The Drum 30 under 30 women in digital 2013 highlights the top 30 women under the age of 30 making an impact in digital. Here, we catch up with Jenny Kitchen, managing director, Yoyo Design.
The Drum 30 under 30 women in digital is an annual platform recognising the next generation of digital talent. Over the course of the next 30 days we will be running interviews with each of the women profiled, to give more insight into their careers so far, professional achievements, and what they see as the next big game changers in digital.The first to be featured is managing director of Yoyo Design, Jenny Kitchen, ranked at number 30.What is your biggest professional achievement so far?Becoming the managing director of an award-winning digital agency at the age of 27.
What is the biggest challenge you've overcome in your career? Joining a young business in the early days is a challenge that I will never forget. I worked in several agencies prior to Yoyo, but I was always employed to do a certain job. When you are running an agency, there is always more you can be doing from sales and marketing, financial planning and agency strategy to delivering bigger and better projects for your clients. I had to adapt and change my working style, otherwise I would have burnt out pretty quickly. Now, I still have the same focus, determination and hard work ethic but I give myself time to relax and have fun.
What's the next game changer in digital?We are now seeing website animation coming back in full force after the fall of Flash. Using HTML5 and other current technologies means development teams don't have to go anywhere near Flash to create animated sites, which can be much more interactive and memorable than static equivalents.
KitKat is a great example of this.
What would you like to be remembered for? I would like to be remembered for inspiring the next generation of young women to enter into the world of digital. It's a diverse, fast-paced industry with so much to learn, but the rewards are huge and there's never a dull moment. On a personal level though, I just want to be remembered for being kind, loyal and fun.
Who inspires you most professionally or personally? Personally my parents... their passion for everything life has to offer has always been inspiring to me. Professionally, there are too many to name – different people inspire me every week. I am a big fan of TED talks, so recently Steve Jobs, Brene Brown and Sheryl Sandberg. I am also hugely inspired by Jennifer Macrae who set up Women in Wireless in the UK – a non-profit organisation that empowers women within the digital industry.
What would you be doing if you weren't doing this? I'm fascinated with psychology and the way we think and behave, so I would definitely be doing something in this field. I'm currently studying an open uni degree alongside the day job... set to qualify in 2017, so a little way off this yet.
How do you relax?I've tried lots of different sports and hobbies to try to relax, but the best formula for me is always going out with my friends and drinking wine. Not the healthiest choice, but definitely the most fun!
Describe your career to date in five words. Learning, doing, learning, doing... enjoyment.
