Teammates say one thing you might misunderstand about Kelsey is…
she cares first and foremost about Candor's culture
It's not fundraising, or PR, or any of the roles required to run the company. Whenever we talk shop, we almost always have a brief touchpoint on maintaining or observing the company culture.
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I really admire teammates who are…
Ambitious, hard working, competent, kind, self aware, and growth oriented
I love making impact with what we're building, which is why moving fast is important to me. I also want to work with people who still have a chip on their shoulder - they're still eager to work hard and have something to prove. None of those things matter if the person isn't kind, self aware, and has a growth mindset. I want to be on the journey with other people who are ready to grow and help me grow too.
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Things that deeply motivate me…
I love winning and creating opportunities for people I love. That's why I think being a founder is my dream job - I feel like I'm in control of my own destiny AND I can make an impact for my team and the world.
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Most fulfilling project I've worked on
Candor, duh :)
No seriously, this is my life's work. I used to joke that this would be my version of charity and if I never got paid for it, that'd be okay with me. My hope for Candor is to help people be their authentic selves, be seen at work, and have life-giving relationships with their teammates. It's something that's been so important to me personally that I really want to share it with the world.
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My core values
I think that success and winning is important to me, but over the years I realize that it needs to be in the right environment - where I feel supported by the team and have the space, trust, and respect to do my best work.
Full storyTeammates see Kelsey at work as...
Teammates say Kelsey learns best by…

Things I'd love to learn
I'm trying to get better at written communication
I spend most of my days on the phone, so verbal comms feel easy to me. Written comms feel just as (maybe more!) important in a remote world and I really want to be able to communicate my points without having to hop on the phone with everyone.
Full storyWhen I'm stressed, you might notice me…
Be quieter than usual. I'm generally really talkative and bubbly.
Check in with me! It actually helps me a lot to talk about what's going on, but sometimes I don't think to share and want to just keep working / moving forward.
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Teammates say you can make Kelsey's freakin day if you…
Teammates say Kelsey receives feedback best when it’s done…
Teammates say Kelsey stands out…
How I stand out
I really enjoy solving new problems and working across different areas of the business. I like to go deep on things and rarely shy away from areas I haven't had experience with in the past. I also work pretty fast and am pretty good at context switching.
Full storyMy favorite books 📚
Love the idea of the universe conspiring to help you fulfill your dreams. I read this once per year and find new gems every time.
Full storyTeammates say one thing that might surprise you about Kelsey…
She excels at making calls with what's known in that moment.
As in, she will articulate why she sees a certain way and express it with conviction, but if you provide evidence and articulate an alternative way of looking at something, she is able to just as quickly get behind your point of view. I would therefore think that Kelsey holds conviction firmly, but not blindly!
Full storyTeammates say when Kelsey is stressed, they might…
Get really quiet or stop talking altogether
Ask her how you can help. Or if you're actually the cause of stress, maybe float that into the conversation and see how it can be resolved!
Full storyTeammates say Kelsey gives great advice about
Essentially any time there's a situation that needs delicate communication, I would go to Kelsey for advice on what to say and how to say it. Like that one time when I had a client that refused to uphold the last month of payment from our contract — Kelsey helped me craft an ironclad, firm and non-negotiable statement that did not read as personal insult, but still made it crystal clear what my stance was on the matter. And so I got paid in full 😏
Full storyTeammates say the best way to get Kelsey excited about something…
To get excited about something yourself, and show her why she should too!
Game theory has been a thing Kelsey's been thinking a lot about. Very glad to see her getting into something I've always found extremely fascinating as well.
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Teammates say Kelsey is deeply motivated by…

Teammates say Kelsey really admires teammates who are…
High agency, energetic and comfortable moving fast.
Full storyYou can ask me about
Outside of work, you'll find me...
A mix of exercise, good food and drinks, and people I love make the best days!
Full storyMy happy place

