Fast 15: Kristy Meinzer

Kristy Meinzer was 11 when she started her first job driving a combine harvester during wheat harvesting season.

Meinzer was raised on a 2,000-acre farm of mostly wheat in Meade, a small town in southwestern Kansas, and moved to Northwest Arkansas in 2008 to attend John Brown University in Siloam Springs. She graduated with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and photography in 2012.

While she always loved to read and write, she didn’t feel that journalism was something she would like to spend her life doing. And when she saw a job ad for social media content developer at advertising agency Rockfish, she thought it would be something she would like. She applied and started the week after she graduated from JBU. Communications giant WPP acquired Rockfish in 2011 and became VML in 2017 before becoming VMLY&R after a 2018 merger.

Meinzer worked in social media for more than two years before spending about a year as an e-commerce business manager. After that position, she started in her existing role writing digital content one might find when searching Amazon or Walmart.com. The content is optimized allowing it to appear high in a product search and persuades shoppers to purchase a product when they visit its page.

Over the past eight years, she’s worked with 77 clients, including those handling 3D printing, office products, financial services and the production of mayonnaise.

“I like to say I know a little bit about a lot of things, and I can have a conversation with almost anyone,” she said.

She serves on a team of 10 performance content writers and part of the company’s discoverability division, comprising 35 employees. Over the past five quarters, the performance content team has exceeded its revenue goals.

“It’s a team effort,” she said. “No one excels or fails alone.”

Meinzer’s curiosity and openness have contributed to her success, and she “constantly seeks new knowledge and experience,” said Heather Physioc, group director of discoverability for VMLY&R.

Meinzer recently started a personal financial coaching business with a focus on small changes and habits practiced over time that will lead to life-changing results.

She supports Dustin’s Dream, VMLY&R Foundation and is a member of Community Christian Fellowship. She enjoys water skiing at Beaver Lake, playing alto saxophone and cooking.