Founder Update: Good Time Creative
As we reach the midpoint of 2024, I’m excited to share the strides Good Time Creative has made over the first half of the year. We have rapidly progressed through our infancy stage and are now scaling up at an accelerated pace as we continue through our 3rd year in business.
Beauty Industry Report Feature interview
🌟 Proud #SmallBusinessOwner Moment 🌟 GTC was featured in the Beauty Industry Report’s “BIG CosmoProf North America” edition - Good Time Creative: Elevating Brands with Exceptional Design.
The article offers an in-depth look at our journey, exploring everything from the origin of our name to our commitment towards delivering customer-centric service.
It highlights how these elements have been crucial to building the Good Time Creative brand. We are honored to share our passion for creativity and dedication to helping our clients stand out through exceptional design. We are honored to have been featured and we thank the BIR for their coverage! d out
Read the full article here.
Team Milestones and New Additions
Securing our first office space in September 2022 marked a pivotal step in our growth journey. As our team doubled in size sooner than expected, it became clear that our office needed to evolve to support this growth. Thankfully, there was a larger office space in our same building located just right around the corner from our previous space. Today, our team of 10 operates out of the Kimball Arts Center in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood.
Creating an inspiring work environment was paramount to me, one that embodies Good Time Creative’s personality and fosters collaboration. The building hosts a vibrant community of creators, from tattoo artists to jewelry makers, and a book-binding company, all of whom are thriving small businesses. We take pride in being part of this dynamic community.
We have expanded our internal infrastructure to support current business, and we plan to continue expansion as the business demands it in the future.
Since January, we've added three new team members, bringing our total to ten team members. Together, we've cultivated a supportive team culture centered on fearless design. Over the past 3 years, our brand has transitioned from "mine" to "ours", a transformation that's been exciting to witness.
We’re proud to announce the promotion of Hannah Tonn to Senior Designer. Hannah has been instrumental in managing our influencer kit and branded merchandise department, and her new role will see her continue to drive innovation and excellence in these areas.
We also welcome back Madi McCoy, who re-joins the GTC team as Project Manager. Madi originally joined us as a graphic design intern during the summer of 2022 after her participation in the EDPA Midwest Design Challenge—a program I lead annually with Carthage College, my alma mater.
The Design Challenge initiative partners with senior Graphic Design students, exposing them to the exhibit design industry through a 6-week program where they develop exhibit designs based on a fictitious creative brief provided by the EDPA.
GTC is proud to have hired three full-time designers from this program, and I plan to expand it to include sales and marketing departments in the future.
Before the end of the year, we plan to expand our team by adding an account manager and a show services coordinator to our team. This expansion will enhance our ability to serve our clients and support our growth.
Last, but not least, we’d like to introduce - Francesca Mae Cacciato (AKA: Frannie Mae, Frannie, Fran). GTC’s Show Department Manager, and Fran’s father, Matt Cacciato, shared Frannie Mae with the GTC office this year and we couldn’t imagine the space without her now! Fran spends her day roaming from desk to desk looking for back scratches, playing with her Kong lizard, and finding a sunny spot to nap in during the afternoons. We love you, Fran!
Ongoing Industry Engagement
2024 marks my third, and final, term as President of the Experiential Designers and Producers Association (EDPA) Midwest Chapter. I am looking forward to leading our annual initiatives this fall, including the 7th annual “Strikes & Scares” Bowling Event benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association and the Design Challenge program with a new class of graphic design seniors at Carthage College. It’s been an honor to serve as President of this prestigious group within the exhibit design industry, and I look forward to staying on the board as an active member in the future.
EDPA Midwest Chapter wins "Large Chapter of the Year" at 2023 EDPA Access Conference.
I am honored to have been named the newest Executive Board Member of Women In Experiential (WIE). GTC is a 100% female-founded and independently owned agency, with 99% female operation. As part of the .1% of creative agencies founded and owned entirely by women, we proudly hold WBENC certification, aiding client partners in achieving supplier diversity objectives. Championing women in business, especially in advancing professional development within the live event industry, has been a long standing passion of mine. The newly appointed board position with WIE allows me to further advance professional women’s engagement in the live-event industry through WIE’s education and networking initiatives.
Women in Experiential Annual Breakfast (EDPA Access, 2023)
As we look towards the end of the year, our team is gearing up for a busy fall season, packed with shows including Sephoria, National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), San Juan Beauty Show and more! I look forward to ending the year with attending the PBA Executive Summit, where I will engage with leaders in the Beauty Industry.
As we continue to evolve with each new client, project, team member, and year, our core vision remains unchanged: collaborating on exciting projects with brands we believe in, alongside passionate individuals who enjoy creating and having a great time doing it.
