08/21/17
Karisa Malchow Brings Winning Attitude to OBI Team
Five years ago, while she was a volleyball standout at Creighton University, Karisa Malchow accepted an internship with OBI Creative. That led this enthusiastic, competitive and high-energy problem solver to a three-year stint as an Account Coordinator and Account Manager before a move took her to First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) as a Marketing Campaign Manager. After two years with FNBO, Karisa is back as our newest Account Director and we couldn’t be happier.
This time around, Karisa brings a seasoned perspective of marketing for a regional powerhouse sprinkled with a good measure of empathy toward the layered approval process many advertising agency clients navigate daily. As a mom to two young boys and the Varsity Assistant Women’s Volleyball Coach for State Champion Skutt Catholic High School, Karisa doesn’t have a lot of free time. Still, she spared some of it to talk about the differences between agency and client life and what she enjoys doing outside of the office.
What drew you back to OBI Creative?
“I love marketing, especially getting things accomplished for clients, but the great people here and the fun energy we share made it easy to come back.”
What are some differences you see between working for a full service advertising agency and a large corporation with a robust marketing budget?
“Literally everything. There are so many differences, but one that stands out to me is that at an ad agency there are fewer people per client project so you need to dig in, stretch yourself and gain new skills to continually turn out excellent results. On the client side of the equation, there are often more people working on a project so you have the opportunity to focus your efforts and apply specialized skills to a narrower piece of the overall puzzle. Working for First National gave me an immense appreciation for the amount of time it takes to get things approved and vetted through the proper channels (legal, compliance, senior leadership, etc.). I feel like that has given me a great deal of empathy toward our clients and in developing realistic timelines for projects.”
What do you enjoy about working in advertising?
“I love the variety that advertising affords. I enjoy the fun atmosphere, competition of RFPs and the long-standing relationships you’re able to develop with clients. I love creating good work that means something, which is one thing I’ve always felt that OBI Creative excels at. Every day is different, which keeps things interesting; plus, building or refining brands and campaigns never gets old.”
What do you like to do in your little spare time?
“When I am able to snag a spare moment, I enjoy hanging out with my boys (Kincaid is 3 and Keating is 16 months); whether it’s playing in the sandbox, building forts or playing together outside, spending time with them is one of my favorite things to do. When I have some dedicated “mom time” I love to relax and read or just sit and watch Modern Family with my husband. We enjoy the show so much that we could spend an entire day communicating with each other in only quotes from the show.”
Food you can’t live without? Drink you’d be most hard pressed to give up?
“This is a tough one. I definitely can’t go without water, but as for a food I can’t go without…is ‘all of them’ an acceptable answer? 🙂 We love to try a variety of foods in our home and pretty much snack constantly, but if I had to list my two favorite “foods” they would probably be cookie dough and brownie batter.”
If you could have one superpower, what would you choose?
“Eyes everywhere! With two little boys running around I would be able to see where they are at all times and know what is going on (like who really tripped who). The ability to freeze time is pretty appealing as well. Oh, and is there a superpower that makes calories not a thing? That would be awesome, too!”
We’re thankful to have this talented, competitive, superwoman back in our shop and look forward to the outstanding results she will help us achieve for our clients!
