Episode 02: Katie_Benson-Finding_Your_Niche

For the last episode of season 1, I am excited to feature Cat Lam. Cat has one of the most creative minds in the industry.  As an archeologist turned footwear designer, Cat has a unique and intellectual approach to product design. That approach, combined with her think-outside-the-box brain, has landed her jobs at some of the most compelling brands in the industry, including Nike, Cole Haan, the Adidas Brooklyn Creator Farm and Crocs.  On today's episode, I talk to Cat about gender and inclusivity in design. We discuss her perspective as a female Asian American footwear designer, the importance of leveraging your breadth of experiences to bring a fresh approach to a product, the importance of allyship and mentoring, and the effect of burnout within the female design community.

This episode features the longtime industry veteran and sustainability expert Pete Lankford. Throughout his extensive career, Pete has been on a mission to create better, more sustainable footwear. In this first episode of the 2 part series with Pete, we discuss his 20+ year tenure with Timberland, where he helped pioneer the Timberland Earthkeepers brand. Tune-in as Pete shares his insights into sustainability and how he has translated those insights to help create the innovative and fully circular footwear startup, Erem.  If you are interested in sustainability and want to hear from an expert in the new wave of sustainable design, this episode is for you. 

On this very special episode, I speak with the legendary designer and the 'Godfather of Dad Shoes,' Steven Smith. This is an opportunity to tap into the thinking and design process behind a true creator. Listen as Steven discusses some of the personal projects that drive him outside of the sneaker world, and then guides us through his thoughts on innovation, his creative process, and how his relationship with Kanye allows his creativity to flourish. 

Matt Heller is a leader within the industrial design community. He has helped create, guide, and implement a vision for some of the industry's most iconic brands, including Ralph Lauren, Gatorade, and Reebok. On this episode, I talk to Matt about his work on both the brand and agency side of the business. We discuss how he creates and drives a design vision utilizing both information and inspiration. And finally, we explore what it takes to become an inspiring design leader.

Xavier Jones is an incredibly gifted designer who worked in a few different design disciplines before achieving his dream of creating footwear. On this episode, I talk to Xavier about his story and how his wild ride into footwear design led him to work as an ex-pat designer in Vietnam. We also discuss what it means to have a work-life balance when you move abroad for a job and how he has made it far in his career through his constant curiosity and willingness to be a team player.

Priscella Shum is an incredibly talented design leader who has worked for iconic brands and designers, including Yeezy Season 1, Reebok, and Baby Phat. In this episode, we talk about mental health in the design community and how, as a design leader, you can create a psychologically safe space so that your design team can fly.

In Episode 04, I interview Jeremy Sallee. Jeremy is the head of footwear at Puma hoops. Jeremy is also the owner and founder of the footwear (and now real estate) brand Freeman Plat, and the philanthropic brand Jesus New York. Jeremy and I talk about his path to footwear design and how being an entrepreneur and having a side hustle have helped advance his career within the corporate world. Check out Jeremy's websites 👇 https://freemanplat.com/ https://jesusnewyork.com/

Samantha Noyes and Erik Hernandez are life-partners who work as designers at Studio Noyes, a footwear consultancy owned by Samantha and made up of their closest friends. On this episode, we talk about their story, how they created a successful footwear design studio, how the studio is different from a corporate environment, and how working with people you trust and respect fosters a culture of mentoring and growth. Check out their website 👇 www.studionoyes.com

Katie Benson is a trend forecaster and footwear embellishment designer who currently works at Crocs. In this episode, I talk to Katie about her journey to footwear design, how she harnessed her talents and passions to find her niche within the design industry, and how working for a brand that aligns with her creatively has helped her find her professional voice.

For the first episode of Save As, I interview Carlos Escobar. Carlos is a crazy talented footwear designer and storyteller who currently works for Reebok. In this episode, Carlos reflects on the idea of owning your gifts. He discusses how the things that made him feel different as a kid are now the things that set him apart and inspire him as an adult.  He talks about how our past stories help define the stories we create in the future and the responsibility we have as designers to share our stories, to help inspire a new generation of creators.