Robert Taylor is a graphic designer for RallyUp, a tech platform supporting nonprofit fundraising. With over a decade of experience, he blends technical skill with emotional storytelling to design brands and campaigns that inspire.
About
After ten years working in Coastal Carolina University’s student accounts office, Robert Taylor made the leap into full-time design. He started in advertising handling quick-turn print and social media projects before discovering his passion for deeper brand work.
Now with RallyUp, Taylor works remotely on design projects that support nonprofits and charitable campaigns. He loves the combination of design and mission-driven storytelling. “It’s more than just making something look good it has to connect,” he says.
Taylor has worked in both agency and corporate settings, including a stint at WE*DO Worldwide in Asheville, NC, where he dove into full-scale web development and branding. He believes every role taught him something essential especially the value of stepping into the unknown. “Growth happens outside of your comfort zone,” he says.
Taylor encourages other creatives to take chances and chase the work that aligns with their values. He still looks back on his early work to see how far he’s come. It’s a reminder that design is a lifelong craft and every project is part of the journey.
“My family is from Nichols, South Carolina, one of the areas that went through the 1,000-year flood in 2016, and my family lost everything. Two years later, it happened again. It was most devastating. So I thought, ‘What can I do?’ I still wanted to be creative, but I wanted to work in the community. Clemson had just started a Resilient Urban Design degree. I quit all my jobs – almost 20 years in the graphic design industry — and went back to college.”
My name is Tonya Gore. I am born and raised Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Sara Sobota
Okay, great. And who do you work for? And from where?
Tonya Gore
I’ve worked for Myrtle Beach downtown Alliance and is located downtown Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Sara Sobota
Okay, and how long have you been working there? And what’s your official job title?
Tonya Gore
Almost two years. And my official job title is Director of Enhancement and Design.
Sara Sobota
Okay. How did you end up in this field? And how did you hear about it? Long story I guess.
Tonya Gore
it’s a long story because my creative field, creative career actually, started after I left coastal.[Coastal Carolina University]. And I did an internship, um, I don’t know if you knew this, Sara, but my degree is actually in fine art.
Sara Sobota
Oh, I didn’t know that.
Tonya Gore
So I went to Costal, graduated in 2000, in fine art. And the program just sort of introduced graphic design to the program, they had one computer lab, and Max just started. And so it was suggested that we go and get to internships if we want to make a career out of graphics. So I found the internship with a local, local small advertising agency working on the beach ball class.
Sara Sobota
I did not know any of that, that’s awesome.
Tonya Gore
That’s so mild in the fine artists, I just haven’t done a lot of fine art. So a lot of my background that I have done, or fine art pieces with some watercolor and some oils. So their position all throughout my family’s houses. So I worked I at the fish that did an internship, I finished that she hired me full time. I stayed there for a few years. So my full career for almost 20 years was with graphic design. And I simultaneously I worked as a adjunct in digital arts at Horry Georgetown.
Sara Sobota
Oh, I didn’t know that either.
Tonya Gore
I did that for almost 10 years, like eight years to be exact. And I also worked in the community a lot. So I wanted to find a career that can work because I’ve always wanted to stay creative. I’ve always said I would never get out of a creative field. I was wanting to do something that had some creativity with it. So I did soul searching, I wanted to do something with the community that combined my creative field as well. And I found the program and went back to school, to Clemson in the master’s program for urban design degree.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So it’s a resilient Urban Design degree because my family, my family’s from Nichols, my mom’s family from Nichols, South Carolina. And a few years ago, Nichols was one of the areas that went through the 100-year flood. And my family lost everything. And then two years later, the same thing happened. I had an eighty- something-year-old aunt that lost everything that couldn’t rebuild. She was too old, she, you know, and it was the most devastating thing to me. So I said, Well, let me see what can I do, still wanting to be creative, but also wanted to go back into the community as well. So I found what happened. So Clemson just started a program called Resilient Urban Resilience and Urban Design that focus on being resilient communities. And I did that I quit all my jobs, almost 20 years.
Sara Sobota
Wow.
Tonya Gore
And I went back to college to do this, again, still wanting to stay creative, because I knew I could not do anything that’s not creative, because that will drive me crazy. And I did that. finish that up. It was a year program accelerate program for one year. And I found my first job designing streets urban design or for engineering firm.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So while I was there, I used to attend an institute they had every once a month, they had a coffee with ULI [Urban Land Institute], and they did speakers, and the President of the ULI was Amy Barrett.
Sara Sobota
Okay,so I’m sorry. Well, ULI is urban…
Tonya Gore
Urban Land Institute.
Sara Sobota
Land Institute, okay.
Tonya Gore
Urban Land Institute.
Sara Sobota
And that was here, or was that in Clemson?
Tonya Gore
It was in Charleston when I was in school.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
It was in Charleston and Amy was the, Amy was the president. So one of my classmates texts, and she texts all of us and let us know that Amy took a job with Myrtle Beach, downtown Lyons. And she knew I was local. She know I have my creative career. And she also knew I had my design background. So she offered me a job here to combine them all. So that’s how I get with the title and with this job is a long circle, but it’s full circle,
Sara Sobota
Wow, and so many accomplishments along the way, and so many ways that you Yeah, that’s amazing. Now, the resiliency in urban design, I thought you said it was at Clemson but it was at it was Clemson but it was in Charleston?
Tonya Gore
Charleston, Clemson have a study of full remotes, what do you call it, a remote branch or class and most branch. It’s on East East Bay Street, and it’s at the cigar factory. The full Second floor to Cigar Factory is three different programs as architecture, they have a choice to go to Charleston or go to Italy, the historical preservation. They are there for two years and the Urban Design Program share the second floor at the cigar factory floor Clemson. Okay. And it’s a one year program. So that’s, that’s how I ended up in jobs.
Sara Sobota
That’s amazing. Okay, great. The next question is, what background did you have that helped you land that role? I think you kind of walked through that a little bit, right? Yeah. Motivation and your background? Can you walk us through a typical work day? If there is one?
Tonya Gore
Mmm, okay, we sit all over the place with this because right now, if I had my interns on a Monday, my interns come in, okay, it’s three interns, digital arts, and we’re, we’re my project is the brand in the wayfinding element for downtown. Okay, so we start at nine, I meet with them, we go over their previous week work to make sure they’re on the path of what I’m asking them to do.
Sara Sobota
Yeah.
