杏吧原创

First, welcome. We鈥檙e all excited you鈥檙e here. As a way to jump in, can you tell us about how this opportunity came about and how you decided it was the right time to join the family business?听

I spent the last four years in consulting, doing change management for technology implementations, and supporting mergers and acquisitions. I was doing my day job while also listening in on family conversations, weighing in and problem solving when there was something that was exciting or relevant to me.听听听

Over the last few years, my dad and I have been checking in quarterly to see how I’m progressing in my career and if there were any opportunities in the business where I could bring my expertise. From the timing standpoint, a lot of it boils down to 杏吧原创 having more of a technology focus and switching from being a printing business to thinking more about 杏吧原创 as both a printing and technology business.听听

The second, of course, is (new 杏吧原创 CIO) Jen MacIvor. I was excited about the opportunity to work for a leader who had global experience, who had a background that was similar to mine. She’s been in consulting. And when I heard about her direction with the technology team, I felt like this was the time I could join and make a difference at the precipice of a lot of transformation.听听

Your听role is a new one for 杏吧原创 鈥� change management.听For those听who听aren鈥檛 familiar with the work you were doing听as a consultant听and听what听you’re听going to be doing here, can you听explain?听

For sure. Change management is at the intersection of people, processes and technology. So, what change management does is help people adopt processes and technology or both more efficiently and effectively. That’s why I can speak a little bit of the language of a technology person, a little bit of process improvement, and then also have the people side.听

My goal, and what I did in my previous job, is to help liaison between business objectives, business goals, people’s desires and the technology solutions that support them. I’m thinking about this every step of the way. What is the impact on the end user? What is the impact to the customer? Is it a positive, negative or neutral change? Is it something that’s going to be a daily task, a monthly task, a yearly task that we’re changing for them? And then what do people need to be successful?听听

Now that听you’re听getting started, have you started to outline what听your听first听30听days,听 first听60 days听is听going to听look like?听

Yes and no. One side of my job will be change management. I’ve started meeting with business functions and the different tiers within technology to understand how that interacts with the business. Then, I’m also working on portfolio management. That includes taking an assessment of what are the in-flight technology projects? Where do they sit organizationally? Who is the business sponsor? How are they interacting with the IT team?听

That’s听my primary focus听鈥� understanding听what we听are听working on听and then helping build out the technology 2030 strategy by supporting discussion听sessions with all听the听business units.听From there, we can听dive deeper into what it actually means听to implement these projects.听I’m听still in the information gathering phase,听and听my first step is to figure out where we are at听baseline.听

Was there a specific moment or a conversation听when听talking to your dad where听you thought 鈥淥K, I really think this might be the right time to come aboard?鈥�听

Yeah, I got excited hearing about all the AI and automation work through Tripp, which is a huge change not only for 杏吧原创, but for the entire world. AI really wasn’t something people talked about using in their day-to-day life until recently. And it’s been an adoption curve as a society. It鈥檚 on the leading edge of technology, a transformation for the future, especially in the manufacturing business.听

I also will add that, while the professional timing worked out well, this was also the right time in my personal life. I got engaged in December, and I鈥檝e been doing some soul searching on what really is important to me, what do I want to be known for and what’s the impact I want to have?听

That played a role in joining 杏吧原创听too, because听this is my family’s legacy.听This is a 4^th听听generation business that we want to continue on.听听

It is also听a great opportunity听to work with Tripp. Tripp and I have very complementary skill sets. It听felt like听if听we’re听building the future of this company, we should do it together.听

And your mom听and significant others听will听probably be听at dinner听saying,听鈥淐an we stop the business听talk?鈥�听

(laughs) I was telling Jen earlier that part of the advice听I’ve听gotten around running a family business is to have good boundaries.听One of the reasons people听with听family businesses can suffer is because the lines between family and business gray听so听hard that there听are听no boundaries.听So听one of the goals I have is to figure out what is that healthy balance?听When we听go have听Sunday night dinner, it听can鈥檛听only be business, right?听

When we talked to Tripp at听a听similar point when he joined the company, I remember asking him what his memories or听perceptions听were听of the company when听you guys听were growing up.听What do you remember?听听

