Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathryn Ikle
Hi Kathryn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been an artist my whole life. As a child, I loved reading the Sunday comics in the newspaper and I loved watching cartoons. I was fascinated at how cartoons were made and thought I would be a cartoonist when I grew up. I started out drawing cartoons and characters as a child: Peanuts, Punky Brewster, Strawberry Shortcake, DuckTales, Rainbow Brite – so many! I mailed my drawings to Disney and received a package back in the mail. It was a stack of Disney Comic Books from an animator at Disney with a personal letter encouraging my artistic ability. That kindness propelled me forward and I remember that moment to this day.
I took art classes in school as a child and by the time I got to high school, I was taking Advanced Placement Art. I loved painting acrylic portraits of people and created a series of portrait paintings my senior year of high school. I received a creative writing scholarship and an art scholarship from Indiana University. However, life had other plans. I took Studio Art at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and Graphic Design at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. While in college, I worked at an advertising company that really solidified my love for graphic design and marketing. I graduated from University of Memphis, Tennessee with an Art and Marketing degree. I also hold a certification in Museum Studies from Harvard University. My dream in college was to impact the world. My dream now is to impact those around me – which impacts the world!
My combined personal and professional path in life as an artist has been an amazing ride of hard work mixed with joy. Professionally, I am a User Experience professional in the technology space, experienced in graphic design, marketing, and innovation. I have worked for companies such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, FedEx, Topgolf, and Citibank. I started my career as an administrative assistant and currently serve as Vice President of Strategy & Design and Head of Servicing at Citibank.
I have owned several creative businesses: Ikle Creative Designs, offering custom furniture, art, and interior design; Perez Projects, offering remodeling and landscaping services; and Third Entity, offering services in strategy, creative, coaching, personal and professional development.
Personally, I am an artist and have a passion for the arts and the arts community. My family heritage is a huge inspiration for me as an artist. The Iklé family produced over 1,450 beautiful lace textiles all over Europe for generations, which inspire my style of art: detailed, airy, and intricate. While my main mediums are acrylic paint, charcoal, and printmaking, I work in all mediums. My art is on permanent display in Memphis, TN, Dallas, Texas, and Dover, NH. I have received awards from Art & Color 365 Magazine and other publications. I have an online store kathrynikleshop.com showcasing my work as an artist that includes art, gifts, and textiles.
Within the arts community I have curated and participated in art shows. I currently serve as the President of the Art Club of McKinney, Texas, the oldest art club in Texas, which is over 100 years old and has over 145 members. I love promoting and supporting artists! Most recently, I partnered with Kimberly Berriochoa, an artist and owner of Falcon’s Nest, a destination in the Texas Hill Country, 30 minutes from Austin, Texas. We co-facilitate artist retreats and we are so excited to further support and inspire artists and the arts community.
I am so grateful for those along my personal and professional path who have encouraged and supported me and my dreams. When I look back on my life, I recognize and respect the hard work I put into attaining my self-defined success and I am so grateful for those people along the journey who inspired, supported, pushed, and sometimes pulled me to reach my fullest potential as a human, an artist, a professional, a friend, a mom, a daughter, and a partner. I have realized in my life that the only limits placed on you are the ones you place on yourself. There is no glass ceiling because there is no ceiling! Believe it. Live it. Be bold.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a young person, I viewed life as a straight line. However, life showed me it is anything but that! I was a single mother for a significant part of my college career and the beginning of my professional career. Balancing life as a mother, an employee, and a college student was extremely challenging. I worked full time and took college classes during my lunch breaks. This was before a lot of college classes were offered online. It took me 10 years to finish college and complete my degree. I decided early on in my life that being a mother, advancing my career professionally, and advancing as an artist were all equally important to me. I knew that the life goals I had would require a lot of hard work and sacrifice if I were to reach those goals. I was extremely self-motivated to make things happen in my life. I’ve always been a dreamer, but I am also one to act on those dreams. My stubbornness as a child really benefited me in my later years!
As you know, we’re big fans of Third Entity. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I co-founded Third Entity with my partner Andrew Leff. Together, we bring a wealth of experience and expertise across a wide range of fields, and we are passionate about helping others reach their full potential. We created Third Entity as a service for those who seek to do more and be more. At Third Entity, we believe that we are more creative and productive together than apart—the sum of us together is greater than ourselves alone.
Andrew is a thought leader with over 15 years of global experience spanning finance, technology, government, marketing, logistics, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, and insurance industries. As a people leader, he has earned an outstanding reputation as a coach and mentor. I have an established reputation as a UX leader, consultant, and speaker with over 20 years of expertise in digital design, UX, product development, marketing, technology, and the arts.
At Third Entity, we offer strategy, creative, coaching, and personal and professional development services. We’ve hosted hackathons, workshops, and classes; audited and designed websites; provided executive and leadership coaching; presented at speaking engagements; hosted networking events; co-designed corporate strategies; and mentored people in their careers. We partner with individuals, teams, and organizations to reveal hidden potential and catalyze transformative change.
Our client roster reflects the diverse landscape of Texas, including students, professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, non-profits, and corporations. Partnering with Third Entity will enable you to emerge more #inspired, #powerful, and #purposeful in your work, relationships, and self. What sets us apart? Our experience in strategy, creative, coaching, and personal and professional development, combined with our ability to quickly connect the dots, enables you to harness the power of change. We do not charge a fee to meet and discuss how we can help you achieve your goals and we welcome opportunities to partner and collaborate with others. We would love the opportunity to help you in any way we can.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is being the best version of myself. I strive to deliver quality work, reach my full potential, and make the most of my God-given talents. Life is short, and I want to pack in as much as I can! Whether I’m being an artist, a UX professional, a consultant, a speaker, a designer, the President of the Art Club of McKinney, a mom, a coach, a partner, a daughter, a friend, an influencer, a motivator, or an inspirer, my goal is to excel in every role I take on. What truly matters to me is delivering quality in everything I am and everything I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.kathrynikle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iklecreativedesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathrynrebeccaikle/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kathrynikle
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathrynikle
- Other: https://thirdentity.org/index.html
