Ceci Johnson is an influential and highly regarded entrepreneur, artist, designer, editor, and speaker on luxury invitations, graphic design, and branding. My conversation with Ceci we discuss the importance of connecting with clients, how it drives collaboration and allowing for better design that innovates creating that wow factor every time that just perfectly defines and tells the story of Ceci New York customers. We talk about first impressions and the impact of invitations on events and how the design very directly contributes to the success, be it a wedding or fundraising gala. We look at how Ceci New York has extended beyond just the invite by naturally connecting with people who love to celebrate life resulted in collaborations and partnerships with Valdo and the Platinum Guild International.
Connect with Ceci: Instagram | Website
Video Transcription:
Maya Jain: Welcome to What You See Is What You Get. Today, our guest is Ceci Johnson. She is an influential and highly regarded entrepreneur, artist, designer, editor, and speaker on luxury invitations, graphic design, and branding. Named as women to watch by Tory Burch.
This conversation with Ceci is one that I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. Ceci has this incredible ability to read her client’s minds and hearts, if you will, to create the most stunning invitations. We’re also going to talk about how she thinks of her brand as a lifestyle brand, not just an invitation or a stationary brand, and what that means when it comes to collaborating, and connecting, and building a company.
Looking forward to this conversation so very much. Ceci Johnson. Hi, Ceci.
Ceci Johnson: Hi.
Maya Jain: How are you?
Ceci Johnson: I’m great. Thank you so much for having me. Congratulations on this new endeavor.
Maya Jain: I’m really excited. I’ve had a chance to talk to so many fantastic people, but I’m extra excited to be able to talk to you today, because you and I share a little bit of common history in terms of, I’m transitioning out of the stationary and invitation and moving into this, versus you are the ultimate when it comes to luxury invitations. And for the longest time I used to like Instagram, and before Instagram I’ll be like, “Look at that, how did she come up with that? How did that work?” Unbeli~ your work is unbelievable. But, I can~
Ceci Johnson: Thank you, I appreciate it, always good. Good to hear. So, thank you.
Maya Jain: For people that don’t know. Ceci Johnson and Ceci New York. Let, what would you say Ceci New York is?
Ceci Johnson: At the heartbeat of Ceci New York, we are all about beautifying your world and creating one of a kind designs and really about that innovation and that original artistry. And, whether it’s for your wedding or for your, you know, birthday party or your baby announcements.
And now we’re expanding more into like lifestyle and going beyond just the paper. It’s really about making that unique statement and just putting your best foot forward in a really creative and special way, that just tells your story and makes you feel great in that sense. So, I don’t know. It’s funny to think that paper can do that to you, but at, for us, it’s really about design. It’s not just the paper, that’s just the material that’s used to express the design.
Maya Jain: How did you get into paper, and stationary, and design?
Ceci Johnson: It’s such a funny story, actually. Okay, so I always was in theater since I was a very young, seven years old. I was tap dancing and singing my way through life and performing in three musicals a year.
And my parents basically said, you’re not going to be an actress. So, you have to figure out a real career. And I was like, what? Like I was dreaming of being a star on Broadway. This was like my future. I was like, I’m going to move in New York city and be a Broadway star. And they were like, no. So, essentially, I was like, what else do I even know how to do?
Cause I didn’t even know. And I never thought, I didn’t even know there was a career called Graphic Design. And actually, what happened was is one of the families that I babysat for, this is like how long ago this, was like, my sister does graphic design. She’s an art director. And I think you should talk to her cause you’d be really good at it because essentially, I was like, I’m creative, I love to draw, like I was that kid in school that would show up with the best visual AIDS for my oral reports and put on a show.
I would like basically be all about the, the visuals and the theatrics than the actual report itself. But like, you know, it was my thing. I know. And so now, I joke that like my clients are the star, and I’m~ we’re just making them look really amazing. Cause I never ever auditioned for Broadway. But I did move to New York city and I launched my Ceci New York, literally out of my apartment. And, I realized graphic design was something that I could do. And basically, I was working in the corporate world doing web design and I missed papers so much that I just decided to start doing invites on the side, it was like by demand.
