Team Spotlight: Meet the Founder, Sara Kappler

An interview with Sara Kappler, Founder & CEO of Centric Squared

Question: Tell us about what you do for Centric Squared.

Answer: What don’t I do? As Founder and CEO, I wear many hats. Sales, Strategy, Team Cheerleader, Account Reporting, CRM Implementation Projects, Onboarding New Clients, Implementation Oversight and Partnership Management. I have a background in data, which helps with analytics. I enjoy big picture work like strategy and agency growth. I find everything interesting (a blessing and a curse), and my curiosity serves me well in a consulting role. But above all, I’m a people person. I work best with and through people, which is probably why I was drawn to this line of work.

Question: Can you describe the path that led you to Centric Squared?

Answer: I remember telling my dad in my early 20s, “I guess I just don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, huh?” He laughed and said, “Honey, I’m 78 years old and still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Don’t sweat it. You don’t have to see a full path. You just have to make choices as they come up and follow your gut.”

I think that’s why the path that I took when founding Centric Squared had lots of twists and turns. I minored in Bioinformatics at university and took a job working in the claims department for the International Road Transport Union in Geneva while I was deciding where to apply for Ph.D. programs. They figured out that I excelled at solving problems, and I became an in-house trainer (which was really fun). I held other positions in consulting and digital project management, met my husband, and found myself in Zurich where I had my first son. 

When we had a chance to move to Seattle, WA, we did…and I realized I was ready for a change. With a 6-month old, and two more kids to follow, I needed something flexible, so I started freelancing, and Centric Squared was born. I initially worked as a CRM consultant and then that grew naturally into an email marketing agency, and here we are!

Question: What do you think sets your agency apart from others?

Answer: Our analytical approach is the heart of our agency, and we pair that with our deeply empathetic, listening-first account management style, which our clients consistently praise. It’s not just about crunching numbers for us; It’s about genuinely understanding the businesses and teams we work with, creating cooperation and understanding insight necessary to drive meaningful progress. Beyond our methods, I am incredibly proud of our genuine care for our clients, which I believe truly sets us apart. Our team is here to solve problems and discover opportunities, offering transparent advice and flexible support tailored to each client. 

Question: I have to ask a follow-up question. Did you ever get your PhD?

Answer: While I did apply and was accepted into a Bioinformatics PhD program, I’d been working for a few years, and had a chance to think long and hard about what I really wanted. I realized that pursuing a PhD felt more like fulfilling someone else’s dream than my own, and I wanted to see where the path I was on would lead me. Who knows…maybe after the kids are older, I’ll go back to school. I certainly love learning!

Question: What’s a lesson you’ve learned since growing your business?

Answer: I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned (and am still learning) is to lean on others. It’s not something that came instinctively to me, as I’m very independent. But it’s essential. Hard conversations, boundaries, and SOPs are about giving others the opportunity to learn and grow, too. Sometimes, it works out, and you’ll be surprised and floored when people step up for you. Sometimes, it doesn’t work, and then you know, and can readjust. Either way, you come out stronger for it as a team and company.

Question: What’s something you’d love to share with others about starting your own agency?

Answer: Go at your own pace (skip the bro-marketing that preaches you have to be seven figures in the first year), and you just have to adopt an attitude of continual improvement to survive. Whether it’s a win you’re celebrating or a challenge you overcame, always reflect on it and do better next time. That’s the only thing you can do, really.

Question: When you’re not working, what are you doing?

Answer: If I’m not working, I’m either sleeping or spending time with my kids – cooking, packing lunches, reading, bathtime, playing, taking bike rides, and occasionally, I have a chance to enjoy a local spa or a glass of wine. It’s a simple life, but it’s really, really fulfilling. We are still settling into our new life in Germany, there’s just so much to explore!  

Question: What’s a book on your bookshelf right now?

Answer: The Writer’s Handbook by Ann Handley. Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. And then the books I’m working through with my children: Percy Jackson, A Minecraft Manual, second edition, and The Big Obnoxious Dinosaur Book That Makes Noise That No Longer Has A Cover Or Spine.

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Are you interested in joining our team? Please visit our About page to learn more and apply!