Tonya Gore
And that’s until nine to ten. 10 o’clock, we have staff, 10 to 11:30. Most of the time, our staff through our weekly projects, we have one on at about 11:30, then I go make sure the interns, okay, and I start, you know, what’s the easiest first, sorry, because I do plan events as well. So right now we’re planning all of our events for Nights of Nance. So I had to get all the bands lined up for there. And then when I finished that, then I’ll go back to my pendant and wayfinding and make sure that I give them something to do, or make sure all my input meeting and they need Pantone colors, and making sure their Pantone colors is exactly correct what they need to use it. When they send in the vows. I double check and make sure all their files, because I work in Adobe programs, make sure their files is situated. Then,once I finish that, then I’ll go check and see if any of the businesses, like a couple of businesses have an event this weekend. There’s a Pride event this weekend. I’m making sure he’s okay. He has all of his elements to make sure. Then once I finished that. Now, I’m working on a schedule because we’re going to activate the space in the pocket park. So I want to make sure you know we have to have a schedule for the whole year, in trying to come up with ideas for the whole year. So today, I was researching other people’s websites to see some ideas. So so far, we went to yoga went to a farmers market. One, trying to get Jason about our bench, but it’s not. We wanted it with Bistro lights, so, two functions. So and now today, we had to walk from downtown.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So, that usually stops around 5:00, 5:30. But I normally do not finish all my lifts throughout the day. As long as I’m finished, because I go back and forth doing multiple things and like that.
Sara Sobota
Yeah. Well, let’s talk. Big picture of your job. You are ah, I mean you are in a way building. You’re building a city. I mean, you’re, you’re crafting. It’s kind of an upgrade, but not really. I mean, you’re kind of building from the ground up. Right?
Tonya Gore
Right, right, right. I, I call it my, my version of it, is an empty canvas.
Sara Sobota
Okay, yeah.
Tonya Gore
That’s what I my, my when I first started out, so we had an empty canvas to play with. Just, I don’t because I’m such a love of historical buildings. I don’t like tearing down I like building on what you have already.
Sara Sobota
Tell me, just in your words, although I know the mission statement of MBDA what is it? What is it doing?
Tonya Gore
From my, my perspective or just…
Sara Sobota
The whole organization, the whole organization.
Tonya Gore
We’re pretty much a place management organization.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
So, our task is to help with redevelopment, partnering with the city of Myrtle Beach redevelopment, activate spaces, bring people downtown, host events, sponsoring events, make sure people are coming downtown, and to help it revitalize, to make it a walkable community for all.
Sara Sobota
Okay, okay, awesome. Can you describe a defining moment in your creative journey? It could be a project that made an impact on you or something you produced? You know, in my opinion, it could even be a decision you made but a defining moment in your creative journey.
Tonya Gore
The entire time?
Sara Sobota
You’re defining yourself.
Tonya Gore
I think my defining moment is when I,when I was talking about with my family, the impact and the impact that had on my family and my community because of Vietnam. I was born and raised here, let me think of a specific one outside of the flood. I think it was 2017, something like that. Yeah, I think that’s what was close to the research on that with that.
Sara Sobota
Was it Mathew?
Tonya Gore
I’m not sure, probably, it was it was two back to back.
Sara Sobota
Yep, yep.
Tonya Gore
Matthew, maybe Floyd, Matthew, maybe Floyd, back to back. It’s two years apart.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
Let me think, what was defining moment in my career? That made me think about my career in a different way? or just…
Sara Sobota
Or that when you, when you produced it, you went, wow, look at what I can do.
Tonya Gore
Let me think. My last job, I did a lot of mentoring for cities.
Sara Sobota
Okay.
Tonya Gore
For a street, that, when its revitalized, the street with it was more of street design, not buildings. So to add in bike lanes, to add in different type of parking, some medians, some roundabouts, and you would take a picture of the street the way it is. And then I would add all the elements to the street, and sometimes even now when I look back, I’m like, Whoa, wow. Like, who did this? I’m amazed myself with that, because I took something that didn’t look like anything. And I produce something that look, you know, a rendering that people can associate with how they want the community to vote. So I hope to take that skill, and pass it on to what I’m doing now. Where I’m working with that.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And when you know, with your job, you can go see what you’ve done. I mean, it’s there people use it. Oh, that’s amazing.
Tonya Gore
Yeah, yeah.
Sara Sobota
Was it challenging for you to find this career path? Or what are some challenges that you faced, or even every day, your challenges now, whatever.
Tonya Gore
What challenge, what made me, stop 20 years of graphic design that, when I was teaching, I saw a lot of talented young artists coming through, and I realized that they also their, the market value for them was increase. Even though I had more experience, I did not keep up with my, my skill, my craft. Meaning they knew how to write programs, they kept up with developing websites. And I did not keep up on that element. So that was a, that was real challenging to me. Because I felt like, Okay, if I want to be more marketable, the kids coming out of high school know a little bit more than I do right now. So, I need to think about,that was the hardest challenge about my career, that I’ve still find, I don’t find it as much challenging now, as I did then. So that was another reason why I, I felt like I needed to gain more just saying, and, again, every time I always says I’m always I’m utilizing this to go back into my community as well.
Sara Sobota
Yeah.
Tonya Gore
So, so that was a challenge, that was like a eye-opening experience for me because, younger generation is so much more technically advanced than I was.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, yep. I think a lot of people would agree with that. Can you recommend any specific skills that an aspiring applicant should have to increase their chances of landing a role in your field? Specific skills.
Tonya Gore
Specific skill in my career, when I’m doing now. It helps that I have the graphic skill, but I think my knowledge base might be a little bit more valuable, then my….. the skill is valuable but, it also could be taught. Knowledge with my experience over the years cannot be taught. So I think that when you enter in a career value those around you will have the experience.
Sara Sobota
That’s smart. That’s, yeah, absolutely true. Yeah. Okay. Great. Are there any local organizations programs or events that you recommend for aspiring creatives?
Tonya Gore
Art is so subjective when it comes to creating, so I don’t think that there’s any kind of like event or any kind of like program that,that can teach you that because, I don’t feel like art can be bad, because it’s subjective, but I would I would if I had to think of a skill that you would learn, I think technology is changing so much that it it will be in your best interests if you took some classes to enhance your skill level.
Tonya Gore
Rather it be the Adobe programs, or if you want it to because this career, finding that,you know, when I was doing my, not graphics,but doing my urban design portion, my graphics laid so heavily, but I also gained knowledge in more skills as well like architectural skills far as AutoCAD, 3d programs. So I would think that if you had to learn, I would brush up on this skill level when it comes to Technology and take as many classes, or go to any seminars or any type of podcast that you can, to brush up on that and stay up to date with it. I never let my; even though I don’t techniacaly, I’m not techniacaly an graphic designer anymore. I always keep my skills up to date. I’ve never gotten rid of my programs. I always kept my programs always stay in the programs. I made sure I brought laptops that I could use program because, I’m from the old school generation but my my father taught me if you always have a skill, you’ll always have a job. So I kept my skills, always kept my skills up.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, and that’s, that’s important and hard right now, I think. Okay, do you have advice for current college students or pre professional young adults who are pursuing a career in the creative world?
Tonya Gore
You don’t know everything? Excellent. Just because you have an education doesn’t mean you know everything. You do not know everything. Sometimes,people who don’t hold a career, the degree have more knowledge than you do. Listen, willing to learn and be patient. It will come.
“Trying out a bunch of things is how you find the lane you want to go in.”
Shyla Duff has been a Social Media Associate Producer for PBS News Hour and Washington Week with the Atlantic. She grew up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and she graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a BA in Digital Culture and Design and a film minor. She held multiple internships at PBS NOVA and the Wall Street Journal.
