October 17, 2024 • 27 mins
Kaitlyn Coskun discusses her journey from Texas Christian University (TCU) to Neiman Marcus in this episode of the Digication Scholars Conversations.
Host Kelly Driscoll speaks with Kaitlyn, a recent TCU graduate, about her dual passions for business and fashion, the influence of her upbringing, and her role as an Image Coordinator at Neiman Marcus.
This episode is about the changing dynamics of work, shaping a career path with a solid educational background in Business Administration, Marketing, and Fashion Merchandising, buoyed by an early exposure to international cultures and family business.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hearpart one of my conversation with
Kaitlyn Coskun, a recent graduateof Texas Christian University.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
(00:21):
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host Kelly Driscoll and today Iam so excited to introduce Kaitlyn Coskun.
Kaitlyn is a recent graduate ofTexas Christian University where
(00:42):
she received a Bachelor of Business,Business Administration and Marketing.
That was a mouthful.
And a Bachelor of Sciencein Fashion Merchandising.
Welcome Kaitlyn.
Yes.
Thank you so much for having me, Kelly.
I'm so excited to get into this today.
Yes, me too.
Um, so before we hopped onto ourrecording here today, I was telling
(01:03):
Kaitlyn that when I discovered herbeautiful combination of her experiences
at TCU, that I was just completelyamazed by the quality of the work.
And it's such a beautifulshowcase of your experience there.
(01:27):
And it's an amazing, I mean, it reallyjust truly exemplifies This integrative
learning process that in Higher Ededucators are so passionate about,
and you have such a wonderful storyto share about your experience and
also what you're doing now, which um,I'm kind of tempted to start there.
(01:52):
So, um, I think some people listeningmay not be so familiar with what
Fashion Merchandising is all aboutand maybe what you have, um, been
able to achieve as a recent graduate.
So I would kind of like start there.
Start with what you're doing now and thenwe can kind of work our way backwards
(02:12):
because it's so great with what you'vealready achieved as a recent graduate.
Yeah, no, that's perfect.
I am currently working at NeimanMarcus, which is a luxury retailer.
Um, nationally known here in the U.
S.
and this is my first company fulltime job out of college and I've
(02:34):
been here about two and a half years.
Um, and it was honestly such apantry moment when I ended up getting
this role straight out of school.
Yes.
I, there's a lot of backstory as tokind of me looking and trying to figure
out what it is I wanted to do, whichI feel like a lot of college students
(02:56):
Just have no idea unless you're onone of those tracks where you know,
when you're kind of like just a kidin high school like medical or you
end up going to finance, there'slike steps that you follow and
then you end up in that position.
Fashion is a whole nother realmwhere there's just so many
possibilities and that kind of playsin with the creative side of it.
(03:18):
Uh, so when I was, uh, graduating, Ilooked into a lot of different companies,
definitely did my research, tryingto figure out where I wanted to go.
Um, I did go to TCU, which is based herein Texas, and otherwise I didn't have any
ties here per se, but, uh, Neiman MarcusGroup is based here, and it was one of the
(03:40):
first ones that I was really looking at.
It definitely has that brand recognition,especially if you're in the fashion world.
Uh, so I applied to a bunch of jobsthere that seemed right up my alley with
my marketing and Fashion Merchandisingbackground, um, and ended up landing
this image coordinator position thatfocuses on our overseas and remote photo
(04:03):
shoots, which if you know me, that'slike The perfect combination of who I am.
I never knew that, like, this jobexisted before I came across it online,
which goes to show that really justthings happen for a reason and things
will play out how they're supposed toand to just have faith in the process.
(04:23):
But in this position, I have grown alot in the past two and a half years.
Starting off, I manage The core ofthe job is managing the imagery that
comes from our photoshoots that aredone remotely, which is everything not
shot here in Dallas where we're based.
(04:43):
So that includes Milan, Paris, London,and New York City, which I wish
that I was on location, but I handleeverything remotely here in Dallas.
Um, but it does give me the opportunityto travel if I want to, uh, just
not for the job, unfortunately.
Not yet, fingers crossed, but yeah, I, toput it simply, I manage the imagery that's
(05:10):
going to go on our eCommerce website.
So when you're online shopping for ashirt, for example, you're going to click
on it and see a couple different angles.
Maybe there's five,depending on the company.
There'll be a differentnumber of images per item.
I narrow down thousands and thousands.
I've worked on so like hundreds ofthousands of images to the ones that
(05:32):
really fit our brand image at the timeand the direction that we're going
in based off the platform, which ifyou're not familiar with Neiman Marcus.
We are a company of two, which is NeimanMarcus and Bergdorf Goodman, which
Bergdorf Goodman is based in New York,whereas Niemann's is based here in Dallas,
(05:52):
um, and I have specialized in the BergdorfGoodman imagery, uh, while I'm still well
versed in the Niemann Marcus one as well,I have a counterpart who works on that,
that I have, um, trained up to this point.
