This week, Margo is joined by not one but two guests, mother daughter creative duo, Lori Siebert and Kenzi Elston. Lori has a very whimsical design sense and loves to play with color to give each collection that and she designs its own unique personality. She started taking private art lessons at the age of 7 and continued to study art throughout high school. This led to a degree in graphic design from the University of Cincinnati. Lori opened her own design firm, Olika Studios, just 3 years out of college in 1987 which has developed branding and design programs for influential clients such as Target, Bath & Body Works, Nickelodeon and Universal Studios. Kenzie is a born creative who loves color, pattern and all things floral. As the daughter of a graphic designer, she has been surrounded by creativity since she was born. Some of her earliest memories are crafting with her mom, making physical dolls out of her quirky childhood drawings and creating stories through tag team doodles. Growing up in a creative environment fueled Kenzie to follow her lifelong passion and pursue a degree in graphic design (she also attended the University of Cincinnati and even had many of the same professors as her mother). Now she works part time for her parents’ design and licensing firm. When she’s not illustrating, she is home with her 3 and 5 year old sons so you’ll most likely find her slinging fake Spider-Man webs or making room sized blanket forts.
In this episode, Margo, Lori, and Kenzi discuss:
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How Lori’s fearlessness landed her many big opportunities
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The right time to take on work that you may not be ready for
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Hiring and growing an agency and design firm
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The importance of community and collaboration
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Advice for designing products
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The ‘puppy in the window’ hiring technique
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How to manage comparison traps
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And so much more!
Resources & Artists Mentioned:
Chris Sickles of Red Nose Studio
Connect with Lori & Kenzi:
http://www.instagram.com/lorisiebert.studio/
http://www.pinterest.com/lorisie
http://www.facebook.com/lorisiebertstudio
https://www.instagram.com/snippetsofwhimsy/