Today we’d like to introduce you to Karlie Troyan.
Hi Karlie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
A little rundown on me – Long Island, New York native turned sunny San Diego, California resident with a little Louisiana in between. After positions held in Fashion Merchandising, PR, Influencer & Brand Marketing, and Social Media Management, I am now here – quite literally designing my dream career, on my own terms. My strong suits and interests have always been using the right side of my brain. In literal terms, I prefer styling and capturing an aesthetically pleasing photo over solving a math equation.
Throughout college as a Fashion Merchandising student, my first leap into a creative industry was as an intern starting in New York City. I steamed gowns for shoots, lead the design of cosmetic email marketing campaigns, assisted on a home goods buying team and a lot of odd job tasks that I use lessons from even today. Eventually, I would move onto positions truly trying to find what I loved and in the mix of things becoming totally obsessed with the energy of a city and crossing paths with like-minded creative thinkers. After a tough decision to leave New York, I am now on my next adventure with my fiancé in our current city – San Diego.
I learned that no matter what industry I found myself in, the word “brand” is always being constantly thrown around. What is a brand? What is YOUR brand? What does your brand represent? How do you define your brand personality? How does your target consumer come to trust your brand? etc. etc. Only after the opportunities and experiences, I was able to learn from working for others in social media and marketing up until 2020 did the realization come to me. I did not just want to be working for brands, I wanted to be bringing them to life. I wholeheartedly believe that through design and telling your story starting with visual connection is the way to do it. In the competitive online world, we find ourselves in today, this is also a necessity. *Lightbulb moment when I realize this is a passion that I can take from a side gig to a career*
It has now been almost two complete years since venturing into the world of design on my own terms and what a two years it has been! I’ve now worked with businesses and brands from New York to Boston to Chicago to San Fran to LA to Florida. I’ve designed websites, brand packages and social content that help tells the story of the brands I’ve worked with and I could not be more excited for what is lined up in 2022.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my biggest obstacles of starting From Karlie was truly just starting.
I had worked on design projects throughout my past careers simply because it was something I was good at and most of the time, I used that to my advantage to lend a helping hand to jump at the chance when these types of opportunities came up – running social media accounts, styling shoots, etc. No formal training, just an eye for design and what’s on trend. Not ever during these projects did I think it was something that I could work off of to become a career.
I think when you’re young and hear things like “find a job that you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” you feel this pressure to find a position right away that you can hold forever. Societal norms told me things that were hard to un-train myself in order to fully explore a career in something on my own terms. Taking a side hustle of mine to a full-time job where I hold every title and have no one to answer to was probably my first internal battle with myself. Because of the connections I had made in the past, I had no shortage of clients to start which honestly gave me the confidence to take the plunge. Next challenge was meeting my passion with the training, studying and learning behind branding itself.
I look back now and wish I could tell my younger self to realize those passions for design and creating and follow them down more of a career path sooner. But then I follow that thought with the assurance of knowing the positions I’ve held in these industries have given me a much deeper look and knowledge into strategies and know-how of a relatable and successful brand in 2022.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a graphic designer with a focus on branding, web design and social media content creation. I capture an entire brand through strategic, stand-out, full-package custom design. Then, bring that same energy and cohesiveness through every touchpoint their consumer engages with on and offline – social posts, business cards, eBooks, etc.
My lovelies within working with small businesses and helping to tell their story. I am most proud of my work that you can find in my portfolio on fromkarlie.com!
What sets me apart from other designers…my ability to see a brand as whole in the present and in the future of where their business is going so that the vision does not just work for the ‘now’ but for the entire journey. I’m a lover of attention to detail and curator of just the right vibes that is the perfect formula of what a brand needs to set THEM apart.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The pandemic was actually one of the driving forces as to why I started From Karlie when I did. At the height of the pandemic, I had left my previous position to work on my labor of love full time. So yes, many lessons were learned but the most important was the realization that nothing is promised. If you want it, you have to go get it.
So many people as we know, unfortunately lost their jobs during this time but I also think it was a huge awakening for many and put a lot into perspective. Are you fulfilled with the work you’re doing day to day and what do you really want to put your time and energy into? For me, it was my business.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@fromkarlie.com
- Website: fromkarlie.com
- Instagram: @fromkarliestudio
Image Credits
Karlie Troyan, From Karlie