So, yeah, it was, uh, Veryexciting post college going into it
because I've always loved imagery.
(06:13):
Like, I'm such a visual person, just,it, it's so natural and intuitive
to me to go through images and findthe one that really encapsulates
the perfect design elements oflike balance and texture and color.
And I think it justcame from an early age.
I did it without even thinking abouta career through social media as a,
(06:38):
like a high schooler and younger.
Um, so then when I came acrosshere, I felt greatly equipped.
Um, and since I've been here, I havedefinitely grown into more of a junior
producer position where I help people.
Further manage the overallproduction of the photo shoot.
(06:58):
So that's from start to finish ofgetting everyone organized, getting
the right people and teams in place,um, budgeting, uh, negotiating rates.
Getting everyone to the rightlocation, making sure everything
is well organized logistically, andthen providing image guides to the
(07:20):
photographers on what exactly needsto be done with the right direction.
Getting those images back, whichis at the core of my job, and going
through those, curating it for ourcompany to put out the best product for
customers to end up buying our product.
Buying our merchandise.
So, yeah, that's a bit.
It's just extraordinary.
I just, I love your story and you, youclearly have a creative soul and I think
(07:50):
such a gift for kind of storytellingand you've done that through both
your words and your imagery and your.
Design Aesthetic.
You're a very clear communicator onmultiple levels, which you really exuded
(08:12):
through what you created using Digicationand is clearly at play in your work today.
Thank you so much for sharing whatyou've been doing since graduation.
So now we'll rewind a little bit.
And I would love for you to sharekind of how you found your way to TCU.
(08:37):
Uh, I, I recall, I think you'rea Southern California gal, right?
Yep, sure am.
Yes.
And you guys are basedin California too, right?
Well, we, I was there for a time.
So I was actually born in SouthernCalifornia and I grew up, uh, in Virginia
and always wanted to move back there.
(09:00):
I just had this like magnetic pull.
So after, um, college and having somekids, we were just like, Alright,
if we're going to do this, we needto do this now before they all start
going through elementary school.
So we did make the leap and I livedout there for about 10 years and
now I'm back on the southeast.
(09:21):
Yeah.
Okay.
The family again, but it was wonderful.
We were in the Bay Area.
Oh, yes.
Yep.
I was down in more SouthernCalifornia, a little north of LA,
but all of California has my heart.
Kind of same thing, though.
I haven't been there my whole life, butcertainly most of it and my upbringing.
I wasn't born there, though,so a little bit different.
(09:43):
Born in Kansas City, lived in Turkeyfor a little bit, and then moved
there, and then Now I'm here in Dallas.
Yes, yes, you've had some time, yeah,you've had some time, um, living
and studying abroad, which is great.
And we'll talk about that more too,because you've detailed some of
that in, in the pages of the workthat you've created in Digication.
(10:07):
So, um, So being in California,were you there for high school?
Yes, I was there for high school.
So when you were thinking about whatyou wanted to do next for college,
what were you kind of thinking atthe time, you know, as you're getting
ready to start your senior year andthink about where you wanted to apply?
(10:32):
Did you already know in the TCU isgoing to be your destiny or what kind
of things were you thinking about?
Did you know what you wanted to major in?
I'd love to hear it.
Certainly had no idea, which I feellike a lot of people can relate to.
Um, going through high school and just.
(10:55):
My upbringing, I knew I had an interest infashion, um, but beyond that I really had
no specialization or further idea of it.
Um, so going into like, I thinkit was about junior years when
you really start applying tocolleges, um, back in high school.
I visited a ton of schoolsthrough my high school.
(11:18):
We had a good program that brought meall along the East Coast and then I
also saw a lot in California as well.
I, I, Visited so many schools I can'teven remember the full number, but
I'm definitely a thorough person.
So, I had to do my researchand I had to visit in person.
(11:38):
That was always my criteria, and myparents were so supportive in that
as well, which I'm truly blessed for.
But, I'm such a feel, like, a It's justan intuitive feeling kind of person.
Like my gut feeling is something thatI certainly like to trust and follow.
Um, so kind of going on tocampuses was a major part of
(12:00):
actually making my final decision.
And TCU, I get asked thisquestion and I, It's so random,
is, like, the simplest answer.
Like, I have no family in Texas.
The only connection I had was, yeah,the only connection I had was my mom's
best friend went there, and she justcasually mentioned that she'd think that
(12:25):
I would enjoy it, um, and so I ended upvisiting, and I was really looking...
My two top schools at the end of the dayended up being TCU and SMU, which are
both based here in Dallas, the DFW area.
Uh, so again, not really sure whythat they both happened to be here.
I guess it was just meant to be, butthey both had really good business
(12:49):
programs and fashion programs, andthat was where My mind was going, uh,
looking for a college and an edu...
further education.
And that was definitely, uh,influenced by my family, my dad.
Uh, was the one certainly encouragingme to also get that business,
(13:09):
uh, degree along with my fashion.
