What was your background before joining Enterprise Strategies?
Most of my career has been focused on marketing, product marketing, collaboration, and internal communications – primarily, but not exclusively, in the technology space. As humans we thrive on feeling connected – and that is my main passion and goal. The connections you choose to create and nurture are the core elements of living an emotionally fulfilling life – and transcends into running a successful business. My experience and knowledge allows me to help companies create the connections they want to make with their target audiences – prospects, clients, employees, donors, volunteers – using the right product and the most effective form, tone, and channel of communication at the right time. The words you choose matter.
What do you like most about working for Enterprise Strategies?
We have the same goals. The focus for Enterprise Strategies is to help companies of all sizes create a culture where your work environment is open, mobile, flexible, and transparent; where new technology is adopted and incorporated into your day-to-day business practices; and where your employees feel connected to your vision, brand, and, most importantly, to each other. Oh, and I also get to work with amazingly smart people, who I’m grateful to call friends as well as colleagues.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in the industry right now?
Our ability as humans to evolve into this new paradigm of instant access and data deluge. This change in our culture is still relatively new, and it’s physically impossible for our brains to process the amount of information we are subject to on a daily basis. It’s fascinating to me to see how we, as a human race, will evolve over time to filter, balance, and manage this overload – without letting it destroy our sanity, our relationships, and our responsibilities. A lot of the data is pure distraction, but it triggers a chemical reaction in our brains that is very addictive – instant gratification. How can companies manage, and help their employees manage, this stream of information internally within their organizations? Collaboration platforms have the ability to be very targeted, filtered, and personalized – and they will continue to become even more mobile and flexible as the years progress because they have to. Because that is our reality and our near future. Beyond that, who knows. It’s really fun stuff to think about!
How do you see things changing in the next few months/years?
By far the biggest change is technology. Everything is digital; everything is mobile. The amount of data created every second throughout the world is staggering. We are now starting to see more about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and all of these other disruptive, life-changing advancements that are SUPER exciting. Technology poses innumerable advantages for companies, but there is also a downside. People are still people. We are moving way beyond the days of the industrial revolution where humans were treated as really intelligent machines. In order to be successful in your business – you need to always remember to treat people like humans, your customers and your employees. Put yourself in each of their shoes; what tools can help them be successful; ask them – often; what old ways of doing things can you let go of that are no longer serving the greater good of the company and your people. Technology is amazing, and changing rapidly, so before you purchase more and more platforms, take a step back and look at the bigger picture – what are you trying to accomplish, short and long term.
What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working?
First and foremost, I love spending time connecting with my daughter and watching her grow and learn. Her existence in my world has had a profound influence on me, all for the better. My family and friends are my touchstones. Being in Colorado, there is a lot to be explored. I love nature, art, music, dancing, movies, food – most of what life has to offer. I’m also a lifelong learner and have an unwavering curiosity – so always exploring and growing is something I relish. Social justice and social impact organizations are also where my heart is – education, children, gender equality, and motherhood are my primary passions. Interested in joining me for a Zumba class and some fro-yo? 🙂
What is your favorite success story?
Documenting success and advocacy stories is one of my favorite things to do. It would be hard to pick a favorite, but I do know my favorite part of the process. I call it the illuminating moment. When I’m interviewing a person about their success story, digging deeper to discover the pain points, exploring the solutions they researched and ultimately chose, and recording the success outcomes and lessons learned, it’s a wonderful experience to see their eyes light up, their voices change, and their energy shift throughout the exchange. It’s a moment I greatly appreciate; to be able to tell the story of the journey they embarked on to reach their goals.
Jen Keyerleber is a connection catalyst dedicated to helping people and organizations communicate and collaborate more effectively, recognize growth opportunities, positively challenge the status quo, and leverage and embrace technology to implement innovative solutions in our digitally transforming culture. Along with her MBA, Jen has over 17 years of experience and accomplishments in marketing, design, product, internal communications, community management, and enterprise collaboration. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.
