Every person and organization has a story to tell, and Serendipity Media is no different. As we kick off 2024, we have some new faces and new stories to share, so come along as we (re)introduce the Serendipity Team!
Kasie: President and Publisher
As Serendipity’s President and Publisher, Kasie has led the Serendipity team for over twenty years (”And what a journey it has been!”). “No two days have ever been the same and our business has evolved and changed so much during this time,” she said. “Without a doubt, what I love most about our work is the people! Whether I’m on the road traveling to a trade show or in the office working with our team, I find fulfillment in learning, adapting and growing together.”
For Kasie, family outings (a.k.a. “#forcedfamilyfun”) are a staple throughout her weekends. “My husband Jason and I have 14-year-old twin boys, who are growing up way too fast and keeping us busy with sports,” she said. “If we aren’t camping in our RV, you will likely find us out on the golf course. There is nothing better than playing as a family on a beautiful Sunday afternoon!”
When in need of some “serious downtime,” you’ll find Kasie in her happy place with “a good book with a great glass of chardonnay.”
Kary: Media Sales Director
Serendipity’s Media Sales Director, Kary, oversees the Sales Team and continually brings her passion and joy to the forefront of her work. “With over 20 years in the group and student travel industry, I have had the privilege to see much of the world with so many wonderful people,” she said. “I can truly say I have had some of the best belly laughs with my industry friends while on the road!”
Although winters can be long in the Midwest, Kary’s love of Michigan summers remains steadfast. “I am obsessed with summer! We love beach days, finding a new Bloody Mary recipe at a local establishment, dining on chips and salsa and golfing on the weekends. If we find a great 80’s band to listen to, our weekend is complete!”
Kelli: Media Sales Manager
As Revue’s Media Sales Manager, Kelli’s work lets her dive into the best that West Michigan has to offer, from connecting with local business owners and marketing firms to concert and event promoters and more. “As I look back on my 10-year sales anniversary with Revue, I am most proud of the fact that I can still say I love what I do. The fun clients and creatives I work with, our exceptionally talented team, the events I get to attend and the brewery tours I have been a part of help too!”
Kelli’s weekends are often filled with her favorite things: listening to vinyl with her husband (“My current favorite in our collection is Greta Van Fleet’s Starcatcher!”), playing Mario Kart with her daughter, meeting friends for tacos and “extra spicy margaritas” or taking advantage of a cozy, rainy day. “It’s my favorite,” she said, “when I can stay inside on a rainy day, curled up next to my dog with a good book!”
Haleigh: Media Sales Consultant
For Haleigh, connection is at the heart of what being a Media Sales Consultant for Groups Today and Teach & Travel is all about. Whether it’s chatting with current or prospective clients, Haleigh takes the reins in creating and revising marketing campaigns to ensure advertisers are reaching their full potential with Serendipity’s publications. “My favorite part of this job is the in-person connections I’ve made at various industry trade shows!”
Connection extends into one of her favorite activities: connecting with nature by taking weekend strolls through Millennium Park in Grand Rapids with her husband and their pup, Obie. “The park is so expansive! With so many different trails, you can walk a different route every time. Despite Michigan’s weather, we try to get out there every week and it has been a great way for us to appreciate all the seasons our state has to offer!”
Susan: Media Sales Consultant
Susan is “the expert on all things West Michigan Woman” and can often be found making new connections and helping the publication meet its sponsorship and advertising goals. “I also try to get out and meet local business owners in person! It’s a great privilege to be able to meet the people that make West Michigan the great place that we all call home.”
Among her recent achievements is a personal goal she set for herself last year: to become her best, healthiest self. “In 2023, I made a personal investment in myself by going to a Naturopathic doctor. This year, I’m setting new goals to get even healthier, with quarterly benchmarks.”
When it comes to the “books vs. movies” debate, Susan is Team Books. Her recent reads include thriller Jane Hawk by Dean Koontz, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann, and a collection of books surrounding traditional medicine, health and the subconscious mind.
