Amy, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, has been living in Seattle for around twenty years now. She attended film school where she developed a passion for visual storytelling. Later, she transitioned into marketing and became fascinated with SEO. Combining these two skills, she started a company with the mission of creating infographics that maximize SEO rankings. Her business quickly became the go-to visual content agency for renowned brands worldwide.
In an episode of Jane Portman's UI Breakfast podcast, Amy shared her thoughts: "I don't know if it's the bubble of Seattle that we live in or what, but Seattle Central Community College has a two-year degree in visual communication that is one of the most competitive in the country."
"I don't know if it's the bubble of Seattle that we live in or what, but Seattle Central Community College has a two-year degree in visual communication that is one of the most competitive in the country."
Curious about how Amy became a leader and why she is so proud of her community, I asked her about it. She replied with a smile, saying, "Trial by Fire. We were constantly reacting to client demands. The team was patient, passionate, and willing to speak up and ask for what was needed."
Amy also discussed her transition from working in a larger enterprise to leading a smaller, more agile team of 20 where traditional hierarchy was nonexistent. She admitted that her new team challenged her and she sought the help of a coach to guide her through this new phase. "My passion has always been thought leadership and public speaking," she added. Amy finds reward and energy in vocalizing the mistakes she has made in the past in order to help others avoid them.
During Jane's podcast, Amy praised her research team, explaining that they are the ones who connect all the dots and become subject matter experts in every industry. They act as the glue and quickly translate what the client wants. Amy also emphasized the importance of having dedicated roles. "The more hats you put on somebody, the lower the quality you get. Design choices might impact what you choose to research. Project managers protect the scope, timeline, and budget, while writers protect the message.
Killer Visual Strategies was recently acquired by Material Holdings, shortly before the pandemic. Amy expressed that "the hardest thing for any founder is losing the final say." However, she had prepared herself for this when planning to sell the company. The introduction to Material Holdings came through Kelton, another company under Material Holdings. Amy believed her company would be acquired by a PR agency, not an insights and research firm. Ultimately, the decision was driven by the level of character and shared values between the two companies.
Amy shared that this decision was the most difficult one she had made in several years. "The biggest challenge in any merger is finding where your voice can stand out the most." Material Holdings was not the highest bidder, but Amy felt a strong connection to their values. She describes the new team as larger, and remote work will serve them better as they are no longer "anchored to one space." Amy also highlighted that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) take on a whole new meaning for a global virtual team. There are fewer geographic restrictions and better access to diverse talent.
"The transition to remote work was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it freed us from the confines of a physical space and defined what our team was and where we had to be. On the other hand, we no longer had the same agency space for amazing collaborations and campaigns together. It's hard to walk away from that and transition to a virtual environment."
I asked Amy how the advancement of technology infrastructure might change her philosophy on visual strategy. She believes it will be a natural progression and wonders if the Metaverse can create a permanent escape, potentially having a negative impact on society. Amy mentioned that the demand for the Metaverse may not have existed before, but now it could be the answer for an overpopulated world. After trying Microsoft's Metaverse, she initially felt disconnected but eventually enjoyed networking within it.
"When designing for the Metaverse, it's important to consider visual cues. We will likely see a change in attention spans."
