NARVAEZ         Hi Marian, it’s nice to meet you finally.

 

VALLE                 Well, nice meeting you too.

 

NARVAEZ         Great. How’s your semester going?

 

VALLE                 It’s going. I had a hard time at the beginning since it’s my first in the MBA, but now I’m getting into it, and everything is going to be fine!

 

NARVAEZ         Is this your first time in the States, or have you been here for a while?

 

VALLE                 I’ve been here for two years now. I finished my bachelor’s at Western in December and then started my MBA in January.

 

NARVAEZ         Awesome. Western is a great school. It’s a very tight knit community. I think you’re really going to enjoy it. So, Marian, what would you like to know about me?

 

VALLE                 I’ve read about you. You have had amazing experiences with the Disney College Program, Angel’s Baseball, Ballet Arizona and now with NASCAR. So, I would like to go back to the beginning and know about your main motivator to study business and get into the entertainment industry.

 

NARVAEZ         Well, I can tell you that I changed my major like three times. When I first went to Western, I was studying criminal justice. It wasn’t until I was working as a manager at Rue21, which is closed now, that I realized how much I liked the ins and outs of business. Talking to customers, creating an experience for them, finding out why they like to shop there, and really selling them clothes: that sparked my interest. I started talking to professors in the WNMU School of Business and that made me decide to change my major for the final time.

There were a couple of recruiters for the Disney College program in town. I applied three times before, finally, in my sophomore year, I was accepted. I was very excited to be given the opportunity to be a Jungle Cruise Skipper. It was an incredible experience. I worked in park operations and was interacting with guests every single day. I was creating a show for them and fell in love with the entertainment industry that way.

So, I came back and finished my undergrad at Western, then applied for the Disney College program again. I was back in Adventureland working at Indiana Jones. I did crowd control for the parades and Fantasmic. I was on the special events team. I was also a Leader-in-Training.

During that time, I decided I wanted to apply for a sports internship, which is how I got involved with Angels Baseball. I fell in love with this high intensity, fast-paced industry and creating a fan experience. A lot of effort and a lot of work go in behind-the-scenes that fans don’t understand. Then, the day of, you get to see it all come to life! That’s how it all got started and how I got where I am now.

 

VALLE                 Storytelling seems so important in those industries where the full experience is for the fans. Can you tell me what was the moment you realized that it was something you wanted to explore more?

 

NARVAEZ         It goes back to Rue21, where I discovered I love fashion and dressing up, and helping customers create that experience for themselves. At Disneyland, everyone put so much thought into what they do. As a cast member, everybody that comes into the park is a guest and we’re putting on a show for them. I loved being part of that.

So, like you said, yes, I am a storyteller. You must be in this industry, especially in marketing. That’s what it revolves around. We’re trying to fill seats and sell tickets, but more importantly, we’re selling a story. Creating that experience and seeing smiles on faces and just how much fun people are having. ‘Watching your work work,’ as they say, sealed the deal for me.

 

VALLE                 I think it’s incredible that you got the chance to be in this Disney College program.

 

NARVAEZ         Yes, August to December. When you apply, you apply for a certain semester. Disney provides you with housing, but you still must pay for the housing. So, it teaches you a little bit about what real life is going to be like. The parks in Florida and California are very different from each other, but in California we’re required to take one of their courses. I took a professional development course called ‘Marketing You.’ That was a lot of resume building, a lot of mock interviews – it was very helpful for me when I came back to finish my undergrad and prepare for going out into the world and onto the job force.

With my second Disney College program I did the Blended Learning Series about the history of the company. Then, I took the Leadership Speakers Series; which was a lot of networking and talking to executives. I met a lot of important people. Some that I’m still connected with to this day, some that really helped me even when I left Disney, some that helped me when I moved to the Angels. It was a very beneficial program. Anybody that wants to try it should, you don’t have to be a Disney fan, there’s just so much to learn.

 

VALLE                 So, after the internship, how did you feel while finishing your bachelors? Did you have a different, more realistic, idea of business?

 

NARVAEZ         I had great professors at WNMU, like Miguel Vicens who still teaches there. They gave me a lot of hands-on experience. My advice for anyone getting their BBA is to network; get internships early; and shadow, even if it’s not an internship, because your coursework is not going to prepare you for the real job force. So no, I felt very different about going into the real world.

When I transitioned into my Angels Baseball internship, I knew what to expect… but I had to find my own apartment this time. I was in the real world, learning the ins and outs of the Angels organization and their business. I was applying what I learned at WNMU, but learning a brand and how they operate is very different than how we learn in school. It prepares you, but being out there in the world can be scary. It can be tough. That’s why networking and keeping industry connections is important.

