Meet Kinsey Smith, Senior Hiring Manager, and read about her career journey at AMP.

I first discovered American Marketing & Publishing (AMP) through a Google search at the end of 2021. I was researching publishing companies in the Toledo, OH, area as I was trying to find the right fit to transition out of a teaching career and thought publishing could make sense for a former English teacher. Little did I know, AMP was in the process of opening up an office in the area for our Inside Sales Account Management team lead by Jenna Meyer! As I dove deeper into researching the company, it seemed like the perfect fit for me with its mission for helping local businesses, positive team culture, training, and growth opportunities. I applied for the Account Manager role on AMP’s website. Alex Hogan, Recruiting Team Manager, reached out to me the following day and began walking me through the interview process. I was so excited!

I officially started with the company in March of 2022. I loved so much about our Inside Sales team, but I discovered that it wasn’t the right fit for me. I saw a post on Nikki Bowman’s, Director of Recruiting, LinkedIn that the recruiting team was growing and they were hiring for Associate Hiring Managers. My interview process was amazing and I was impressed with how Alex connected with me, saw potential in me, and inspired me to start on this new journey with AMP. I could see myself doing the same for others, so I spoke with Jenna to set up an interview with Nikki and shortly after began as a Hiring Manager! After four months in this role, I was promoted to a Senior Hiring Manager, and was able to help teach and train others on the team, which warmed my teacher heart. I just nearly made it on our company trip within my first seven months, putting a fire under me to hit it this year! It has since been an incredible year connecting with others and helping them find a great fit for themselves as Alex had done for me. Our theme for 2023 has been the Open Road, and it’s definitely been an open road of opportunity for me here!

One thing I love about sales and recruiting is how easily lessons from sports translate. Growing up, my gymnastics coach’s motto for our gym was “your body achieves what your mind believes.” I’ve carried that motto into my career – we are all capable of achieving the goals we set for ourselves when we set our minds to it. At AMP, we’re a part of believing in a mission bigger than ourselves, and that is being able to help as many local businesses as we can thrive. As recruiters, we get to be on the front lines! A career at AMP has pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way, challenging me to grow and envision big things for myself. I remember how refreshing it was for me in the first week of sales training class, being surrounded by so many hard-working, dedicated people committed to being the best versions of themselves professionally and personally.

There are so many people I can give credit to who have mentored and inspired me here. There’s Alex Hogan, of course, who walked me through the interview process. Then there’s Jenna Meyer, Brittany Murdock, and Tessa Warren on the Toledo Inside Sales team. My Recruiting Team Lead, Josh McGraw, has been one of my biggest mentors. I have to give a special shout-out to my Team McGraw teammates – Simone White, Jaquelinne Herrera, Caitlin Hampton, Keely Brown, and Katie Jones! Although, I’m inspired daily by our whole recruiting team as we all cheer one another on and push one another in our goals. Nikki Bowman and Stephanie Felsecker are also leaders on the team who continually inspire, encourage, and challenge me in my career.

For those considering a career with AMP, my advice is simple: be a sponge and be ready to grow! The culture here is designed to encourage and to facilitate personal and professional growth, with a focus on improving by just 1% every day. From our morning success calls to our morning meetings, our goals and friendly competitions, our Life Development Programs, hearing about promotions in our company, and reading our teammates’ stories, to being recognized and celebrated for the sales we make and the businesses we’re helping, we are constantly focused on success and celebrating each other and our company. There’s a big open road ahead of us and I’m excited to invite others on this journey!

Alex Hogan, Recruiting Team Manager, had this to say about Kinsey,

“Kinsey is someone on our team who is always willing to lend a helping hand. She is the first person to step up to take on a new challenge and is a great mentor to all. She has one of the most positive attitudes that is absolutely contagious and has been someone I am lucky to call a teammate!”

Josh Mcgraw, Recruiting Team Manager, shared this about Kinsey,

“Kinsey has been such a joy to work with and positively impacts everyone around her. She brings great energy and enthusiasm to candidates she speaks with about joining our team and to her peers across the company. She is a great contributor and motivator on our Mattermost chats for our Hiring Manager team and is always first in line to celebrate the accomplishments of others. I am proud of all that Kinsey has accomplished over this last year with the work that she does impacting the communities in the markets that she serves. Her leadership is something that has really emerged over the last year and something I am very grateful for. She has led morning topics as part of our Hiring Manager meetings, she has provided new hire training as we welcome new members to our team, and conducts insightful trainings with her peers. She has truly embraced our Open Road theme and I can’t wait to see the impact that Kinsey makes for our AMP family in the future!”