Celebrating the Women of Lift Division: Sarah Carnes
With the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Lift Division team wants to take a moment to recognize the talented women who support our company. In a year of unexpected twists and turns, women have continued to rise to the occasion and break boundaries.
Meet Sarah Carnes, Creative Director
Sarah Carnes has been the Creative Director at Lift Division for a little over a year. In her position, she oversees website development projects, designs print marketing materials and logos, creates custom graphics for social media, provides art direction for photoshoots and spearheads our internal marketing efforts.
When not initiating creative projects, Sarah is constantly building the Lift Division team up with encouragement and thought-provoking questions. “I believe in celebrating big moments and small moments, tough wins and tiny victories,” Sarah says. “A kind word, chat, or email goes a long way, and the Lift Division team regularly cheers on one another.”
Continue reading to hear more about how Sarah’s experience with the Lift Division team has empowered her as a woman in the Columbia community.
Q: How has Lift Division empowered you as a woman?
The Lift Division team is 63% women. It's incredible to look around and see other brilliant, ambitious and hardworking women. We all bring a diverse set of skills and experience, which empowers each other.
One of the main reasons I came to work at Lift Division was because I already knew Rusty, Jamie, Kelsey, and Jake. I jumped at the opportunity to work alongside some of the most brilliant minds in Columbia. It was immediately empowering to know my colleagues, their work ethic, and have mutual respect and adoration for one another.
Q: What do you love about the women you work with at Lift Division?
The women at Lift Division are gracious and hardworking. Whenever one of us is overwhelmed or in need of help, the women aren't just coming to the rescue — they are a consistent source of support and community.
Q: Has there been a time when you felt challenged due to your gender? If so, how did you overcome it?
I've definitely been in important meetings or part of decision-making processes at other companies and been one of the only women present. It can be daunting, frustrating, and can also create tension. Whenever this happened, my immediate thought was, "Why am I the only woman here? Am I here to meet the status quo or because they actually value my expertise and opinion? What misogynistic attitudes and behaviors will I see today, and how am I going to handle that?" You find out right away what kind of meeting you're in and why. The younger version of myself would have been insecure and nervous. You overcome it by being prepared, educated, confident and courageous. Eventually, these tense moments become less of a challenge and more of an opportunity if you focus on what matters most and your mindset.
Q: In what ways do you work to grow yourself as a woman and in your profession?
I'm an avid blog and email newsletter junkie when it comes to leadership in the workforce, especially as it relates to women and leading creative teams. There's always one or two leadership or professional development books in progress on my iPad alongside my favorite crime novels.
Q: If you could go back in time and give yourself advice as a little girl about the future, what would it be?
Don't worry about what people think about you. All that matters is kindness and confidence.
Here at Lift Division, we believe in always challenging ourselves and fostering growth, both inside and outside of our careers. Through collaborative projects, we continually learn from one another and encourage each other to get outside of our comfort zones, because that is where growth happens.
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Sarah had an interest in art, writing and technology from a very early age. She spent her childhood building websites and designing album artwork. Fortunate enough to attend a high school that offered graphic design classes, she was able to pursue her passion and expertise earlier than most of her peers.
Sarah oversees all operational and visual aspects of Lift Division, including design, community management, photography, videography, recruitment and company initiatives. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Sarah has been instrumental in the high growth of multiple companies and brands, which included helping a company flourish from a $10M to $45M company. She innovates, leads and executes strategic marketing initiatives from the ground up.
Sarah has held various marketing and design positions including Brake Printing, Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, Westminster College and Fresh Ideas Food Service as the Director of Marketing. Her career has allowed her to innovate, lead and execute strategic marketing initiatives from the ground up while managing a team of digital marketers. Sarah has managed and developed marketing, communication, branding, digital communities and creative direction for various companies throughout her career.
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