Meet Kevin Grube, a key member of the MonogramGroup team. Kevin brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, making him an invaluable asset to our organization. In this Q&A session, we delve into Kevin’s background, interests, and contributions to the team. Get to know the person behind the professional, as we uncover what drives Kevin and fuels his passion for brand, creativity, and innovation.
#1: Please describe your role and responsibilities at MonogramGroup.
Kevin Grube: As an Account Executive, I oversee and execute all project management and account services initiatives. During my tenure, I’ve overseen 50+ client engagements, none of which were the same. Because of this, adaptability and flexibility are paramount to our collective success. As a “Swiss Army Knife,” I contribute to the agency through copywriting, brand building, social media, thought leadership, and web development.
With research being a cornerstone for developing our brand messaging, strategy, and positioning recommendations, I’m actively involved and contribute ideas during our research and strategy phase of our brand playbook. Moreover, I advise, execute, measure, and optimize ongoing brand initiatives for our retainer clients. Ensuring our clients’ brands stay top of mind and continue to make a lasting impact beyond the initial launch is imperative to achieving long-term value-creation opportunities.
#2: How did your journey at MonogramGroup begin?
Kevin Grube: Like most post college graduates, I reached out to every company in my area looking for an opportunity to jumpstart my career. I only heard back from a handful of places, one of which was MonogramGroup. I had cold emailed the agency and Scott followed up with me within a day or so. From there, I interviewed at our old office in Ravenswood (completely overdressed in a full suit and tie) and the rest is history.
#3: What is one characteristic trait you must have to succeed at MonogramGroup?
Kevin Grube: Team player. One of our mantras is “win as a team, lose as a team” and that rings true especially for an agency like ours. Finger pointing or throwing each other under the bus is never acceptable here. Honesty and accountability, whether good or bad, in the spirit of the greater good is what it’s all about. Everyone understanding and embracing this mentality has been pivotal to our success over the years.
#4: Tell us a bit about your family and upbringing.
Kevin Grube: I was born in Pontiac, Michigan, but only lived there for a few years before moving to the suburbs of Illinois. I lived in Glen Ellyn through the first part of middle school before moving to Lake Forest where I eventually graduated high school. My parents were very supportive of my two brothers (one older, one younger) and I, pushing us to try new activities and learn new skills. Getting good grades, respecting authority figures, and rising above adversity were all life lessons I appreciated learning throughout my childhood.
#5: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Kevin Grube: I’m a sports junkie and enjoy watching and playing soccer, basketball, baseball, and football. Soccer and basketball were my main sports growing up, the former of which I played through high school. Beyond sports, I enjoy weight and interval training, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, binging the latest and greatest tv series, and spending quality time with family and friends. I grew up with dogs, so I’d love to have one or two of my own some day.
#6: What is your favorite part about living in Chicago?
Kevin Grube: The food scene. There are so many amazing restaurants of all shapes and sizes here that makes it tough to come up with a definitive Top 10 list. I’m a pretty diligent and regimented person by nature but will break away from that to try a new place, regardless of how far away it is for me to get to. If you’re a foodie, Chicago has to be on your list of food cities worldwide to experience.
#7: As a horror movie fanatic, rank your top three films.
Kevin Grube: Insidious has to be number one for me. The story, acting, visual effects, and array of jump tactics resonated with me on a level very few films ever have. I still get chills thinking about some of the scenes in that film. The Conjuring is second in my book – it didn’t quite hit the same level as Insidious but many of the elements that made Insidious successful can be applied to The Conjuring. Oculus, not as renowned as the first two films, is third in my ranking. The psychological aspects of this movie made it really stand out from my perspective – I saw it in theaters and remember leaving with goosebumps. That’s when you know you’ve had a successful horror flick adventure.
#8: What do you enjoy most about working at MonogramGroup?
Kevin Grube: For me it boils down to two things: the people and contributing to the agency through multiple skill sets.
MonogramGroup hires amazing people who are talented, hard working, team-oriented, and down to earth. Our people truly enjoy collaborating with one another and are all working toward the agency’s collective success. Culture is a vital part to any company’s success and I can firmly attest that it’s a cornerstone of MonogramGroup’s.
Since we are a leaner team, being able to contribute to various facets of branding projects enables me and others to keep growing as professionals, adding skill sets to our tool belts that otherwise wouldn’t be attainable in other work environments. I love learning new things and challenging myself to keep growing, so working in an environment that fosters that is very important to me.