A colleague of mine, who also is a graphic designer, was engaged and she loved what I was doing. I was actually designing for Bloomingdale’s and all the federated department stores, their bridal registry kit. At the time you would go to the, you know, department store and be like, hi, I’m engaged and you’d get this like folder or the binder thing, yeah, that is probably no longer, it’s extinct now. Everything’s digital.
But anyways, so my colleague was like, “I love what you’re doing. Can you design my wedding invitations?” So, essentially, I think that was like the catalyst, like the turning point. Where I was like, “Sure.” And I approached it completely differently. I didn’t do the typical, like to me, sorry everyone, but it was just too boring to do a centered card, centered script, no design, no graphics. Wait, we can make something so much more special for you.
So I did it as like a book and told their personal story. Each page was beautiful, all the special painting techniques, it was great. And that’s actually what I use.
I went to the COO of my new company that I was working for in New York. Like these, we heard she was engaged and I’m like, “Hey, I heard you’re engaged. What do you think of this?” And she was like, “I love it.” And basically through word of mouth, and me just like showing my work to people that I didn’t even know, they were like, I love it.
Like, “You need to do my invitation.” So before I knew it, it was like, based on demand, people were like, why aren’t you doing this? And I was like, I think our study, this industry, this wedding industry, and this was 17 years ago too, by the way, where there really wasn’t much happening. It was like, I feel it was like the break of the industry.
And at the time you really couldn’t get couture, what I call couture design. You would go to, there was always, the luxury realm, they could go to Cartier, Tiffany’s, but you’d be picking from the binder. You’d go from us to a stationary shop.
Maya Jain: It was expensive, but it wasn’t necessarily special like, personalized.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah, or, when they call it personal, they call it custom. But in my graphic designer mind, I was like, that’s not custom if you just changed like the icon from like a pineapple to a starfish or, your font changes, or your color changes from like pink and purple. And as a snobby designer, I was like, “What? Come on!” Custom, is like from my imagination, it’s whatever we can create and dream up for you.
And that’s really what the heartbeat of Ceci New York is. It’s all about that innovation and making something, that wow factor every time that just perfectly defines and tells the story of our customers.
Maya Jain: People forget the difference between custom versus personalization. What they were doing was personalizing, not customizing. It’s not, custom is from scratch, all you, it doesn’t exist before you showed up. And I think that’s that just, that’s a pet peeve of mine when people are like, “I have a custom, we do custom invitations.”
Ceci Johnson: Right.
Maya Jain: No, you don’t. You personalize invitations.
Ceci Johnson: Exactly. I love it when you just said that. See, because for me, when I started, I was exactly having that problem.
And I was like, how do we define the difference? So I started saying couture invitations, cause I always relate back to fashion for me. It’s it all clicks. So it’s in a way, when you hire a couture designer, you’re not buying off the rack, they’re creating, like they’re sketching that gown for you. They’re analyzing your body and like making it perfect exactly the way you want it. Yeah, you’re totally right. So,
Maya Jain: I always like, again, huge paper nerd on the sides. It’s complete side note, but yeah, it was the kind of thing that I’m like, “Nope, slight difference.”
But again, sometimes I think it just matters to people that are in the industry. Other people are just like, “Just, can I have what I want? I don’t care what you call it.”
But speaking of, customizing, and thinking about these things, and creating it around the client, when somebody comes to you and says, “Ceci, I have this vision.” So how does that, but you have a better one.
Ceci Johnson: That might be true. No, but it’s like, and I joke that it’s not to insult the customer of course, but like their vision and they don’t always know what they don’t know. But they bring a thought to the table. And then I think it’s our job as the professionals to really elevate that. And like you said, make it better, take it to amazing places that they never knew possible.