 

VALLE                 Another question, going back to storytelling, how do you approach creating memorable experiences for fans in the sports industry and foster those long-term relationships?

 

NARVAEZ         Oh, that’s a great question. So, it all comes from understanding your demographic. NASCAR was founded in 1948 and we have many long-time fans who attend these races knowing what they expect. But NASCAR is also interested in diversifying. We’re attracting new fans and part of my job is understanding who we’re trying to target.

When you’re thinking of multicultural audiences, family outings are universal. And everyone loves a good deal, right? It’s not just watching cars race around the track; it’s live entertainment, food in the in the fan zones, and activities for children. It’s also the pricing. NASCAR is very affordable. Market research, understanding people & a lot of brand awareness; that’s what turns people in the stands into fans.

NASCAR and Phoenix Raceway here in Avondale, AZ is not yet a competitor with other major sports organizations in the valley. That’s what my team is trying to change. We are trying to put our brand out there and show how we can compete. We have NASCAR Championship Weekend, which is a big deal, and our job is to show why you should come experience it.

So, back to your question, it’s understanding the brand and researching your target audience. In the spring, we attract more families because it’s a great introductory race, for someone that maybe hasn’t come to NASCAR before. Then in the fall, its NASCAR Championship Weekend, which longtime fans will definitely want to watch.

And then it changes! With every race and every sport. The pandemic had a lot of impact on that. People weren’t going to sports for a couple of years and then once they were able to, they started craving those experiences and buying more. So now it’s become a trend. Sports betting has become a huge trend, especially with college audiences here, and if they’re betting on NASCAR races, they often want to see the results in person.

 

VALLE                 Perfect. A lot of details and that’s good. So, what would you say was your biggest challenge during the pandemic when you couldn’t attract fans directly to events?

 

NARVAEZ         At that time, I was working at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. It’s a dinner theater attraction that has been around since the 80s with 10 locations across the US. We opened a castle in Scottsdale, AZ in 2019 and were only open for six months before the pandemic began.

Our business was booming. My team was doing amazing things. We had a thoughtful marketing strategy; our annual projections were really high; our budgeted attendance was really high; and then the pandemic happened. We had to temporarily close all the castles. We were closed for about five months before they considered letting us come back. Then, our staff was cut in half, and we had to adjust every element of operations.

As the marketing associate my strategy had been community activations and taking our brand to the people. That’s not something I could do anymore because we didn’t have events to bring people in. I had to shift to a completely digital strategy. TikTok was on the rise, and I made a pitch for that platform. Going digital was not ideal for the Medieval Times brand, but we made it happen.

We still wanted to collaborate with our business partners and found strategic ways around that too. We collaborated with a zoo and filmed animals at the castle on the Queen’s Throne. The queen interacted with the animal and then we put it on social media.

All very socially distance interactions, but it felt like a creative way of doing it and still being a good partner to our community. We overcame those challenges and shifted everything and were still meeting our budget the best way we could at half capacity.

 

VALLE                 COVID came to change everything in the business industry. I think in every single field.

 

NARVAEZ         Yeah, we also had to convince our fans, how is it safe? We had to prove it to them.

 

VALLE                 During that time, it was difficult because people didn’t know what they wanted or needed; everything was so unexpected. How did you manage to stay updated to the latest trends?

 

NARVAEZ         I mentioned earlier, TikTok got SO big during that time. Everybody was on TikTok. All the trends that you needed to find were on there. I could find anything about the entertainment industry on there.

NASCAR? I mean, I wasn’t planning on working for NASCAR; it wasn’t even a thought in my mind at that time, but I noticed that they were the first sport back. It was just paying attention to all those things, wherever you’re getting your information. We were all digital at that time.

 

VALLE                 Management can be fast-paced and stressful. How did you keep yourself grounded at that time and continue to pursue solutions in the best way possible?

 

NARVAEZ         I surround myself with a good support system; that’s very important to have. Also, finding things to distract yourself. I love a good book. I have a bad habit though, where if I take one off my bookshelf, I always go buy a new one. My bookshelf and my reading list are never-ending.

The thing about this industry that most people don’t realize or understand is that it’s not your typical 9 to 5. It’s very high intensity. It’s very fast-paced. You’re going to be exhausted. You’re going to work longer hours and different days than most of your social circle. Surrounding yourself with people that understand that and will bear with you during those challenging times is very important. I’m lucky that I’ve had that throughout my career.