Interview
Transcript
Shyla Duff
My name is Shyla Duff. I’m actually from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’ve grown up here. I’m a Social Media, Associate Producer if that makes sense. So, like video, but like specifically for TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and I think Facebook and Twitter.
Emma Plutnicki
Cool. Awesome.
Emma Plutnicki
And just in general, how did you get into this field?
Shyla Duff
This is what’s interesting, because it’s long and convoluted. But it starts CCU [Coastal Carolina University], with the Athenaeum Press. So, I transferred to Coastal in 2019, from USC [University of South Carolina], and USC are like, okay, I could start from the very beginning, which is that I went to Charleston, College of Charleston, they didn’t have a video or film, or I think a Communications Degree, or major. So then I transferred to USC. And then from USC, I actually ended up coming home and transferred to CCU [Coastal Carolina University], and then I remember talking with them and being like, what kind of video work do you guys have, or like a major? And I got placed into digital communication, or digital culture and design. So that was 2019. And then I hopped on the Athenaeum Press, as this might have been, I think 2020 Because I remember the pandemic started. But I hopped on anything in price as a video, Videographer, and Video Editor. And that was like my foray into, like, video production and digital media as like an educational type of, I don’t know the word, like, route, I guess. Or like platform. I just really, are you guys still doing the Gullah Geechee [Digital Project]?
Emma Plutnicki
I think, I think that project finished, but—
Shyla Duff
Okay, so that’s what I was doing. It was great that digital archive. So, it was like, create, it was a binding like local, with history with educating the public. And so all of that I just like, really, really love. So, I started there. And then because the pandemic hit, I was able to get a remote internship with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. And while I was there, I was a digital, or I was like, I was a digital video intern, or I think it was a video production intern, but video. And there, what I was on was for creating content that was surrounding like S.T.E.M. [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics], and science and like, space and stuff like that, for middle, middle school students. So it was the same type of thing where it’s like educational, but it’s also like, kind of breaking down topics so that like the general public can understand them. And, but, it still stayed in the video sphere. And I really like video editing. So, like, because it was remote. I couldn’t film anything. So I was just like, they would give me interviews and stuff that they already filmed, and I would edit them.
Shyla Duff
And then after that, I got an internship with PBS Nova as a digital video intern. And it’s still remotes; all this is still remote. And so then it was the same thing. That’s their science show or, like, organization. And, I was working on YouTube videos, and I got to produce my own video while I was there. And I got to help, like, basically, like cut down their documentaries for social. They didn’t have Tick-Tock off at this time. So it was just Twitter, and, Facebook, and YouTube. And so I got to do the same thing there that was like science oriented, but complex topics, breaking them down for the general public to understand and also like history is involved there too, in some ways. And then after that, I think I graduated, and then I got an internship with the Wall Street Journal’s podcast, the Journal, and it’s a daily news podcast. That’s like 20 minutes a day. But it’s business news and stuff like that. And so I was a podcast intern remotely still.
And so this was my first news job. But it was still like breaking down there to break down these like crazy news stories that were happening like in like the political sphere or like business sphere and things like acquisitions and stuff and we would like help them break it down into like, 20 minutes that like, again, the general public could listen to on their commute to work and like understand and stuff. And so that was really interesting. I I’m glad that I did the podcast because I kind of just learned that I still love video. Like I was missing video that whole time, but it gave me like firsthand News. From experience, which I don’t think I would have been able to get the job that I just got if I didn’t have any newsroom experience. So I did that for a few months, and then the internship ended. And then I got my full time job of a digital production assistant remotely, but for PBS Nova, so I went back to them, and they hired me full time. And then I was like a contractor, but it was full time. So then I worked with them for a year being a digital production assistant.
So then we launched our TikTok, that’s when they launched the TikTok, and I went like all in on that. But my job wasn’t social media producer. So it was kind of hard because I was also doing a bunch of other stuff for them. Like, I was like working on their website, and I actually wrote a few articles or a couple articles for them. And then I also was helping them produce tiktoks Like, I’m talking like scripting factchecking, finding scientists interviewing them, then editing the tech talks and captioning that like I was doing I was we were like cranking them out. And then just just like that was just on top of my regular job. But it still was really fun. Because I like we had we got to experiment a lot with that, which was fun. And it was still video focus. And so that was my last like, full time job. But during all of this, I was a social media intern in Myrtle Beach with the Children’s Recovery Center, which is a nonprofit. So I did that for like, I think like two years to three years. And so I was making content for them on Instagram and Facebook. And we didn’t really do Twitter, but I was filming. I got to film stuff for them, like interviews and things there. So that was like the only like, local thing I was doing on the side. While I was just like hopping around to all these other different places. And then I ended up with PBS NewsHour, which is really exciting.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, wow. That’s such an amazing journey.
Shyla Duff
It’s kind of crazy. When I like look back on it. I’m like, Yeah, I’ve done that, too. Like when people ask me, like, if they’re just like, oh, like what got you into it? I’m like, Well, I just like had a lot of different things I had to build off of the other. Yeah, that’s
Emma Plutnicki
amazing. So in your job that you’re going to start soon, do you know like, what day to day life will look like or what projects you’ll be responsible for, or what your responsibilities will be?
Shyla Duff
I know that Washington Week is the show that they said they’re just gonna give me and then I have to like produce for it. It’s following the it’s following their roundtable show of their anchors, and I think, don’t quote me on this, it might be someone with the Atlantic, but we can look it up. But I know it’s a roundtable discussion every week about like what’s happening in the political sphere and like the election, so I know it’s gonna be political focused, but I have to grab content from their discussion every week, every program, and then pick sections of it that are going to go on YouTube, and then tick tock. And then they said, I was going to also work with the Atlantic on picking out Instagram segments or something for Instagram, too. So I know it’s gonna be social media base, but like, I think directly around the election and like, just because that’s in November, that it’s like, they told me is a little crazy right now. But I’m working on the Washington Week show. And then PBS News Weekend, because I’m going to work weekends. So that said that it’s both social focused, and like clipping, clipping things from the Friday 8pm show. And then I think I work through the weekend. So it wasn’t I think I said it was on Saturday or something. But it comes out Friday eight, and then they like, discuss, then I work on clipping through the weekend. And like, it says, I’m going to work with the Atlantic and like send them stuff. I think so.
Emma Plutnicki
Cool. That’s so cool.
Shyla Duff
So that’s not to like vague.
Emma Plutnicki
No, no, that’s good. And just in general, has it been challenging to kind of find your way in this career?
Shyla Duff
Yes. So there was like a ton of media layoffs last year, because I applied for this job in December. But I saw that their opening has been up since October. And then I didn’t start interviewing till January. And it took two full months of interviewing. So that was like really stressful, because I just like I’ve been applying and stuff and just like didn’t know how long the process is going to take. And like they weren’t—like I had four interviews, which I’ve never had four interviews before, that was just like a lot. And I also had to take a very extensive writing in pitching test.