Maya Jain: It’s a collaboration in its own way. Because you’re coming to, they’re coming to you and saying, this is what I think I want. This is what I think I like. And they’re trusting you. What- how important considering that, they’re actually coming to you for one of the biggest moments of their lives, usually when you’re, when the, if it’s a social, if it’s a wedding invitation or if it’s like a major milestone, how important is connecting with your client? How important is collaboration to when you’re designing for them?
Ceci Johnson: Oh, it’s the top, like most important thing. I always say to our clients, like when we first met, I’m like this, isn’t going to be a creative collaboration.
I don’t expect you to be designer. So you can take a deep breath and relax. Cause that’s art, that’s my job. It’s our job to create for you and be the designer. But really, we can’t create something when it’s on such a personal level without them, collaborating with us and sharing with us.
What, what makes them tick? What are they excited about? What do they love? What do they not love? Cause I think the more honest they can be then, and I said that you’ll never hurt our feelings. Please be as blunt, and as direct as you want, because it really helps us take us to a better place.
Otherwise, if you’re dancing around the truth, then you know, the design just you’re not really getting direction like you need. But without that collaboration, like for me, that’s just designing in the dark. That’s not even like a personal service. You’re just creating something for someone who you don’t really know, and there’s no depth to that.
Like, everything that we do has to have a purpose. It has to have a point of view, you know what I mean? Like it has to have meaning behind it. Otherwise it’s just, for me, it’s like, what’s the point? And so, I will dig and ask those questions to our clients to find out and get that little like spark of inspiration that, that really gives it life. And, without that, then it’s just,
Maya Jain: Do you tend to ask them? I’m sure you ask them like more than just what’s your wedding date? What’s your venue? What are some things that you found when you ask them? Do you have a set of questions you ask every client or does it change depending? Like, how does that work a little bit? If you wouldn’t mind, giving us a little insight.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah, no, that’s a good question. It definitely, obviously, changes based on the client. If it’s a brand inclined, cause we do branding design as well, then, for example just using this makeup artist concept I was doing, and I’m like, I know your makeup artists.
I know like when I ask, like what makes you special? What makes you different? And she’s~ the answer is, I make people feel pretty. I’m like, doesn’t every makeup artist do that? So I dig deeper to try to find what is it that’s really special about you. And I think when it comes to a wedding client, or a corporate client, or anybody like, okay, what’s the goal of the party?
If you close your eyes and you imagine, what is it going to, what do you want your guests experience like to be like, walk me through that. I usually pick up some nuggets there. I always ask if you can give me three buzzwords, like if you were to pick just three words, what would they be to describe the event or the initiative.
And that usually is telling. If they’re not deep enough, then I go, okay, can you explain to me what you mean by romantic? Or, when they say modern, are you talking- ‘Cause sometimes people’s definition of modern, for example, might be totally different than what your vision of a modern is.
Like for example, I’ll never forget this client who came in and throw it in there, “Super modern. We want everything exactly like this.” And I was like, okay. So like I’m thinking plexiglass, like really cool.
Maya Jain: You’re thinking contemporary.
Ceci Johnson: Super contemporary. And I start sharing that to them and they’re like no. And basically, what it came down to is they just really wanted a classic invitation with a liner, with a design on it. And I’m like, Ooh, that’s so modern.
Maya Jain: They wanted something simple. They wanted something simple. And you’re thinking something contemporary. Yeah, no, modern is, that is, it’s actually a really good, it’s a really good catch all, but there’s, if you’re in the creative side of things, the difference between modern, modernist, simple, simplify. So many different adjectives in our li- in our world, mean a lot. And it’s amazing how subjective, just the word modern is, or even romantic, for that matter. Like when I think romantic, I think all like pretty, and soft and, gentle, and other people would think romantic, they think all like Rococo, romantic era kind of. Yeah.