I mean, I just got through a race and my family and friends knew they weren’t going to see me for a couple of months while I had to work. That’s just a part of the industry. That’s how it is. But during that time, I knew that if I just focused on the race, I would go crazy. I had to focus on choosing to pick up a book or go for a walk or treating myself to a dinner. You must find the balance.

It’s also important to keep your connections within your network, because having a good mentor in this industry, who does understand it and who is in it, will truly help you because they get it. They get the schedule. They’ve been in it. That’s really helpful.

 

VALLE                 Yeah, I heard someone say, “Balance does not exist. You create it.” You make your priorities. You cannot only focus on work. You cannot only focus on family. You must create a balance to be able to respond better eventually.

 

NARVAEZ         That’s so true. Right now, I have time to see my family, see my friends. This is the time for me to go do fun things. But come closer to when we start planning The Championship, my focus will shift back to work. I’ve worked hard for my career, so I want to put effort into it. The people that have significance in your life will understand that and support you no matter what.

 

VALLE                 Yeah, exactly. Talking more about sports, as a woman in a male-dominated industry, how is your journey so far? Have you seen the change of being more open to women?

 

NARVAEZ         Yeah, that’s a great question. At first, I was really intimidated. I mentioned earlier, NASCAR was not a thought for me when I was originally thinking about sports marketing. I wanted to be in the MLB or the NFL. But when I saw the opportunity for NASCAR, I was very excited by the idea.

I did my research before jumping on the opportunity and getting the interview and found out about the track president at the time, Julie Giese. She started at Watkins Glen, then Daytona, remodeled part of Daytona, then came to Phoenix Raceway, did the entire remodel here and then became Track President. She has just done tremendous things throughout the sport. I am very inspired by her work. There were also a lot of female leaders on her team at Phoenix Raceway. I knew she was somebody that I wanted to work for. I was very fortunate to get this opportunity. Julie has since moved to the Chicago Street Race. She’s now the president over there. So again, making big waves as a powerful woman. She has a female leadership team there as well, which is amazing.

Our new track president here is also a woman, Latasha Causey. She’s the first black female track president in NASCAR history, which is incredible. A big move on the diversity side for women. It’s nice to see all she is doing for our team, NASCAR and the community. So yes, I may have been intimidated at first, but there have been huge changes within NASCAR.

I’m very lucky to be a part of WISE Arizona: Women in Sports and Events, which is a support group for women in sports and entertainment. And then within NASCAR, we have, Women in NASCAR (WIN), a leadership development program. Within my office, there are many women in leadership roles. There are a lot of professional development opportunities available to me here. It’s been great to be a part of it and see all the women that are in sports. There are not a lot of female drivers on the raceway right now, but there are a lot of up-and-coming female drivers. I’m excited to see how they grow. I think that we need more of them because that’s who the people want to see. Hailie Deegan, in NXS [NASCAR Xfinity Series], she’s the one to watch right now. Hopefully, we’ll see more of her in the playoffs.

 

VALLE                 We need more female drivers. I’m a Formula 1 fan. I’ve seen the F1 Academy, which is only for women. They’re young drivers and it’s really inspiring to see women push each other to the top and go after this big dream which was not possible before. Now there’s a whole category for them.

I think mentors are very important in any field. And I know that you serve as a mentor for the Delta Mu Delta program, Ambition in Motion. What is something you expect from younger generations in business?

 

NARVAEZ         To keep challenging their peers. It’s very easy to get comfortable and set in your ways. They always say, “Come in with a fresh perspective,” and this goes back to being a woman in motorsports, but also the new kid in any industry, it’s very possible to get shut down. You can feel like your voice isn’t heard, but that’s just where you must grow a thick skin. This industry is really tough. You have to be assertive, which is something that I am naturally not, but I have had to develop to find my success.

I expect this generation to continue to challenge their peers and their mentors and their leaders – in a professional way, of course. It’s not a bad thing to do that. I always have so much to learn from those I’m leading. My intern this year, he has challenged me on a lot of things, and it all was good feedback. When we work collaboratively, the outcome is positive. We’re getting better results, and that’s what it is all about. We want those ticket sales. We want to hit our budgets.

So, continue to challenge the status quo when coming into this industry. Maintain the professionalism and drive that you have, don’t stop that ever, but it’s okay to be challenging. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s okay to question the things that we’re doing. There’s that phrase, “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But still question it. How can we make it better? How can we patch it up? I think that is important.

