Kristin and Jared King live in the Green Briar neighborhood, have a family and pets. But their story began in Los Angeles… in an elevator.

The two were working jobs right out of college: Kristin in advertising for Leo Burnet Company managing Touchstone and Disney accounts and Jared as a production assistant for three television networks as well as doing stand-up comedy at night. The two flirted for eight months going to and from their respective offices, and Jared finally got the nerve to ask Kristin out to his comedy show. She accepted.

As the madcap headliner at the Hollywood Improv Club, “I had my shirt off, was jumping on tables, hitting the mic on my belly, my hair was really tall,” remembered Jared with a laugh.

Kristin said to him after the show, “Oh my God, this is you? I’m in.” The couple will celebrate 18 years of marriage this year.

Kristin and Jared grew up in Illinois: Jared from tiny Byron and Kristin from the Chicago suburbs.

Kristin attended the University of Iowa and after graduating, through a friend of a friend got the job in Los Angeles in advertising.

Growing up in Byron, Jared was on the wrestling team and the coach asked him to create a video for the team. He did and was hooked and went to Southern Illinois University to major in RTF (radio, television and film). During college, Jared went to LA for internships at television shows The Late, Late Show; Politically Incorrect and The Dennis Miller Show.

After college graduation, he moved back to LA, got his Screen Actors Guild card and had small parts in a few movies.

“My life is weird where things just happen,” shared Jared.

After dating and marrying, the Kings decided to move back to Illinois. Kristin worked for Nintendo and then Allstate. Jared went into inside sales.

“I was the worst rep in the history of the company,” explained Jared. But since he was older and could talk to anyone, they asked him to train employees around the country.

He was ultimately promoted again, which brought the family to Denver, for what was their first move to Colorado.

The Kings settled in Stapleton and had twin boys with two different birthdays, Owen born at 11:59 a.m. on June 13 and Henry born at midnight, June 14. They missed family and moved back to Chicago with the newborns but quickly realized that Colorado was home. They stayed the year and then came back west, this time to Castle Pines.

A setback happened a few years ago when Jared was diagnosed with high grade sarcoma, a rare cancer with only a 30% survival rate. He did 24 rounds of inpatient chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation plus three surgeries.

“As bad as it was, it was still the greatest thing ever because when you get done with it, you’re like, ‘I just beat this,’” shared Jared. “Now we need to go do big things.”

The family went on three Disney cruises, and last year they went to Tokyo and plan to go to Alaska this summer.

Today, Jared works for an AI video company and is training to be a motivational speaker. From his home, he often launches sales calls in front of one of 10 movie posters to be funny but also to start a conversation. “It is not normal, but being authentic is the key to life,” he shared.

Owen and Henry are 11, attend Rocky Heights Middle School and are in the Boy Scouts. Kristin manages them all.

The family enjoys each other’s company—trying new restaurants, hanging out at home, making cookies and watching movies with their two cats, Sugar and Shadow, and dog Axl Rose.

“Spend time with your family and friends and enjoy new experiences,” concluded Jared. “You might not get the chance to do it tomorrow.”

 

By Hollen Wheeler; photos courtesy of Jared King