Amy von Kaenel

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

Currently I am trying to create a stronger Education Technology (EdTech) industry in my community of Southern California. In Northern California, there are a lot of EdTech companies. EdTech merges technology with traditional and nontraditional learning so more students can learn more effectively. It also democratizes education by bringing resources to students that wouldn't otherwise have access to them. I am organizing an event at a local university to bring together a panel of speakers from both the non-profit sector and technology sector. Sometimes you have to give the industry you want to build a career in a little nudge.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I image and lead a team to build products. That sounds overly simplistic because before you can imagine a product, you need to imagine your customers, visitors and partners using the product. You have to picture them in their environment, their motivation for using the product (examples: entertainment? solving a problem? learning?) and how your product addresses their needs. I enjoy building have-to-have compared to nice-to-have products. One I understand my audience and their intentions, then the real work begins. I gather a team of designers and developers. We gather around a table with a white board in the room and a large video screen so we can map out workflows, features, functions on the whiteboard and look for example online of similar problems. Then, I document the user requirements and translate this into instructions that our designers and developers understand. I shepherd the product through the process, including testing and integration with any other systems. Then viola! We launch the product the to public.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I image and lead a team to build products. That sounds overly simplistic because before you can imagine a product, you need to imagine your customers, visitors and partners using the product. You have to picture them in their environment, their motivation for using the product (examples: entertainment? solving a problem? learning?) and how your product addresses their needs. I enjoy building have-to-have compared to nice-to-have products. One I understand my audience and their intentions, then the real work begins. I gather a team of designers and developers. We gather around a table with a white board in the room and a large video screen so we can map out workflows, features, functions on the whiteboard and look for example online of similar problems. Then, I document the user requirements and translate this into instructions that our designers and developers understand. I shepherd the product through the process, including testing and integration with any other systems. Then viola! We launch the product the to public.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I image and lead a team to build products. That sounds overly simplistic because before you can imagine a product, you need to imagine your customers, visitors and partners using the product. You have to picture them in their environment, their motivation for using the product (examples: entertainment? solving a problem? learning?) and how your product addresses their needs. I enjoy building have-to-have compared to nice-to-have products. One I understand my audience and their intentions, then the real work begins. I gather a team of designers and developers. We gather around a table with a white board in the room and a large video screen so we can map out workflows, features, functions on the whiteboard and look for example online of similar problems. Then, I document the user requirements and translate this into instructions that our designers and developers understand. I shepherd the product through the process, including testing and integration with any other systems. Then viola! We launch the product the to public.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I wish I had! I had to pay for my education, so my extracurricular activity was work. The good news is that by the time I graduated, I had a lot of business experience. While in school I worked at Wells Fargo opening checking and savings accounts, and auto and personal loans. It taught me a lot about money management. Then I took on an internship at Allergan my senior year of college. I graduated on a Friday and had a full time job the following Monday. While I don't regret being well prepared for the business world, it would have been nice to have taken a gap year in another country. If you have the financial support, I encourage every student to take a gap year and do a service project or work and travel abroad. It helps you see the world beyond your bubble.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I wish I had! I had to pay for my education, so my extracurricular activity was work. The good news is that by the time I graduated, I had a lot of business experience. While in school I worked at Wells Fargo opening checking and savings accounts, and auto and personal loans. It taught me a lot about money management. Then I took on an internship at Allergan my senior year of college. I graduated on a Friday and had a full time job the following Monday. While I don't regret being well prepared for the business world, it would have been nice to have taken a gap year in another country. If you have the financial support, I encourage every student to take a gap year and do a service project or work and travel abroad. It helps you see the world beyond your bubble.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

I wish I had! I had to pay for my education, so my extracurricular activity was work. The good news is that by the time I graduated, I had a lot of business experience. While in school I worked at Wells Fargo opening checking and savings accounts, and auto and personal loans. It taught me a lot about money management. Then I took on an internship at Allergan my senior year of college. I graduated on a Friday and had a full time job the following Monday. While I don't regret being well prepared for the business world, it would have been nice to have taken a gap year in another country. If you have the financial support, I encourage every student to take a gap year and do a service project or work and travel abroad. It helps you see the world beyond your bubble.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

