stories to life through various marketing efforts and enjoy the process more than the end result – although this is also great. I’m a people’s person and I always try to see the best in people. I love to learn and I ask a lot of questions. Humor is my default setting and I love a good dad joke. I want to make a difference in this world physically and virtually and I am always up for a new challenge.
Contact info:
- Personal email – kayleelivanos@gmail.com
- Work email – k.livanos@mmr-research.com
- LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-livanos-519834170
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