 

VALLE                 I really like what you said. It’s what pushes you to innovation and makes things even greater. You explain earlier, everything is changing, even for NASCAR. It was more for the long-time fans, but now you’re trying a different approach. It was not broken, but you’re trying to expand on it.

 

NARVAEZ         Yes, exactly, and again, to your point, it is an innovative technique. We’ve had to do some new things that haven’t been done before, and it doesn’t always sit well with our classic NASCAR fans. We understand that, so we still are engaged in the things that they’re used to, but we also must keep moving forward, moving into a digital world where everybody’s on their phones.

Tickets are all digital now, but the classic NASCAR Fan Day attendees still love their souvenirs and printed tickets. And, back to your previous question, this generation understands technology and the digital aspect of things, so they can also help us educate and connect.

 

VALLE                 Yeah, definitely. It’s important to have someone to guide you and help you explore that innovation. Who you say is your most Important mentor in your career?

 

NARVAEZ         My most important mentor is my mom. She’s always been my biggest supporter. She never missed one of my dance recitals or pageants. She was my coach, my talent choreographer, my hairdresser, my makeup artist, and my most honest critic – honesty that I needed to hear and honesty that helped me grow. Both of my parents really. I owe a lot of my success to my dad as well. He always has the best advice and is still a major support.

Other mentors have shifted throughout my career. I always had a mentor in any job that I went to. Again, I always stress the importance of networking. Networking is so important. At Disneyland Park I had a few mentors. René Torrico was one. He is a previous Disneyland Ambassador. He taught me a lot about professionalism, public speaking, resume writing. He’s still a mentor and a really great friend today.  Another impactful mentor was Tim Mead at Angels Baseball. He helped me make connections here in Arizona. The sports industry is a lot smaller than you would think.

I have many great mentors through NASCAR. One of the girls previously in my position has since moved into fan engagement. I’ve just watched her do incredible things, Aisha Gonzales. I can always rely on her. She’ll help me process challenges, because she’s been through it before, and understands my role at the company.

 

VALLE                 What was your biggest challenge after graduating with your MBA?

 

NARVAEZ         I did something drastic after my MBA. I had been applying for internships and wasn’t having much luck. The sports industry, as we know, is very competitive. So, I decided I wanted to travel for a while as a flight attendant. I moved to a new city to begin training. I had to miss my graduation, but it turned into a cute moment; they played ‘Pomp & Circumstance’ and had me walk down the aisle.

My biggest challenge was completely shifting my perspective on what I was going to do with my life after getting my MBA. I knew this was only a temporary thing. I knew the benefits of being a flight attendant were great; I was going to see parts of the US and parts of the world that not a lot of people get to see, but the schedule was tough. I had just gotten my MBA and I thought, ‘What am I doing? I just went to school for this, and now I am moving to Chicago in the middle of winter?’

I was eventually transferred to Phoenix, so I stayed and traveled more. Then I said to myself, “Okay, it’s time to really get serious.” I had a good experience doing it. I also think it gave me time to think about what I really wanted to do. It taught me it’s okay to try different things. You only have one life to live, so why not? I will tell that to anybody. Just because you went and got the education does not mean that’s what you must do right away. I mean, I’m successful. I’m here now with NASCAR as their Senior Manager of Event Marketing and I have some great stories to tell from my time traveling.

 

VALLE                 Sometimes those unusual experiences are the ones that guide you to where you want to be. Which is completely strange. I was talking with one of my friends the other day about the graduation stress. Before graduation, you get so stressed about where you want to go in life and feel the pressure for everyone’s ideas of where you should be and where you want to be. But eventually, you find you find your way.

 

NARVAEZ         That’s a 100% true. Don’t put yourself on a timeline. Don’t compare yourself to other’s timelines. I struggled with that. You’re going to get there as long as you keep your momentum and your drive. If something opens up and you like it and you want to do it – try it out. You’ll get there eventually.

 

VALLE                 Exactly. It’s something that I would have liked to hear earlier when I was doing my bachelor’s. I struggle to see where you are and what others are doing but is like everybody’s timelines and it’s everything on its own it makes at the end of the day no sense to compare to another person.

 

NARVAEZ         It really doesn’t. You can see someone successful in your dream role, but there were hurdles under the water that you may not have seen that got them there. You’ve got to do it at your own pace, which is why I think having guidance helps.

You only have one life to live. If you want to travel – travel. If you want to try a different role for a while – try it; whether that be through an internship or networking or just asking someone if you can shadow them for a day and see what their job is like. You have a great education, you can always put that to use, but there are other experiences you’ll always want to try. So try it.

 

VALLE                 What was your most challenging moment when transitioning to the labor force while applying for internships?