And so on top of applying with cover letters and everything and find and trying to find these jobs, I found this job by—this is also how I felt my internships, they weren’t a like, I think I found one of them on LinkedIn. But most of them I would have to just like I’d signed up for newsletters, journalism, and I’m signed up for like a freelance newsletter, and that would come out weekly, and I would just have to search through them and they kind of would lead me to other websites. And I found most of these on their official website in their job stuff. Because LinkedIn was just like not always reliable and I used Indeed as well, but it felt like a lot of these jobs were hidden. And then a lot of media layoffs were going on on. So there are a lot of hiring freezes. And then there are a lot of times where I was applying for jobs.
And there was one that I wanted really bad. And I had a connection, I had two connections there. And they told me to reach out, email them. And so I did. And then the girl that I have a connection with, she was like, I’ll text him and let him know to look out for your application. And I was just really excited because my old boss was like, I’ll put in a word for you. And then never heard a single thing back, like not even like an email back, not an interview, nothing.
So it was like pretty, it was just like a lot of challenging, like trying to find these opportunities and stuff. And they don’t really like make it that easy. Like, a lot of the times it’s on their website under careers. And it’s not like on a full job board. So you have to kind of just like, I would kind of have to just like think about like, what company? Like I could try it like it might have an opportunity and then go directly there and like search through their stuff.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah. That definitely makes it hard. And also, just like throughout your entire professional career so far, have you had one project that you’ve worked on that like particularly stands out as having like a significant impact on you?
Shyla Duff
Yes, this is so funny, because I actually said this in my interview, and I think that helped me get it. So this is just like, it’s just like the whirlwind that it was. So when I was an intern at PBS Nova, they were like you are tasked with like producing throughout the few months you’re there, you get to produce your own video. And it is in partnership with the documentary at the time that is coming out. So I didn’t pick this. But the documentary that was coming out is called The Cannabis Question. So it was all about cannabis. And like, its health effect, or its effect on PTSD. And veterans and stuff like that, because it has a really big impact on them, and people who have seizures. So it was like a medical approach. But also, the approach was like incarceration stuff, too. So they touched on a lot.
But that was the overarching documentary. And so they were like, you get to produce a video during your time here that could be like a supplemental short form video on YouTube that goes along with it. And I was like, “Okay.”
And so they were like, “You get to pick the topic.” And so I pitched a few topics, but the one I was the most excited about was a history-based one, but that goes with science. And I pitched the genetic history of the cannabis plant. And at first like the executive, my boss liked it. But the executive producer was like, “This is too history focused.” And I was like, I just like really talk to my boss about it and kind of fought for it. I was like, I really think like, this is a very interesting topic. And there was actually a scientific study that came out like a few months before I started that was about how the plant… Everyone thinks that it originated in India, but they they actually like traced it back to China. So I was like everyone thinks is in India, which makes sense, but because it grows like crazy there. But this scientific study, which we worked a lot with scientific studies while there, kind of debunks that. And so I was like, this is just super interesting. Like, I really think there’s something there and there’s no one’s really talking about it and like this format.
So I fought for it, they approved it. And then they tasked me with finding two to three women of color scientists that are in the cannabis research field. And that was so insanely hard because one there’s not a lot of women of color in science anyway. But like in cannabis specifically, like research it was was really hard. So that gave me one that was in the documentary or in one of their videos or something like they only worked with her. So I had her, which was great. And then I had to find another. And I was searching so many places, so many academic institutions, just everywhere. It was so hard. And then I finally was like, I couldn’t find anyone in America. And so I was like, let me check Canada, and I found this girl on LinkedIn, she had a private profile. So I don’t even know like I was like, I don’t even know if she’ll answer my request. And then I have to talk to her and like vet her and stuff. But I found her in Quebec and she agreed she like answered my message. She agreed to it. We did a phone call, or like a zoom. And because she was in Quebec and even though I was remote, PBS Nova is in Boston because it’s this is confusing, but it’s produced by GBH, which is their like, public media station, but they produce PBS Nova. So they’re in Boston, so they set someone to fly to Quebec and film the interview for me and then send me all the footage. And then the other girl they gave me she worked at like Arizona University or Arizona state. And they have this thing where like you can for free like you can just like they can film an interview for you and send you the footage. I was able to get like professional footage of both because we’ve done like Zoom interviews, but it was just like it’s better quality if it’s like an actual interview with the camera. So I was able to have those sent to me, and then edit this videe. Go through a few things like I had someone else do the narration because I do not like the sound of my voice.
And so we did all this, edited everything, the script turned out well, it was cut down to like four minutes. So the video was like four minutes. And it performed so well, they were able to get it out right before like on my graduation day in December of 2021. And that was rare because usually they were saying like, they hadn’t like when I got there, they still hadn’t, I think like put out there other interns videos, it’s just hard to get an intern video out. But because I was graduating, my boss was like, I really want to make sure we get this out and just like be done with it and like have it out there for you. And so they got it out. And then it ended up performing like so well. And it was one of their top performing videos of the year. It’s over 500,000 views, which is like literally crazy. And they said it was the best an intern video has ever done on there. And then when I joined as a full time employee, when they were going over like the last years, like statistics, everything that my video was on there, and they would like shout me out, because I was working there now. And I was like, “Oh yeah, that’s me.”
Emma Plutnicki
That’s amazing.
Shyla Duff
I know. That was actually really cool. It was just like, the payoff was just really, I don’t obviously expect every video to go viral or anything, and they don’t of course. But I just worked so hard on it and like as a student like, and I had to fight for my topic. So it was just really gratifying to be like I really believed that people were interested in this topic, and then it like came true.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, that’s amazing.
Shyla Duff
Let me see. I don’t remember the name of it. But okay, it’s at 749,000 views right now two years ago, but the title is “Where did the cannabis plant come from?” So it’s like the genetic history, the genealogy of it.
Emma Plutnicki
Amazing.
Shyla Duff
Very confusing. By the way, it was I remember putting out the scientific study and having to read it like 10 times, because I was like, We got to figure out what they’re talking about.
Emma Plutnicki
I’m gonna have to go watch that.
Shyla Duff
I’ll send it to you. I’ll send you a link.
Emma Plutnicki
Okay, perfect. And so within, like this field, if you’ve been going through application processes a lot. So do you think there’s any, like specific skills that an applicant should have or explain so that they can do better in like the job market?