He thought that that would be veryhelpful just in career pursual
down the line and I totally agreed.
So, um, my first initiative wasto find good business schools
that had also a fashion program.
And so, I ended up applying to TCUand got in early action, I believe,
(13:33):
and I applied for the business school.
So, my first line was that BBA inMarketing, and then once I got in with
that, it wasn't until freshman year.
that I spoke with a career counselor andshowed them that I had this passion for
(13:55):
fashion and certainly wanted to do somecombination of it and I really worked
with their career counselors to make thatwork because it's actually not very common
to do two completely separate majorsall in four years, uh, just time wise.
It's a lot easier to do two majors withinthe same department, um, right, right.
(14:19):
Yeah.
And so it was certainlya struggle at first.
And there was times freshman yearwhere I had no idea if I was even
going to be able to make it work.
But I was definitely dead set on it,and I think that drive helped me in
the end in just continuing to pursueit, because I did speak to certain
(14:40):
counselors who said, like, this is notgoing to be feasible, and I didn't want
to take a longer term to get the degrees.
I didn't want to go past four years.
I really just wanted tobe able to get it done.
Um, in that time period.
And so what ended up happeningwas I had to create my own four
(15:01):
year plan with the assistanceof the counselors and my family.
Um, but We had to place all the differentclasses, figure out how it would work,
because it's honestly very complex whenclasses are available, like what semester,
especially with fashion, it being asmaller program than the business school.
(15:21):
And so, I, what I ended up havingto do was take one to three classes
every summer, um, and stay on campus,basically, instead of going home and
taking that as a full break, whichwas a sacrifice I was willing to
make in order to get to my end goal.
Um, and I did enjoy it as well.
(15:43):
They were often classesthat I had a good time with.
Um, And most of them ended upbeing my fashion based ones.
I would say maybe one or two werebusiness, but it ended up working out.
And, um, I think I also had to add someextra courses during the school year too.
And so instead of doing 15 hours,I was maybe doing 18, um, every
(16:06):
now and then, but it was, itwas something I knew I wanted.
And I basically just hadto figure it out to do it.
And so I did.
And I'm so happy that I did becausegraduating with my class was such
a good feeling compared to what Iwould assume waiting another semester
(16:28):
and not being able to do thatwith my community would have felt.
Um, and it was also just a personalaccomplishment as well, just
knowing that I was able to do so.
But getting to thepoint of how I chose my.
What the direction further,uh, with fashion was my family.
(16:49):
I grew up in a veryfashion forward family.
Both of my parents workedin the fashion industry.
Um, my dad actuallyfounded his own company.
Uh, he's from Turkey and my momis from, uh, the U S and they met.
Working on the job actually,um, both in fashion.
(17:11):
Yeah.
So their love story starts there.
Um, and my dad's company,um, luckily ended up growing.
And so both of my parents workedthere throughout my upbringing.
Um, up until just aboutrecently, they ended up retiring.
But their company was based in Turkey.
(17:32):
Um, it was a full service.
Best way I like to describe itas like a full service apparel
sourcing and production agency.
Um, so they worked with a handfulof well known brands, um, and really
provided, At the end of the day, liketrend research, product development,
(17:55):
sourcing, production, he had, mydad had really close connections
with the factories based there.
Um, and growing up, they wantedme to be raised in America.
And so that was when we made that switchfrom living in Turkey to California.
Um, at a young age, I was about four.
So I barely remember that,but I'll never forget.
(18:16):
Um, because I do really appreciatetheir consideration for me.
And.
Growing up, though, they wereable to continue That company
based there with other familymembers leading it on the ground.
And then my parents opening amarketing branch here in California.
So I was surrounded by fashion.
(18:39):
There was always samples in the house.
My dad, when friends wouldcome over, he'd hand them out.
And it was such a fun thing asa kid to see, you know, just
playing around with clothes.
And then I also was able to travelwith them, which is what their
new roles entailed, um, withmarketing and connections with
(19:00):
different companies and vendors.
And it was all based in Europe.
Um, so from a young age, I was able totravel around, um, to so many countries.
Like, probably, probably, probably.
13 by the time I was in high school.
Um, yeah, and I think that's somethingI'll forever be grateful for, uh, from
(19:22):
such a young age to be exposed to somany different cultures and people,
um, work ethic and, At the time, Icertainly didn't understand it, I
would say, up to a certain extent.
And then there was a moment where itshifted and I began to become a lot
more interested in the actual businessside of it, where I would actually sit
(19:45):
in on meetings, um, and participateto an extent that certainly shaped my
interest in fashion moving forward.
Oh, well, it just sounds like growingup you had such a just rich experience
being able to watch your family andall of their entrepreneurship and
(20:11):
You clearly have this kind of lovefor design and fashion in your genes.
I certainly do.
I would be that person justplaying around in like high heels
in my closet from like age four.
