Meet Patrick Kigongo | Product Manager

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

Hi Patrick, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I take work/life balance pretty seriously now. When I was in my 20s, I was living in Washington DC and working for a small labor rights non-profit. Outside of my day job, I was playing guitar or bass in 3 bands, DJing, running a music blog and contributing concert reviews to other local blogs. I also had a pretty active social life, too.

It was too much.

I learned that the hard way when I ended up having to take on additional work due to a paycut at the day job. I developed costochronditis, a stress-induced an inflammation of the rib cage in the spring of 2014. A physical manifestation of burnout. That was a huge wake up call and I’ve spent a lot of the last decade trying to take better care of myself? How? I exercise 5-6 days a week. I work remotely, which can be risky, with regards to establishing boundaries for work/life balance. However, I try to maintain certain work rituals such as keeping the same hours, having a dedicated office, and locking up my work computer when the day is done.

I’m also still learning to say “No,” to things. I used to take on way too much, and my physical and mental health suffered because of it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Being into punk as a teenager is what gave me the confidence to call myself an artist. I’ve played in bands. I’ve made and contributed to zines. I ran a music blog. I’ve DJ’d and promoted parties. I’ve made skate videos with my friends. I even had some collage work I did displayed in an art show. I didn’t ask permission to do any of these things.

What sets me apart from others? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s that I still get a huge thrill out of

With regards to my professional life: the only constant is change. I studied international affairs and French in undergrad with the intention of becoming a diplomat. I went on to do a master’s degree, but when I graduated, I found that not only was the economy on the verge of collapse (2007, 2008), I also realized that my expectations and professional needs had changed. I pivoted into the nonprofit world for about 5 years, but didn’t find much satisfaction there either.

Fast forward to spring of 2014 a lot of things happened at once. As I mentioned in an earlier response, I was physically and mentally burnt out. Thankfully, I was seeing a very good therapist, which was really important in preparing me to think about making some big life changes. The catalyst for actually making those changes was meeting my now-wife on a Tinder date in Brooklyn at the end of March 2014. By the end of summer 2014, I’d quit my jobs, quit all the bands, packed up my life and moved to Los Angeles. My wife had no interest in moving to the East Coast, and I was open to a new life adventure! Once I arrived in LA, I decided to leave corporate social responsibility and start work in digital media. I’ve worked on digital properties in fashion, sports, and entertainment. But for the last four years, I’ve been working in civic technology: I work on government websites and apps.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way? Everything is possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If it’s a one week trip, with a friend arriving on Sunday and leaving the following Sunday, I’d recommend the following:

Sunday – Arrival, immediately roll to Storm Burger. In N Out is good, but Storm Burger is where it’s at. Relax, listen to records, catch up.

Monday – AM hike through Kenneth Hahn State Park. Light breakfast at Hilltop Coffee in View Heights. Make lunch at home. Afternoon nap. Late afternoon, take a leisurely drive up to Santa Monica to watch the sunset and get a light dinner

Tuesday – Downtown LA all-dayer. Last Bookstore, Grand Central Market, The Broad, and all the wholesale shops. You need a whole day to really enjoy those spots, and it’s better to visit during a weekday

Wednesday – A proper beach day in Malibu. Lunch at Neptune’s Net

Thursday – Start the day with some shopping on Melrose. Hit up all the consignment stores (Shout out to 2nd Street and Wasteland). Take a trip out to the San Gabriel Valley for a serious Szechuan dinner.

Friday – Record shopping. Start at High Fidelity in West Adams. Then brave the traffic to hit a few stores San Pedro, followed by lunch at the San Pedro Fishmarket. Hit a few more record stores, maybe hang out in Long Beach for the night!

Saturday -Vegetable day. Roosevelt Hotel pool. Swim, snack, nap. Rinse and repeat. Call it an early night

Sunday – Rest, hit Soundsations Record Store in Westchester and then In N Out. Then airport

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to give a shoutout to the Harold Hunter Foundation. HHF was established in the memory of the late skateboarder and actor Harold Hunter. I’m currently the board president, but I have to give major props to the other board members, our executive director, and the staff. Together, we all work to uphold Harold’s memory by doing skateboard programming in New York City, as well as providing opportunities for community engagement and career development.

Website: https://www.pkigongo.com/

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