 

NARVAEZ         Applying for anything is going to be challenging. Everything is very competitive. You must constantly keep your resume updated. Applications now are so tedious. You can apply for hundreds of jobs and only hear back from one or two. Then there’s a lengthy interview process, only to not be chosen. That’s mentally and physically draining.

As far as internships go… that leads back to connections you make starting in college. You made a connection with me today, and always feel free to keep in touch with me. Keeping up with the connections you make will help you explore the industry further. Internships are hard to get, but they’re not out of reach when you always keep applying for them. Not all of them are going to be paid, and that’s okay. Unpaid internships are still valuable experience. Volunteering in any aspect is really good, especially with the education that you’re pursuing. It’s community engagement. It’s creating an experience for people. You can use that as a resume builder.

Yes, the process of going into the job force is draining. I think just staying on top of things can really help. Don’t be afraid to seek help building your resume and a digital portfolio. You may think you have a polished resume, but actually need help sprucing it up or keeping it up to date. It’s good to have eyeballs on your work.

 

VALLE                 That’s always a difficult part of it – to ask for help. Sometimes you can get defensive with your own work, but it’s always good to get that feedback from someone else.

 

NARVAEZ         it’s something that I still struggle with in my career, but I have learned. This is probably my best advice – seek help when it’s needed. Also, give help when you know someone needs it and they’re afraid to ask. We have so much to learn from each other. Everybody has different strengths.

I take a lot of pride in my work. I’m sensitive about the effort that I put into things when I’m proud of what I’ve done. So, when I get constructive feedback, it can sting. Then I’ll sit on it for a while and realize how that was actually very helpful.

 

VALLE                 Yeah, communicating is always the key to make everything better. What is that the most challenging consideration in your position right now?

 

NARVAEZ         Probably working with different personalities, working with different people. I think it’s important to understand how to communicate, how to be a team player. Not everybody has the same work style. In marketing, you have to support so many departments. You constantly need to send proofs – email proofs, copy proofs, any kind of proof before print. I know there are some I need to print those out for and take to them to get their feedback. These are work styles and tones you get used to.

Going back to what I was saying about being assertive – You may think someone is using a negative tone, but they’re really challenging you. You must challenge them right back. In an industry this large, with so many different departments trying to put on a successful event together… We don’t just put on two races a year. We also rent out the track for other purposes. We have Tough Mudder, we have music festivals, we have a circus coming next week; there’s just so many different things that we all work on together. To be successful, we must help each other. I think that’s the biggest challenge.

The other big challenge is that a lot of my team is East Coast and Central. So, understanding their timelines and their deadlines… Deadlines is another big thing. In marketing, everything is so fast paced. Sometimes you get a last-minute request; the deadline is tomorrow or by end of day, and you just got it at 2PM. Things can turn around very quickly.

 

VALLE                 It’s interesting to see, to have, this insight to the world of NASCAR, because we usually see these big events and think, ‘oh this happens every year and they have everything under control,’ but they are so complex. There’s so many people working on it; so many departments putting in all the effort to create this big event.

 

NARVAEZ         Yes, there are many departments that make it all happen and we work all year long to just make sure everything runs smoothly. It is a well-oiled machine, but not without kinks we must work out.

 

VALLE                 Hmm… thank you for sharing your journey and career inside this wonderful field. I think our time is almost done, but I have one to finish with one important question: What advice would you give to yourself as a freshman in college? If you had the chance.

 

NARVAEZ         What I said earlier – don’t put yourself on a timeline. I did, not just professionally, but personally. I thought that as soon as I was done with school, I was going to have a career. I thought that I would have a job landed and I was going to be married before I was 30 years old and start having kids. That’s not the path that I went down. That’s not even the path I necessarily wanted. It just felt like what everyone else was doing, the expectation. Don’t put yourself on that timeline. Focus on what’s important right now. Think about right now because that is your future. What you’re doing right now is for your future.

 

VALLE                 It’s great to hear that because it’s always the stress when you are in your studies.

You have this idea of where you want to be, but actually life takes you where you need to be.

 

NARVAEZ         You don’t have to have it all figured out. I’m 32 years old and I don’t have it figured out still. Go with the flow, focus on right now and everything will fall into place as it will.

 

VALLE                 It’s about enjoying the present. Yeah, we’re so worried about the future that we forget about the today.

 

NARVAEZ         Yes, as long as you have your goals set. That’s going to make your future fall where it should. You should always have goals for yourself, but you shouldn’t stress about your future.