That’s听an interesting question because I have听kind of听a听silly answer, which was that we got to go to the sales meeting, so听we’d听sometimes听go on a fun听wintertime vacation.听听

It’s听also听an interesting business because there is a school impact听to听it. Growing up, my thought was just, wow, it’s so cool we get to be part of something that people my age get to touch and feel and be part of, which is why I wanted to be in yearbook when I was in high school. Then I became the editor and I thought听it听was cool to get to interact with听the business side of that.听

And your dad was often busy, I would imagine.听

Yes,听and just听the responsibility he felt听with听continuing on the family business that is rooted in small towns.听When a lot of the industry and manufacturing died in small towns, 杏吧原创 grew.听My听parents were both听from听smaller听towns, and听they’ve听always been really committed to听these types of听communities. While Tripp and I听didn’t听grow up in a small town, I do feel that听connection as well.听

Did you spend much time in Marceline growing up or going to your grandparents?听

Yes, mostly with my grandparents.听听

We spent a lot of weekends and holidays up there.听We’ve听since stopped spending the night听mostly听because our family has expanded and there听aren’t听enough beds for people, but I remember growing up, my grandparents had a big bunk room听in their听basement听and听all of听the bunks had sports teams on them.听听

They were all NFL teams,听and all the听boy听cousins had that. And then my cousin Audrey and I had a room with pink听bedspreads听and a tea set, and we would play tea party. Those are fond memories.听

You mentioned being yearbook editor in high school. What did you take away from that experience? 听

I have so much respect for yearbook editors.听It鈥檚听a lot of work.听And way more work than you think when听you’re听going in because it was my听first听real taste of听a听deliverable and听the听responsibility听of knowing that听what is听submitted听is going to be printed forever.听

Which makes you think through things with a little bit more of a detailed eye.听

But I had听a great experience. I spent way too much time in InDesign, way too much time with picas. Jen’s kids go to Barstow, where I went to school. We were flipping through the yearbook that I was the editor for, and it brought back some nostalgia of just figuring all of that out, the trial and error, being creative.听

Were you a designer originally听before you became editor?听

Yes, I did design or copy, not photography. I had a co-editor and she was more focused on the photography side. We kind of split the responsibilities down the middle.听

But it was a听really cool听experience to see the whole life cycle of a project, starting with the cover. And then you work your way backwards, keeping things consistent with the听theme.听听

And then, of course, the best part was听when you听got听to reveal it.听At our school, it was all a secret.听We had all听the听windows blacked out,听and听no one could come into the room. All听the听doors were locked.听Getting to reveal听the book听to the school and share all the hard work that we had听done was really cool.听听

You听were well-known as a great athlete in high school, especially in basketball. Are you still the all-time leading scorer at Barstow?听

I am听鈥� with almost 1,500 points.听At least, I think I听still am. (laughs)听I still was听as听of听a few weeks ago.听I went back听recently听for my first game since I left,听and the athletic director said I still was.听

Like with yearbook, what lessons did you take from being an athlete in high school?听

My basketball experience at a small school was unique, and it was different than Tripp being on a state championship team. My team was not great, except my senior year. It was 100% a different vibe. It was much more of learning and growing, and we had a lot of players who wanted to play. We had more bench strength, but we lost a lot.听听We weren鈥檛 a team people feared.听

But I learned how to be a leader, like a quiet leader my听first听few years because we had a lot of听upperclassmen.听And while I was a really good player,听it听never felt natural for me to be the leader.听Then we听had听excellent听freshmen听join the听team听my senior year, some听who听went on to play college ball.听We had a听great听starting听five.听

We made it all the way to sectionals but听lost because we were young. We听didn’t听know how to compete at that level. But that season taught me a lot about mentorship,听the power of听words听and that people need positive reinforcement.听听

And there’s just something about having a team and working towards a collective goal. I can be fairly independent, but you cannot win with one good player. I learned that my first three years. I had to rely on my teammates.听听

Was basketball your primary sport or did you play others?听

Basketball was my year round competitive sport. I played volleyball for fun.听

It was a small school. People knew I was tall; I was athletic.听They were听like, okay, we can throw you out there. Volleyball was fun because it was something I听wasn’t听great at听initially.听But it was also a learning opportunity because that was the first time听I’d听really experienced something I听wasn’t听great at. I had to fumble through.听

