Meet the Team: Keia Payne

Keia Payne joined the Corporate Floors family of brands, which includes APEX Surface Care, as director of marketing in February 2022. Keia has more than 15 years’ experience in strategy, process performance, branding, creative and partnerships, including almost five years in the construction industry. In her new role, Keia will oversee marketing and promotions initiatives for the entire family of brands.

“I am thrilled that Keia has joined the Corporate Floors team,” said CEO Thomas Holland. “We’ve worked with Keia previously as a contractor, and we already knew she was very capable and would bring a lot of talent and expertise to the company.”

We sat down with Keia to welcome her to the team and learn more about her, both personally and professionally.

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I say that I’m a city girl with a Southern heart. I was born and raised in the coastal town of Oxnard, California. Every summer I’d trade lazy beach days for saddling horses and peeling crawfish in my family’s hometown of Doyline, Louisiana, a village (yes, with a population of less than 500, it is technically a village) outside of Shreveport. If you missed the railroad track turn-off, you missed Doyline. I later moved to Louisiana and attended Grambling State University, where I studied marketing. Now I split my time between my home in New Orleans and Dallas. I love football (WHO DAT!), unique culinary experiences and traveling, and I enjoy documenting it all through photography and drone footage (like this drone video I made to capture the spirit of Doyline). 

2. Why did you decide to join the Corporate Floors team?

Many companies say they are forward-thinking, but Corporate Floors really walks the talk. I was impressed by the diversity and “team and community first” culture that was evident at our first meeting. Working at a company that understands that people are what inherently makes the business closely aligns with what I was looking for at this next step in my career journey.

3. How has your past experience prepared you for your new role?

I started my career in the manufacturing and distribution space before leading a marketing and business development team for a general contractor that builds luxury custom homes in Southern California. That experience ignited my love for both the construction industry and the service industry. I look forward to leveraging my experience in sales and marketing in these industries as part of the Corporate Floors marketing team.

4. What are your hobbies?

I love the outdoors and all outdoor activities, from snowboarding to lying on the beach. I'm a pretty decent drone pilot, and I’m trying my hand at photography. Disneyland is a guilty pleasure; I go more times a year than I care to admit. The staff at Disneyland Anaheim may or may not know me by name.

5. What's the most interesting article or book you've read lately?

So many! I just finished Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy by Peter Bet-David, which describes how to strategize like a chess player when approaching your goals. I also recently read Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes, two great reads for underestimated professionals or anyone looking for the courage to challenge themselves to be unapologetically authentic. I try to read two books a month, so the most recent book I read is usually the most interesting. Rounding out February are The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

6. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

This is a tough one. I’d have to say gumbo because it’s like having three different meals in one.

7. What’s on your bucket list?

I would like to build a community center in Doyline. I want to create a vehicle for resources and opportunity for the youth, who are typically overlooked in small towns. This is definitely a lifetime goal.