Ceci Johnson: That’s what I would say is my advice is, you can ask all the questions that you want, but sometimes you don’t really get the answer until you give examples. So basically, say follow with this is what I try to do is, follow with what your imagination or what your mind is thinking the answer is. Like for someone when they say modern, does it mean Plexiglas, and give them something to react to? And then suddenly they’re like, Oh no, that’s not, not, or yes, yes. So then you visually know you’re on the same page, versus maybe your mind thinking one thing and then thinking another.
Maya Jain: Absolutely. And not to put you on the spot at all, but you’re in a very visual, creative, medium. It’s extremely visual. There’s a lot of pressure, especially for wedding invitation, because it’s the first piece. It’s the first thing that goes out. It’s essentially, if you would, the first impression of whatever is going to come.
Actually, not even just wedding, for any event, if you sent an invitation, is that first impression. How do you- now coming back to connecting with people, do you believe in first impressions for people? Like, when is that, you’re like, especially with clients or people, when you meet them for the first time, and again, you’ve met, you meet so many different people across what you do. Do you automatically sense “Oh, this person,” Like, how do you feel about first impressions?
Ceci Johnson: For me, first impressions are everything. Like whether it’s the experience of opening the invitation, whether, it could be for your wedding or a gala, for example, like you want people to react. You want them to be like, I’m coming to this event. Like I’m going to RSVP for this wedding over the others. If they have double dates or for a gala, like for a nonprofit, there’s nothing more special.
And, I personally find this as the best compliment when our nonprofits tell us, like we’ve sold the most tickets because the invitations were that impactful. We got the attention of the big donors, we always want to do, and finally they called and they’re coming.
And so, in a way, that to me means our, design job, we did our job. Like, you can check that box. Because it’s not just about putting ink on paper and like sending, attending it out and saying we did the, did the job. To me, the good job is actually when it’s effective, when it actually makes that impression, and captures the right audience or does it- does its job.
And same thing for, I say this for my branding clients too. Like when we create a logo, like if it’s not working for you, if it’s not making the right first impression right away, then what’s the point? Your logo is not working for you, it’s working against you. So I, a hundred percent believe in first impressions.
And even when it comes back to you as the business owner or the employee who’s working for that business, right? You’ve got to dress the part, and talk the talk, and continue that whole buttoned-up experience. Whether it’s an event or a company, it’s all that, that, that continued story, that’s all buttoned up and singing the same tune.
Maya Jain: When you’re talking about continued stories and maintaining on brand, if you will, your own brands, Ceci New York, you have a beautiful brand, so much work goes into it. And I’ve had the chance to say a little bit behind the scenes with you. What kind of opportunity – none of us are, and Covid’s made that very real, like the meshing of stuff.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah.
Maya Jain: Super real. But as a brand, now speaking specifically of Ceci New York, the brand, you’ve had some very exciting collaborations over the last few years. Probably one of- my personal favorite is a collaboration you did with the Platinum Guild of America, was it? The design.
So, what kinds of like, collaborations excite you the most and why?
Ceci Johnson: For me, my dream is to build a lifestyle brand, like I was telling you a bit. Like to go beyond just the paper or just for events like that happens just once in your lifetime, all the memories live on. I dream of creating things that can continually beautify your world every day.
So, the Platinum Guild was a natural collaboration just because, I personally wear platinum all the time. I, my ring, my engagement ring is platinum. I’m a fan of it. As a designer. I was like, I want to create, I got to create this cocktail ring that my husband had given me an amethyst, which is my birthstone, and I didn’t know what to do with it.
And so it was fun to take my audience through the creative process. I got to custom design it, have it created in platinum and all of that. And then also inspire my, the, our followers on Instagram, our audience and our brides. Like anybody who’s just appre- you know, they love getting dressed up. We love putting our best foot forward. So naturally, the ring and the jewelry is just an extension I think of that, beautifying, if you will.
