The VTS team consists of folks with a diverse set of personalities, talents, and perspectives, and we want you to meet them! That’s why we’ve created this #WeAreVTS blog series to highlight some of the many outstanding people we have at VTS, get a closer look at the dynamic lives they have, and continue to create an environment where each VTSer can be their authentic self.
For our next employee Q&A in the series, we’re spotlighting Kevin Rippon, our Director of Strategic Account and Product Marketing, who’s been with VTS for over two years. We hope you enjoy getting to know Kevin as much as we enjoy having him as part of the team!
VTS: In a sentence or two, can you explain what you do here at VTS?
Kevin Rippon: I’m the Director of Strategic Account and Product Marketing. It’s a hybrid role. 50% of my role is essentially bringing new products and features to market. The other half is working directly with the sales team on how to sell our platform to our most strategic enterprise accounts.
VTS: Where are you based right now?
Kevin: I’m based out of northern New Jersey in Morris County, but I do work out of our New York City Headquarters half the time.
VTS: Describe your professional journey and how it led you to VTS.
Kevin: Gosh, it’s been a whirlwind. In college, I studied marketing and the first couple of jobs I had were with different advertising agencies. Afterward, I took on a corporate marketing role before taking a left turn into tech consulting. Amalgamating the skills I had between these jobs was pretty helpful to get into product marketing. Skills fostered in my earlier roles connect so well to what I’m doing now, from creating collateral or standing up various demand generation programs. The mixture of these backgrounds really helped me get into product marketing.
I’ve been in product marketing for the better part of five years, with various companies, and I joined VTS in late 2019.
VTS: What did a typical weekend used to look like for you? And what does it look like for you now?
Kevin: Pre-COVID and post-COVID, the differences are so stark. I had my first child right before the pandemic started, so I don’t know COVID-19 without parenthood and parenthood without COVID-19. Before becoming parents, my wife and I were either doing short trips somewhere or hanging out with friends. We were historically very social people. Now, I have two children, so weekends are spending time with the kids, playing outside, trying new games, and seeing our immediate families.
VTS: What was your dream job growing up?
Kevin: So the realistic one was definitely advertising. Back in high school, I wanted to write TV commercials.
The other one I considered for a brief period of time was acting, the barrier being that you have to actually have talent (laughs). But Julianne Moore is my mom’s cousin, so it didn't feel so far-fetched at the time.
VTS: What excites you about what you do at VTS?
Kevin: There’s so much. One of the things that I genuinely believe about VTS is that it really takes a village to bring products to market. Most of all, VTS is a company where individuals are trying to build each other up, do well, and help each other out. I think it’s great and makes VTS such a collaborative place to work.
From a product standpoint, I was really excited when we launched Virtual Tourbooks as part of VTS Marketplace. The reason I’m particularly fond of that coming to fruition is that the Virtual Tourbook was just a concept, it didn’t previously exist in the commercial real estate industry before. It seemed like such a pie in the sky at first. As we launched VTS Market and Marketplace, we realized there was a real opportunity to build this out. I built a beta version of the Virtual Tourbook, and then, to the credit of the Marketplace, Product, and Development teams, they took it and ran with it. Now we have an incredible tool for tenant reps, and it’s the only thing of its kind.
VTS: What’s one thing you have loved about working from home? What’s been a challenge?
Kevin: They’re one and the same, which is my children. Our days were chaotic in the beginning, with my wife and I trying to give each other time and space to do our jobs and take meetings while taking care of a baby. And when you’re a first-time parent, you don't really have your ducks in a row on how to be a parent quite yet.
But the wonderful part about it is that I would never have fostered the same relationship with my kids. This early on, my daughter, who’s old enough now to walk and talk and understand what’s going on — our relationship is really good. It’s great because my wife and I can really be there for our kids, pretty much 24/7. I feel like we really lucked out because our kids are awesome.
VTS: What is your advice for someone who wants to be in a role similar to yours?
Kevin: I think everyone’s path to this role is a little bit different. Product marketing is so expansive and can encompass so many skillsets. What I would say to someone early on in their career is to foster those soft skills. It’s about being able to learn how to work very efficiently. That’s the key to any role really, but especially in product marketing, since it requires a lot of output. Being able to produce high-quality work fast, is key. No matter what level you’re at, the quicker you get to those end results, the more effective you will be in your role.
Also, I feel like the hardest part about work isn’t work itself, but the balance between work and the rest of your life.
Learn more about other VTSers featured in this #WeAreVTS Q&A series:
- API Support Manager Justin Acker on Solving Technical and Emotional Puzzles
- Marketing Operations Director Sam Taube on Always Being Curious
- Product Manager Kim Smit on Finding the One Piece of the Role You’re Passionate About