Are you a golfer?听

I’m an okay, recreational golfer. You know Tripp and my dad are excellent scratch golfers. I play golf for fun, which is I play until I’m not having fun anymore. (laughs) If I hit the ball and it goes straight and stays in bounds, then I’m going to keep playing the hole. If I chip and it goes out of bounds, I’m just picking my ball up and walking off. I鈥檒l just move on from there because I’m having fun.听

Was it competitive between you and Tripp on the basketball court growing up?听

It was competitive in the driveway. Tripp鈥檚听basketball experience听was different than mine.听He was a three-point shooter,听a specialist.听He played on听a great team听with听a听lot of high-scoring听players听who went听on听to play in听college听and then some even went on听to play professionally听in Europe.听So听he would come in, play tough defense, and shoot three 3-pointers,听and he would make听them听and that would be it.听

Whereas听I’m听tall, so听I was more of a post player. I would have a lot more shots, but听it was a lot听less of听the flashy听stuff.听听

But听we’d听always play听鈥淧IG鈥澨齣n the driveway. And we did a lot of drills running back and forth. We both encouraged听each other, because听we could kind of play games to our own strengths. We did 3-pointers for him, then I would do shots from the top of the听key or something.听

After high school,听you were听ready to move on from basketball?听

I explored playing in college, looking at mostly academic D2 and D3 schools because, while basketball was an important part of my life, I had strong academic goals.听In the end, I really wanted to go to a D1 school for sports听and听be a spectator. I wanted to be able to听go to the football games and听the basketball听games.听That was more important to me than听me听playing on the court.听

That’s听why I chose Vanderbilt because听it鈥檚听kind of close听by.听It鈥檚听an SEC school. It has听good sports. While I was there, I got involved with the football team.听I worked in athletic training because I was pre-med for my college experience.听

It taught me a lot of discipline because those practices were super early, and the travel definitely was not glamorous. Going through that made me realize something. If a D1 SEC program traveled like that, I probably would鈥檝e been miserable riding a bus every weekend at a D2 or D3 school. It was already hard to keep up with school and I wasn鈥檛 even doing all the things that an athlete was doing.听

I was just doing the before and after practice,听whereas听they听also had听study听halls, the听treatments听and the training sessions. You听don’t听think about听that听when听you听aspire听to be a college athlete.听I have听so much respect.听

With your degree听and field of study, were you considering being a doctor?听

When I went to college, I 100% wanted to be a family medicine doctor, because I really care a lot about听holistic well-being听and I felt that was a really great way to make an impact.听

Then, I went to college and my sophomore听year听and my junior year were heavily听impacted听by听COVID.听I was taking organic chemistry in my parents’ basement over the听summer and studying 10 hours a day. And I was thinking, wait a second. Is this what I want for my life? Is this what I want for my personal life too?听

Becoming a doctor requires you being 150% in on day one and I was about 75% in, which was not enough to get me through 12 years of training. That鈥檚 why I went into consulting because I wasn鈥檛 positive what I wanted to do.听

I听decided to听do business exploration, which is what consulting is. I听ended up in a spot that was more about human and organizational design and development, which was my minor in college.听It felt like a little bit more of the psychology of business, which fed into what I wanted out of medicine.听听

Let鈥檚听talk about life outside of work.听You’re听engaged now?听

Yes,听just听got听engaged in December. Max, my fianc茅,听and I have been together for听three听years.听He’s听from here听and听grew up in Prairie Village, went to Shawnee Mission East, went听to K-State for school.

