Katie Head with Branding Arc featured on Executive Spotlight

There are a few: Being on a small team with interesting, down-to-earth, uniquely gifted people; the opportunity to work remotely; and the fact that there are always new challenges and opportunities. Work never gets boring because we’re always moving forward, trying new things, and coming up with new ideas. We’re not perfect but we’re always pushing ourselves and finding ways to improve.

I find myself frequently writing about the evolution of the industry in different facets and helping businesses publicize themselves, so in the big picture I’m inspired by watching how this industry is emerging from a more veiled, tight-lipped aura to one that is more transparent, standardized, and comfortable with itself. It can be uncomfortable when asked, “what do you do?” But the fact is, this industry fills a necessary and important piece of the credit ecosystem. I like that the dialogue is shifting and people/businesses are stepping out and saying “We’re here, this is what we do, here’s how we do it professionally, here’s how we’re involved in our communities, and we’re not going to hide in a dark corner like we’re all bad people for working here because we aren’t. We’re just people trying to make a living like you and someone has to do the job.”

We’re headed toward even more standardization and automation which will continue to lead to more professionalism within and more respect for the industry from the outside by all stakeholders.

Success for me is: doing the best I possibly can to love my family well; not losing myself in the process; fixing my mistakes when I make them; and taking advantage of the small moments because to be super cliche, it’s more about finding the purpose in the journey than reaching a destination.

Be diligent for six days, then rest/have fun/focus on loved ones with no expectation of producing anything for one day. Rinse and repeat. If you neglect this you’ll get out of balance on one side or the other and life won’t be sustainable. If you stick to it, you’ll be much more likely to be able to go the distance in life. Same thing on a smaller scale with taking a real break at the end of the day and unwinding for a good sleep to start back in the morning.

Remember that it’s a relatively small industry and there are lots of connections. It’s not the type of industry that’s always limited to people with particular degrees, so there is usually an opportunity to rise professionally even if you’re coming from another field or growing laterally. When you give your best and keep learning, it’ll likely pay off.

Everything I’m proud of or have accomplished is totally intertwined with people whose support was integral to my success, so that’s a tough question to answer. To keep it light, I’ll just say that I was really proud of myself after completing my first sprint triathlon in 2022!

I enjoy historical fiction and poetry most, but no favorite book or podcast currently. NPR’s All Songs Considered or Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me are two that I usually enjoy if there’s time which is not often.

If it’s just for one day, probably a travel photographer working somewhere really beautiful and interesting like the Galápagos Islands.

I got to see and transcribe some of the Lowcountry Digital Library’s archival materials while working at the College of Charleston library. It was pretty interesting and included a first-hand account of the 1886 Charleston earthquake, letters between civil rights leaders including Septima Clark and Martin Luther King, Jr., and personal correspondence from the 1800s.