Meet the Team: Kim Kenyon

Kim is one of the graphic designers here at Marketing Ideas For Printers. Her creative eye for design and artistic talents have been instrumental in our direct mail content for the past two decades.

A Unique History

Kim first learned about what would someday become Marketing Ideas For Printers when she attended some of the Express Press Walk of Fame events in downtown Fargo throughout the 80s and 90s. The Walk of Fame was a concrete walkway outside of Mike Stevens’ Express Press print shop where celebrities would press their hands and feet in the wet cement and greet fans when they were in the area.

Seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Fargo Walk of Fame in 1990 was something I’ll never forget. I went to work for Mike Stevens at Ink Inc. in 1997, and Marketing Ideas For Printers evolved some time after.

A Worthy Craft

Currently, Kim uses her talents on the direct mail packages, the custom design projects that come in, and our own in-house marketing. She is also playing a role in the built-in marketing that Odyssey, our new Print MIS, will offer.

I see printing as a craft or art form capable of stirring emotion and awe when done well. Big online printing is fast and cheap, but in the end, you get what you pay for. No one is going to fix a fold line that’s a little off, call you about a typo or poor photo resolution, or suggest a paper or varnish. I would love to see more printing move back into the hands of local ‘artisan’ printers. There is no replacement for real people who care about the final product, and I’m proud of what we do at Marketing Ideas For Printers to promote local printing.

Kim is a true artisan herself and enjoys discussing, collaborating, and brainstorming with the team on design projects. This year, she enjoyed making updates to the direct mail packages and especially liked the new reader-friendly format of the Business Forum direct mail newsletter.

I’m constantly inspired by the people around me. Their capable skills and attention to customer care are amazing. The people who work here with me are talented, dedicated, and incredibly nice.

Get to Know Kim

What are three things that most people don’t know about you?

1. A storm blowing in makes me feel very real and alive.
2. Tumbleweeds tug at my heart in a strange way.
3. I was born during a blizzard on Friday the 13th.

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I think everybody who knows me can guess the answer to this one is Bob Dylan. Why? Don’t get me started. You’ll only be sorry when I never stop.

If you were stuck on an island, what three things would you bring?

A warm blanket, a fire-starter, and a guitar. I’d finally learn to play the thing and go back to civilization with enough songs for an album.

What do you like to do on your days off?

Go home to the Minnesota hills I came from and where my inner child still lives today. Read in a hammock, dip in a lake, make potato salad, have a picnic with the grandkids, paint, write, sing with family and friends, sit by a fire. Spring, summer, and fall, that is. In winter, I hibernate like a bear.

You can take a peek at some of the pieces Kim’s had a hand in by downloading free samples of our direct mail packages. Or, give her a call at (701) 241-9204 or (800) 736-0688 if you’d like help.