#CircusAlumni, Top Advertising Program Alumni Spotlight
Circus is so much more than just a top advertising school. We train the world’s top designers, commercial photographers, AND interactive/web developers alongside our kick ass art directors & copywriters. You will find so much diversity in our #CircusAlumni, their experiences, and what they’re doing now. The consistent theme though is that #CircusAlumni found their community of creatives & like-minded spirits while studying at Circus.
Every Tuesday, we highlight these graduates on our social channels and also have them answer a couple of questions so you can get to know the people that make us who we are.
Jaci Lund
- What year did you graduate and from what program? 2008, design
- Current title & agency/company name: Founder and Creative Director of Treebird Branding
- What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? Learn how to properly communicate via email as a professional. That means responding on time, politely, and preferably in bullet-point form with little to no drama. And include a robust footer with all of your contact information on it.
- Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: worth it.
- Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? Sylvia. I loved when she said no. It was never wishy-washy or open-ended. It was always a “yes”, “no”, or sometimes a “how can you even live with yourself?” I find that I like working with clients who are the same way. Design and creativity are so often such grey areas, it’s nice to get some black-and-white feedback.
- Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: It would have to be in Chris Martin’s Professional Practices class. I absolutely loved everything about Chris and his class up until we had to sit in front of a camera while he interviewed us individually so we could see how we look during interviews. PERSONAL NIGHTMARE. I kept freezing up. I was sweating and squirming. At one point I started coughing and couldn’t stop so he had to pause the tape and get up and get me a water. Then he asked me who my favorite designer was and I froze again and the blurted out Sagmeister because that’s the only professional designer who I’d even heard of. (I came to the circus to meet with Admissions without knowing what any of the programs were. Rob Deloach asked me what I liked to do and I said paint so he said “you’re a designer!”. That sounded good to me so I went with it. I’m adding this because I think it’s important to note that I didn’t even know that graphic design was a job when I started at the circus). At this point, Chris stopped the tape again and very lovingly asked, “do you really wanted to be a designer?”. I think I stumbled through my response and tried to sincerely convince him that this was the job for me. I don’t think I was successful. Then I went home and had a little existential crisis. “What have I been doing for 2 years and thousands of dollars if I didn’t want to be a designer?!!?” “I’m so lame I can’t even name anyone else in the business!!!!” After I talked to some mint chocolate chip ice-cream about it, Chris’s question got me thinking. Sure, I’m a good designer, but I’m not going to have a monument erected in my honor for the work I do. I’m not an artist. My graphic design work isn’t going to be hung in MoMa (unless they do an installation of menu design. Someone pitch that to them, please). What Chris helped me realize was that I loved the business of design. I love the client work. I love solving problems. This is the moment that I knew I wanted to own my own design shop one day and it happened both sooner and later than I expected and I love every minute most of it.
Ali Sooudi
- What year did you graduate and from what program? 2010, Art Direction
- Current title & agency/company name: Currently, as of a month ago, Senior Art Director at Camp+King. Before that, Art Director at Venables Bell & Partners.
- What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? Have some patience. It doesn’t matter how great you are, your bosses all earned their way up the ladder with time and hard work. And they expect you to do the same. Don’t be so entitled.
- Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: Craft. Network. Friends.
- Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? Sylvia. She pushed most people I presume. She taught me things I didn’t know I could learn and made by brain explode on a daily basis. That woman has divine powers.
- Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: The moment when I actually learned how to define an idea. Which became learning the difference between a concept and an execution. More or less… It was something like: the concept is the “why,” and the execution/tactic is the “how.” Concepts are an umbrella, and executions are ways of executing that concept…under that umbrella. Once I actually understood what that meant and how to think around it, my whole world clicked, I got it, it was like somebody entered in the Konami code into my brain. And then my career started…
Mike Colletta
- What year did you graduate and from what program? 2010, Commercial Photography
- Current title & agency/company name: Owner Mike Colletta Images
- What’s one piece of advice you’d like to give current or recent grads of Circus? You thought school was hard? Get ready to grind.
- Describe what Circus means to you in three words or less: opportunity, momentum, tough
- Who pushed you the most while you were in school and why? My peers, I always wanted to make fellow students proud of my work.
- Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at Circus: When I took the tour, before I started and felt the vibe of the Circus.