But from a collaboration point of view, I just, I think I like to look to collaborate with partners that actually like, are like-minded, have the same kind of audience, and capture the same desires if you will, as my clientele, do you know what I mean? Like they, they appreciate the finer things. They appreciate great design. They appreciate being unique and one of a kind. So for me, that’s about, that’s what I look for and how to celebrate life in a special way.
Maya Jain: Is there, like either something coming up or something you’ve done in the past, what’s like your favoritest collaborations you’ve done ‘till now?
Ceci Johnson: Oh gosh. I’m terrible with favorites. I love, I honestly love- Everyone asks me, what’s your favorite design? I’m like, that’s like asking the mom what’s your favorite child?
Maya Jain: It’s the one whose birthday you use as your password. That’s your favorite child. In case you don’t know.
Ceci Johnson: I mix mine up, but that’s so funny.
Maya Jain: You don’t have a favorite.
Ceci Johnson: I really don’t. But, but I can tell you about the ones that we’ve done. I personally, it’s just, it’s so exciting for me. I’m like the kid in a candy store, like giddy about just seeing my artwork expanding beyond, again. Like, for example, we did a collaboration with Nuage Linens and to see how that artwork can start with the invitation that we create from Ceci.
But then it actually turns into the linens of the party, the pillows, the chargers, like watching people design with my creations is like so incredible. And to see it being used in different ways over and over again, like that’s really exciting. Like, every time I get tagged on a photo, or I see a new image, or Pablo sends me something, I’m like, like it’s just the best feeling.
Another one we just did was, and extremely exciting, it’s definitely connected with the world of entertaining, but also I’m a big fan of Prosecco and Sparkling rosé, and it was a huge honor.
Valdo, a very famous wine maker in Italy, reached out to me. And for the first time ever, commissioned me as an American artist. Because in the past, they’ve only worked with Italian artists, commissioned me as their new feature artists too. Completely revamped and create a special edition bottle of sparkling Rosé. And we called it, it’s called Valdo Paradise and it’s co-branded, so it’s really special to see, how our brand can get introduced beyond just the American audience.
We have an international audience now, but just to see it going into the world, in Italy now. Hopefully, it’s coming to the States in the coming years. But just again, extending beyond, beyond just the invite and naturally connecting with people who love to celebrate life and enjoy the champagne in a beautiful way.
Maya Jain: No, that sounds- that’s a huge honor, especially Italians are very protective of their Prosecco and they’re designed specifically. There’s so many, so that’s a huge honor. That’s amazing.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah. So all of those just, there, it’s why it’s so hard to pick a favorite because each one is so special and unique in its own way.
And to see people enjoying the bottle, drinking the Prosecco, it’s just- it’s so different than seeing it, people with deck designing their tables for events. We have some super exciting ones coming out this year, later this year that I can’t talk about. But, stay tuned for them, cause they are gonna be really great. So I’m just,
Maya Jain: Of course, anybody that follows you on Instagram can keep track of that. And, but, that is really, Yeah. It’s when you were talking about when you see your own work and how other people use it to
Ceci Johnson: I love it.
Maya Jain: You know, like create. I was just like, wait, that’s actually true because you don’t actually have control- once you don’t have control is a bad way of putting it, but you don’t have control over how that gets re-imagined, and in what context. You designed the stationary suite with something in mind. And then people just run with it and that’s, I never actually thought about it that way.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah, and the, the invitation, like we control the whole piece, right? Like sealed envelope. It’s never, nothing’s going to change. But actually at the parties, like they can choose to design, the event designer to just do the chargers or do the whole thing, the linens. I guess there’s so many parts to it that you can mix and match, and really like you get your own and no two designs are the same, which I love. That’s what’s very exciting.
Maya Jain: Yeah, so yours essentially, but your designs become the base that everybody uses then to build on. You’ve gone from being the one piece to the building blocks for other people. That’s actually,
Ceci Johnson: Yeah. And to give them the tools to actually elevate their own work too and inspire them. Cause it’s so fun to hear that. I get contacted by event designers, they’re like, I saw it at the moment, I saw that lit in, that was my inspiration and I had to design a whole party around it.
