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Marketing and Communications Strategist | Elements Financial
Muralist and Brand Designer | Karmen of Earth Designs
Age: 28
Hometown: Seymour
Education: bachelor’s in communication, IUPUI
Family: mother, Jill; father, Dana; stepmother, Jessie; siblings, Calvin, Cole, Breanna and Brielyn; boyfriend, Keith
Years with organization: 6-1/2
First job: assistant manager at Kovener’s Korner, an iconic local ice cream shop known for serving a secret-recipe soft serve in Seymour since 1949
Community involvement: Through murals. “With every mural project, whether it’s for a small business, a local nonprofit or a neighborhood, I love to create art that celebrates life, the gift of being here on Earth, and reminds people they’re part of something bigger.”
Something surprising: Johnson has lived in a 90-square-foot home the past three years—a short school bus that serves as an RV. “While Indiana is my home base, I often hit the road solo for weeks at a time. So far, I’ve explored 43 states and 23 national parks.”
What I’ve learned since joining the workforce: Following the “safe” path is never the most fulfilling one. “You grow, personally and as a business, when you let go of what you think you’re supposed to do. Think outside the box, trust your gut and do something unconventional.”
In 10 years … : “I’ll still be designing, consulting and painting. Still helping businesses and communities express who they are with purpose and personality.”
Coffee order: “Morning: plain black coffee to get me goin’. Afternoon: matcha latte with coconut milk.”
Karmen Johnson joined the marketing and communications team at Elements Financial in 2018. Today, after holding five different titles, she serves as a strategic consultant, blending expertise in corporate communications, graphic design, brand strategy, creative direction and financial education content development. She leads multi-channel marketing campaigns, creates educational content for more than 180 workplace partners and collaborates with Elements’ advertising agency on paid media strategy. Her other job is helping small businesses and communities tell their story through Karmen of Earth Designs. “My newest (and favorite) offering is murals,” she said. “I love the challenge of visually showcasing a brand and transforming blank walls into vibrant destinations that bring spaces to life in meaningful ways.” This year, she will combine her Elements and Karmen of Earth Designs efforts by painting a mural inside the Elements Financial headquarters. “It feels like a full-circle moment to visually tell the story of a brand I’ve spent nearly seven years shaping.”•
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