I received my big break when my 2nd son was five weeks old. I had applied for multiple product marketing and product research jobs. I landed my best, and to this day, favorite client. I worked for this and other technology research clients for over 12 years and researched go-to-market strategies and enterprise software for organizations like Microsoft, HP, CA, SAP, Pearson and McKesson. During this time I interviewed over 1,000 customers - the people who use the technology the software companies build - daily. It gave me a great deal of empathy for the customer experience.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

I received my big break when my 2nd son was five weeks old. I had applied for multiple product marketing and product research jobs. I landed my best, and to this day, favorite client. I worked for this and other technology research clients for over 12 years and researched go-to-market strategies and enterprise software for organizations like Microsoft, HP, CA, SAP, Pearson and McKesson. During this time I interviewed over 1,000 customers - the people who use the technology the software companies build - daily. It gave me a great deal of empathy for customers' experiences.

How did you start building your network?

Linked in is amazing. People are so responsive when you ask a valid, relevant business question. With that said, there is no substitute for face-to-face connections. I love my alumni association and participate regularly in alumni events. The university where I earned my degree in economics, then an MBA, is like a second home to me.

How did you start building your network?

Linked in is amazing. People are so responsive when you ask a valid, relevant business question. With that said, there is no substitute for face-to-face connections. I love my alumni association and participate regularly in alumni events. The university where I earned my degree in economics, then an MBA, is like a second home to me.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Continue to network. It's tempting to throw 200% into your job and have eyes only for the company where you are working. But it's important to build relationships beyond your 9-to-5 job. It also helps you within your organization to have external contacts that you can call upon for questions, referrals, etc.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Continue to network. It's tempting to throw 200% into your job and have eyes only for the company where you are working. But it's important to build relationships beyond your 9-to-5 job. It also helps you within your organization to have external contacts that you can call upon for questions, referrals, etc.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

Continue to network. It's tempting to throw 200% into your job and have eyes only for the company where you are working. But it's important to build relationships beyond your 9-to-5 job. It also helps you within your organization to have external contacts that you can call upon for questions, referrals, etc.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

No one is going to manage your career but you. Don't wait for someone to give you a big break. Go find opportunities for yourself and pursue them vigorously.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

No one is going to manage your career but you. Don't wait for someone to give you a big break. Go find opportunities for yourself and pursue them vigorously.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

I was able to stay on track because I had a strong sense of how I could bring value to an organization. If I wasn't the right person for a specific role, I said so. I think it's important to be fair to yourself and the organization or client you support.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I followed my interests. I started college as a Humanities (english) major. I have always been a good writer and the go-to copy person in almost every role I've held. But the economics classes captivated me. I changed majors. I always take on roles with a macro focus: "What is the overarching problem to be solved or aspiration to be achieved?" Go in the direction of your interests. If you do, it doesn't feel like work.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I followed my interests. I started college as a Humanities (english) major. I have always been a good writer and the go-to copy person in almost every role I've held. But the economics classes captivated me. I changed majors. I always take on roles with a macro focus: "What is the overarching problem to be solved or aspiration to be achieved?" Go in the direction of your interests. If you do, it doesn't feel like work.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

There's a balance between happy stress and unhappy stress. Happy stress feels exhilarating. The challenge is tough, but doable. Unhappy stress feels like a pile of anxiety you can't escape. When it's the latter, it's time to take a step back, breath, and change the dynamics. If it's too much work for a reasonable workweek, ask for support. Ask for better technology to eliminate manual work or inefficiency. A good employee doesn't do the job; he or she improves the job.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

There's a balance between happy stress and unhappy stress. Happy stress feels exhilarating. The challenge is tough, but doable. Unhappy stress feels like a pile of anxiety you can't escape. When it's the latter, it's time to take a step back, breath, and change the dynamics. If it's too much work for a reasonable workweek, ask for support. Ask for better technology to eliminate manual work or inefficiency. A good employee doesn't do the job; he or she improves the job.