Shyla Duff
Sure. That is a great question. 100% cover letter. I feel like once I changed my cover letter, I started to get more, at least, at least interest. Like there’s a few jobs I’d never gotten interviewed for. But they would tell me that I got moved into like a category… Like an example is I was applying for like Smithsonian social media jobs to because I wanted to play I want to be in DC. So that’s why I always kept doing that area. But they have this thing where they go to veterans first, but they would email you if you got moved. And they were like, if we can’t find a veteran, we would go to you. So like it was still positive feedback. But I really think the cover letter is very important. And my cover letter starts with, it’s like three paragraphs is still one page. But the first paragraph is like something that grabs you. It’s not just like, Hi, how are you? That’s not like that at all. I was applying for the New York Times Fellowship a few years ago when I was a student, and one of the fellows, they were like, reach out to me with any questions. I asked them specifically about cover letters. And they were like, if you I think this only kind of applies for people in creative fields. Like if you’re like a computer science major, like this wouldn’t make any sense. But in the creative field, they were like, narrative cover letters and approaches like work, like that’s what they did. And so I made my first paragraph kind of narrative, where… because I’m trying to look for Social Media Video positions. So I immediately start kind of talking about how everything is on our phone. And then I actually put in a statistic from the Pew Research Study, which is about how like 53% of Americans get the news on their phone, or like on social media. But I kind of started with a narrative approach where it’s not just about me, but it’s not super long, but it’s something just to grab them. And then I go into my experience. And then I say like how the experience applies to the first paragraph, which is like how social media how everything’s on our phone, like what I can bring to the table. But ever since I changed my cover letter to that, I feel that I’ve gotten at least like further in the process.
Shyla Duff
And then also my portfolio which I made, it was like our senior thesis or a senior project while in digital communications or Digital Culture and Design. And I like am able to put everything on there and link everything there. And so I’ve had like interviews where they’re like, or I’ve had applications where they asked you to link a portfolio and like three videos you’ve done or something like that. So portfolio I think is very important. But if you’re a video person, then you have to do an editing reel, which I’ve tried to do that. And I don’t think mine’s good. So I’m just like, stick with my portfolio because it’s just like it’s writing. It’s social media. It’s video, it’s podcast. But I really think a place where everyone can find, like your work, and it’s easy to navigate is really helpful. And then my resume, I don’t know, I actually like, don’t I don’t like that you don’t get any feedback on your resume. But honestly, because I’m in a creative field, my resume is colorful, I made it on Canva. I haven’t heard anyone say like, this is a bad resume or anything. But again, if you’re like, like, I have a friend who’s in accounting, and she was like, my resume is not allowed to look like that. But it’s because she had to have like a specific format for business. But in the creative field, I think mine kind of is more fun and kind of shows like I’m in a creative like person. And then the color scheme goes with my portfolio. So if they’re looking at both, they’ll see that like, the text is like the same color, stuff like that. But I really think that’s only allowed in the creative field. And like you have to be more like, you know, like by the book if you’re in like a more business field or something like that. Yeah, that makes professional I guess. I don’t know.
Emma Plutnicki
Okay, so just in general, do you have any advice for someone who’s trying to get into your field?
Shyla Duff
That’s a good question. Oh, I forgot to mention that. Right. before I graduated, CCU added a film minor. And I immediately was like, I have to have that and hopped on that. So if someone’s interested in video, specifically, I would say the film minor, obviously, everything went remote while I was there, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to be like in person. But I think like, we were supposed to have like, production studio stuff. And I remember like, we had to go remote. Because the studio look really cool at CCU.
I would say 100% do the film minor. And then internships, like do like as many or do an internship at least one or two, because you get credit for it. So because I think they let you do get at least two credits for an internship and so are basically they let you do an internship for credit. And they let you do that twice. I mean, so I was able to get like two credits towards my degree, because I had two internships at the time. And so I would say just like, go that route, obviously, it was easier for me because everything was remote. So like, like, everything opened up, like, there’s no way I could have moved all around to that where those places were. But the children’s Recovery Center was local. And then I got credit for the Athenaeum Press too. So I would just say, like, internships for credit, but also just like, for experience, even though it’s remote, so it wasn’t like in an office or anything, but gave me experience like in the professional world, like you’re still learning how to do like, like how to send out emails and stuff to people, and set up phone calls, and you just get like thrust into the professional space. And I think that was that really helped me feel more confident. And just like, it’s just something you have to learn, like, you have to learn how to talk to your co workers.
And we use Slack and Teams and stuff like that at different places. So you’re always like, communicating with one another. And just like learning how to collaborate, if that makes sense, with everyone. And it’s kind of fun, because like, obviously, like I was the youngest person there, because I was just an intern. But like, it still was really fun. It wasn’t, it’s not as intimidating as like, someone would think because like I can get intimidated very easily, but it’s just nice to be like say even if like you’re doing nothing, you’re doing a bad job, but they want to help you succeed. They want to help you learn like you can’t really do a bad job if you unless you’re like not trying, but it’s just a fun experience in general that I think like just really helped me feel more confident like going to the next internship or something like knowing like, okay, they want to see me to see like succeed they want to see me learn like I can do it and then helps me like like stepping stone to others.
Emma Plutnicki
Yeah, that makes sense. That’s really good advice. Just in general, is there anything else you’d like to add?
Shyla Duff
That’s a good question. I don’t want to forget anything like I got the film minor. Because honestly, the second they were like we’re adding a film minor and I was about to graduate. I was like, I have to have that because, what’s funny though, is like obviously like I was Digital Culture Design, but like I don’t know if anyone knows what that is. So I was like having the film minor, I could just be like I didn’t video stuff or like digital media and could just like lump it in, and it wasn’t like I mean I did it right before I graduated, so it wasn’t like I had to add on like a ton of classes or anything, and like couldn’t. So minor for sure. Internships definitely. I’m trying to think…
Oh, well in the meantime, like while I’ve been job searching and stuff, I just like love TikTok and so I have like a history-based TikTok account that I just use to keep practicing my skills Unlike my video production skills just so they don’t get like rusty, I guess like, while I haven’t been like working a nine to five, so honestly, like, advice that someone gave me was: Just create what you want to create, and it’ll help you get to where you want to be. So like, I really want to be in the like history, still the educational sphere, but like history content, stuff like that for video. And so I would just like was like, let me just start making it for myself and for my portfolios, at least is going somewhere and I have something to like show. But it helps you kind of like channel your like creative ideas and stuff, and just help you focus on where you want to be headed. But also, I think it’s totally okay not to know because in the beginning, I didn’t know I just knew I wanted to do video, but I was like, how the heck am I going to figure out like what path I wanted to go? And it wasn’t until I went to the Athenaeum Press and work there that I was like, I love history and local stories and like stories that really matter (or not that others don’t matter) but like really are like just important and like underrepresented and stuff. And so by just trying out a bunch of things, it’s just kind of how you find out like the lane you want to go.
Robert Taylor is a graphic designer for RallyUp, a tech platform supporting nonprofit fundraising. With over a decade of experience, he blends technical skill with emotional storytelling to design brands and campaigns that inspire.
Interview
Transcript
Robert Taylor
I actually am lucky enough to work from home. So I’m a remote worker, I am a graphic designer for a company that provides fundraising software for nonprofits, 501 C organizations, and things of that matter. So it’s a really cool job to design for a company that actually works towards helping a community.
Sara Sobota
Absolutely. Great. How long have you been working there? And what is your official job title?
Robert Taylor
So my official job title is Graphic Designer. I’m one of two designers on the team. I handle more of the marketing side designs and the other designer does the app side of the designs. And in two months, I will officially be working there for three years.
Sara Sobota
Wow, that’s great, congratulations.