Um, and then also, I feel likeit's so easily translates to
(20:31):
another interest of mine, which isinterior design, um, and decorating.
And I was constantly rearrangingmy rooms, like moving my bed.
And when I've got, as I've gotten olderand connected with my parents a lot more
on more personal, you know, adult level.
Yeah.
So many of the things that I did and I wasinterested in intuitively were things that
(20:56):
matched what they did as a younger age.
And my mom was like, I didthe exact same thing as a kid.
And I'm just like, oh, like we are real.
I truly am like a product ofthem in the best ways possible.
So it's been fun.
It seems like you also really, um, kindof soaked in this work ethic that you
(21:22):
spoke to also, um, possibly because youwere growing up around them working.
And I'm sure as a, um, marriedcouple working together that,
you know, it was just part of.
The in and out of daily life, youknow, there was no nine to five, right?
(21:46):
It was part of everything.
It's so weird going up now and realizingthat because I only know my parents
working from home and I'm so grateful forthat, honestly, because it gave me such
a greater opportunity to be around themand also in a professional way, like you
(22:07):
said, learn from their work ethic andactually see it firsthand, which I feel
like a lot of kids aren't able to forwhen they grow up with parents who go
into a job and they're not able to reallysee the ins and outs of how it works.
So that is a great point and somethingI'm actually kind of just now
understanding a little bit better.
That makes a lot of sense.
Yes, yes.
(22:27):
And I'm glad that you have theopportunity to work from home also.
Yeah, I know.
Which is such a blessing.
And I mean, that's also comealong from COVID of course.
I think the company, um, I startedwith the company post COVID since I
graduated in 2021, which is a whole notherthing that I could talk about forever.
(22:51):
But, um, I started it with a remoteposition which generalized as a
remote position, kind of hybrid, whereI do have a base to go into here.
Um, and it's fluctuated ever since,but I think, I think it depends
on the industry at this point.
I still think we're not 100 percentable to see the trajectory of how that's
(23:15):
going to work, but everyone gettingthis taste of being able to work from
home and work remotely, I feel like isreally kind of creating this whole new
dynamic with our careers moving forward.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And, uh, it's been really fun to hear,you know, this part of your story too,
um, Digication, I co founded it with, uh,my husband, um, we technically started
(23:43):
the business before we got married.
Oh my gosh.
That was a little over 20 years ago.
Oh, congratulations.
Thank you.
And, you know, we've beenraising our children.
I think we.
We went remote, I'm thinking it wasabout, it's definitely been over 10 years.
(24:05):
It may be 13 years nowthat we made that switch.
You're ahead of the game.
We felt really lucky, yeah.
So I had, you know, threeyoung children at the time.
We had our daughter and then18 months later had twin boys.
(24:25):
And we had started our company veryyoung and had lots of young employees at
the time and other people were startingto get married and have kids and some
people wanted to move other places.
And, you know, we were just like, Youknow, we want to keep you as employees.
We are starting to need more flexibilitywith our schedule and, you know,
(24:49):
balancing work and life and, um,you know, just like your parents.
You know, we were kind of working, like,Digication was just part of our lives,
it wasn't just our job, you know, itstill is, and, um, you know, we were
like, let's just try this, you know?
(25:11):
We stopped having a physical officeand people started working from home.
There was a lot of Skype at the time.
I'm really glad that things have evolved.
Yeah, I remember Skyping because I hadso much family overseas, so we would
use that platform all the time, all thetime, but yeah, Zoom's become our new
(25:32):
go to, but now maybe Zencaster can be.
Well, Zencaster's great for podcasts,but yes, we love Zoom and Slack
and, you know, all those things, soit's been, you know, it's been an
evolution for sure, but I, you know,we're always hoping that our Children
kind of have that same experience.
(25:54):
They've grown up watching Digicationgrow up, so I'm sure they're picking
up on things that they may noteven realize, um, but it's, it's
definitely been, uh, really fun.
So it's fun to hear your perspectivetoo, some overlap, and I'm sure you've
got extraordinary Parents, you know,they took that leap to come to the U.
(26:19):
S.
to start building out things here withalready having some success in Turkey.
And that's a, it's a,that's a brave thing.
Oh, yeah.
And it sounds like itworked out really well.
Yeah, luckily it did.
And I'm so proud of them.
And as I'm here now, kind of juststarting off my career, I am.
(26:41):
Taking more and more inspiration from itbecause I mean, there's so many things
I can go through your head of like whereyou want to go with what you're doing
and trying to figure out that path.
And do you want to, do I want to continueworking in a corporate nine to five kind
of job, even though there's flexibility,or do I want to create my own company
and follow in my family's footsteps?
(27:02):
Um, and we'll kind of just,time will tell on that one.
We'll see where I end up.
But yeah, well, I hopeI can stay in touch.
I would love to know, you know,it just sounds like you're
on a beautiful trajectory.
And I just, I love that.
