Meet Kristen O’neall

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristen O’neall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

My work ethic is deeply rooted in the responsibility I feel toward our clients and the people our ads reach. At Mirage, we’re not just crafting campaigns; we’re helping shape real decisions that impact lives—from the colleges people choose to the products they trust and the destinations they’re inspired to explore. Every ad, every strategy has the potential to change someone’s life. It’s easy in this industry to get lost in numbers and metrics, but behind every statistic is a human being making a choice. That knowledge drives me every single day.

I believe that every brand deserves an agency that’s fully committed to their vision and growth, and that’s why my team and I show up with dedication and passion, going all in for our clients. This work isn’t just a job; it’s a privilege. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust clients place in us and for the chance to create a real, lasting impact. It’s that potential to make a difference that keeps me motivated, knowing we’re helping brands find their voice and deliver meaningful experiences to their audiences. I live for that impact.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Mirage Media is a Scottsdale-based agency with a simple goal: to make people feel something. We believe the worst thing a brand can get is indifference, so we focus on creating stories and campaigns that truly resonate. Our approach is all about putting clients first while keeping things professional but fun. That mindset has helped us maintain a 100% client retention rate and exceed our 2027 revenue goals within our first four months in business.

What sets us apart is our unwavering dedication to our clients. We don’t just execute campaigns; we immerse ourselves in their vision, pushing creative boundaries to ensure every campaign connects on a personal level. Currently, we’re thrilled to expand our focus on pro bono work for nonprofits close to our hearts and to partner with brands on impactful giveaways and events that foster authentic engagement.

For brands curious about how their current agency stacks up—or those looking to start fresh—we’re offering our Mirage Mileage Check, a complimentary evaluation to help you gauge where your marketing stands and what steps to take next. Check it out here: https://www.miragemediaco.com/about

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back on my journey, three key qualities that have shaped my path are resilience, self-awareness, and a relentless drive to succeed.

There are always going to be setbacks, twists you never saw coming, and high stakes that shake things up. It took me a long time to actually embrace mistakes and missteps, but resilience has become the difference between just getting through challenges and actually moving forward. My best advice? Treat every obstacle as a chance to grow. Building resilience means knowing when to pivot, seeing failures as part of the process, and keeping your focus on the bigger picture.

Being crystal clear about my strengths and weaknesses has been crucial in building a solid foundation at Mirage Media and in moving up through my past roles. I’ve always known where I can deliver and where I need support, so I focus on my strengths and bring in experts for everything else. Founders who claim they’re experts in every aspect of their business are just fooling themselves. For me, hiring people who are smarter than I am—and letting go of any ego—has been transformative. It’s not about trying to do it all; it’s about assembling a team that complements each other perfectly. Starting Mirage, one of the toughest shifts was not having a boss or the built-in feedback I’d grown used to. To fill that gap, I invested heavily in mentors and coaches who offer unfiltered, real guidance that keeps me grounded and accountable. Self-awareness has been the key—it helps me make sharper decisions, double down on my strengths, and steer clear of the bigger pitfalls.

The single most important quality in my journey has been relentless drive. From day one, I understood that making myself indispensable was key. Looking back, I was maybe a little too bold—like when I was an intern sending proposals to the president of our 2,500+ employee company, laying out ways to save millions and pitching new product ideas. But that’s how you show your value: you take risks and bring something extra to the table. In every role, I made it a point to be the first in the office every morning and the last to leave at night. Respect isn’t handed out—it’s earned. I’ve often been the youngest in the room, whether in executive meetings, boardrooms, or leading a team. But I never let my age or experience level define me. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room; you just have to be the most driven. If you’re relentless in proving your value and showing up ready to make an impact, that’s when real progress happens.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My longtime mentor, Brian Lane, has been an incredible influence in my life, shaping not just my career but who I am as a person. He taught me everything I know about advertising, building real client relationships, and what it means to be a strong leader—and, most importantly, he showed me how to be a genuinely good person. I have nothing but respect for him, and I look up to him tremendously. When we worked together at our last firm, we had our scheduled one-on-ones every Thursday morning, and we still continue that tradition to this day, no matter where our careers have taken us.

One of the most impactful lessons Brian taught me was how to redefine the client-agency relationship. When I started as an account coordinator under his mentorship, I saw firsthand how deeply his clients trusted him. They didn’t see him as just an account manager—they saw him as a true partner and even a friend. I’ll never forget when a client got his truck stuck in the mud, about 45 minutes away, and his first call was to Brian, who didn’t hesitate to go help him out. That level of trust and commitment is rare, and it’s what I strive to emulate with every client at Mirage.

Brian’s approach to managing accounts is reflected in how we operate at Mirage. Our clients don’t just see us as another vendor; they see us as trusted partners who bring a fun and collaborative spirit to our meetings. This mindset is a significant reason we have a 100% client retention rate and why we haven’t had to engage in outbound sales since our first month in business—our growth has come entirely from referrals. I owe much of this client-centric philosophy to the lessons I learned from him.

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Kristen O’Neall

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