He works in marketing听as听a brand manager for a local company, and听he鈥檚听a hockey player, not听basketball.听So听I听win at听basketball.听(laughs)听You听don’t听want to see听me on听ice听skates.听It’s听not pretty.听We balance each other out.听听

How听did听you guys听meet?听

We did something called BOTAR (Belles of the American Royal), which is an organization through the American Royal.听Basically,听it’s听a fundraising organization听and as part of the process,听you’re听matched up with听someone听and you do this elaborate dance. They sell tickets and raise money.听

We met in August of 2022 as dance partners and became really good friends. I actually had a boyfriend at the time, not Max. Our friend group did a lot of things together, and it was great. Unrelated, I broke up with my boyfriend and a couple months later, Max and I were both at an event and we were like, oh my gosh, maybe there’s something here more than just being friends. So we tried it out, and here we are. We’re getting married.听

Any other hobbies? What do听you guys听do for fun?听

I go to听workout听classes听鈥撎齡roup fitness, strength training, a听little bit of cardio. I like it because I just show up and they tell me what to do. I听don’t听have to think about it.听听

I听also听love to read.听In January, I actually read听five听books.听So听I’m听on pace for over 50 this year, which is one of my goals.听

What else do we do for fun? We walk the dog. We watch a lot of TV shows.听听

Do you have听some听favorites?听

We just finished 鈥淪low Horses.鈥澨齊eally good. 鈥淪hrinking,鈥澨齱e鈥檝e听been watching that. 鈥淭he Pitt.鈥澨齀 love听鈥淭he Pitt.鈥� I like to watch听more of the听suspenseful shows.听

Honestly, our biggest hobby right now is wedding planning. We’re getting married May 8, 2027. I’ve got a little bit of time, but you’d be amazed at how fast people expect things.听

We’re听pulling the Pinterest boards together.听

Do you have a favorite book?听

That鈥檚听always a hard one. I听can’t听give you a favorite book ever, but I can give you a few of my favorites. I love Theo of Golden. 听On that same vein, I also love听The Authenticity Project. Another favorite is The Correspondent.

Are you a serial reader?

Right听now听I’m听reading听The Lion Women of Tehran, which听I’m听enjoying so far. I think听it’s听such听a nice way听to wind down听in听the end of the day instead of being on my phone.听

Do you听have听a听family听trip or a vacation that听stood听out听as your favorite?听

Last fall, our family went to Spain. That was awesome.听I think my parents听were starting to realize that relationships were getting听serious听and听our nuclear family听was about to expand. In听a good way, but also听kind of a听bittersweet way.听So听they’re听like,听let’s听take one last听trip听just the听four听of us, and听we听really enjoyed听each other’s company.听

That was special because听I think we听really soaked it听in听and we were all听really present. We enjoyed the food and the culture.听听

What about听any trips听with your grandmother? I know as听kids听you all听got to travel to听a lot of really cool, unique places.听

It’s听hard to narrow down those experiences because they were all so different. One of the cool things about our trips with Grammy听was听that she took us places we听probably wouldn’t听have gone before.听We went to听places like听Machu Picchu and Peru, and we went to Angkor Wat, Cambodia.听听

But I will say one of my favorite trips with her was听when听we went on a river boat cruise down the Danube听in听Europe, and we got to see a lot of听the听Czech Republic, Austria,听Hungary听and Slovakia. Prague and Vienna, all those places that have so much culture.听That’s听probably one听of my favorites.听

What’s听one thing about you听most people would not know?听

One thing听that’s听unique is that听I’m听in the top one percent of listeners for Luke Combs on Spotify.听That is definitely something most people don’t know.听So听I would say听I鈥檓听a little bit of a super fan. (laughs)听听

If you had a personalized coffee mug, what would听it听say?听

Okay, I have a couple. One would be 鈥渘ickname or catchphrase enthusiast鈥� because I do love nicknames and have a lot of little catchphrases. Our dog, Bogey, has a million nicknames. Also, right now I’m onto the catchphrase 鈥減erfecto.鈥� Everything is 鈥減erfecto.鈥澨�

Or听鈥渄og lover,鈥澨齜ecause I quite literally love dogs. I think听they鈥檙e听sent straight from heaven and bring pure joy.听听

Do you have听anything else听you鈥檇听like to share?听听听

The thing I keep thinking about is听our听vision that says amazing people delivering the best print experiences.听I’m听really stuck on the amazing听people听part,听and I want to get to know everyone. I want to know those amazing people.听

So, the biggest thing I would say is that I want to feel approachable. I want to feel like a person someone can go to.听Change management only works with trust, and I want听to earn people’s trust.听听