Here's a preview of what's coming upnext in part two of my conversation
with Kaitlyn Coskun, a recent graduateof Texas Christian University.
(27:26):
The quote actually that I have on my firstpage of my about me on my ePortfolio.
It kind of goes in line with that,that there's really only Two things in
life that are in your total control andthat's your attitude and your effort.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hearpart one of my conversation with
Kaitlyn Coskun, a recent graduateof Texas Christian University.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
(00:21):
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host Kelly Driscoll and today Iam so excited to introduce Kaitlyn Coskun.
Kaitlyn is a recent graduate ofTexas Christian University where
(00:42):
she received a Bachelor of Business,Business Administration and Marketing.
That was a mouthful.
And a Bachelor of Sciencein Fashion Merchandising.
Welcome Kaitlyn.
Yes.
Thank you so much for having me, Kelly.
I'm so excited to get into this today.
Yes, me too.
Um, so before we hopped onto ourrecording here today, I was telling
(01:03):
Kaitlyn that when I discovered herbeautiful combination of her experiences
at TCU, that I was just completelyamazed by the quality of the work.
And it's such a beautifulshowcase of your experience there.
(01:27):
And it's an amazing, I mean, it reallyjust truly exemplifies This integrative
learning process that in Higher Ededucators are so passionate about,
and you have such a wonderful storyto share about your experience and
also what you're doing now, which um,I'm kind of tempted to start there.
(01:52):
So, um, I think some people listeningmay not be so familiar with what
Fashion Merchandising is all aboutand maybe what you have, um, been
able to achieve as a recent graduate.
So I would kind of like start there.
Start with what you're doing now and thenwe can kind of work our way backwards
(02:12):
because it's so great with what you'vealready achieved as a recent graduate.
Yeah, no, that's perfect.
I am currently working at NeimanMarcus, which is a luxury retailer.
Um, nationally known here in the U.
S.
and this is my first company fulltime job out of college and I've
(02:34):
been here about two and a half years.
Um, and it was honestly such apantry moment when I ended up getting
this role straight out of school.
Yes.
I, there's a lot of backstory as tokind of me looking and trying to figure
out what it is I wanted to do, whichI feel like a lot of college students
(02:56):
Just have no idea unless you're onone of those tracks where you know,
when you're kind of like just a kidin high school like medical or you
end up going to finance, there'slike steps that you follow and
then you end up in that position.
Fashion is a whole nother realmwhere there's just so many
possibilities and that kind of playsin with the creative side of it.
(03:18):
Uh, so when I was, uh, graduating, Ilooked into a lot of different companies,
definitely did my research, tryingto figure out where I wanted to go.
Um, I did go to TCU, which is based herein Texas, and otherwise I didn't have any
ties here per se, but, uh, Neiman MarcusGroup is based here, and it was one of the
(03:40):
first ones that I was really looking at.
It definitely has that brand recognition,especially if you're in the fashion world.
Uh, so I applied to a bunch of jobsthere that seemed right up my alley with
my marketing and Fashion Merchandisingbackground, um, and ended up landing
this image coordinator position thatfocuses on our overseas and remote photo
(04:03):
shoots, which if you know me, that'slike The perfect combination of who I am.
I never knew that, like, this jobexisted before I came across it online,
which goes to show that really justthings happen for a reason and things
will play out how they're supposed toand to just have faith in the process.
(04:23):
But in this position, I have grown alot in the past two and a half years.
Starting off, I manage The core ofthe job is managing the imagery that
comes from our photoshoots that aredone remotely, which is everything not
shot here in Dallas where we're based.
(04:43):
So that includes Milan, Paris, London,and New York City, which I wish
that I was on location, but I handleeverything remotely here in Dallas.
Um, but it does give me the opportunityto travel if I want to, uh, just
not for the job, unfortunately.
Not yet, fingers crossed, but yeah, I, toput it simply, I manage the imagery that's
(05:10):
going to go on our eCommerce website.
So when you're online shopping for ashirt, for example, you're going to click
on it and see a couple different angles.
Maybe there's five,depending on the company.
There'll be a differentnumber of images per item.
I narrow down thousands and thousands.
I've worked on so like hundreds ofthousands of images to the ones that
(05:32):
really fit our brand image at the timeand the direction that we're going
in based off the platform, which ifyou're not familiar with Neiman Marcus.
We are a company of two, which is NeimanMarcus and Bergdorf Goodman, which
Bergdorf Goodman is based in New York,whereas Niemann's is based here in Dallas,
(05:52):
um, and I have specialized in the BergdorfGoodman imagery, uh, while I'm still well
versed in the Niemann Marcus one as well,I have a counterpart who works on that,
that I have, um, trained up to this point.
So, yeah, it was, uh, Veryexciting post college going into it
because I've always loved imagery.
(06:13):
Like, I'm such a visual person, just,it, it's so natural and intuitive
to me to go through images and findthe one that really encapsulates
the perfect design elements oflike balance and texture and color.