DRISSELL        Hello! My name is Bella. I am a sophomore in the WNMU Department of Expressive Arts. I just submitted my application to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program. My dad is an art (painting and drawing) professor in the art department. He told me, “If you really want make being an artist your profession, it would be smart to do not just the BA with a major in Art, but a BFA.

 

DAVIES              I remember applying for my BFA. It was the same process. And after that, I went back for a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) with an emphasis in art and business.

 

DRISSELL        Useful! So, do you do mostly local printing or do you get commissions from people further afield?

 

DAVIES              Mainly New Mexico. Although, I have printed for people as far as Amsterdam. Also, Manchester, Liverpool, the East Coast, Hawaii – kind of all over. The majority of my business is in New Mexico, and a lot more than I thought is in Silver City – businesses like Kneeling Nun, Buffalo Bud, Monsoon. I’m kept busy between Silver City and Las Cruces.  I have customers in Albuquerque, but they also have local printers, so there’s more competition.

 

DRISSELL        That makes sense. I’m looking at all these stickers in your shop and I recognize that sticker, and that sticker, and that sticker…

 

DAVIES              It’s kind of funny – I go out in town and see stickers everywhere, and think, “I printed that, I printed that, I printed that…”

 

DRISSELL        What particularly interested you about starting your own business?

 

DAVIES              I always knew I didn’t want to work for anyone. It’s the best part. When I came into this, I was working for a woman-owned business selling cybersecurity. It was what many would consider a really good job: full benefits, provided for the family, my wife didn’t have to work. Then the pandemic happened, and we moved back here [Silver City] from Albuquerque.  I was already working from home, so I had enough time to develop this as a start-up on the side.

It fell into place from there. I ended up doing well enough that I decided to go full-time with it. I also take care of our kids. My wife works full-time, so I’m the one that does stuff for the kids during the day – drops them off at school, picks them up. I get to be like a stay-at-home dad as well as run my own business. It’s awesome to have enough leeway way to do that.

 

DRISSELL        You get to be two things at once. That’s amazing. Did you know a lot about starting a business when you began?

 

DAVIES              I did it all backwards. I had taken business classes up at Western, so I had basic ideas. Then I went and did the CO.STARTERS program here in town. It’s a two-month series where you meet weekly with other entrepreneurs. You go through making a business plan and doing all those things that I didn’t have under my belt yet -a lot of particulars. Like taxes – which I think are the bane of all business owners’ existence. That’s where I picked up the meat of what I needed, and the rest has been trial and error over the last few years.

 

DRISSELL        Yeah, it looks amazing in here.

 

DAVIES              It’s fun to do.

 

DRISSELL        So you have kids, right? Are they interested in what you do? Do they get to check it out?

 

DAVIES              Occasionally they’ll come in and help me. My five-year-old Nova loves to – you can see here there’s little packaging stickers that I use to roll labels up – she likes to stand there and hand them to me. They also like when I make die-cut stickers. They like to pop them out.

 

DRISSELL        Absolutely! Kids dream stickers.

 

DAVIES              My eight-year-old has created a few of her own that she brings to school. Her friends ask to make their designs too. I’m a bit of a sucker for that.

 

DRISSELL        What area of art most interested you when you were at WNMU?

 

DAVIES              Oh man, so you know for our art program you don’t major in anything, but you do get to have focuses. My focuses were sculpture, printmaking, and painting. I did a lot with Conté crayon – a lot of sketching and drawing. The only thing I didn’t do was ceramics and I think I just didn’t have enough time to devote to that.

 

DRISSELL        Yes. Having taken a few ceramics classes, I’ve learned you have to be all in.

 

DAVIES              During that time, I was also teaching in the digital media department.

I was teaching web design, Adobe Illustrator, and animation classes.

 

DRISSELL        Oh, so you already had that skillset going into the BFA program.

 

DAVIES              Yeah, graphic design and that stuff. So as a student I took the traditional art forms because I was already bored of the digital.

 

DRISSELL        I noticed that you mentioned on – I think it was your Instagram – that you’ve worked with comic lettering before. What does that process look like?

 

DAVIES              I do freelance work for – it used to be Native Realities and then it was Red Planet and now it’s A Tribe Called Geek – it’s the only indigenous comic book company in the United States. The owner [Dr. Lee Francis IV] is a good friend of mine from back in my slam poetry days. He hollers at me every once in a while and asks me to do lettering or layout on comics. It’s a nice break from printing. I do a lot of graphic design for people as well. I split my time between printing and designing.