Maya Jain: Yeah, no, I as a creative, and you and I’ve talked about this separately before, feedback is so important, like that kind of positive feedback.
Ceci Johnson: Exactly.
Maya Jain: And speaking of, again, so many different people use your designs in different ways when it comes to, specifically the linens. Obviously when it’s your invitation, you have a hundred percent creative control, once the client signs off.
Do you see a difference in how somebody approaches their invitation, if they’re from a diff-, like from a different sector?
Ceci Johnson: Yeah. I think, yeah, for sure. The weddings are obviously more emotional, emotionally driven. There’s a lot of pressure. Every event’s important, but there’s intense pressure and emotions riding.
You’ve usually have your mother, you have your family involved. There’s a lot more minds and people that you need to please. And so, the emotion, emotional stakes I think are extremely high. So the pressure that we have to actually make our client look the best they could be, because it’s their one shot. Does that make sense?
Versus like a corporate clients, it’s usually something that they’re doing once a year. Obviously, it still needs to make a very important impact and needs to do its job. But then, the intensity of the emotions, are taken out of that. I don’t want to say that my corporate clients, don’t care about their job or,
Maya Jain: It’s a different approach for them because to them it’s part of a puzzle that, it’s not necessarily, it’s not emotional the way it is for a bride or somebody – who’s big, big milestone.
Ceci Johnson: Milestone, it’s their business, it’s their work. So, while it’s important initiative, more about I think just getting the job done, but doing it right. And like checking those boxes.
So, I find that the collaboration is still the same in terms of our creativity and like how we approach each project and really apply that, the innovation or the creative thinking and that goal set.
Like when I do say goals, it makes me feel like actually there’s different goals. Because you want what I want for my wedding clients, them to all come, their guests to be excited and calm. The initial, the messaging that I’m sending out or that we’re trying to communicate for corporate clients is a little different than a personal story.
So, each one is so unique and that’s really, I think, just what we pride ourselves in is being able to create, and innovate, and have such a wide range of design capabilities too.
Maya Jain: No, a hundred percent. And then you also, and the second part of my question was going to be, you work with all sorts of different nationalities, right? You work with people here in, in the U.S., people in the Middle East, people in Asia, people in Europe, like you’re-
Ceci Johnson: All over the world.
Maya Jain: All over the world, your clients range. Do you see like, differences in that, in like the cultural differences?
How people approach their invitations, have you seen, is there something over your years of doing this now- Do you, when you were like, Oh, I’m going to be talking to a European client and I’m European is a catch-all, I know there’s different cultural differences in Europe as well. But, do you feel like, Oh you’re like, Oh, this is going to be slightly, more casual or easier. Or, do you see any differences when, in your interactions with them or how they approach their work with you?
Ceci Johnson: So, every culture is different in terms of maybe what they’re drawn to or what like is accepted in their culture, like things like that.
But I think that the interesting kind of observation I have is that, no matter what country you’re from or what culture you’re from, you still desire something special, and you still desire to do something great. Do something really beautiful.
I think, certainly like, we know Middle Eastern clients really are drawn to the opulent and more, more the golds and like the metallics and just something that’s really, they’re very much in the craftsmanship, in the artistry and like the uniqueness.
But when I say that one, I’m like so are all my other clients. I think we attract a customer that’s, like I said, really interested in just doing something different and wants something that no one else has. And they love that bespoke experience.
I guess, if you think there’s definitely other cultures that maybe aren’t, don’t want to be a showy if you will, but I don’t say that. I don’t want to say that as showy isn’t necessarily, it sounds like a negative word, but it’s, it just depends on the perspective,
Maya Jain: They still like the details, maybe they’re not as – the colors are different.
Ceci Johnson: They might be more drawn to letterpress versus all the foil, or the laser-cut details. They might just want to keep it to the beautiful, thick, luxurious papers, and maybe a lovely gold, or a tinted beveled-edge, or something about like still want the quality and the nice materials.
