Alumni Update: Interview with Kallie Goetz
Kallie Goetz (2014) has grown a lot as a designer since she graduated from BGSU. She is currently the owner, designer, and illustrator for her own business she created called Pip & Cricket. Pip & Cricket specializes in hand-crafted paper goods, stationery, watercolor illustrations, branding, and print design. You can view Kallie’s work on her website at www.pipandcricket.com We got the chance to catch up with Kallie for an insightful interview.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone would’ve given you as a student?
One piece of advice I wish someone would’ve given me as a student would be, if you want to get hired for work that you haven’t created yet, fake it till you make it. Once you have the design knowledge and skills, you may want to make designs that are in a different path from the traditional design world, and that may seem intimidating especially since you haven’t been hired for that particular skill yet. You may have to fake your confidence level, portfolio, work examples etc. to really go down that path, but once you start getting hired for the projects you want, it will start paying off!
What advice would you give to students currently in the program?
My advice for students in the design program would be – experiment! Don’t just try one avenue of design and become comfortable in it. Trying new techniques, styles, processes, or mediums can push you outside your comfort zone and allow you to discover new talents, strengths, and weaknesses.
What influenced your decision to start your own company?
So many things have influenced my decision to start my own business. From an early age I knew I loved drawing, crafting, creating, etc., and wanted to have a creative career when I was older. Growing up, my father began his own company and it has been so amazing to watch him create a successful business completely from the ground up. His dedication and hard work has pushed him through many hardships and lead him to great achievements.
After I graduated from BGSU, I worked at a marketing agency and learned about corporate design – printed ads, website design, app design, logo creation, branding projects, and other print collateral. I wasn’t truly fulfilled, and realized I needed a change – I wanted something completely my own that I could take pride in and be fulfilled working on every day. Throughout my time at the agency, I would create logos, invitations, and other projects on the side, and I decided to take the leap and invest in myself and my career my making my company official.
I picked up a pencil (after years of not drawing) and watercolor paints (for the first time basically ever), and pushed myself to create designs that I felt represented me, and would be something I would even be interested in buying myself if someone approached me with them. I knew I wanted to create designs from scratch and not use clip art or other stock elements I could buy online, and that’s where it all began.
What was the inspiration behind the name Pip & Cricket?
Pip & Cricket is actually named after my two cats. In college, after going through a challenging time, I found two tiny, malnourished kittens and gave them a healthy, happy life. They brought so much joy and fun into my life. Their playful, quirky, and charming personalities inspired the brand, along with the joy and happiness they represent in my life. After going through another challenging time after college, that’s when I really decided to dive deep into owning my own business, so I associate the name Pip & Cricket with a lot of positive things. Plus I can sneak in some cat puns every now and then and I’m still on brand.
What is a fun fact that many people may not know about you?
Many people may not know that my guilty pleasure is anything Disney related! I’m always playing movies in the background while working. Earlier this year my husband and I hung out with an academy award-winning Disney producer that has worked on Tangled, Tarzan, Big Hero 6, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Disney Nature’s Penguins and more.
Interview by Mercedes Williamson