And I think it justcame from an early age.
I did it without even thinking abouta career through social media as a,
(06:38):
like a high schooler and younger.
Um, so then when I came acrosshere, I felt greatly equipped.
Um, and since I've been here, I havedefinitely grown into more of a junior
producer position where I help people.
Further manage the overallproduction of the photo shoot.
(06:58):
So that's from start to finish ofgetting everyone organized, getting
the right people and teams in place,um, budgeting, uh, negotiating rates.
Getting everyone to the rightlocation, making sure everything
is well organized logistically, andthen providing image guides to the
(07:20):
photographers on what exactly needsto be done with the right direction.
Getting those images back, whichis at the core of my job, and going
through those, curating it for ourcompany to put out the best product for
customers to end up buying our product.
Buying our merchandise.
So, yeah, that's a bit.
It's just extraordinary.
I just, I love your story and you, youclearly have a creative soul and I think
(07:50):
such a gift for kind of storytellingand you've done that through both
your words and your imagery and your.
Design Aesthetic.
You're a very clear communicator onmultiple levels, which you really exuded
(08:12):
through what you created using Digicationand is clearly at play in your work today.
Thank you so much for sharing whatyou've been doing since graduation.
So now we'll rewind a little bit.
And I would love for you to sharekind of how you found your way to TCU.
(08:37):
Uh, I, I recall, I think you'rea Southern California gal, right?
Yep, sure am.
Yes.
And you guys are basedin California too, right?
Well, we, I was there for a time.
So I was actually born in SouthernCalifornia and I grew up, uh, in Virginia
and always wanted to move back there.
(09:00):
I just had this like magnetic pull.
So after, um, college and having somekids, we were just like, Alright,
if we're going to do this, we needto do this now before they all start
going through elementary school.
So we did make the leap and I livedout there for about 10 years and
now I'm back on the southeast.
(09:21):
Yeah.
Okay.
The family again, but it was wonderful.
We were in the Bay Area.
Oh, yes.
Yep.
I was down in more SouthernCalifornia, a little north of LA,
but all of California has my heart.
Kind of same thing, though.
I haven't been there my whole life, butcertainly most of it and my upbringing.
I wasn't born there, though,so a little bit different.
(09:43):
Born in Kansas City, lived in Turkeyfor a little bit, and then moved
there, and then Now I'm here in Dallas.
Yes, yes, you've had some time, yeah,you've had some time, um, living
and studying abroad, which is great.
And we'll talk about that more too,because you've detailed some of
that in, in the pages of the workthat you've created in Digication.
(10:07):
So, um, So being in California,were you there for high school?
Yes, I was there for high school.
So when you were thinking about whatyou wanted to do next for college,
what were you kind of thinking atthe time, you know, as you're getting
ready to start your senior year andthink about where you wanted to apply?
(10:32):
Did you already know in the TCU isgoing to be your destiny or what kind
of things were you thinking about?
Did you know what you wanted to major in?
I'd love to hear it.
Certainly had no idea, which I feellike a lot of people can relate to.
Um, going through high school and just.
(10:55):
My upbringing, I knew I had an interest infashion, um, but beyond that I really had
no specialization or further idea of it.
Um, so going into like, I thinkit was about junior years when
you really start applying tocolleges, um, back in high school.
I visited a ton of schoolsthrough my high school.
(11:18):
We had a good program that brought meall along the East Coast and then I
also saw a lot in California as well.
I, I, Visited so many schools I can'teven remember the full number, but
I'm definitely a thorough person.
So, I had to do my researchand I had to visit in person.
(11:38):
That was always my criteria, and myparents were so supportive in that
as well, which I'm truly blessed for.
But, I'm such a feel, like, a It's justan intuitive feeling kind of person.
Like my gut feeling is something thatI certainly like to trust and follow.
Um, so kind of going on tocampuses was a major part of
(12:00):
actually making my final decision.
And TCU, I get asked thisquestion and I, It's so random,
is, like, the simplest answer.
Like, I have no family in Texas.
The only connection I had was, yeah,the only connection I had was my mom's
best friend went there, and she justcasually mentioned that she'd think that
(12:25):
I would enjoy it, um, and so I ended upvisiting, and I was really looking...
My two top schools at the end of the dayended up being TCU and SMU, which are
both based here in Dallas, the DFW area.
Uh, so again, not really sure whythat they both happened to be here.
I guess it was just meant to be, butthey both had really good business
(12:49):
programs and fashion programs, andthat was where My mind was going, uh,
looking for a college and an edu...
further education.
And that was definitely, uh,influenced by my family, my dad.
Uh, was the one certainly encouragingme to also get that business,
(13:09):
uh, degree along with my fashion.
He thought that that would be veryhelpful just in career pursual
down the line and I totally agreed.
So, um, my first initiative wasto find good business schools
that had also a fashion program.
And so, I ended up applying to TCUand got in early action, I believe,
(13:33):
and I applied for the business school.
