Hidden Gems: Meet Kelsie Lauck of 816 Creative Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsie Lauck.

Hi Kelsie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up, I’ve always had an interest in design, whether it was in fashion through playing Barbie Fashion Designer, discovering photoshop and learning to code in high school customizing Myspace and Xanga sites, to creating visual displays in stores. At 18, I packed my bags and moved to California to pursue a degree in Fashion Design from FIDM/The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

When I moved back to Kansas City, I was working in a retail job but found it difficult to work in fashion beyond that, so I obtained my marketing degree and started my own consulting and design firm, 816 Creative Studio. Here I tapped into my retail and design background to serve my clients in the fashion industry while continuing to gain more skills along the way. I’ve never been afraid to learn something new. If I don’t know how to do it, I’ll certainly figure it out. While running my own company, I’ve also worked with Kansas City Fashion Week on a volunteer basis and as their PR/Marketing Manager over a period of 10 seasons and began a portfolio building event called The MODA Shoot. I left those roles in 2018/2019 to focus solely on serving my clients at 816 Creative Studio.

Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my clients achieve their dreams knowing the foundation I have set for them through strategic branding, web design, and marketing is part of why they got there. My clients have been featured on the runways of New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week, in Vogue, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan, on Bravo, and on ABC, Fox, and CBS local and national affiliates.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think running a business can ever be a smooth road, and my journey over the last ten years has been anything but. My challenges have ranged from adapting to a new town and way of life to fighting burnout and finding that work/life balance that everyone is striving to achieve.

My biggest challenge is that I am guilty of overcommitting myself and wanting to make everyone happy. In 2018 I was stretched so thin between my business and other organizations I was involved with that I only took three days off. That wasn’t sustainable for my business to grow, and I actually lost clients because of it. I learned that I didn’t have to do ALL the things to feel and be seen as successful, so I left the organizations I was involved with. In 2019 I had to take time to restructure my business and create offerings that would allow 816 Creative Studio to grow and still serve my clients in an impactful way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I love bringing dreams to life, no matter what industry they’re in. While I work mostly with e-commerce based fashion brands, I love working with any entrepreneur with a dream that is ready to take it to the next level. Because of my background in design, retail, and marketing, I serve as a one-stop-shop for the entire business development process. This serves as a great advantage to my customer because they are able to have a cohesive brand created for them from inception to launch and beyond. I offer everything for a business on its journey from brand development to website and launch marketing strategy. I even tap into my FIDM background to offer product development assistance from time to time.

I am big on encouraging and supporting my clients. I’m not just their designer or strategist, I am their biggest cheerleader. I am there to pick them up when they’re having doubts and there when they’re reaching those goals ten years down the road cheering them on!

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I brew my own beer! It’s something I talk about from time to time on my personal page but rarely mention to my clients. I’m actually the one who got my husband into trying different beers and eventually brewing. Most people think it is the other way around.

I won my fantasy football league in 2015 and placed 41st in the country in the final round of Champions which puts all league winners against each other each week up to the Super Bowl! I haven’t won since, but the last few seasons I’ve had the best draft grade in our league…. Now, if only my players didn’t get hurt so early each year!

Contact Info:

• Email: kelsie@816creativestudio.com
• Website: https://www.816creativestudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/816creativestudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/816creativestudio
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/kelsielauck/

Image Credits
Corey Brown Photography