Today's guest is Tracie Ching. She is a Freelance Illustrator out of Washington DC. Even though she is a super busy mom with three kids, she is hustling and has had the opportunity to work with Michelle Obama, Star Wars, John Wick, Lizzo, Captain Marvel and so many more!

During Part One of this episode we talk about:

-how she is from a family of makers. 

-her lifestyle design and having her eyes on freelance right from graduation. 

-the artist and printmaker that really influenced her early on. 

-the artists that she looks up to now and why. 

-the kickstarter print project that became a huge step for her in her freelance career.

There is so much more in this episode and Tracie is super kind and shares it with us! @tracieching

Today's guest is David Saracino. He is an Illustrator and Visual development artist out of Brooklyn NY. His work has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal and he has worked with HUGE Inc., Target, Google Android, Facebook, and more.

During Part Two of this interview we talk about:

-the four most challenging times in his career, what the obstacles were, and what happened.

-the Google Android project he was a part of that didn't make it to the finish line, what happened, and why. 

-the SXSW and Instagram project he was a part of, how it came up, and why he is so proud of it.

There is so much more in part two of this interview too. Such a great honest conversation and a peek behind the curtain of building a freelance creative career in New York. @dfsaracino

Today's guest is David Saracino. He is an Illustrator and Visual development artist out of Brooklyn NY. His work has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal and he has worked with HUGE Inc., Target, Google Android, Facebook, and more.

During Part One of this interview we talk about:

-his childhood moving from Buffalo to Italy and the cultural influences that had on him. 

-how his parents are artists and creatives and that he was always drawing. 

-his intro to commercial animation. 

-the work he did for the New Yorker and why it was so influential to him. 

-GQ Germany. 

-the benefits of sending physical printed pieces to art directors instead of just emails. 

David had a really unique childhood with multiple cultures playing a role. I really enjoyed hearing his stories. @dfsaracino

Today's guest is Derek Friday. He is an experiential designer working as Finndustry out of Boulder CO. 

During part two of this episode we talk about:

-the german company that he does work for, how that came to be, and the large format prints that he does for them. 

-how ultra-marathon running helped pull him out of a challenging period in his career. 

-a project in Poland that he was a part of that went a bit sideways, how, and why.

-the award-winning hotel project he was a part of and why he is so proud of it.

Derek is a great guy to talk to. Really honest and shares some great lessons he has learned through his career. @derekfriday

Today's guest is Derek Friday. He is an experiential designer working as Finndustry out of Boulder CO. 

During part one of this episode we talk about:

-how he originally trained as an architect.

-his adventures as an ultra marathon runner.

-his journey from architect to experiential designer. 

-the artist that influenced him early on and what Derek used to collect.

-print - loads of stuff about print, some projects Derek has been a part of, and why print is amazing. 

There are also a whole bunch of other gems in there that I didn't share yet. So check it out! Part one! @derekfriday

Today's guests are Morgan and Marc. They are Partners and Designers at Bamff Studio in Calgary AB.

During this interview we talk about:

-the creation story of Bamff Studio, how they met, and how the two freelancers teamed up. 

-the album cover artwork that really stuck with Marc.

-the logo and designer that was influential to Morgan. 

-the packaging "oops" Marc made and what he learned.

-the label print project where they got to use some fun print finishes. 

-mental health stuff you can get hung up on as a freelancer.

-the brewery project that they are really proud to have been a part of and why.

I should also add that the brewery was also recently featured in NYTimes Travel for having awesome 80's throw back design style and being a great place to grab a beer and hang out. As good as the product is I'm sure, the design really brought it home. @bamffstudio

Today's guest is Jon Kutt. He is a Graphic Designer working as The High Road Design out of Kitchener ON. 

During this episode we talk about:

-his gigposter days.

-how he got into graphic design while he was a bar manager. 

-that he is actually red/green color blind.

-the projects he worked on for Blackberry. 

-the challenge of learning to work directly with clients. 

-the Symantec Icon project that he was a part of that immediately grew beyond the original scope, lasted 6 to 7 months, and then...

-the Canadian clothing company he does work for and why he is so proud of it. 

Jon has been in the game for a while now and he shares some great lessons here! @the_high_road_design

Today my guest is Josh Lewis. He is an Illustrator and Designer who specializes in children's illustrations out of Colorado Springs Co. 

During this episode we talk about:

-how he would draw NFL logos and Disney characters as a kid.

-he didn't intend to become an illustrator and started down a different career path.

-how he has a children's book author and illustrator in his family history. 

-print and the mini-book mailer series he is sending out to prospective publishers and clients. 

-the in house client presentation that started out great but he soon found out that due to his communication skills he missed a great opportunity.

his first-ever bite-size book project and how it came from a story his son had created. 

Josh is a very talented illustrator and I really enjoyed hearing his journey to where he is, and how his kids and family are playing a role in his career. @joshjlewis 

Today's guest is Erin Potter. He is an in house designer at Domtar Paper out of South Carolina. Domtar puts out some geat papers but I know Cougar and Lynx really well!

During this episode we talk about:

-the time he was laid off twice in quick succession and the struggles he faced after to get back on track.

-the instructor that taught him Quart Express back in the day and how that really lit his fire for Graphic Design. 

-the tradeshow project he was a part of that went off the rails. 

-the facebook group he is a part of, why it is so great, and why it is so beneficial to him. *Hint* It involves my friend Scotty Russell. 

I really enjoyed chatting with Erin as he has lots of experience to share, especially when it comes to print and the print industry. @mrpotterdraws

Today's guest is Benjamin Howes. He is the Founder and Commander of Graphics at Howes Design Service in Columbus OH. 

During this episode we talk about:

-how his mom was a designer and his grandfather was an architect and their influence on his creative childhood. 

-his band poster intro to design. 

-the one logo that stuck out to him, why, and what it symbolizes. 

-the deeper meaning behind his business name. 

-why print is so powerful and amazing and everything else great. 

-the struggles Benjamin faced starting Howes Design Service and the lessons learned from that. 

-the brewery project he is so proud to have been a part of and the story behind it. 

-his freestyle rap hidden talent and the mad bars he slays...about pantones...

This interview is jam packed with stories and lessons. Benjamin is a kind and honest guy, no BS or sugar coating. Great guy, great interview! PS...It's a Quickie-ish... @howesdesignservice