 

DRISSELL        Got you. And when it comes to lettering, are there a lot of restrictions going in, like you need to use this font, or is that largely up to the letterer?

 

DAVIES              So yes and no. Like, we just did a book called A Howl, which is an anthology of short stories about werewolves and native culture. What’ll happen is I’ll get a book, right? When it’s sent over, we’ll talk about the vibe they’re going for. So, that’s the first consideration. Then, you try to make it readable. You must work within the space. So, if it’s a wordy book, you need to find a smaller font – one that doesn’t take up a lot of room so you can cram in more text.

That’s the majority of lettering. It’s not like it used to be where you’re sitting there moving letters by hand. You’re typing it into word bubbles and arranging – trying to decide where to draw the tails and place the bubbles to create flow throughout the story so it feels natural. You’re reading a conversation; it’s not like pages in a book. Learning that has been trial and error for me too. I’ll do a round and get 80% of it done and send it back and then get notes back and then I adjust.

 

DRISSELL        That makes sense. It must help having experience looking at a lot of text and comic layouts.

 

DAVIES              You can go down some deep dark font holes searching for something that’s got just the right angle for the vibe.

 

DRISSELL        So in school, did you know what you wanted to do after you graduated?

 

DAVIES              No way. I still don’t think I know. I’ve got that bad habit where as soon as I figure something out, I start getting bored with it and look for the next challenge. I knew nothing about digital printmaking when I started. I didn’t know anything about the materials, the machines…

I remember when we first got the equipment in, within the first 3 days I thought, “I just wasted a bunch of money… I’m never going to be able to do this.” There were long nights spent figuring this stuff out. Slowly I started, like anything, picking it up. But I still don’t know what I want to do. I still paint a lot. I print make. I print stuff. My business is what I do to have the money to do everything else I want to try.

 

DRISSELL        Literally this morning my professor was saying that sometimes it’s a good idea to have a job you’re going to make money from, so you have the time and the money to take the risks that you want and figure out what you want.

 

DAVIES              That’s very European! For me, this was just the thing that came along. I was in Manchester, and I found a sticker on the street that was halfway peeling off a pole for a group called the Secret Society of Super Villain Artists, which obviously being an artist, I had to have. I put it on a journal when I got home and put a picture of that on Instagram. The guy who made the sticker messaged me and told me about his graffiti group. It’s a group of artists around the world. We send stickers to each other. I was creating through a company that I later found out had some ideals I don’t agree with, so I decided I would do it myself. That’s how I go into the sticker business that way.

 

DRISSELL        Well, that’s amazing, because ever since I moved here a year and a half ago, I’ve been finding those stickers around town.

 

DAVIES              I don’t know who put those up. I swear it wasn’t me! I started out wanting to make stickers for artists. I’ve gotten to print for a lot of really cool artists, but that wasn’t enough to pay the bills. Hence, the dispensaries and breweries and coffee shops and pretty much anyone at this point.

 

DRISSELL        That makes sense. You do a lot of vinyl stickers and product labels. Do you have any other things you do a lot or are those the majority?

 

DAVIES              I do window sign work, floor graphics, and a lot of design for folks.

I’ve helped a lot of different businesses figure out their packaging design. I do a lot of consultation. Also, large sign work, large window work, some car graphics. I have a bad habit of saying yes to projects and figuring out how to do it afterward. There’s not a lot of information out on this industry. There are only a few places you can go to find this stuff out.

 

DRISSELL        Has that largely just been trying it out and seeing what happens?

 

DAVIES              I’ve gone to a couple conferences, industry standard conferences. Trial and error, a lot of research, troubleshooting. Like today, I think this is the third time I’ve printed this run of stickers. When I’ve got a problem, I work on it until it’s fixed.

 

DRISSELL        Do you have a favorite kind of project someone could send you?

 

DAVIES              Artist stickers are my favorite. All day long. I also like printing for libraries, nonprofits, things like that. Those are the most fun projects. I don’t get them enough.

 

DRISSELL        I’m seeing a lot of like a lot of different influences in your stickers. Obviously, some of these are commissions you’re getting, but I’m curious what really influenced you as a younger person to take this very visual, colorful direction with your graphic design?

 

DAVIES              I think the majority of like my style came from the West Coast outsider art movement, as well as graffiti and street art. I enjoy walking around cities and looking at all the different street art, looking at the different stickers and paste ups. Depending on what city you go to, one thing will be more prevalent than another. Some places it’ll be all murals and other places it’ll be all tagging and other places you won’t see any graffiti, but you’ll see wheat paste everywhere.