Megan: Accounting and Operations Specialist
Part of both the Accounting and Operations sides of Serendipity, Megan communicates with clients to ensure advertorial content arrives on schedule, and she also manages sales reports for Serendipity’s publications.
Last year, Megan took a leap of faith to fulfill her dreams of travel while balancing her role as a mom. “A recurring thing I was told was that I’d never go on vacation because I would never be able to leave my baby behind,” she said. “It was for sure a frustrating comment to hear over and over again and I am so proud to say that in September 2023, we went on our big trip! Did we miss our child? Of course! But I also had a BLAST sleeping in every morning, taking two hours to eat a fancy dinner without any distractions and overall strengthening the relationship I have with my husband.”
When not at the office, you can often find Megan with a book in hand. Her latest recommendation for your TBR list? When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. “I am not into fantasy of any kind (besides Harry Potter of course),” she said, “but this book was written so beautifully. Check out the synopsis and give it a try—I was pleasantly surprised!”
Maggie: Office Coordinator
Although Office Coordinator is her official title, Maggie’s role extends far beyond that at Serendipity! She also wears a variety of hats as a Media Sales Consultant for Revue, Event Sponsorship Coordinator for West Michigan Woman and Membership Coordinator for the Family Travel Association. “My time at Serendipity has allowed me to step into a variety of roles and leave each day having learned at least ten new things,” she said. “Want to know more about how to receive our magazines? Come find me!”
Maggie’s joy in her role is evident, and her background in event planning and passion for the travel industry has made her role in events “so much sweeter.” You’ll often find her chasing her “travel bug” in her free time, enjoying scenic hiking trails along Lake Michigan (“And indulging in a bit of shopping along the way!”) “I just love our lakeshore towns!” she said. “I enjoy being in the know of what's going on in West Michigan and being a tourist in my backyard. During the winter you'll find me hitting the slopes or finding any reason to not be cooped up inside.”
Loren: Marketing Director
As Serendipity has grown over the years, so has its Marketing Services clients and Marketing Team! As the Marketing Director for Serendipity, Loren oversees all marketing facets of both Serendipity’s brands and our clients’ brands, from strategy to the nitty gritty of event signage and food choices. Her top five strengths? “Activator, woo, achiever, communication and maximizer. #iykyk”
Although her day-to-day changes depending on the projects at hand, there’s one constant that carries Loren through each day. “I have a photo on my desk of my grandpa and I. He passed a few years ago, but this photo is a consistent reminder of his inspiring zest for life,” she said. “He was a high achiever with high expectations but he never took life too seriously. He never met a stranger, only friends he had yet to talk to. My grandpa was respected, fun, giving and full of wisdom. Whenever I'm nervous or apprehensive to put myself or my work out there, I remember what he told me: ‘Loren, they can't eat ya!’”
Kelsey: Marketing Coordinator
As one of Serendipity’s Marketing Coordinators, Kelsey dabbles in a variety of areas, from writing for digital media and researching the latest marketing trends, to video-editing and creating minor graphic design projects. “Even though the social media landscape and algorithm is ever-changing, and it’s often a challenge to crack,” she said, “there’s something truly special about building an online community where people from all over the country—and sometimes the world—find meaning and joy.”
Out of office, Kelsey is usually covered in flour and experimenting with a new recipe, spending time with her 20 lb. cat (“Yes, he’s really built like that.”), or planning her next travel or concert opportunity. “These days, I mostly listen to K-Pop groups like Ateez, and I’ve been rekindling my love of the sci-fi and fantasy genre with books like Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling, Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini and The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent.”
Nikki: Marketing Coordinator
Serendipity’s newest face, Nikki, is also part of the Marketing Team as a Marketing Coordinator. Nikki’s experience in the digital world extends from her work into her personal life, where she runs the Instagram and Tiktok accounts for her beloved duprasi gerbil, Maru (whose following has grown to over 100K across both platforms!). “These little critters are growing more rare each and every year per import regulations,” she said. “Maru, has served as an ambassador for his kind and education on their care. Getting to work with brands such as Vox Media (“The Dodo”) and Exotic Nutrition has been greatly helpful!”