Robert Taylor
Thank you.
Sara Sobota
And it’s been remote the whole time?
Robert Taylor
It has been remote the whole time, actually, yes. They used to be based out of Arizon, and then, it actually happened just before COVID hit, they decided to go remote. And I actually have co-workers that are not just all over the country, but actually all over the world. The other designer is in China. I have co-workers in Canada, my actual boss, he was previously in the UK traveling around. So it’s really cool to actually be working with people that are just all over. Different perspectives, different insights. It’s really cool.
Sara Sobota
That sounds amazing. How did you end up in this field? And how did you hear about it?
Robert Taylor
So I always liked art as a kid. But I knew that when I was in high school, I wanted to go for art, but I also wanted to be smart, and go for something that I knew was a little more secure. And I was kind of a techie kid, I actually grew up when MySpace was a thing. And I would actually use HTML code and edit my MySpace, not knowing that that was actually a job in of itself. I thought it was just something fun that I was editing my profile. And through doing that, I ended up picking graphic design as my career. CCU [Coastal Carolina University] had actually just created that as a design program, one year before I started, so I was the second graduating class for graphic design, which was pretty cool. But I basically kind of picked that, because I knew that it would be a little more secure. And again, it was more techie. I really, at the time, thought the website design was kind of cool and different, so that piqued my interest.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, that’s awesome. I don’t think I asked where you are from originally.
Robert Taylor
Um, so actually, I’m from Conway, South Carolina. So CCU has been a big part of my life, not just for me, going there, but actually my mom went to school there, I actually got to see her graduate and walk across the stage. And then she actually, eventually started to work there. She’s been working there for 18 years now. And so she’s an alumni, and then I decided to go to school there. I actually, soon after graduating, worked there as well. I worked at CCU as a student worker in the Student Accounts Office all four years, graduated and continued to work there for a few more years. So I actually ended up working at Coastal for eight years. It was really great, as well, to kind of be so involved. And then I eventually did leave to start working in the field that I got my degree in.
Sara Sobota
Do you live in Conway now?
Robert Taylor
No, actually, I live in Wilmington, North Carolina. So just about an hour and a half north, and not too far.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, that’s awesome. Okay, great. What does a typical workday look like for you? Can you walk us through one, if there is a typical day?
Robert Taylor
Yeah, it’s fairly typical. So I actually, I’m working in our guest bedroom right now, is where I have my desk so that I’ve got a bit of privacy. So you know, normally I wake up, I pour my iced coffee, I take a minute to sit on our balcony and just kind of relax and have some separation before jumping into my workday. Working from home is really convenient, but you do have to kind of make sure that you have a little bit of separation. There was a point where I was just waking up and coming straight to my desk and sitting down, not the healthiest of habits. So I’m making sure that I have that break in the morning. Then after I get my iced coffee, I sit down and then I firstly just go through my daily work emails. I actually do freelance on the side as well as my full time job with RallyUp. So I just take about 30 minutes in the morning to go through my emails and plan my day. Depending on the day I will have calls with my direct supervisor. I’m technically part of the marketing and communications department, how we’re structured, so we’ll have a few meetings throughout the day where we’re talking about what emails are going to be going out, what new web pages I need to create, any other large marketing campaigns. And then also depending on which clients are using our platform, I will sometimes also create graphics for them, to make sure that their fundraisers are successful, and just kind of stand out and really any other promotional materials they may need.
Robert Taylor
So really, my morning is just setting up for whatever I need to kind of do that day. And it can just be an array of those different things, which is really nice, because as a designer, myself, I like to dabble in a bit of it all. So sometimes I might design a one pager print material. So I’m designing that specifically in Photoshop or Illustrator or InDesign, because I know it needs to be in a print format, CMYK for printers, and then other times, I’ll be designing a web page. And I use a program called Figma for that, which is just specifically digital only, and it works in pixels, and I can relay that to our developers really easily. So yes, I get to work through a whole range of projects, which is nice.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, yeah. And then this goes back a minute, but was RallyUp a startup? Did it begin when you were hired?
Robert Taylor
It didn’t begin, but it was a startup. So they had been in action for six years? Previously, whenever I came on, so it’s still, in a way considered a startup, I would say.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, yeah. Okay. Was it challenging for you to find this career path or figure out how to apply your background to this task?
Robert Taylor
I wouldn’t say my specific job, because luckily, I’ve had other design jobs previously. So to be honest, I feel like where I’m at in my career, I’ve stair stepped each time I’ve moved from job to job, which is good. I mean, that’s everyone’s goal in life, I believe. But also, as a designer, I’m always looking to learn and have things to take away with each job that I’m at. Whenever I left my career at Coastal, you know, that was not doing something in the design realm, I was collecting tuition payments, which was far from it. And the first job I took after that was actually for a marketing agency in Surfside, and they had a big range of different clients as well. So I was doing similar things where, you know, social media ads, or Google ads, or print materials and stuff, but whenever I left that job, I think the one thereafter was actually my most pivotal career change.
Robert Taylor
I ended up taking a job at a branding agency, which is slightly different than a marketing agency in how they approach their clients and what their services are, they’re a little more, I’m gonna say picky, but specific in the clients they take on because I have found out that a lot of marketing agencies, it’s fast paced, which means you’re just turning around designs a lot. Whereas the brand agency, you are focusing a lot more on what you’re providing, which I think any designer actually would almost prefer because no matter how you work, I think that you put a lot of yourself into your designs that you’re creating. So it’s more personal. And so you want to make sure that when you’re giving that to a client, they’re appreciating that enough and understand the work that’s put into it.
Robert Taylor
So I ended up moving to the mountains, just below Asheville, I was in a small town called Hendersonville working for a branding agency there. And I learned a lot in that job role. And I can give them credit. Now that company was called WE•DO, WE•DO Worldwide, a brand agency. And that is actually where I learned how to fully build websites. When I was a student at Coastal, I learned a little bit about the HTML process, but a lot has changed in tech over the years. And while hand coding is still, you should still know HTML, most websites aren’t built from pure scratch anymore like they used to be. And so that is where I learned how to build websites through different builder platforms. And that completely changed my knowledge and my abilities. And to this day, I’m still using that knowledge because most of my freelance on the side is building websites and had I not switched careers, or well, switched jobs, I should say, I wouldn’t have learned that. So again, not saying switching jobs always makes you learn more things. But it was kind of a stair step to getting to where I’m at now.
Sara Sobota
So, what prompted you to move from WE•DO to RallyUp?
Robert Taylor
So, that was very interesting. I would have stayed with WE•DO as long as I could have, because I really loved the community. I was one of five other designers. So the job that I had right out of Coastal, for Banton Media, I was the only designer, which wasn’t bad, but I didn’t realize how much I missed working with other designers. So even when I was in classes, having the critiques was stressful as a student, but looking back was really needed. You get to see feedback and other people’s perspectives and stuff and I learned that it’s not just about being worried that someone’s going to tear your art apart, it needs to be constructive. And that’s usually what it always was, I think students do tend to worry a little bit too much about it. But again, that’s a learning and growing process.
