Today we’d like to introduce you to Kassie Winchester
Hi Kassie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona where I developed a deep love for music, spending my adolescent years playing the violin for my high school orchestra, our metropolitan youth symphony, and in a few different event quartets. I decided to pursue a career in the music business after my time at GRAMMY Camp in 2014 presented by the Recording Academy.
I got my BA in Music Business from the University of New Haven in Connecticut, with a specialty in PR, Marketing and Communications. Throughout college, I completed many different internships including a PR Internship at Warner Music Nashville and Atlantic Records in New York City. I was also an on-campus marketing representative for In2une Music bringing new music, projects, films, and more to my campus community. I was also very involved as a GRAMMYU member throughout my whole college career.
Post college I decided to come back to the west coast and pursue my career in Los Angeles, CA. I got my first job with NBC Universal in their on-air promo division helping manage, create, and deliver spots for BRAVO’s favorite TV Shows such as Below Deck, The Real House Wives of Beverley Hills, Project Runway, and Summer House. I was an assistant to an incredible team of people who taught me about the promotional aspects of television. Upon the completion of my contract with NBC Universal, I got a job with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in their PR department working in live music PR for iconic venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Ford Theater. The PR team at the LAPhil was intrinsic to cementing my love for PR/Communication work as it relates to live music and events. Unfortunately, I only worked at the LA Phil for a year before the COVID shutdown. I returned to the LA Phil on a part-time seasonal basis on and off over the next few years to help my team when they needed it the most. I worked as a personal assistant/studio manager for Refik Anadol for a few months during COVID. Eventually, I found myself working at one of the busiest desks at Narrative PR, a personal boutique PR Agency, created by some of the most brilliant publicists in Hollywood with A-List celebrity clients.
Last year, I made the empowered decision to use my tools, knowledge and relationships to have a career as a Marketing and Communications Specialist helping small businesses, clients, and artists communicate and connect with their audiences in cohesive and impactful ways through their messaging both internally and externally. Leaving the corporate environment has not only been beneficial for my mental health but it has also connected me to a deeper passion for helping people who do not have the resources, time or experience to move confidently in the direction they want to grow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I reflect on my journey, it has been complicated, confusing, and confronting in many ways. I think about how COVID really changed the trajectory of not only my career but also how I define success.
I often think about the what-if’s. What if COVID never happened? Where would I be? Who would I be? What would I be doing?
But in asking those questions and trying to envision that alternate timeline I can’t help but think that this shift protected me in ways I will never know because of where I am now!
The biggest struggle in being derailed from a traditional career in entertainment was feeling like I had failed and that the world of art/music and entertainment had rejected me. However, in many ways, becoming my own boss actually opened a world of infinite opportunity to work on so many unique and once-in-a-lifetime projects and connect with people from all walks of life in a variety of industries that brush up against my love of music, art and entertainment.
Obstacles and challenges are part of life but it is how you choose to move with and grow through them that provides a perspective of contentment with where you are at in the present moment.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I consider myself a Jill of all trades and a master of many things.
Much of my career has been in areas of support but as I have grown to be my own boss I have embraced my superpower of being a strong organized storyteller and communicator. I love working with clients on PR Campaigns. Writing press releases, pitching stories to journalists, securing placements and coverage for events, concerts, and other initiatives. Public Relations work also bleeds into areas of digital marketing. I also enjoy working with clients on perfecting their messaging, whether it’s a social media management or an email announcing something of great importance, my goal is to connect my client’s audience to my client’s work, product, or art.
I am a collaborator. I believe in the creatives I work with and I love hearing about their vision and then taking their vision and creating messaging around it that is impactful, unique to them and the goals of their project(s). What sets me apart from others is my strategy. While it’s important to have big ideas and goals it’s just as important to invest in your small ideas that set goals that are attainable to build momentum. A viral moment is only as good as the 15 minutes of fame that you capitalize on which leads to a quick rise and an even faster fall. My vision is centered around slow, steady, growth that leads to longevity and security. I rely on my well-developed relationships with my network of professionals to help achieve goals both big and small for my clients.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would likely be the first concert that I ever went to which was Hilary Duff’s Most Wanted Tour! It was the moment that I fell in love with live music. The experience of going to a concert to see your favorite musical artist surrounded by other fans is magical.
Pricing:
- Hourly rate $50/hour; I can do contracts or we can work on a project basis.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwinchy_3/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassandrawinchester/
- Other: Email: [email protected]
