Photo by Rodrigo DeMedeiros
As Chief Marketing Officer for Essentia Water, a Bothell-based supercharged ionized alkaline water company, Karyn Abrahamson found herself in a position that was the perfect marriage between her creativity and business acumen.
Growing up as a student at Capital High School in Olympia, teenage Abrahamson thought she might want to work in advertising. “I was never much good at science or math, (but) I was always the artistic one,” Abrahamson said. “The whole creative side is what’s inherent to me as a human being.”
It didn’t take long, however, for Abrahamson to find her niche in the marketing industry. The tenacity that led her there she largely attributes to the legacy of her father and grandfather who worked corporate jobs.
“My dad (and grandfather) had such amazing work ethics,” Abrahamson said. “I think a lot of what (they) coached me on really became inherent in how I looked at myself and how I wanted to keep pushing myself further.”
This work ethic served Abrahamson well through her studies at the University of Washington in the early 1980s and later while helping to strategically grow top brands like Adidas, Starbucks, T-Mobile, and Microsoft.
In late 2015, Abrahamson took on a new endeavor when she joined Essentia Water and began establishing the brand. “There wasn’t any consumer marketing that was being done (for Essentia at the time), but as the (ionized alkaline water) category started gaining traction, the founder realized it was time to the put his foot on the gas pedal,” Abrahamson said.
Since then, Abrahamson has elevated Essentia’s brand while managing an award-winning team of 28 like-minded creative marketers and communicators.
See how this brand builder spends a typical day on and off the clock.
7 a.m. Every morning on my drive to the office, I check in with my dad. I get advice and, of course, he and I talk about all things related to the University of Washington Huskies. 
8 a.m. At the start of the day, I always set aside at least an hour to review my schedule and make sure the most important things get done.
9 a.m. I attend a meeting with my marketing directors to discuss strategy and high-level campaign priorities. I have an amazing and incredibly talented team. 
10:30 a.m. Teasing finance guru Thomas Nguyen (right) about how I’m going to win our fantasy football league next year — Ken Uptain, our founder and CEO, loves to join in on the troublemaking.
11 a.m. Chad Frerichs, senior content manager, walks through the social media calendar and recaps which content performed best. Our in-house creative studio is always in overdrive.
Noon. Eric Karp, senior director of brand engagement marketing, presents recommended influencers for our 2019 campaign — so many awesome people.
12:15 a.m. Quick break for lunch. My go-to is salad; soup (especially when the weather is cold); and, of course, a bottle of Essentia Water.
12:30 p.m. Time for updates at our marketing traffic meeting — one of my favorite moments because the entire team is together.
2 p.m. I meet with Lesley Fox and Laurie Nilo, who present some digital content to inform an upcoming working session.
5 p.m. Back at my desk to check email and wrap up any immediate follow-ups before I can head out for the day.
6:45 p.m. Pulling up to this view at my home — it may be cold outside, but the Pacific Northwest is so beautiful.
8 p.m. We are currently in the midst of a home remodel, so I need to make the tile selections before the contractor comes tomorrow. My cat Henri is not very interested.
Photos courtesy Karyn Abrahamson
