Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Callihan.
Hi Darren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started at Goose Creek High School, in Graphic Technology classes. I signed up for Autocad by mistake! But once in Mrs Moore’s Graphic Technology class, I found my love for graphic design and also printing presses and vinyl making. I did three years of graphic tech classes, becoming a ‘completer’ in Career and Technical education, and getting Adobe Visual Certifications all before college.
My career in marketing began at the College of Charleston. This is where my hobbies, passions, and talents all came full-circle. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go to school for graphic design, but I knew that it would be a vital part of my career. While browsing majors, I saw marketing as a new offering to the School of Business in 2012. With that perfect timing of my enrollment, I declared my major and gained marketing and branding experience.
From back in 2010, I was working at Palmetto Moon. During college, I continued to work there and got asked to work at the corporate office. They knew I was studying marketing and asked if I would assist the e-commerce manager with the website and online merchandising. From there, I got to help the Marketing Coordinator with product photography, social media strategy and content, store window banners and displays, and store signage (utilizing all of those Adobe programs again!) I even sold a Tervis Tumbler with a collage of my Charleston landscape photos on it! Eventually, the marketing coordinator moved on from PMoon and I was promoted to that role.
It was here at Palmetto Moon that I realized that my background in graphic design, my passion for photography, and my studies in marketing and branding was all related, and something that could really make a career for myself.
After Palmetto Moon, I went to a small marketing agency and really honed in on my digital marketing experience. It was a Google Certified Partner, so I became Google Ads certified and got hands-on experience with backends of websites, SEO/SEM marketing, and copywriting.
After Turbo Medical Marketing, I took a job at my alma mater. The College of Charleston Alumni Association had an opening for the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications. Here, I really refined my writing and communication skills; focusing heavily on email marketing, social media, and leading a Stay Informed committee on the alumni board to stay on the cutting edge of communications and engagement for 110,000+ alumni.
After CofC Alumni Association, I took a job at Greystar as the Manager of Brand and Insights. The global headquarters is in Charleston, and it is an expansive company and opportunity for growth. I joined a small team within the organization, where I managed and evolved the Greystar brand to communicate as One Global Greystar. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, I develop materials to communicate these efforts in brand strategy to internal stakeholders, investors, and consumers.
Focus areas include:
• Greystar brand strategy and development
• Corporate branding for events, fundraisers, and collateral
• Trademarking and IP management
• Consumer and resident insights and research
The overall Brand & Customer Experience team’s mission is to create value for Greystar by better understanding our residents and building an experience to best meet their needs. The team’s primary activities fall into four categories: insights & branding, customer experience, innovation, and digital.
Trademarking quickly became something that I gained a lot of knowledge in. It plays a big part in protecting our intellectual property and our brand elements.
Two years in, they re-org’d my role to be on the Enterprise Communications and Branding team. In this new role, I still did trademarking. The new portion of my job was back on managing the Greystar brand entirely. My direct boss and I stylized and strategized content photo/video shoots. We also manage anything with the Greystar brand on it. (Think computer templates for team members, office signage, shirt designs, headshot photography, print ads, etc.) Joining the ‘Studio Team’ within Enterprise Communications and Branding was yet another reminder of how beautiful of a mosaic marketing, communications, graphic design, and photography really are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been pretty smooth. To be honest, leaving Palmetto Moon after 7 years was unnerving. The next gig, Turbo Medical Marketing, taught me a LOT. It was such a good different sector of marketing (all digital; clients all over the country) that I definitely had to push myself. Overall, I’d say that each role that I’ve had has developed me and shaped me in its own way. I believe that I have done a good job at taking on new challenges and making a habit of learning. The ‘learning’ and ‘stretching’ can be uncomfortable, but that’s what makes you grow and where you get the most out of something.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Callihan Creative is my business name! My 5-9. My side hustle. I am probably most known for my photography and my logo creation. See, I do so much branding and graphic design for the corporate world, that I still REALLY DO love doing it for myself and for others. It lets me shake outside of the brand guidelines I made for the professional setting and explore outside of the corporate box.
Most popular sessions I tend to get are senior photos and families. They might just be the most frequent.
Most popular graphic design work I get are logos and branding for small businesses.
I’m probably most proud of the fact that people hang my photos on their walls, and use my logos to represent their own businesses.
I think what sets me apart from others is that I’ve worked with brands and photography in a lot of settings. I know what logos print best, how to incorporate negative space for family photos and for websites, and how typography makes things easily identifiable and relatable. I’ve been on all sides of the marketing circle and that helps me produce deliverables that make an impact.
How do you define success?
To me, success is measured by quality work, happy clients, empowering clients (empowering others) and making a lasting impact on a business and a good impression on people.
Pricing:
- Logo Design $350
- Miscellaneous graphic design $37/hr
- Photo sessions are split Mini or Full
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.callihancreative.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callihancreative/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callihancreative
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-callihan-99b1628b/
- Other: https://callihancreative.smugmug.com/
