The Launch Box Life with Amy Kenly

At The Launch Box, we are entrepreneurs serving entrepreneurs, but we took very different journeys to get here. In this series, learn more about how we each live #thelaunchboxlife every day.

Amy has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of business-to-business marketing for professional services and technology firms. With a passion for brand building via strategic storytelling, she leads innovative, comprehensive marketing programs that drive revenue while positioning subject matter experts as eminent thought leaders.

Explain your career path—how did you become the VP of Marketing at The Launch Box?

When I was in school, I studied communications with a media focus because I really wanted to be Katie Couric. I wanted to be on TV and read the news.

Then one semester I took a job at a little tech firm right off campus that needed help with marketing—making brochures, running events, writing website messaging, etc.

That’s when I realized that all the cool stuff I was learning in my communications classes applied to marketing. I could take all of those skills—plus my love for being on stage and public speaking—and put that to work in a job where I could make a big difference. That’s how I found marketing.

Since then I’ve worked across all the functional areas of marketing—mostly for tech and professional services firms. Most recently I spent over 12 years at Kalypso as they grew from about 30 people to well over 300. It was an exciting ride, but I always loved those early days when we really fought above our weight.

Can you describe your personal self?

I once had a colleague introduce me as “one of the most intense people I know.” At the time, I didn’t like the word intense because I interpreted it as overbearing or stubborn. But it turns out that they meant I was driven and passionate.

I’m also someone who needs meaning behind my work. When I really connect with a purpose, I’m not just 100% in—I put every cell of my being behind it. That’s the only way I function. I don’t do anything halfway.

So now I guess I would describe myself as pretty intense.  

What are your top personal values and how do you apply those to your work?

I admire people who seek out challenges instead of avoiding them. Run towards the fire. Find the thing that’s most challenging for you and attack it. You’ll probably surprise yourself, and in the worst-case scenario, at least you tried. Plus, then everything else seems easy.

I admire calmness under pressure. Being frantic or panicked is wasted energy. I tend to be very calm. If you do see me panicked, then you should be really worried.

I admire people who are highly passionate about something. I don’t really care what it is, but if you love it and show true passion, I want to learn about it too. And then help you tell the world.

Why did you choose to come to The Launch Box?

I truly believe in the mission behind what we do: to make entrepreneurial dreams come true.

I love connecting the intensity I have for my work with the passion of our founders. Each founder has an amazing idea and they just need help to bring it all to life. That’s the reason I wanted to do this work—to help those passionate people achieve their dreams and see their idea through to the end.

What does a typical day at The Launch Box look like for you?

I oversee marketing for The Launch Box itself and I provide strategic marketing advice to our clients across the full scope of marketing functions. That can be a lot of things, like building visual brand and identity, defining best-practices for social media and content management, teaching them to live their brand out in the market, or overseeing the implementation of marketing automation systems.

Every day is different and that’s also very exciting.

What is a common misconception you hear about marketing?

Marketing can feel very nebulous to people who don’t do it. They think I post on social media all day, place ads, and make slides pretty.

But marketing should be a strategic part of a business. Done right, marketing is a growth engine, not a cost center. It should be measured by its contribution to the growth goals of the business—not by the number of blogs we post or LinkedIn followers we get.

Professional services firms should invest (smartly) in marketing right from the start, and give us a seat at the table where we can align our efforts to help achieve the strategic growth and business goals.  

What is the most fulfilling part of your role at TLB?

I love building new things on many different levels. I get to help build The Launch Box as a new firm whose mission is to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams. I get to help each of our founders build and scale their businesses. And I get to build my own skills in learning how to advise our clients across their industries.

What about the future of TLB are you most excited about?

Professional services can apply to many industries. I’m excited to challenge myself to learn more about each new business and build as much passion for that service as each of our founders have. I’m excited about helping our clients tell their stories, fight above their weight, and become even more successful than they dreamed.