On the flipside, Nikki loves horror stories and the complex artistry of the more sinister side of art. “An absolute favorite of mine would be Junji Ito’s award winning ‘Tomie,’ which tells the story of a girl who is stricken with immortality and has an insatiable urge towards madness. Ito has also been known to remaster works, adding beautifully sinister art to the well heard stories of Frankenstein and No Longer Human.”
Courtney: Art Director
Bringing design concepts to life is Courtney’s specialty as Serendipity’s Art Director! “Every day is a different day,” she said, “from magazine layout and brand design to trade show and event concepts. It’s my favorite part of it all! You’re never sitting still or sitting on one project for long before the next idea is already starting to form.”
The past year was a time of reflection for Courtney, as she worked to balance the job she loves with the life she lives outside of it. “I heard a phrase on a podcast (outside of my usual true crime episodes) that I have posted near my desk: ‘IKIGAI’,” she said. “There are a lot of general meanings and thoughts behind what it defines, but for me, it was a word that pinpointed what I was looking for: a path to do what I needed to do for myself (which in turn helps those surrounding me too—professionally and personally.)”
You’ll often find Courtney with Starbucks in hand (“The addiction is real!”), exploring a new downtown restaurant to find the best Old-Fashioned for her husband and a Espresso Martini or Dirty Martini for her (“with blue cheese stuffed olives, of course!”).
Emily: Graphic Designer
Whether it’s designing a printed flyer, creating social media graphics, managing client and in-house websites or working on larger design projects, Emily is the expert of “all things creative” in her role as Graphic Designer. “It's true when we say that no two days are the same!” she said. “Truly every single day comes with its own set of tasks and challenges, which means there is never a boring moment.”
If you took a peek at Emily’s desk, you would find an array of trinkets and figurines that pay homage to her love of travel. “My boyfriend and I accidentally created a tradition of buying figurines or pins whenever we visit somewhere new,” she said. “The bear is from Alaska, the turtle from Florida and a buffalo from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Anywhere we've traveled, we have a trinket for it!”
Sarah: Managing Editor
Sarah is one of Serendipity’s Managing Editors, which means she’s always researching and “wordsmithing,” whether it’s for Serendipity’s publications or for marketing services clients. “Writing is something that has always come easy to me, so I feel very lucky to get to do it professionally,” she said. “Give me a topic and I’ll find a way to put it on paper in the most interesting way I can!”
Both offline and in the office, Sarah is dedicated and loves learning and trying new things. “In the fall of 2023, I ran my second half marathon (exactly 10 years after I ran my first)! It took a lot of dedication and months of training and planning, but I’m proud to have stuck with it. And it turns out, I actually enjoy running now!”
Music has also been a central part of her life, as a singer and “very mediocre guitar player.” Currently looping through her Spotify playlists is “Fontaines D.C.’s 2022 Skinty Fia record, anything from Touché Amoré, Mitski’s The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, Real Estate’s new record Daniel, Death Cab for Cutie’s Transatlanticism (which is inexplicably 20 years old) and some Paramore mixed in, which is the elder emo in me showing (it was never a phase).”
Josh: Managing Editor
Even if you haven’t already seen Josh’s smiling face next to the Editor’s Letter in Revue, you may have frequented one of the places he’s written about in one of Serendipity’s publications (or “pubs,” as those in the industry would say). Alongside being the Managing Editor for Revue, Josh also explores K-12 student trips in Teach & Travel.
“I’m constantly blown away by the immense effort people put into improving their community, whether it’s taking a chance with a new business, putting together an arts production or fighting to make life-changing student travel happen,” he said. “It’s a gift to be able to hear these stories every day!”
When he’s not writing about the latest and greatest in West Michigan, you might see Josh roaming the Westside of Grand Rapids on long walks, reading a good (“or bad”) book at a coffee shop like Lantern or checking out the newest local restaurant with friends. His latest Roman Empire? “It’s becoming an increasingly intertwined world of reality TV,” he said, “with a special interest in The Bachelor and Survivor—but I’ll stop myself there.”