What’s you name?
Callie Marie McCracken
Where are you located?
Spokane, WA and all around the Pacific Northwest for work!
If you could describe what you do for a living on your own terms, what would you say?
I do showroom merchandising for a furniture store. I spend every week in a different store freshening up the displays and making sure they look as inviting as possible with lamps, rugs, artwork and decorative accessories.
Aside from your given title, would you say there are any other titles or hats you wear in this position?
My greatest secondary responsibility is training the staff to understand the basics of merchandising. Since I am only in each location every other month or so it is integral that they are able to maintain the quality of the displays between my visits.
Is this what you always wanted to be when you grew up?
Ever since I saw Father of the Bride 2, I wanted to be an Interior Decorator like the character Franc from the movie.
Can you put into words your career history to date?
After earning my bachelors degree in Interior Design I worked for a high end furniture store doing design and sales. I got to decorate some amazing multi million dollar homes on Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. I even worked on a home in an exclusive community in Kona, Hawaii and got to travel there twice to get specs and set everything up. That was definitely a highlight! Soon after I completed that project I was offered a job as Regional Visual Merchandiser for my current company. I've been in this position now for 3 years.
If there was ever a time where you weren’t working for yourself, how did you make the leap from working for someone to working for yourself? Was it an easy transition?
I'm still transitioning into being full-time freelance. I've dabbled in lots of freelance endeavors over the years and have finally resolved that Prop Styling is the direction I am most passionate about. For me the transition is slow because I need to be financially stable, and I live in a small community with limited opportunity. However, I'm hoping that will actually enable me to have an edge on the market. If your dream job doesn't exist where you live, create it!
Coming back to the present, (haha) what is your morning routine before you start the day?
Um, I am not a morning person. I shower at night so I can roll out of bed at the last second and book it to work ha!
Describe what you do between stepping into your work space and then calling it a wrap at the end of the day (Basically, your average work day):
I am very task oriented. I like to come up with a list, with boxes to check off. Did you know you get endorphins from checking boxes? I love me some endorphins! Usually my lists consist of 'change this rug, move those tables, create a seasonal display, bring artwork out of the warehouse', those types of things.
What is your favourite part of the day?
I love anytime I can step back and see the results of my hard work and creativity. It's very satisfying to see a display transition from a discombobulated mess to something eye-catching and inspiring!
How do you define internal and external success in all that you do?
My position is very self-motivated. I don't work under anyone or have supervisors who are telling me what to do and when to do it. It's liberating, but also can be difficult to keep myself on track. I feel an internal sense of accomplishment when I am able to get myself motivated and work through the temptation to be lazy or not do my best. I get an external sense of success when I can step back and see everything that I've accomplished in a day. My favorite thing about my job is that my work is very tangible and visual.
What has been the biggest success so far and why?
Instagram is my greatest creative outlet. It's such an integral tool for me in transitioning to full time freelance prop stylist. That being said my greatest successes have been A Beautiful Mess and Shop Bando reposting my pictures. That sort of sounds silly to say, but it's such validation to have these massive sources of inspiration appreciate something I've staged enough to share it!
With all that success there’s bound to be some overwhelming moments, how do you overcome the bumps along the way?
The most difficult aspect of the creative industry is that your soul is so tied to what you do. I view everything as a form of self expression, so it's easy to feel vulnerable and exposed, which can lead to a lot of insecurity when you don't get the response you had hoped for. Maintaining healthy perspective and intention is so important. The focus should be on doing your best and creating work that you are proud of, rather than getting caught up people's validation of your work.
Ok, so you’re sitting at a cafe across the table from your biggest career inspiration, who is it and why?
Jen Gotch is a huge inspiration to me. She has had a career as a prop stylist, and photographer and now she is the creative director of the amazingly successful shop Ban.do. Not only does she have impeccable taste, she has a fascinating creative mind and she is hilarious to boot.
Now, someone new to the career field is sitting across the table from you, what advice do you give them?
I would give them the ol' cliche, stay true to yourself. Follow the inspiration but find a way to interpret it through your own lens.
Would you go back and do any of it differently or just the same?
Get back to me in a few years on that, we'll see 😉
So if that little kid you used to be before looked at you now, do you think they’d be excited to grow up?
I grew up in a very small town and my family didn't travel much. I don't think my 10 year old self could have eve conceived that one day I would travel professionally making stores look pretty. Pretty sure she would be stoked to grow up.
What do you want to do next?
Up next is definitely completely my transition to full-time freelance. I am in the process but that's top secret for the time being 😁
What is your favourite saying/inspirational quote?
"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." Maya Angelou