Kayla is the Content Designer at Oyl + Water, a Jacksonville, FL-based brand development boutique created for the conscious beauty entrepreneur. In her day-to-day, she works on creating social media, graphic design and email content for the OW accounts, clients and team. Her additional side hustles include modeling, “barista-ing” at a local coffee shop, and building out her personal design brand. Kayla’s love of creativity, various passions and interest in both computer science and “a little bit of math” all blend together to create what is becoming the career of her dreams.

The Basics:

Hometown: Northwest Suburbs, Chicago, IL
Current city: Jacksonville, FL
Alma mater: University of Miami (It’s all about the U!)
Degree: B.B.A., Marketing
Very first job: Cashier at Winn-Dixie
Hustle: Content Designer, Oyl + Water

The Basics:

Babe you admire and why?
At the moment, it’s Selena Quitanilla. I finished Part two of the show recently on Netflix, and I feel like we are kindred souls. She had so much she wanted to do, and she went for it all! It wasn’t perfect, and neither was she, but she didn’t let anything stop her from getting all that she could while she was on this earth. 

What advice would you give your 20-year old self if you could?
It’s okay to not have it figured out and to be a jill-of-all-trades. It’s also okay for you to chase after what you’ve always wanted.

A skill you’d still love to learn?
I’d love to actually learn to shred the electric guitar I’ve had sitting in my room for six years. 😅

Your favorite way to practice self care?
Get on a plane and disappear somewhere far, far away ✌🏽

A TV show or podcast you’ve been super into lately?
The Crown and American State of Mind

The Hustle:

Tell us about your hustle.
At this exact moment in my life, my hustle looks like being the Content Designer at Oyl + Water, a position I recently transitioned into after running KDL Creative Consulting since 2015. This includes creating content for the OW social media accounts as well as for their clients, designing emails, and supporting the creative director and team with any additional graphic design work. I’m also working on reframing KDL, which is my baby that has some really exciting things developing, as well as modeling, and barista-ing at Southern Grounds from time-to-time.

Have you always had a passion for art and creating? Where do you think this stems from, and when did you decide to pursue it professionally?
Not really, actually. I’m more on the theatrical side of art, but that all changed when I started taking graphic design classes. I’ve always had a small knack for art, but nothing that I wanted to formally pursue. Graphic design brought creativity, computer science and a little bit of math together, and that was a selling point for me!

How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
The work that I’ve done at KDL has created a special home for me at OW. Working on all things marketing from branding to design to just plain managing clients has helped me to seriously step up my professionalism. The countless hours I’ve spent designing work from Snapchat filters to t-shirts to van wraps has been tremendous in terms of preparation as well.

For babes out there wanting to pursue a career in graphic design, what skills and characteristics do you feel are needed to be a successful graphic designer?
B O U N 👏D A 👏R I E S  👏 Here are some you should start with for sure:

• Limit the number of edits clients can request (Three is great. Then charge for extras.)

• Charge $50/hour starting off. Working up from $50 to $100 is much easier than trying to work from $15 to $50.

• Turn the computer off and go do something else after a few hours. (I say no more than 4 hours at a time, but I’d recommend 2-3.) Your mind—and eyes—need to rest,

• Come back with fresh eyes to see if you can catch any details you didn’t before and see what inspirations you get as well!

How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
I’ve pretty much only worked on teams with women. In one vein, it’s awesome because for the most part I’ve worked with women who are uplifting, motivating, and willing to teach and mentor. The unfortunate thing is it has kept me from working with men professionally in many cases, so that’s always an adjustment. They communicate a bit differently, but luckily I’ve been taught radically candid and unapologetically specific communication, so it’s not bad at all! (Thanks OW!) I think that very thing—candid and clear communication—can help support and empower women collectively in work and in life. This is a practiced and even learned skill like it was for me, but it’s one of the best things I’ve done on my professionalism journey. Say what you mean and mean what you say, ladies!

Specifically, how has being a woman of color impacted your professional experience? What can we do to create more supportive and inclusive work environments inside and outside of your industry?
Working in beauty has given me a more colorful (pun intended) and alternative perspective. Last year, I had the pleasure of working on a campaign with OW highlighting women of color professionals in beauty and otherwise, and I think it was a great start to elevating the voices of Black and other women of color. We have to continue to open up these conversations, pay Black women properly, and advocate for them (us) in the workplace. If you see someone who is qualified, has good ideas, would be a great candidate for a raise, speak up and let it be known! 

What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I designed and helped create a goal planner for one of my clients last year, and for some reason, it’s been a real career stand out for me.

Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
Whitney Kerney. She’s a local designer, and I’ve been following her and her agency for a while. She even designed clothes at one time, and I bought a sweater! I also really love Lisa Chen Design. Their styles are drastically different from mine, but I think they are just so pretty! Another inspiration that isn’t exactly in my field is Kait’s Kaleidoscope. Even though she’s my sister and I’ve seen her work for years, I’m always so awestruck at her talent!

What’s your approach to work/life balance? How do you keep from getting burnt out?
My biggest strategy is that I listen to my body. I’m really self-motivated, so I’m able to filter in between the feelings and the actual needs. Still, I try to heed when my body needs rest, when my body is feeling extra motivated to work, and when my body needs a boost of some kind (i.e. food, creative inspiration, etc.). It’s always a work in progress, but I feel like I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

Career and/or life advice for other babes (both inside and outside of your industry?)
If you want to explore the work horizon, do it. If you want to be an employee, do it. But whatever you do, don’t do it because you’re scared. Do it because you trust yourself and the path you’re currently taking.

Connect with Kayla:

LinkedIn / Instagram / Modeling IG / Email

This interview has been condensed and edited.

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