I could play around in Photoshop for hours and hours on end. Sometimes I won’t even have a graphic to design, but I’ll just make one for fun. #dorkalert. However, I’m honestly not that good; I just enjoy it. Morgan Ballot-Godsey, 26, gets to play around in Photoshop and other similar programs all day long every day for her job. Is that job envy or what? She is a Junior Digital Designer for Laura Geller (one of my all-time favorite makeup brands), she’s worked at prestigious fashion houses, such as Marchesa, and her previous clients include Man Repeller, Topshop, and many others. This NYC girl is stylish, creative, and has a kick ass work ethic. Let’s hear her story below.
What was your first job out of college? And what other positions have you held to get you to where you are now?
I graduated Boston University a semester early, and my first job was at Marchesa where I was the PR Coordinator. I had just moved back from studying in London, so I needed to get a job ASAP in order to move out of my childhood bedroom! I grew up constantly changing my outfits, and I believed myself to be great at planning nights out with my friends….so Fashion PR seemed like it would be a natural fit (it wasnt!). My first day I was told to go to Courtney Love’s apartment and dress her for an event. While I was able to work with interesting and wonderful people, the celebrity aspect of PR was underwhelming to me. I simply didn’t care that much about bloggers or who was dating Justin Bieber. I found myself constantly drawn to the more “creative” aspects of the job. I volunteered to create the artwork for our invites and would make mood boards of things that inspired me.
I decided to switch from womenswear PR and began working as the PR Manager at Walter Steiger, a classic accessories brand. I once again found myself creating artwork for the brand, as well as picking out the colors/fabrics/and patterns for the upcoming collections. I took a Photoshop class that the company paid for – and I began to daydream that one day, I could maybe be a creative director. I loved helping cast the models, pitching in with photoshoots, and creating invites and advertisements. I started building a portfolio of my design work (logos, shoe designs, basic branding work) and I submitted it to the School of Visual Arts! I got into a graduate program that allowed me to become a designer. I stopped working and started studying, and after a year – I had my own website! I moved back home with my parents (*sigh*), but knew that in the long run, it would pay off.
I did some freelance work while I was at SVA, and it lead to me landing an interview at Laura Geller Beauty!
How long have you been working with Laura Geller?
About 6 Months.
How fun to work with such an amazing makeup line – what’s your favorite part of the job? Most rewarding? Most challenging?
I love it so much. This is the first time in my life that I look forward to coming to work because I know that my best self is being utilized every day. I work with the e-commerce / digital team, and I create everything Laura Geller that you see on a computer screen: e-mails, web design, banners, videos, social media campaigns: anything digital. I adore working in beauty because my aesthetic as a designer is incredibly girly, so being able to work with lipstick swatches and blush textures makes my entire day very pretty! Laura Geller is an extremely unique beauty brand because it has been around for 20 years and is baked instead of pressed, so I feel incredibly lucky to be working with such exquisite products. Laura herself is incredibly inspirational to me, and being able to see her around the office and learn from her team is incredibly valuable as a new designer. My ideas are openly expressed to my team, and met with enthusiasm. Instead of coming into the office every day and tracking PR samples, I am constantly creating art (on the computer) – and it’s so fun!
Walk us thru a day in your life.
So…I walk to work every day; I think it’s really relaxing and I usually check my e-mails as I walk and start to compile a “to – do” list in my head. I get a venti iced coffee from Starbucks and get to the office early. I spend much of my evening screenshotting things that inspire me – from makeup advertisements from the 90’s, to pictures of cherries and trolls. I speak to the team about what specials or promotions we will be running on the website and start designing for that – so I use Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects a lot. Sometimes I sketch on my Wacom pad, and sometimes I just base my design off my mood board at my desk!
How long have you been living in NYC? Favorite part about it? Least favorite?
I moved here after college…so, about 5 years! My favorite part about NYC is that you can go down certain streets and be instantly transported to a different country. When I walk down Bank Street – it’s like being in Amsterdam. Sometimes, I will be walking uptown at night and it reminds me of East London. I love how everything is open late, every single night. I can get matzo ball soup at 1 AM on a Wednesday!
This may be symptomatic of living in any metropolitan city…but I feel like people in New York are extremely competitive with one another. Questions like “what do you do?”, “where do you live”, and “what books have you been reading lately”, often lead to intense judgement. I prefer to not be asked things like that!
Biggest ‘pinch me’ moment of your career, thus far?
Well, to be honest, I am always extremely excited every time I look at the Laura Geller website and see something I created…I get really excited and send it to my mom!
Also, I got to meet Courtney Love a few times. That was a big moment for me.
What inspires you?
I always tell my graphic design friends to get on Instagram, because there is SO MUCH on there for young designers to look at. I am constantly taking screenshots of artists from around the world – specifically South Korea and Japan. I also watch a lot of movies and am very drawn to the graphic elements of 60’s and 70’s film. I love old thrasher movie posters like ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ as well as James Bond.
What are your holy grail makeup products?
My old dermatologist was Doctor Dennis Gross and he has the absolute BEST alpha beta peels!
I start the day off with Glossier’s milky jelly cleanser, and then usually only wear light makeup unless it’s a weekend or I have something fancy to go to. I always wear Laura Geller Baked Radiance Cream Concealer on my under-eyes (it’s the best), and a berry lip.
If I’m going for fancy, I always wear lipstick (Laura Geller Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Silk Mauve) and lots of mascara (Mac Transformed Lash).
What advice would you have for someone wanting to break into the fashion and/or graphic design industry?
I would say that for any young person entering the work force, you really have to identify what you’re good at and think about what kind of career that could translate into.
Thanks, Morgan!
Make sure to check out Morgan’s work here.
Read past interviews here.
If you or someone you know might be a good fit for this series, reach out to me. I’d love to hear from you.