Full name?:
Keri Lynn Ford, but I just go by Keri.
Position / Job title?:
Owner and Founder of IgniteGirls® Fitness, an online program and active lifestyle brand for women.
1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian or artist, which eventually transitioned into a vision of being a graphic designer.
2. Fast-forward several years/decades. How did you land (or create) your current position?
After several honest attempts of working as a full-time designer, and being completely unhappy, I was laid off from my latest design job in 2011. The next day, I filed for incorporation. I just knew I was never going back to that life, so I had to create the one I wanted.
3. Did you have to take on internships to get there? How important in general, do you think, are internships?
Internships are incredibly important. My internship experience was short, but valuable. For 5 weeks, I worked full-time at an advertising agency in New York City, where I had my first ad produced for the US Open and Heineken Premium Light. Even when I was doing b*tch work, I was really learning about how a business is run simply by being immersed in the culture.
4. Tell us what a typical work day looks like for you. What is your job REALLY like, both the glamorous and not-so-glamorous parts?
When I used to work in “corporate America” I would get up early to workout, but now that I work for myself my day doesn’t start until 8am. And that’s ok, because it’s what works for me right now. With a baby on the way (any day now!), I am sure my schedule will be changing drastically, I’m just not sure how yet. Usually I start to stir as my husband is walking out the door, and I make my way downstairs to feed Kaley, my dog, while I make breakfast and wake up with some coffee. I like to catch up on business articles, general news and emails while I eat. By 9:30 I’m in the IgniteGirls home office starting to tackle my workload and making a list of what I can delegate to my interns. Later in the day I’ll head to the gym, or teach my weekly spin class. My day generally ends around 7pm. As a business owner, I find that you have to be willing to do, or be involved, in it all. Sometimes that means handwriting envelopes to fill orders myself, pitching IgniteGirls to other businesses for collaborations and running to Target when I run out of staples.
5. What is the biggest career mistake you’ve ever made?
Anyone and everyone can see what you put out on the internet. One of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made, is releasing original ideas that I didn’t protect first with trademarks. Months later, we are still dealing with the repercussions of our concepts being stolen and reproduced.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice you would give to other career-minded women?
Be true to your brand. For me, this was acknowledging that my demographic was women that are both athletic and girly. So I created my brand based off of my audience, but also who I am, what I believe in and my values. Staying true to your brand also means staying true to yourself and your values.
7. Let’s talk about work/life balance. What does that mean to you? Is it important?
I try my hardest to maintain normal-ish business hours. This means that on the weekends I change gears into house mode, doing laundry, spending time with my husband and enjoying time with friends. I have a tough time changing gears back and forth during the week, most of the time it’s one mode or the other for me. As a strong Type A personality, it’s easy for me to want to work all the time, but I know from experience this leads me to feeling burned out, and the quality and productivity of my work suffers as a result. If I’m doing work, but really just staring at my computer, how productive is that really?
8. On that note, do you think women can have it all? Both the baller career, and the happy family?
Yes and no. It really depends what your priorities are, and by that, I don’t mean family versus career, but priorities in terms of the extra to-do lists. For me, I am willing to sacrifice having a perfectly picked up house, in order to get my workouts done and keep healthy food well-stocked in our house. You can’t do it all without a little outside help, whether it be a cleaning service for the house, or an assistant for your business. Depending on where you feel your energy is best spent, will determine where you need to bring in an extra pair of hands.
9. If you could look into a crystal ball and see 20 years into your future, what would you want to see?
Honestly, I have no idea what I would see! I spoke at a high school recently, and I told them that if you asked me 10 years ago if this is what I would be doing for a living, I wouldn’t have believed you. Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest didn’t even exist yet, so how could I envision even trying to run an online company using these tools? With technology, the world is changing at a rapid rate daily. I like to create opportunities as they come along, and then follow my instincts. Launching a series of fitness DVDs, books and an entire IgniteGirls movement would be pretty darn cool though.
10. Do you have any career role models? Who are they?
Chalene Johnson is someone I strongly relate to. She is a great example of a woman who has done a good job balancing both career and family, but also emphasizes that success can be defined in any way that you choose to define it.
11. What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received – career-related or otherwise?
Not exactly advice, but I’ve been told I was too opinionated, too aggressive and too out spoken. I’ve learned how to voice my thoughts with better delivery, but feedback like that makes me realize I really like who I am and how I operate. Although I have a strong personality, being authentically nice goes a long way, and being “too” anything should never come from a place of being mean-spirited. You never know when the tables may turn!
12. Parents love to say, “just wait ’til you have to face the real world…” When you were in college or high school, what did you think the “real world” looked like? What is the difference between what you thought and reality?
I figured if I got a job in the field I studied, that I would be satisfied and successful with my career, only to discover that I felt unfulfilled. I also expected that hard work would quickly result in climbing the ladder. Office politics, and the “obligatory paying of dues” also left me frustrated.
13. Should you work for the money, or do what you love?
I made a great living as a designer, but I dreaded going into work. I felt trapped in an office job working for someone else, and ultimately, I didn’t feel like I was leaving a mark that made a difference in the world. “Do what you love and the money will follow.”
14. How important is money to you when considering a job?
If it weren’t for my husband’s steady income, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue IgniteGirls full-time. Money is important, unfortunately. It helps ideas come to life. And investing back into your business is crucial because without any buzz, your brand and your products are simply “unseen, untold, unsold.” – Donald Hults
15. What is the single most important factor of a job?
A clear understanding of your brand message so it allows you to deliver consistency, in whatever way it’s applied.
16. If you married a millionaire husband and didn’t have to work, would you? (Be honest.)
I can’t imagine not working. It would be even more fun, since I would have even more capital to invest in larger scale ideas. IgniteGirls is more than “work” for me though, it’s a community of women that inspire each other, and that inspire me. IgniteGirls is everything the corporate world was not to me. I feel a real sense of purpose and worth helping women change their life, and realize their true potential. I get to dream, create and motivate every single day. I wanted to write a book that was an all-inclusive nutrition and fitness program, so I did. I wanted to develop a “healthy makeup” line, so I did.
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