That’s where a lot of it came from. Then being like a child of the eighties, a lot of like that old video game type stuff. Pre-internet, dare I say. Artists like Obey/Shepherd Fairey, Swoon from New York, Twist from San Francisco. Their style was pretty popular when I was coming up, and that’s what I was into. Then I got into school and started getting into more traditional art and finding inspiration in that influence.

 

DRISSELL        That’s cool to hear. I’ve spent a lot of my time trying to decide, “Which direction do I take?” And I’m increasingly realizing that I…

 

DAVIES              All of them!

 

DRISSELL        I suspected that was the right plan.

 

DAVIES              And as far as what you can make money from… I couldn’t tell you. This worked out for me, and I think it’s in part because I’m in an area where there’s not a whole lot of people who do this. I also knew I didn’t want to live in New York or LA, so making a living off my painting was going to be difficult. Living in a city, I did less artwork; I get to make more art here, but most of my paintings don’t sell here.

 

DRISSELL        That’s interesting.

 

DAVIES              But everyone loves stickers!

 

DRISSELL        Absolutely. Over spring break, I was travelling, and I had to have a sticker from every place we went. I’ve been putting them on my sketchbooks.

 

DAVIES              Then you have to buy more sketchbooks and water bottles…

 

DRISSELL        I have completely run out of space on my water bottles.

 

DAVIES              That’s the sticker game. So, we’re here at my workshop. Essentially, this is where I do all my graphic design. I put it into my Raster image processor, which lays out how things are going to print and shows you where they’re going to cut. I print there and then I line up with registration marks and cut there. Sometimes it’ll get multiple cuts. Then, I bring it here to my finishing table where the products are finished and packaged.

 

DRISSELL        My sibling just got some stickers from you of some mountains that they designed. I was admiring all the little stickers you use to close-up the rolls in your packaging.

 

DAVIES              These are all my logo, but I’ll get bored with those and print up with some random weird things. That’s part of the customer experience for me. I have customers that order from me all the time and they collect the extra little stickers I put in, so I’ll change them up occasionally.  It’s part of the packaging. These products must be packaged well, because a lot of what I’m doing for people is creating things that they use in their packaging. So, I need to have great business cards. All my stickers, all my logos – everything must be clean going out.

 

DRISSELL        That makes sense, to show the quality here.

 

DAVIES              One thing I don’t like about the industry is the waste. I’m running my shop as green as possible. I am running off solar. I use all recycled materials for packaging. For my boxes – any package that comes in, I take all the packaging out of that and reuse it to send boxes out – but there’s still a decent amount of waste. I’m working with vinyl that has adhesive so it can’t be recycled. That’s the only part that that is not great. The ink system I use is certified as the greenest printing system out there. I make my margins for cutting as small as possible. I’m wasting as little as possible, but it’s still more than I would like.

 

DRISSELL        I think it’s amazing that you’re very aware of that, because I see a lot of people in the art industry where I don’t think there is that awareness.

 

DAVIES              There’s a ton of waste with business in general. Yay, capitalism!

 

DRISSELL        Speaking of stickers, a friend of mine has a great sticker on the back of her car that says, “You don’t hate Mondays. You hate capitalism.”

 

DAVIES              My favorite sticker that I didn’t print say, “Presidents are temporary, but Wu-Tang is forever.”  I have two stickers on my truck, and that’s one of them.

 

DRISSELL        Amazing!

 

DAVIES              I enjoy doing the work, but the mechanics of it are a bit repetitive or mindless.

 

DRISSELL        Do you like not having to think a lot or is there something tactile that you miss?

 

DAVIES              I listen to music a lot in the studio, or really loud drum and bass, or books on tape. It can be isolating because I work from home. But at the same time, whenever there’s a field trip at my daughter’s school, I get to be a chaperone. I’ve gotten to do murals in town. Like the murals down at the hub.

 

DRISSELL        Oh yeah, the ocean one and the girl’s face. Those are cool. It’s been amazing to talk to you and hear all these “in in the field” experiences I’ve heard about but don’t have experience with yet.

 

DAVIES              How social you are, who you meet – I’m a firm believer in the idiom “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” That’s what I’ve experienced out in the world. Most anything can be learned in the art field. It’s just about how quickly you learn and how much time you put into it. There are no shortcuts. You look at what people do, and you can tell how much time they’ve spent on learning their craft. Unfortunately, it’s just grinding it out. I mean, I wish there were shortcuts. That’d be amazing.

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out. You guys have got my email. Do you want some stickers?

 

DSC03866-2-webhttps://wnmu.edu/the-college-tour-premier/