Robert Taylor
But when I went over to WE•DO, I was, again, one of five other designers. So we would sit all the time and talk, like, if one person was working on a website for a client, and they felt stuck, they’d be like, hey, I need input. And we would all gather around, look at it and give insights. And again, it was such a learning process, which was really, really amazing. It’s, it’s kind of hard to get that out of, like, out of college, to be honest. If you’re getting a job where you’re the only designer, you feel like that’s all on you. And you have to kind of like self learn. So, but the interesting thing about WE•DO is that they merged with one of the clients that they had, actually one of their larger clients, and, which wasn’t a bad thing, it was the first ever time I’ve experienced a merger. And it was good, actually, it was a growing process. But the merged company was actually one that was a business, it was a startup that was trying to provide resources, local resources, for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Robert Taylor
So that was my first experience, a, like, direct experience with a company that was trying to help individuals, help businesses. So, they were grant funded. And all of that happened during COVID. And so unfortunately, some of the grant funding was eventually running out. So they de-merged. And I went with the other company, so I was no longer with the branding agency, which was totally okay. And then, and then they, they eventually were running out of the grant funding. They were grant funded through, actually, all of the universities in western North Carolina, because apparently, a lot of universities have Small Business Resource Centers, which I had never heard of. I didn’t know that. Which was part of their, the reason they were starting their business was so many people didn’t know that the resources were out there. So they were trying to spread and share that knowledge.
Robert Taylor
And so my role, then, I became a single designer again, and that company was called Supportedly. And so, I became the Director of Design, there, fancy title, but I was the main designer, but I still had a lot a lot to do, I ran their CRM manager where I basically managed all of the 40,000 plus contacts that we would be emailing and making sure that our email campaigns would go out properly and not say the wrong names to the wrong group of people. So because it was the entirety of western North Carolina, so we had all the different groups that we would be emailing like Cleveland County, Catawba, just all the different ranges that were out there. And so it was really nice, actually, transitioning, while I still would have loved to work at WE•DO, because again, I would be on various projects versus just one company, it helped knowing that the purpose that that was driving that company was to help people. So anytime I was designing something, it wasn’t just to market a sale, they weren’t trying to sell and make money that way. Again, they were they were grant funded, they were just there trying to help. And so I really, really enjoyed that. And they luckily gave us a big enough heads up a few months out saying, “Hey, we are trying to get more grant funds, but we will, if we don’t, we’ll run out at a certain time.” And so I started, of course, unfortunately, hunting for jobs.
Robert Taylor
But since they gave us enough of a heads up, I was able, in this scenario, not many people can but in this scenario to be a bit more specific and picky where I was trying to apply. I know how the job market is right now, most people are just trying to get a job as they can. That is just a reality. But luckily, I was just trying to be a little more specific, especially in my, at my point in my career, I knew that I wanted to stair step up again. And then be more specific in finding a company that had a culture that I really enjoyed It’s really important, again, I know it’s not easy to find a company that’s like that. But the place that I work at now, they really, really strived hard and it shows to make a company culture where everyone is happy, everyone is appreciated. There’s no negativity and so, which not saying that’s the reason why I’ve been here as long as I have, but I wanted to find a company where I could stay for a while and just grow myself as well. I would have done that with WE•DO but again with the partnership and split, it just was a reality. And it was a big learning experience for me. And so, but, I was able to luckily find a company that really cared about that and I can tell in the interview process. They wanted to find someone first that fit, versus someone that could just do the job. And I’ve learned through different companies in the past that I’ve worked at, knowing in interviews that they ask certain things, what they actually mean and what they’re looking for. And vice versa, you know, me asking them to make sure that I’m going to work somewhere that I’m going to enjoy. And it’s not just a job. Sorry. Yeah.
Sara Sobota
Right. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. That’s amazing. Wow. Okay, great. It sounds like your career’s really had an arc that is in a good direction. Yeah. That’s great. Can you recommend any specific skills that an aspiring applicant should have to increase their chances of landing a role in your field?
Robert Taylor
I think, to be honest, what’s helped me the most, that I’ve noticed in my journey, is actually knowing a bit about coding and websites. But that was for my current job that I have, that actually was not even a requirement. It helped, but they use a developer to actually build them. There’s pages that I’ve worked on, when he’s been busy, that has helped. But knowing that understanding, I think, even if it doesn’t need to be applied, can help, because I can relay information to the developer or when I’m designing the pages, I have an understanding of what’s more doable. I mean, most things can still be created, but it might be really difficult, or it might take too long. And so understanding more of the reality of that.
Sara Sobota
Yes.
Robert Taylor
But I feel like most design can be learned in general. And so from my own experience, if I don’t know it, I can tend to YouTube it or find a Skillshare, or an online class that can kind of teach me. Most of the principles that are learned in school, I’ve been able to still just apply, you know, there’s basic principles of design. But at the same time, even those principles, I’m not saying they can be broken, but design is so subjective, that things change, I could want a design to be one way, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be that way to succeed or work in its role. And that’s, that would be one other thing that I guess would be a good mindset to understand is that internally, as a designer, working for a company, you know your company, and you know what you want the end user or customer to do. But when, I guess this, this technically would be a skill, it’s a learned skill to understand, really just putting yourself in their shoes, the customer or the users’ shoes to make sure it’s working. To make sure they understand it, because you might know how your application works. But someone that’s never used, it might not have a clue, they might not know that they can do all these different things. And so your role as a designer is not just to make something look pretty, sometimes it is, but most of the time, it’s actually serving a purpose.
Robert Taylor
And so understanding what the purpose is first, before you started design, I think is a good skill. Really, it’s an eternal, it’s a brain skill, it’s a mind skill, not necessarily a physical one. But that would be something that I think would be really good for designers to understand, jumping into a role. And this is more of a reflection point of view. But I think artists and designers, we compare ourselves to other people, a lot, other designers a lot, impostor syndrome, it happens no matter who you are.
Robert Taylor
But I, from a personal standpoint, have talked with other people that are trying to break into the design realm, and haven’t had a bunch of classes and/or gone to school for it. And they feel like they can’t be a designer because of that. And I, if anyone is watching these videos and think that I want to let them know that that’s not true. You can be a designer without having all these different courses. You don’t have to take a website design course to learn, and know, website design. I mean, you’ve got to find it from somewhere. But you don’t have to have gone to like college and specifically taken web design 101, 102, 105 to get to get all the way there. I’ll say this now. I mean, when I’m building websites, I sometimes forget how to do things. And I go right to Google. And I think a lot of people don’t realize that web designers, developers, we will do that. We’ll be like, “what is the code for that again? I completely forgot.” And Google comes in for the win, or YouTube, there’s, there’s resources out there. And so I really think that if anyone is trying to break into the design realm, they should try and use those resources because I’m going to say that back when I was in school, those resources were not necessarily there. I mean, YouTube was still brand new, where you would sit and if you had to upload a video it would take like five hours and and most of the videos on there were not help videos. They were just random things that people put out there, or music videos, and that’s how we would listen to music. But there’s so much information at our fingertips now that you can learn something, I mean, designers, you have to have not a natural eye for things, but that does help. But most of what graphic design is, is learning how to use tools to get the end goal and all of that can be learned for sure.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, that’s right. That makes sense. Okay, okay, great. Are there any local organ– first of all, I don’t know if I covered this before, what year did you graduate from Coastal?
