Meet Kayla Klein | Real Estate Marketing Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kayla Klein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayla, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Denver but, when I was nine, my family relocated to our ranch in Western Colorado. Until I graduated high school, I lived in a small town called Cedaredge. When I left Cedaredge for college in Denver, I swore I’d never go back. I craved the quintessential “small-town girl escapes to the city” storyline that’s the cornerstone of every good Hallmark movie. I lived in Denver working a corporate job, spent a summer in Germany freelance writing, moved to Orange County to do social media for a cinematography company, and started my first business there, Kreativ Alchemy. I moved to Denver the following year and ran Kreativ Alchemy out of my apartment. In 2022, I bought a property in Wyoming and moved there to continue the business and renovate it. Long story short, I bounced around a lot before returning to Cedaredge to work in real estate in August of 2023.

All of my experiences, jobs, and locations ultimately influenced my decision to return. I craved a community. I wanted to be around people who are invested in my success. When I was growing up, I hated living in a small town because everyone knew everyone and everyone’s business. Now, as a business owner, I can’t think of anything better than everyone knowing who I am and what I do.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak – from selling keychains in elementary school to charging for essays in middle and high school to starting a cake-decorating hustle in high school. I like to be in control of my creativity and pursuits. If I fail, I can only hold myself accountable, and, if I succeed, it feels so much sweeter knowing I played a pivotal role in that success.

I’m mentally and geographically where I think I was always destined to be. It just took a lot of ideas and places to make me realize.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For the longest time, Kreativ Alchemy was operating remotely, serving several clients, including Western Land & Lifestyle Properties. In August 2023, I decided to activate my real estate license and move home to Western Colorado to pursue real estate marketing at Western Land & Lifestyle Properties full-time. I am the Marketing Director for the entire brokerage and an Associate Broker, which essentially means I exist to help our brokerage, brokers, and listings gain exposure… and I can help buyers and sellers directly too!

I’m a marketer by trade, but I think what makes my career unique is that I get to exercise my marketing skills in a relevant, high-dollar industry like real estate. Marketing is essential for success in the real estate industry, and, conversely, real estate gives me an incentive to market harder. I’m not just developing a marketing strategy for a historic home because my contract says I have to; I’m developing a marketing strategy for a historic home because it’s my listing, and I only get paid in commission when it sells.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Whenever someone visits me in Western Colorado, I always have a hard time narrowing down my massive list of activities! Here’s a list of some of my favorite things to do and places to go:

The small towns in Western Colorado are unmatched. In Cedaredge, you can always find me somewhere on Main Street. If I’m not working in our real estate office, I’m getting coffee at Molly’s on Main, shopping at Ollie Jane, adding to my studio collection at Starr’s Guitars, or unwinding after a long work day at SIPs, drinking my favorite house rosé.

I’d definitely plan a day trip to Ouray. We would visit Box Cañon Falls Park, which has a stunning waterfall just before Canyon Creek joins the Uncompahgre River. We’d hike the Perimeter Trail, a 5.6-mile hike through gorgeous mountain scenery, waterfalls, bridges, and more. We’d end the day at Ouray Hot Springs: my favorite hot springs destination in Colorado.

Regardless of the season, the Grand Mesa always entertains. The Grand Mesa is the largest flattop mountain in the world, and Cedaredge sits right at the base. It’s home to more than 300 lakes, trails, nature, and even the Powderhorn Mountain Resort. I love skate skiing, so if it were wintertime, we’d certainly find a trail to explore.

Big B’s is a unique Western Colorado experience. Located in Hotchkiss, it has a little bit of everything you need to stay entertained: an orchard, store, cafe, tap room, campground, and even live music. They have delicious hard cider made from apples in their orchard!

Of course, no Western Colorado trip would be complete without a cookout around the firepit under the stars. The stars here are more vibrant than I’ve seen anywhere else! They’ll absolutely take your breath away.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Even though he has a love/hate relationship with the spotlight, I have to recognize my dad, Robert Gash, for not only setting an example for entrepreneurship but also providing me with opportunities to follow in his footsteps.

In 2019, when I started Kreativ Alchemy, my dad was in the process of rebuilding his brand as a real estate broker. He hired my company to develop his logo, brand, website, and marketing strategy. The following year, he opened his brokerage, Western Land & Lifestyle Properties, and he kept Kreativ Alchemy on board for website maintenance, SEO, blogging, content creation, and consulting. That year, our brokerage won a national marketing award. My dad believed in me before anyone else did. We helped each other grow and gain notoriety, and I think that’s pretty special.

Website: https://www.wesellthewest.com/index.html

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kayptainklein

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kreativkayla/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay4realestate

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/wesellthewest

Other: My TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kayptainklein My Brokerage’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wesellthewest

Image Credits
Connor Foltyn-Smith