We are a team of brand, marketing, human resources, and communications strategists offering our clients authentic insight and unrivaled expertise to brand and market their unique employment experience from the inside out. And like our clients, we at exaqueo, have our own unique and authentic stories to tell from the perspectives of our brand, our company, and our individual colleagues. Today, we are excited to tell the story of Krista Gonzalez.
Krista is an associate employer brand strategist at exaqueo, passionate about people and building strong relationships through inclusivity, curiosity, and thought partnership. She has a diverse background in marketing, recruiting, people leadership, and customer success.
Onboarding is an important step in building a new employee’s confidence and sense of belonging with a company. Here, we like to build that sense of belonging by assigning each new hire an “exaqueo buddy.” As Krista’s “exaqueo buddy,” I have had the privilege of supporting her throughout the past couple of months during her onboarding journey. In the first few weeks we realized we were both at the BottleRock festival in Napa at the same time!
Krista and I took a few minutes to catch up, and I am excited to share some highlights from our conversation.
What made you want to join exaqueo?
exaqueo had me at “work with meaning.” There’s an intentionality behind it. I love working with people and being able to help others through the employment journey, so this mantra really resonated with me.
When I found out that exaqueo is women-owned and women-run, one word came to mind: badass! exaqueo felt honest, different, somewhere I could create a legacy and have an impact. The potential to build trust was there, and the team was very transparent. We approach work in a way that’s different and puts a spotlight on the employee. This was very unique and stood out to me.
What excites you most about your role at exaqueo?
I look forward to being able to innovate in the employer brand space to help others. I love that we take time to become an extension of our clients’ internal teams. We get to know our clients, do the research, and personalize each engagement. I appreciate the relationship that we build with each of our clients.
What impact do you hope to make at exaqueo?
I hope to be able to put a spotlight on employees to share their stories. It’s an opportunity to hear real stories, from real people. There should be no surprises when someone is looking for a role at a new company. Starting a new job is a big milestone in people's lives, and I want to help them in that journey.
What are three words that best describe you?
- Supportive: being very thoughtful, being open and honest, trustworthy, and someone you can come to that will be understanding and open to conversation
- Collaborative: being better together, thinking things through, being innovative and brainstorming, and knowing there isn’t only one answer to a solution
- Driven: being goal-oriented, solution-oriented, and focusing on the work that drives me and gives me energy
It’s important to me that I make an impact with everything that I do. I want my work to create a ripple effect that amplifies excellence in others.
What do you like to do outside of work for fun?
I love hanging out with my family. My husband and I like to go on date nights — quality time is really important to me. I am the biggest cheerleader for each of my children at all their sporting events. I don’t really have hobbies anymore. My kids' hobbies are my hobbies, and I love it!
What’s the most interesting thing about your home office set-up?
The most interesting thing about my home office set-up is my Inclusive Barbie (Barbie Fashionistas Doll #144) — she sits right on my desk. I love this Barbie because she is size-inclusive, not your normal Barbie. This is the Barbie I wanted growing up, one that looked like me, someone I could relate to. My daughter bought her for me and she wound up in my office as decoration. When I look at Inclusive Barbie, I think, “Be you, be who you are authentically.” She’s unapologetically her and does not fit traditional Barbie standards. This is who Barbie is supposed to be. I actually collected Barbies my whole life. My grandma would buy me one to play with and an additional one to save. I still have all of them, but Inclusive Barbie is by far the most special to me.
What motivates or inspires you to do your best?
Professionally, innovation inspires me to do my best. I enjoy coming to the table with new ideas and challenging myself. This work at exaqueo challenges me because every client is different. We get to find creative solutions to solve problems and make things better for our company, clients, and people. We get to be an advocate for others.
Personally, my family motivates me to do my best. I want to be someone that they are proud of. I want to be someone my kids can look up to. I want them to learn and to know that you have to put in the work, it doesn’t just come to you.
Please join me in welcoming Krista as she continues to dive into working on #teamexaqueo and contributes to helping organizations work with meaning. Be sure to connect with Krista on LinkedIn and read more about her experience by visiting her bio.
