Meet the Calligraphers

In this introductory episode, SoCal based "calligra-besties" Alex and Cat share a bit about their businesses, current service offerings related to events, some cool ass clients they've worked with, their shared values, and why they're starting a podcast! (Hint: the reason is you!) 

Transcript

 Intro: (Alex) Are we calligraphers? I don't know. We keep calling ourselves calligraphers, but like, do, when's the last time any of us picked up a calligraphy pen?

Episode: 
(Alex) Hello everyone. This is Alex and Cat and we are starting our very first podcast. We are both calligraphers primarily in the event industry. We do some other stuff, but we're really here to talk about events and how to really make the event industry just a little bit better, maybe.

(Alex) I have worked, this is Alex here full time in my business for two years. But a total of six years being a calligrapher. I am based out of San Diego. Some of my clients include Prada, Juneshine, Planned Parenthood, L. A. Magazine, Lexus, Jo Malone, Maker's Mark. Most recently I worked with a brand called Civic to produce a dinner for Audible for Comic Con. That was really cool.

(Cat) So cool.

(Alex) And yeah, so we have some just really awesome clients and we want to share some of those client experiences with you. And guest experiences with you.

(Cat) Can you tell everybody what different services you offer for all of your fabulous clients?

(Alex) Oh yeah. But first we want to hear about your clients too. Because we pretty much, we offer pretty similar services. 

(Cat) We do offer similar services. So hi, this is Cat. I've been in business for five years. All part time, I don't love saying because I feel like it does not give enough respect to the amount of work that I put in my do a full time career. And also my business.

So I've been doing that for five years, balancing both. I am also based in SoCal. I'm from San Diego, but I currently live in Orange County, which is nice cause I can go out to LA or down to San Diego. I have also been traveling a lot for my business, which has been phenomenal. 

(Alex) Where have you been traveling?!

(Cat) I went to Paris twice this year. Next year I have a couple things on the horizon. I haven't booked on yet. So I don't want to say. I don't want to jinx it but I do have a couple other things hopefully down the pipeline. But some of my clients are like in the high end, high end rather, luxury space like Chanel, Dior, Prada.

I've done celebrity events for Demi Lovato, Ashley Benson for a few and then I've also done a lot of influencer events because again, L. A., you know. Most recently, not an influencer event, but I worked on site out. In Paris for Hannah G and Dylan Barber from Bachelor Nation. So those are some of my clients.

(Alex) Yeah, basically we have really cool clients. 

(Cat) We do. We have really cool clients. I like, as you can hear what the different brands, a lot of different experiences, a lot of different events, which is kind of what we wanted to be able to come and talk about and share and. All of the different things that we do for all these people.

It's all like rooted in calligraphy, but the way we apply it and the things we apply it to for all of our clients are just so different. 

(Alex) Yeah, I love when I get to introduce myself and it's like, I'm a calligrapher, but like. Not like a calligrapher, calligrapher like a calligraphy artist. Yeah, calligraphy artist, but then people are like, what the fuck is that? 

So basically putting calligraphy on like, for me, anything but paper. I mean, I will do paper and I always say, I'm like, I will do it, but it's like not my first option. 

(Cat)  Or your second or your third. 

(Alex) Or my second or my third. I think it's so cool to put my calligraphy on other things. So, I offer personalized, like, event personalization in regards to, like, on site engraving. So, engraving is, like, etching onto glass bottles, glassware pet tags so many... 

(Cat)  Stainless steel

(Alex): Yes. Exactly.  Like, flasks. Yeah. So many different, so many different options. I also do, like, heat foiling. Some people call it like embossing where you're basically like putting this gold shiny stuff onto leather and it's there forever. That's really cool. I also do painting on fabric like denim and canvas. There's literally the endless. The options are endless. 

(Cat)  They really are. 

(Alex)  And then I have also started tattooing because, you know products and items weren't enough for me. I needed human skin to let her on.

(Cat) So morbid.

(Alex) Yeah. And Cat, you pretty much... What else do you offer? Cause you offer engraving. 

(Cat) Yeah. I pretty much do all of those same things. I do like the paper stuff. 

(Alex) Yes, you do. 

(Cat) It's been a hot minute since I have used an actual like nib, which is the like. antique looking tool that you might see calligraphers using. Yeah I love doing point and pen calligraphy, but I, to be honest, I think it's been well over a year maybe. Oh my gosh. No, actually I did one reel for somebody. But I think that was it. Yeah. 

(Alex) And that's like a running joke. We're like, are we calligraphers? I don't know. We keep calling ourselves calligraphers, but like, do, when's the last time any of us picked up a calligraphy pen? 

(Cat) But yeah, so I do enjoy doing that kind of stuff. I think that probably covers all of it. 

(Alex) Yeah. Basically, we just, we love lettering on things. And we do it at events, which is what we will talk about in another episode -- what makes us very unique. But yeah, so that's us. 

(Cat) In our experience, we've found a really good friendship and connection and you know, business bestie in each other and I know when I first started that was not something that I Thought I needed Or I guess was looking for again Just trying to balance like my career and whatever else at the same time.

(Alex) " I could do it alone. Me, Myself and I!"

(Cat) Which was like the most outrageous thing ever honestly, but here we are but not everyone has like The opportunity to have a good friend in business especially in a sub, like a similar business. So we're hoping that this podcast serves as that for you. We want to be your biz besties.

(Alex) Yeah. We like to put "callig-" in front of everything. So I'll say like my "Calligra" bestie, we're doing a "Calligra" lunch later today. "Calligra"-co work..

(Cat) a " calligra" collab 

(Alex) Calligra-collab. But yeah, if you're listening and you're a calligrapher, you're an artist, you're in events. Yeah, we want you to be our little, our biz bestie too.

And that's really, yeah, the reason for this podcast is because we want to share what we know with you. And we also want to just build an inclusive community of people looking to take their business to the next level, their skills to the next level, maybe understand the industry a little bit better. Because we do have a lot of insights and tips and tricks and things up our sleeve.

(Cat) And the business is always changing the events are always changing So I feel like trying to stay like on top of the trends, but also like staying rooted in what we do.

(Alex) Hence, "keeping up up with the calligraphers" 

(Cat) So keep up! Or keep out. Just kidding. Stay here. 

(Alex) Yeah, so we basically, we want to share with you our insights. Share with you the resources that, and the things that we've learned along the way. And hopefully also learn from you guys. I think that you know, we're going to be posting this on social media. Hopefully, some people will add in their insights and any of their questions and we want to answer those. So, excited for this!

(Cat) So excited for this! Yeah. Thank you. It's been a long time coming. We finally got it out of the, I want to say the group chat, but it's just us. So like out of the text thread and into real life.

(Alex) Yes. So thank you everyone for listening. You keep listening. Yeah. Keep listening for more. It's going to be exciting. Thank you.

(Alex and Cat) Okay, bye! Bye!