At Knack, we consider each other family. It’s pretty easy given that many of our employees are related.
Our mighty Knack Pack is home to three sets of siblings, and our Market Research Specialist, Christina, makes up half our Hansen duo. Here’s a little more about her and what she brings to the table.
Where are you from?
I was born in Pennsylvania, but my parents moved to Florida when I was two, so I’ve spent most of my life here.
Where did you go to college and what did you get your degree in?
I attended the University of Florida and graduated with my B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in Entrepreneurship.
What was your favorite class in college?
I can’t really choose a favorite class because there are a few I really enjoyed, but I do have one especially memorable class I took at UF. It was my Business Law class taught by Robert Emerson. Most classes, he would come dressed up in a different costume related to the material being taught that day. Sometimes he would make grand entrances with music as he slowly made his way to his teaching podium holding large props. Other times, he would ask for volunteers to reenact certain themes from our textbook, which he wrote by the way. The class constantly erupted in laughter and we all thoroughly enjoyed watching him teach. The passion he exuded for teaching, coupled with his awesome sense of humor made me, and nearly every other student, look forward to attending his classes and understand the material more deeply than we would have otherwise. I learned so much during that class and retained much of what I learned to this day.
How did you end up working with Knack?
My brother Dennis (our CPO) works at Knack! A few months ago, I made a comment that I had some extra time on my hands and could help him if he needed anything on the market research side. I joined full-time in the fall, and here we are!
What’s one skill you use often that you weren’t necessarily taught in school?
My negotiation skills. This has come in handy in so many aspects of my life. From handling finances and making purchases to communicating with others and solving problems, even when it comes to building rapport, assertiveness, and learning how to handle uncomfortable or difficult situations. I think when most people think of negotiation skills, they think of haggling with someone selling trinkets in a market, but it really is so much more than that. Solid negotiation skills are useful in almost every facet of life. They are obviously useful when making a purchase like a house or a car, but they are also useful in less obvious ways, like trying to solve a dispute between two parties. In these situations, it’s especially useful to be able to walk that fine line between appealing to both sides, while maintaining assertiveness and being able to come to an agreement. We negotiate every day, sometimes without realizing it, and honing these skills has helped me immensely.
What’s something you wish you had learned in college but didn’t?
Financial planning. I’m sure this is a common answer when asked this question, but it’s because it’s such an invaluable skill to have. It’s more than just creating a budget and managing one’s current finances. It’s also about creating a plan for the future and thinking about long-term goals. Students should be taught how to financially set themselves up for the future and create actionable plans.
Do you have any advice for current college students?
STUDY ABROAD. Read that again. I went on 3 back-to-back study abroads while at UF, and it was, to this day, the best experience of my life. I know I sound like the people in those memes where a person goes on a study abroad and can’t stop talking about it, but it’s so important to experience other cultures while you are young. It shapes you and teaches you skills in ways you can’t get from going to college or staying in the same country. You learn to be independent, you work with other currencies, you try other food, you figure out how to get places, you need to budget your expenses, and you learn to work with people from different backgrounds. These skills can be applied to every part of life and it helps you adapt to change easier and be more flexible and understanding, when it comes to school, business, and beyond.
