YPDaily: Kristina Breckon

After working at a brokerage and realizing it wasn’t for her, Kristina Breckon no longer wanted to be tied down to any one task or job title. Finding the perfect opportunity in Consonant Skincare, she’s exposed to many projects, constantly expanding her horizons in today’s YPDaily…

Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
I manage operations for Consonant Skincare, a luxury natural skin care company. As the “second in command” at the company, I do everything from creating and managing the marketing plan, to building and maintaining relationships with our different distribution partners, to working with the lab on new formulations. No day is ever the same and my job is constantly evolving as the company does.

Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
I came across Consonant serendipitously. Coming out of school, I worked at a brokerage and realized that wasn’t for me. I found the job listing online one day when I checked a posting site that I hadn’t visited before. I was drawn to Consonant because it was just a fledgling company at the time. As cheesy as it sounds, I really felt like I could make a difference at the company. The fact that I could be involved in every facet of the organization, rather than just being in “marketing” or “finance”, was really attractive. I also really liked the idea of being on the leading edge of the next big shift in how people take care of themselves.

What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part is also the most challenging. I live for the constant change in the job. The variety of experiences and daily tasks keeps me on my toes and doesn’t let me get too comfortable. I really appreciate the autonomy that I’m given. I also absolutely love when people come in and tell us how the products have changed their life. It validates everything that we’re doing.

The most challenging part stems from the fact that Consonant is still a small company. Because of that, I have to be able to adapt quickly and be comfortable tackling tasks I have no prior experience with.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In my ideal world, Consonant will be a global leader in the natural beauty space and I will still be working with Bill (the founder) helping to lead the way. I also hope to own my first home by then and have really put down some roots in the city.

What does success look like to you?
Happiness without complacency. The source of the happiness is different in each facet of life but if you’re not happy where you are, regardless of what you’ve accomplished, I don’t think you’ve truly been successful. Work life balance is crucial. Success in one part of your life at the expense of another isn’t sustainable.

What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
In October we opened our first flagship store. Prior to that we had been doing business online and through a number of national retailers. We got the keys to the store at the end of June and there was a lot of time, sweat and very hard work put into opening in October, while not letting our existing business suffer. I have never been more exhausted in my life – I actually fell asleep standing up one day after work.

In November, we had our launch party to celebrate with friends, family and our business partners. It was really emotional having everyone that had helped along the way in the same (very crowded!) room. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished and how far the company has come in the last few years. It’s been so phenomenal seeing people’s reaction to something that we’ve worked so hard on.

Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Don’t be afraid to take the road less travelled. I think a lot of people in our generation are impatient and think they should be making a lot of money right away so they’re reluctant to take a less traditional career path. I think that outside “normal” jobs lay truly exceptional opportunities. They may not be the fastest way to make money or get an impressive title but you will learn infinitely more and it will pay off in the long run.

Do you support any charities?
I work closely with the Canadian Breast Cancer Support Fund with Consonant. They are an amazing, new Canadian charity that financially supports women going through breast cancer treatment. They also advocate prevention (living a healthy lifestyle, using healthy products etc), which I strongly believe in.

I have also supported the Canadian Cancer Society for years, in different capacities.

What to you is notable?
Passion, kindness, purposeful deviation from the pack, optimism, humility.

Blackberry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
Blackberry, although its days are numbered. I’m an Apple girl at heart (and at home) so I’ll be switching to an iPhone soon.

You can follow Kristina Breckon on Twitter @kristinabreckon