Why Kristin Patrick Only Works for Companies She Absolutely Loves

If you’re looking for wise advice and humorous stories of how to lead a successful and fulfilling career while keeping a good head on your shoulders, Kristin Patrick is a wealth of down-to-earth knowledge. Before she became the CMO and President of Eros Innovations, a global venture creation company that funds and advises celebrities and talent on their new business ventures, Kristin was already on the climb up. Her success is driven by her personal mission to follow her passions, select roles based on whether she believes she can drive growth, and whether the company’s priorities align with her own values. Working in leadership positions at major brands like PepsiCo and NBCUniversal, Kristin has gathered incredible leadership and life lessons along the way that she humorously shares on her LinkedIn posts titled “FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF… A sharing of mistakes, wisdom, and learnings by Kristin Patrick.” Read on to find out more wisdom imparted by Kristin on what mentorship means to her, her refreshingly honest take on work-life integration, and how she’s created space for herself during this past year that has made a world of difference. How did you get to where you are today? I’ve worked across multiple industries including media/entertainment, retail, fashion, beauty, and packaged goods. I am grateful for every opportunity and I have been able to leverage best in class techniques across industries. My background in film, content, and storytelling has helped a lot in creating rich experiences for brands and products in the digital and D2C space. Tell us about what you are doing now. I am focused on launching global consumer businesses for talent and celebrities. First business out of the gate is a sports league we created for Mike Tyson and retired athletes called Legends Only League. The league launched with Tyson coming out of retirement to fight Roy Jones Jr. in the largest live event of 2020. Emphasis on building and marketing global businesses quickly and efficiently. All my experience building companies and businesses helps and I am learning a lot about fundraising. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Legends Only League (@legendsonlyleague) How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? As I have grown in my career, the informal relationships mean just as much as formal mentoring. I have a wonderful circle of women business leaders around me, and they are there for advice, laughs, and honest conversation. One of my beloved groups involves Gap Inc. alum and new friends from Conde Nast too–the CMO Happy Hour group. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? What about within the past year? Simple things have made a big difference for me. I make sure to eat well, work out, and treat myself to spa days whenever I can. The other thing that really soothes my heart is mentoring. I have a handful of people that I try to guide, and honestly, I learn more from them than they do from me sometimes. Within the past year, I have doubled down on ensuring I take 15 minutes every morning to breathe, plan the day or just to sit in silence. Creating this space during COVID has made a world of difference. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? Work life integration has always been a struggle for me. I raise my daughter alone and I have to be 100% focused every day with her and 100% focused at work. Over the years, work and life have merged completely together for me. I only work for companies where I absolutely love the product and core values. My co-workers have become friends and family and I only work for companies where I absolutely love the product and core values. During COVID, I have been on Zoom all the time while my daughter is downstairs in the kitchen in Zoom classes and it feels like the most natural thing ever. I am lucky she is older though! Can you recall a situation where you've dealt with typecasting in the workplace? And what advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? When I first got to Pepsi, the rumor was that a “bunny” was coming to join the company as I left my role at Playboy to join. People may have underestimated me and were not sure what to expect. All you can do professionally and in life is believe in yourself, work hard, and not let other people’s often incorrect assumptions bring you down. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? Ask for your worth. Always. Do not be afraid. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? Many people have believed in me over the years, and I am so grateful for every minute of their time including Cheryl Vitali, Karen Harvey, Scott Flanders, Brad Jakeman, Art Peck and Indra Nooyi. They’ve guided me with their toughness, their fairness and pushed me to be better. Never think you are better than anybody else. I get so much out of my relationships with my peers, and I have a handful of brilliant people all in different points within their careers who help me immensely. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Never think you are better than anybody else–both success and failure ebb and flow. What does success mean for you? Success for me means that my daughter and my family are healthy and happy. It is important for me to be moving forward by making an impact at my job, within the community, and the people I mentor.

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Why Kristin Patrick Only Works for Companies She Absolutely Loves

Eros Innovations CMO shares leadership mistakes, wisdom, and how to manage work-life integration

Luz Corona

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Luz Corona