So, my first line was that BBA inMarketing, and then once I got in with
that, it wasn't until freshman year.
that I spoke with a career counselor andshowed them that I had this passion for
(13:55):
fashion and certainly wanted to do somecombination of it and I really worked
with their career counselors to make thatwork because it's actually not very common
to do two completely separate majorsall in four years, uh, just time wise.
It's a lot easier to do two majors withinthe same department, um, right, right.
(14:19):
Yeah.
And so it was certainlya struggle at first.
And there was times freshman yearwhere I had no idea if I was even
going to be able to make it work.
But I was definitely dead set on it,and I think that drive helped me in
the end in just continuing to pursueit, because I did speak to certain
(14:40):
counselors who said, like, this is notgoing to be feasible, and I didn't want
to take a longer term to get the degrees.
I didn't want to go past four years.
I really just wanted tobe able to get it done.
Um, in that time period.
And so what ended up happeningwas I had to create my own four
(15:01):
year plan with the assistanceof the counselors and my family.
Um, but We had to place all the differentclasses, figure out how it would work,
because it's honestly very complex whenclasses are available, like what semester,
especially with fashion, it being asmaller program than the business school.
(15:21):
And so, I, what I ended up havingto do was take one to three classes
every summer, um, and stay on campus,basically, instead of going home and
taking that as a full break, whichwas a sacrifice I was willing to
make in order to get to my end goal.
Um, and I did enjoy it as well.
(15:43):
They were often classesthat I had a good time with.
Um, And most of them ended upbeing my fashion based ones.
I would say maybe one or two werebusiness, but it ended up working out.
And, um, I think I also had to add someextra courses during the school year too.
And so instead of doing 15 hours,I was maybe doing 18, um, every
(16:06):
now and then, but it was, itwas something I knew I wanted.
And I basically just hadto figure it out to do it.
And so I did.
And I'm so happy that I did becausegraduating with my class was such
a good feeling compared to what Iwould assume waiting another semester
(16:28):
and not being able to do thatwith my community would have felt.
Um, and it was also just a personalaccomplishment as well, just
knowing that I was able to do so.
But getting to thepoint of how I chose my.
What the direction further,uh, with fashion was my family.
(16:49):
I grew up in a veryfashion forward family.
Both of my parents workedin the fashion industry.
Um, my dad actuallyfounded his own company.
Uh, he's from Turkey and my momis from, uh, the U S and they met.
Working on the job actually,um, both in fashion.
(17:11):
Yeah.
So their love story starts there.
Um, and my dad's company,um, luckily ended up growing.
And so both of my parents workedthere throughout my upbringing.
Um, up until just aboutrecently, they ended up retiring.
But their company was based in Turkey.
(17:32):
Um, it was a full service.
Best way I like to describe itas like a full service apparel
sourcing and production agency.
Um, so they worked with a handfulof well known brands, um, and really
provided, At the end of the day, liketrend research, product development,
(17:55):
sourcing, production, he had, mydad had really close connections
with the factories based there.
Um, and growing up, they wantedme to be raised in America.
And so that was when we made that switchfrom living in Turkey to California.
Um, at a young age, I was about four.
So I barely remember that,but I'll never forget.
(18:16):
Um, because I do really appreciatetheir consideration for me.
And.
Growing up, though, they wereable to continue That company
based there with other familymembers leading it on the ground.
And then my parents opening amarketing branch here in California.
So I was surrounded by fashion.
(18:39):
There was always samples in the house.
My dad, when friends wouldcome over, he'd hand them out.
And it was such a fun thing asa kid to see, you know, just
playing around with clothes.
And then I also was able to travelwith them, which is what their
new roles entailed, um, withmarketing and connections with
(19:00):
different companies and vendors.
And it was all based in Europe.
Um, so from a young age, I was able totravel around, um, to so many countries.
Like, probably, probably, probably.
13 by the time I was in high school.
Um, yeah, and I think that's somethingI'll forever be grateful for, uh, from
(19:22):
such a young age to be exposed to somany different cultures and people,
um, work ethic and, At the time, Icertainly didn't understand it, I
would say, up to a certain extent.
And then there was a moment where itshifted and I began to become a lot
more interested in the actual businessside of it, where I would actually sit
(19:45):
in on meetings, um, and participateto an extent that certainly shaped my
interest in fashion moving forward.
Oh, well, it just sounds like growingup you had such a just rich experience
being able to watch your family andall of their entrepreneurship and
(20:11):
You clearly have this kind of lovefor design and fashion in your genes.
I certainly do.
I would be that person justplaying around in like high heels
in my closet from like age four.
Um, and then also, I feel likeit's so easily translates to
(20:31):
another interest of mine, which isinterior design, um, and decorating.
And I was constantly rearrangingmy rooms, like moving my bed.
And when I've got, as I've gotten olderand connected with my parents a lot more
on more personal, you know, adult level.
Yeah.
