Kylie Cooper.

What’s your story? (Name, Age, Birthdate, Hometown, Current Neighborhood, Education, Current Position, Current goals, etc.)

            I’m Kylie Cooper. I’m 26 years old and still don’t always feel like I’m adult enough to be where I am in life. I’m a Columbus girl, born and bred. I currently live in Reynoldsburg but Pickerington still holds my heart. I studied English at Miami University and then history at Ohio State University. Currently, I’m the assistant department manager of the Lingerie and Activewear departments at Nordstrom Easton. I work day in and day out promoting breast health, helping women feel sexy again, and working with breast cancer survivors in our prosthesis program. I’m open to travel for our company and I’d love to manage in a bigger city store like Seattle or New York City.

What does your name mean? (Google it, if you never have.)

Kylie is an Aborigine name from Australia that means boomerang. I’m a ferociously loyal person to those I love so I’d like to think the name is a good fit since I always return to people.

Why Columbus?

Look around. Columbus is a booming city right now. It’s one of the seven most intellectual cities in the world. We have amazing art and music here. We’re a test market for everything. International companies have headquarters here. We’ve been named as one of the most fashionable cities in the US. There is absolutely no way you can go to Columbus and not find something to do at any time during the day. It’s a mecca for culture and education and we’re not being seen as just some sleepy little Midwestern city anymore. So the better question is why not Columbus?

What’s your motto/mantra? 

There’s a quote from Charles Bukowski that’s always resonated with me: “Find what you love and let it kill you.” Find what you’re passionate about and let it take over your entire life. Let it seep into the cracks and fill in the empty parts and you’ll find a reason to really make your life count as opposed to just going through the motions.

Do you have any mentors/sponsors?

I’m constantly learning, constantly needing to know why something is how it is. Anybody who can teach me something new or a different way to do something is a mentor to me.

 

What’s been the key to your success?

Confidence. Knowing that what you’re doing makes a difference in people’s lives. Passion. Honesty. Being brave. There’s nothing worse than missing out on something because you were too scared of the end results or what other people would think.

What’s your favorite Happy Hour spot in Columbus?

Cooper’s Hawk. Wine, appetizers, and that gorgeous patio to people watch.

What would you say to the young people who want to take their talents out of Columbus?

1. Travel the world. Do something insane that your eighty year old self would applaud you for. I’ve lost too many people in my life to take this great big world and all the beautiful things in it for granted. Live until you can’t anymore.

Favorite Ohio Team:

The Buckeyes because if I didn’t say that, my mother would slaughter me.

Local organizations you support:

I volunteer at Ohio History Connection as a historical reenactor to teach children about life in Columbus during the Civil War era. Nothing is more fun than dressing up and seeing these kids who have an unadulterated passion for learning and history. I’ve worked with the library to read to children because good books have kept me alive and I see this all the time with kids who have nothing else in their lives. March of Dimes because I was born premature with a birth defect and those doctors saved my life.

They’ve just erected a statue of you in front of the State House. What does it say underneath? “And though she be but little, she is fierce.”

Best piece of advice you’ve received? From my dad: “If I never give you another piece of advice for the rest of my life, remember this right here…there is no better advice I can give you as a father who loves his children. There is NO failure in life, only results. If they are the results you want, then you’ve accomplished your mission. If they aren’t the results you want, then you simply try a different approach until you get the results you want. It’s very simple. NEVER stop trying and you’ll eventually get there.”

How can we stay connected with you? Instagram rules me: @blondebibliophile. Facebook: Kylie Cooper. I tweet very inconsistently: @blondebiblio.