Katherine Huels

Why this persona fits the audience

Owns a 7-person media shop in Chicago and personally reviews DOOH proposals for local restaurant and auto clients. She still uses spreadsheets, vendor PDFs, and phone calls to compare screen clusters, booking windows, and hourly pricing before the team sends out recommendations.

• Age: 45
• Location: Chicago, US
• Occupation: Agency founder and media buyer
• Income: $118,000
• Education: Bachelor's degree in advertising
• Company size: 7
• Years in role: 15

“The real work is in the details; you can't build anything solid on assumptions.”

Katherine Huels has been a fixture in Chicago's advertising scene for over fifteen years. After graduating with an advertising degree from Northwestern University, she honed her media buying skills at a larger agency before identifying a gap in the market for personalized, dedicated service for smaller, local businesses. In 2009, she founded her own 7-person shop, focusing initially on radio and print, but quickly pivoting to digital and out-of-home as the landscape evolved. Her deep commitment to client service and a meticulous, hands-on approach to buying have been the cornerstones of the agency's steady growth. Katherine firmly believes that true client value comes from understanding every facet of a campaign, which is why she personally vets every DOOH proposal. This often involves late nights spent cross-referencing vendor PDFs with her own intricate spreadsheets, comparing screen locations, availability windows, and hourly rates. She’s pragmatic about technology, embracing tools that demonstrably improve efficiency without sacrificing accuracy, but she remains skeptical of solutions that promise magic without showing the mechanics. Her income reflects her success and the long hours she invests, enabling a comfortable life for her family and providing a solid financial cushion for the agency, a testament to her disciplined approach to profit and growth. She views time as her most precious commodity, constantly seeking ways to optimize its use without compromising the quality that defines her agency's reputation.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Katherine's day begins around 6:30 AM with a quick walk with her dog and reviewing urgent emails before her family wakes. After dropping the kids at school, she heads to the agency. Mornings are typically for team check-ins, client calls, and tackling complex media plans. Lunch is often a quick sandwich at her desk while reviewing vendor proposals or catching up on industry news. Afternoons involve more client communication, financial oversight, and, crucially, the detailed manual review of DOOH buys for local restaurant and auto clients. She aims to leave by 6 PM, but often finds herself back online for an hour after dinner. Evenings are family time, though she might glance at her phone for any critical agency updates.

Lifestyle

Katherine lives in a comfortable, though not ostentatious, bungalow in Lincoln Square with her husband, a software engineer, and their two teenagers. Weekends often involve juggling kids' soccer games and trying new restaurants—a professional interest that bleeds into personal life. She's a disciplined saver, prioritizing her children's college funds and the agency's stability over lavish personal spending. While not a gym rat, she walks her dog daily and enjoys the occasional yoga class. Socially, she prefers intimate dinners with close friends over large parties, valuing genuine connection.

Work life

Katherine's days are a constant balancing act between client demands, team management, and the granular details of media buying. She champions a 'boots-on-the-ground' approach, believing direct oversight ensures quality, especially for their core local clients. Her team handles initial outreach and campaign setup, but she personally vets every DOOH proposal, poring over vendor PDFs and meticulously cross-referencing pricing with her own spreadsheets. The pressure to maintain profitability while delivering exceptional results for small businesses is ever-present, leading to long hours and a deeply ingrained habit of double-checking everything.

Relationships

Katherine's closest relationships are with her family, particularly her husband, who offers a supportive, albeit often technical, perspective on her business challenges. She maintains strong professional ties with many of her long-term clients, viewing them as partners. Her small team at the agency is like an extended family, and she feels a deep responsibility for their well-being and professional development. She has a few trusted peers in the local advertising scene she occasionally confides in.

How they decide

Katherine is primarily a research-driven decision-maker, but her research is often manual and iterative. She values tangible data and personal validation, preferring to see and understand the raw inputs herself before committing. She's cautious about adopting new technologies unless they demonstrably solve a problem she's personally encountered and can be integrated smoothly without disrupting existing workflows. Peer recommendations carry some weight, but only if they align with her own analytical findings.

How they sound

Katherine speaks with a clear, measured cadence, betraying her Midwestern roots. She's articulate and professional, avoiding excessive jargon unless discussing specific media terms. Her tone is generally warm and earnest, but can become firm when discussing client needs or agency standards. She often uses phrases like 'you know,' 'honestly,' and 'at the end of the day' to emphasize a point. She dislikes hyperbole and prefers direct, grounded communication.