Kate Gray’s route from her hometown of Tucson, AZ to Charleston, SC took 9.5 years and approximately 16,112 miles. Earning her international business degree from the University of Washington in 2011, Kate graduated with a clunk right into the Great Recession. Unsatisfied with her job prospects and in search of a challenge, she took a leap and moved to Santiago, Chile, where she soon landed a job at Microsoft as Customer Marketing Manager. Kate spent two years overseeing the implementation of marketing campaigns throughout Chile, but ultimately concluded that selling software was not her cup of tea.
Kate then spent two years in Los Angeles, where she worked for Sony Pictures Animation and Warner Brothers Television in hopes of becoming a screenwriter. A visit to Charleston provided a sea change for Kate, as she fell in love with the Holy City and decided to trade the Pacific for the Atlantic, and television for classical music. As the the Director of Marketing for the Charleston Symphony, Kate has finally found fulfillment in both city and profession.
In our latest Speaker Q&A, find out how she starts her day, why she loves her work at the Symphony, and her secret Leonardo daVinci-style talent that you’re sure to envy. Plus, join us on November 16th to hear her take on “Restart.”
What do you love most about what you do? I love that I work to promote a product I wholeheartedly believe in. A world with more classical music is a better world.
You used to work in production for Sony Pictures Animation and Warner Brothers. What inspired the shift from film/TV to the symphony?
I spent two years in LA working towards a career in screenwriting, and quickly learned that Hollywood wasn’t the right fit for me. I came to Charleston to visit a friend and liked it so much I never went back to California. At that time I was unsatisfied with my work in Los Angeles, and was desperate for a job I could feel good about investing my time in. Working for the Charleston Symphony turned out to be a perfect fit.
How do you start your day? Begrudgingly.
Tell us about your proudest moment or accomplishment.
When I was 24, I moved to Santiago, Chile. I didn’t have a job there, or a place to live, but I was desperate to find some direction in life, so I bought a plane ticket to the other side of the world and told myself that no matter what happened, I would never regret trying something different. Not only was it a great step professionally, but I learned that sometimes the hardest part is just taking that first step into the unknown. Moving to Chile remains the best decision I’ve ever made.
Do you have a hidden talent? I can read and write backwards, Leonardo DiVinci style. In high school I turned in a few assignments this way, just to keep my teachers on their toes.
Who or what gives you creative inspiration?
People who wake up early to work on their creative side projects before they go to work in the mornings. I don’t know how you do it!
Coffee fuels our morning events. If you’re a coffee drinker, what’s your go-to order?
Lots of drip coffee. Preferably delivered intravenously.
What is your favorite place in Charleston?
My apartment. It’s my happy place. It’s filled with art that I’ve collected throughout my travels in Latin America, and has a nice little balcony where I sit and watch the sunset.
How do you unwind or destress? Exercise, classical music, good tv shows, and my favorite card game, Set!
Rapid fire:
- morning person or night owl? Night owl
- summer or winter? Winter, because it’s an introspective season. And also because I love winter clothes.
- mountains or beach? Cities?
- pancakes or waffles? I’ll go with waffles because they’re Leslie Knope’s favorite.
- fiction or non-fiction? Fiction