So many of the things that I did and I wasinterested in intuitively were things that
(20:56):
matched what they did as a younger age.
And my mom was like, I didthe exact same thing as a kid.
And I'm just like, oh, like we are real.
I truly am like a product ofthem in the best ways possible.
So it's been fun.
It seems like you also really, um, kindof soaked in this work ethic that you
(21:22):
spoke to also, um, possibly because youwere growing up around them working.
And I'm sure as a, um, marriedcouple working together that,
you know, it was just part of.
The in and out of daily life, youknow, there was no nine to five, right?
(21:46):
It was part of everything.
It's so weird going up now and realizingthat because I only know my parents
working from home and I'm so grateful forthat, honestly, because it gave me such
a greater opportunity to be around themand also in a professional way, like you
(22:07):
said, learn from their work ethic andactually see it firsthand, which I feel
like a lot of kids aren't able to forwhen they grow up with parents who go
into a job and they're not able to reallysee the ins and outs of how it works.
So that is a great point and somethingI'm actually kind of just now
understanding a little bit better.
That makes a lot of sense.
Yes, yes.
(22:27):
And I'm glad that you have theopportunity to work from home also.
Yeah, I know.
Which is such a blessing.
And I mean, that's also comealong from COVID of course.
I think the company, um, I startedwith the company post COVID since I
graduated in 2021, which is a whole notherthing that I could talk about forever.
(22:51):
But, um, I started it with a remoteposition which generalized as a
remote position, kind of hybrid, whereI do have a base to go into here.
Um, and it's fluctuated ever since,but I think, I think it depends
on the industry at this point.
I still think we're not 100 percentable to see the trajectory of how that's
(23:15):
going to work, but everyone gettingthis taste of being able to work from
home and work remotely, I feel like isreally kind of creating this whole new
dynamic with our careers moving forward.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And, uh, it's been really fun to hear,you know, this part of your story too,
um, Digication, I co founded it with, uh,my husband, um, we technically started
(23:43):
the business before we got married.
Oh my gosh.
That was a little over 20 years ago.
Oh, congratulations.
Thank you.
And, you know, we've beenraising our children.
I think we.
We went remote, I'm thinking it wasabout, it's definitely been over 10 years.
(24:05):
It may be 13 years nowthat we made that switch.
You're ahead of the game.
We felt really lucky, yeah.
So I had, you know, threeyoung children at the time.
We had our daughter and then18 months later had twin boys.
(24:25):
And we had started our company veryyoung and had lots of young employees at
the time and other people were startingto get married and have kids and some
people wanted to move other places.
And, you know, we were just like, Youknow, we want to keep you as employees.
We are starting to need more flexibilitywith our schedule and, you know,
(24:49):
balancing work and life and, um,you know, just like your parents.
You know, we were kind of working, like,Digication was just part of our lives,
it wasn't just our job, you know, itstill is, and, um, you know, we were
like, let's just try this, you know?
(25:11):
We stopped having a physical officeand people started working from home.
There was a lot of Skype at the time.
I'm really glad that things have evolved.
Yeah, I remember Skyping because I hadso much family overseas, so we would
use that platform all the time, all thetime, but yeah, Zoom's become our new
(25:32):
go to, but now maybe Zencaster can be.
Well, Zencaster's great for podcasts,but yes, we love Zoom and Slack
and, you know, all those things, soit's been, you know, it's been an
evolution for sure, but I, you know,we're always hoping that our Children
kind of have that same experience.
(25:54):
They've grown up watching Digicationgrow up, so I'm sure they're picking
up on things that they may noteven realize, um, but it's, it's
definitely been, uh, really fun.
So it's fun to hear your perspectivetoo, some overlap, and I'm sure you've
got extraordinary Parents, you know,they took that leap to come to the U.
(26:19):
S.
to start building out things here withalready having some success in Turkey.
And that's a, it's a,that's a brave thing.
Oh, yeah.
And it sounds like itworked out really well.
Yeah, luckily it did.
And I'm so proud of them.
And as I'm here now, kind of juststarting off my career, I am.
(26:41):
Taking more and more inspiration from itbecause I mean, there's so many things
I can go through your head of like whereyou want to go with what you're doing
and trying to figure out that path.
And do you want to, do I want to continueworking in a corporate nine to five kind
of job, even though there's flexibility,or do I want to create my own company
and follow in my family's footsteps?
(27:02):
Um, and we'll kind of just,time will tell on that one.
We'll see where I end up.
But yeah, well, I hopeI can stay in touch.
I would love to know, you know,it just sounds like you're
on a beautiful trajectory.
And I just, I love that.
Here's a preview of what's coming upnext in part two of my conversation
with Kaitlyn Coskun, a recent graduateof Texas Christian University.
(27:26):
The quote actually that I have on my firstpage of my about me on my ePortfolio.
It kind of goes in line with that,that there's really only Two things in
life that are in your total control andthat's your attitude and your effort.
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