Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyle Kuhns
Hi Kyle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I dropped out of a vocal performance major at Willamette University when I was 18. By 19, I was in LA and pursuing a career in entertainment (while working at the Starbucks off the 134 in Glendale!). After a year or two, I had finally found a “grown up” job as an Executive Assistant to the CEO of one of LA’s largest custom costuming companies – working to assist projects that came to life at Disney parks, Universal Studios theme parks around the world, and arena shows like Disney on Ice. I had a great mentor in my boss, the CEO, who provided me a real-life example of a gay CEO within entertainment. Under that job, I made the (in hindsight, somewhat bold) move to ask my boss for one day off per week to work on what I wanted to pursue long term: my own entertainment company, XX Artists. He graciously accepted and the rest… was a lot of hard work but now history! We stand today at XX Artists as a social marketing company focused on building community through content online. Our team is majority female and majority diverse by race and orientation. We’re based in Playa Vista (pre-pandemic) and are now a team of 30+ spread throughout the greater LA region. I have lived in Glendale, Valencia, West Hollywood, Hollywood and Westchester/Playa Vista during my near decade in LA.
Really great to hear about the various types of diversity that XX Artists has embraced. So maybe next we can talk about challenges? We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road? If not, what are some of the main obstacles you’ve faced and had to overcome?
Entering the workforce without complete secondary education was and (as I see it) will continue to be an obstacle. This is an obstacle I faced in many of my early applications and job hunts to get “my foot in the door” of any company that would have me and provides me the opportunity to prove myself. I am proud to say that my company XX Artists does not require secondary education as a mandatory part of our application and hiring process. Education is great – and I pursue it independently to this day – but it is also a system that is not built for everyone, both in terms of accessibility and financial capability, as well as being a necessity for personal success (which was the case for myself!).
As you know, we’re big fans of XX Artists. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At XX Artists, we break the agency mold, providing superior social marketing services and operating as an extension of our clients’ teams. Together, we create community through content and execute strategies that bring brands to life on the internet. We offer three core services: Social Media Marketing, Creative Services and Partnerships. Our business is built around three core values: 1. White glove service is innate and not optional to our business 2. Diversity and inclusivity will always build larger communities and better products 3. Relevance in marketing requires a digital-first mindset
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: xxartists.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/xxartists
- Facebook: facebook.com/xxartists
- Twitter: twitter.com/xxartists