Lisbon is my happy place! I love the energy here and feel like I'm my best self. Put me in front of the river with my laptop and I'm a happy camper.
Full storyI work best as a…
I'm more of a doer than a strategizer. That means I might need a nudge to spend time "strategizing" and making our high level plan super clear. I prefer to be in the weeds, but recognize sometimes it's good to take a step back to see the full picture.
Full storyMe when sh*t hits the fan

any time the site goes down for a minute hahaha. the slack message in our eng channel gets me every time 😅
Full storyI like to get feedback when its given…
I looooove feedback! I'm a huge fan of continuous feedback and prefer when I have relationships with teammates where feedback is expected and appreciated. I'm definitely more sensitive than I let on though, so examples and kindness are big for me to be able to receive the feedback.
Full storyOne thing that might surprise you about me…
I'm a bit of a life-optimizer and track a lot of things about my own health
You'll see this at our colocations, but I have a pretty strict morning routine that I don't like messing with. Exercise daily is a non-negotiable, and I track my workouts and my sleep pretty closely. If you schedule something in the morning my time, I might ask to move it if it means I'll miss my morning rituals. I find my day is much more productive (and i'm in a better headspace!) when I make time for them.
Full storyMy areas for growth
There are a few areas I'm working on being better in: - Patience. I have a high bar for performance - both for myself and for others. When work isn't performed with speed and quality, I can be disappointed and have minimal patience to coach vs. do it myself. - Balance. I can easily (especially when stressed) over work myself. I try very hard to include exercise, meditation, and healthy eating into my day and perform better at work when I do. - Communication. I am blunt and forthright, which can come off as aggressive or not considerate to others’ feelings at times.
Full storyTeammates hope to see Kelsey grow in…
How I try to show up at work
My favorite teammates are autonomous and deliver incredibly high quality work. I love jamming on ideas for a bit, but I really value when teammates can go out and execute quickly after we align on high level. If there’s a problem, let’s deal with it. I don’t like it when things fester and prefer to call them out before there’s a real issue. I’m an Enneagram Type 3 and pretty closely align with the framework, which means I’m easily motivated and derive value from my work. I am results-oriented, efficient, and love checking things off a to-do list.
Full storyI learn best by…
I learn the best by jumping in and trying it myself... followed by feedback of course! When I was learning Bubble, I loved being able to just click around a working prototype to understand how it was all hooked up. Then I felt comfortable trying to build myself.
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You will make my freakin day if you…
I love it when people move the needle towards a shared goal because I feel supported. I also love the feeling of progress - if I feel like we're moving, I get very excited.
Full storyI'm energized at work by…
I love to say that the future of work is remote, but honestly I love some good in person time. It's my favorite time of the quarter when our colocation week comes around! We mostly work async when we can, which I think is my preferred day to day way to work. The weekly jam sesh on product is SO fun for me too.
Full storyThe best environment for me is:
I love starting out my day with 1-2 hours of uninterrupted time where I can be creative on product, growth, etc. I spend a ton of time on the phone, which can be energizing for me, but I definitely don't feel creative after. Doing my deep work before is a good way to make sure I get it in before I'm exhausted from talking calls all day.
Full storyI worry that my teammates might perceive me as…
Overbearing, intense, or cold
I can be all of these things! I'm definitely competitive, which I think comes through when I really want to win. At work, I really want to win. This can feel like A LOT (which it can be). I also can get cold or very direct when I'm stressed - it's usually because I just want to move faster and my default is efficiency. It's something I try to catch now, but if you see it and I don't, please let me know.
Full story😬😧🥴 Recently went outside my comfort zone…
A difficult conversation to let someone go.
This was one of the hardest conversations / decisions I had to make throughout my career. It's awful and uncomfortable. I know it's part of building a company, but it's a tough situation that I do my best to avoid.
Full storyEpic work fails
Joining a team that wasn't a good culture fit
Culture is the MOST important thing on a team. Even with the right role, at a crazy fast growing company, I was miserable when I didn't click with my teammates. Never again.
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How I relax
what's a relax?!
just kidding :) kind of, haha. I do have some trouble relaxing, as I find work very grounding. Outside of work, I spend time exercising, meditating, and traveling. I love love love planning trips, trying new restaurants / cafes, and catching the sunset.
Full storyMy Achilles Heel is…
Patience
If I could change one thing about myself, it'd probably be this. I'm so damn impatient with everything. I think it comes from being competitive. I love winning, so sometimes I just want to push to get there faster. If you see me pushing too hard (someone else or myself) please, please, pleaseeee let me know. Reminding me of the big picture helps a lot.
Full storyA fun fact about me is…
I have four younger brothers and our names all start with K's!
Keith, Kevin, Kyle, and Kent. The chaos in my house growing up was so real.
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