Robert Taylor
2013
Sara Sobota
2013. Okay, I think that was something I overlooked. Are there any local organizations or programs that you recommend for aspiring creatives? Associations or professional groups or any events?
Robert Taylor
There are professional groups in Myrtle Beach. I’m not going to get the correct acronym, but I know that it’s like a youth in business, young business leaders, I think? Is one of the– now that one’s not specifically just for designers. But that is an overall one that would help, that is one that helps network people in the local area, which networking is always a good thing to do. And I have learned that over the years as well. The whole phrase, it’s not what you do, it’s who you know. I think it’s how that phrase goes, or at least that’s how I say it. And it’s very, very true. And in my career, that’s actually been something that’s helped with my freelance. I knew someone that works heavily with the Murrells Inlet marshwalk, that group of eight of the restaurants that’s right on the inlet, and I do their marketing and designs now. So I redid their website, they are about to do Fourth of July event coming up, and I do their posters and banners. And that’s been an ongoing thing. And so knowing that networked person has just helped with my career, because that’s just a steady stream of design work that I can have that I don’t have to like, go out and look for. That’s kind of just been something that’s come up in that. it’s come to me. Yeah.
Sara Sobota
That’s great.
Robert Taylor
And then on campus, I actually, I am hoping it’s still in play. But there was a club called SAS, Student Artists Society. And it had started the year before I was there. And then I became a member, its first year, or well, I guess, second year. And then I was the treasurer one year, vice president, and then president for I think two years or one year. And so that was a, just a student led organization in the art department where we would have various artists come in and speak and do like kind of smaller, like seminars and conferences, and then we would do also philanthropic things like bake sales, art, art building, and we also did a pumpkin painting or carving or designing contests, we would do that every year, and faculty and staff would actually come and buy those pumpkins. And so we would raise money for local organizations. We would also do, I believe we called it Empty Bowls.
Sara Sobota
Oh, my gosh, that’s still going on. Yeah.
Robert Taylor
Is it still going on? Good. Okay, so we, so I have to give credit to one of the professors, they came up with the idea. But we would do that every year. And then we would donate the profits to local food pantries, or there was an organization in Myrtle Beach, I’m trying to think of the name, street…
Sara Sobota
Oh, Street Reach?
Robert Taylor
Street Reach! Yeah, and we would donate money for that as well to help with the homeless. And we actually got to tour their facility one time where they showed us how they bring people in and not just have them for the night, they actually help with like the rehabilitation process and help them get jobs and things like that, and help them get on their feet or get like means of transportation and stuff like that. But that was, that was something that helped make more bonds outside of the classroom. Because you don’t, you’ll see other art majors in the hallways, but you don’t always have classes with them. And so that was a way to actually kind of get to meet other people that were in those classes. And same thing with that club. It was people that were in different levels, like different grades. So most of the time, when you’re in your art classes, you’re in with the same group that you’re going to graduate with, versus being in that club, you were in a range. So you know, when I was a senior we had freshmen that were coming in, and so it was great for them to like kind of learn, and mingle with someone that’s had more of the, more classes and things like that. It’s just great perspective. So that’s one that is very localized because it’s right there on campus, that they can join.
Sara Sobota
Yeah, good. Okay. I have like three or four empty bowls because I always go buy one.
Robert Taylor
Awesome.
Sara Sobota
Okay. Do you have any advice for current college students or pre professional young adults who are pursuing a career in the creative world?
Robert Taylor
Oh boy. I mean, I know I touched on some of that in previous questions because I know I just kind of like rattle on with with knowledge and stuff. But I think one of the biggest things, this is gonna sound so typical, but it’s just being confident. We’re our own worst critic. And starting out, it’s inevitable that starting out your your first and early designs are not going to be your best. But that does not mean that that’s where you’re going to stay. You’re going to grow. I mean, just the other day, I was redoing my online portfolio. And I went back and looked at some of my earliest designs, and I’m just like, wow, that was just horrible. But that’s okay. Because that’s where I started out. And if I hadn’t have started that I wouldn’t be where I am now. I wouldn’t have grown.
Robert Taylor
And I kind of, in a way, whenever I left Coastal, I took a leap of faith is what I’m going to call it with leaving a job that was comfortable, where I knew I could just keep doing it, doing it. But it wasn’t what I went to school for. And not just that, it was not what I enjoyed or had a passion for. And so if you’re a young designer, and you have a passion, go for it. It might not be easy, and it probably won’t be. But that’s not the point. The point is not easy. The point is to do the things that make you happy. And luckily enough, I have gotten to a point where, in my career, I am doing that. Now, yes, it is still a job. But I get to be creative in my field. And that is, I mean, that’s something that makes me happy. With, with projects that I have, even though there’s an end goal, I can still have kind of like free range of design, and how it should look.
Robert Taylor
So yeah, so like young designers starting out as well, try different things. You might think that you like one thing, and you actually find out that you don’t, or something else is a little more fun that you never knew. I mean, I still took regular art classes that weren’t design classes whenever I was there. And I ended up really loving watercolor. And that was something that was not something that I knew that I was going to pursue as a career. But it was something that helped me relax. So that’s always something good to find, too is something that you can separate from a work life kind of balance type situation, something that you can still find enjoyment in, that is not your every day to day tasks.
Robert Taylor
And this is another kind of random thing. It is still design related. That whenever I first started out, I had a teacher that loved type. And at the time as a student, I could care less about type. I was like, “Okay, it’s a word that’s nice.” And then something happened my senior year, I had him again. And we had a project where we had to create booklets, actual 3d printed booklets. And it was, I did mine on the Gestalt principles. And when type originated, I don’t know why I picked that one, I just did for some reason. And then during that project, it just, a light bulb just popped in my head. And I was like, “I get it now I understand type.” And I just started to really enjoy it. And had I not taken his class and had that project and really kind of like, tried to understand it, that wouldn’t have opened up and then that really became large for me because soon after I ended up taking a job, in the in the midst of graduating Coastal, I had some interesting back and forth where I did actually take a few jobs and then come back to Coastal a time or two. That was too difficult for me to explain, but I did ping pong a bunch. And luckily, I was able to come back each time to the exact same job in the exact same office. And it just worked out. They just had an opening and I was like, “Oh, I’m thinking about moving back.” But I did actually end up taking a job for a magazine. It was a golf magazine out of Hilton Head, South Carolina. And I had all of the knowledge now on typography and layout design and such from that course that I was able to get that job. And so yeah, if you’re a new designer, just take different classes, find out what you do and don’t like because you really might think you like one thing and then find out you like something better. So just try different things. Try new things.
