Member profile: Kat Zhembrovska, social media and design marketer

Kat Zhembrovska is informal’s social media manager. Currently based in the Bay Area, Kat has a passion for handmade products. She aims to use the tactility of objects to curate an emotional connection with her client’s marketing efforts. Kat’s background in industrial design and illustration makes her an incredible asset to the internal team.

Tell us a bit about how you approach social media for different clients.

I delve deep in two ways. First, I delve into my client’s project: What brought them here, the forces shaping their thoughts, how they wish to be perceived, and why it holds significance not just for them but for their customer base as well. Second, a crucial step post-client interaction  involves a standard industry dive: What currently exists, the origins, differentiators, successes, and the unique footprints that set them apart. It’s imperative that you get your client’s side of this first so you’re able to maintain their voice in a crowd of competition.

What about freelancing and hardware excites you?

Engaging with people’s unique stories and witnessing their evolution over time is what excites me most! Social media marketing offers a distinctive platform for publicly facing and interacting with your customer base or audience, fostering direct and trust-building connections.

The thrill of freelancing, for me personally, lies in collaborating with diverse individuals and companies. I’ve gleaned insights from a myriad of industries, unraveling the mysteries of startup inception. Each story that I contribute to leaves me with a nugget of wisdom — perhaps the seeds for my own budding startup practice in the future!

What challenges do you find when working in hardware?

Amidst the cornucopia of ideas lies the arduous path where funding isn’t always the ready companion. This is where the art of storytelling becomes a differentiator, transforming a successful hardware company from a mere concept withering away due to financial drought. A robust network and trustworthy connections serve as invaluable assets.

What do you wish you knew when you started out in your career?

Mentorship extends far beyond the confines of academia! I thoroughly enjoy learning, especially from those outside my professional sphere. Each mentor adds a new hue to the palette; why restrict yourself to just a few colors?

What are the top three tools that you can’t live without? Any productivity hacks that keep you on track?

My top three tools are:

• A web/app-based planner, like Clickup, Notion, or even a well organized spreadsheet
• Adobe Creative Suite
• An unlined moleskine notebook, accompanied by a Muji Low Center of Gravity Mechanical Pencil (0.5mm)

As a freelancer, my days are often scattered across multiple projects. Time blocking is my ally in effective time management — knowing when I’m available for various clients and cherishing the time invested in each fosters a trusting, consistent relationship. It also aids in setting healthy boundaries (within reason) to nurture my well-being as a freelancer. I also set my deadlines a day or two before the actual deliverable deadline. This not only keeps me on track but also allows a moment to step back and review my work before presenting it to clients.

We’re always looking for engineers, designers, brand strategists, and writers to join our team. If you’ve got a skill that you think we need, send us a message! We’d love to chat. And of course, if you’ve got a hardware product or product idea you want to bring to market, we have just the experts to help!