PPB September 2022

FEATURE | Rising Stars Mitch Kaeser, 30 Event Planning Kaeser & Blair, Inc. Newport, Kentucky Getting Started “I say that I’ve been around a lifetime, but — with a paycheck — seven years. I kind of developed my own role within the company. I dropped and added little parts from other job descriptions to create this role of mine.” Earning The Honor Having worked with Kaeser & Blair as a supplier for 15 years, nominator Liza Sachs has known both Brad and Mitch Kaeser since they were boys. She recently joined the company as the director of sales, and now gets to work with both directly and see firsthand how much the family company means to them. She says Mitch takes “such pride in the family company and plans to help grow for another 100 years!” Proudest Moment? “Last year, I took on the responsibilities of planning our annual sales conference. My proudest moment was I had a flawless execution of the project. After it, I think in the moment it ended, I was like, ‘I did that.’ It was an amazing thing. Now, I’m planning next year, and I think it’s going to go even better.” Your Most Difficult Challenge? “Right now, I would say the challenges are connections and trying to get those back up to par to what our connections were in the past. I think we’ve taken a step back, or a backseat role for a little bit, but we’re ready to set sail and get those connections back up.” How Do You Achieve Work/Life Balance? “I know people like to push the 5 p.m. boundary, but I have almost a hard stop at 5 p.m. I think it’s important to really live your life and as much as a job is a part of that, it’s important to balance and realize that you need to give yourself time and smell the roses.” How Does Kaeser & Blair Support You? “I’ve been given a lot of freedom — freedom to express myself and freedom to bring opinions to the table. I think they made a good solid effort to not push away my opinions or young people’s opinions. They’re very open to change and open to allowing us to help the company.” What Inspires You? “I’m all about a smile. I think if I can get someone to smile, that’s what makes me want to do my best work. Just making someone happy inspires me to do my best. There’s a famous quote by Dolly Parton that says, ‘If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.’ That’s kind of my go-to motto. I think I’ll do anything for the smile.” 28 | SEPTEMBER 2022 |

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