That’s definitely always a want, a must throughout, throughout any project. But yeah, no, I think the overlying tone is it, everybody just wants something really special.
Maya Jain: They wouldn’t come to you if they didn’t want something special.
Ceci Johnson: That’s true, that is our thing.
Maya Jain: That is, that is, there’s plenty of other options that they would absolutely have.
When you’re working with a client, what do you appreciate? What’s a good client, not a good client, but what’s a good-client relationship look like? All clients are good.
So, what’s your best experience in a collaborative situation? It could be with your team, with your clients. Like what, when you’re like, when you’re working on a project and you’re like, wow, that was a great collaboration. Or, that was a really great creative process.
What stands out to you during those times, like what would you call?
Ceci Johnson: The best creative collaboration or the creative experience with a client is when they ultimately like, stop listening to the noise of everything around them and listen to their hearts and actually like trust in you, the expert they’ve hired and turn themselves over.
It’s to me, it’s like the ultimate luxury to turn yourself over to a talented designer and be like, “Okay, you know me.” Of course, we’ll do the initial consult and like brain dump. And you have told me all your wishes and hopes and dreams.
But again, I don’t want them to feel like they have to design it. I feel like when that comes into play. Like, then it’s a waste of our talents. So, it doesn’t become a collaboration anymore. It’s just someone’s ordering you what to do.
But, if actually the opposite happens where they’re like, “I’m hiring you for a reason, because I want your innovation. I want your talent, and I want you to do what you do best. Like, you have to make it great for me, but I trust you, go for it.” And when I say go for it, I don’t mean that we just go forward and blindly put everything together and they never see it. It’s just allowing us to do what we do best without restrictions.
That’s when the magic happens, that’s when really amazing designs come out of us. And then the customer is just, “Oh my gosh, I never like, how did you know? I never even told you, but you just knew. It was just like in my head, you read my mind,” and that’s like the best compliment ever. So, I think that’s where it’s just a great collaboration.
And my team, like everyone can just do what they do best without that, someone just changing their mind on you all the time or being like wishy-washy or grumpy or mean. And we definitely have those clients that are just insecure and rude, but hopefully those are,
Maya Jain: There’s all kinds of people in the world. Speaking of, people coming to you, trusting you saying, we want you to do what you do best. If this were a mentoring conversation, if I came to you and said, “Ceci, how do I get my clients to trust me?” Because that’s what you were saying.
Ceci Johnson: Right.
Maya Jain: If this were mentoring opportunity, what’s one piece of advice you would give somebody who’s starting out or is looking to cultivate that, “Oh, I wish my clients would come to me and say, Yeah, I know why I’m hiring you.”
What would you, what would be a piece of advice?
Ceci Johnson: I have so much advice, but I think my biggest tip for someone who’s like, looking to understand or get their clients to trust them is that, what it comes down to is confidence. It comes down to not being cocky, and arrogant, and rude, but being confident in turning and telling them what you can do for them, like that proof, if you will, of how you can create how you can, do this for them.
So then they can start to trust you. I think, if you’re looking for trust from the client, you have to put yourself out there, you have to put yourself out confidently and not just yes them and, just like change your mind, whatever they say, but actually stay true to your instincts and your guns.
And I would just say that, like also, no matter how big you get or how many years in business you’ve been, you have to constantly like, they say, eat humble pie and like continually reinvent yourself, and put yourself out there, and keep hustling, and keep counting the pavement and, keep marketing yourself every single day, because it’s not like, it’s not like some switch flips and suddenly you’re like, Oh, I’m 10 years in business, and it’s just, the orders are flying in or all the clients are coming to me.
I think you have to like, realize that there’s always going to be someone else. If you get too comfy, there’s going to be someone else that’s going to come and take your place. So anyways that’s my big advice.
And I always like to share my dad’s, a quote, about your hardest day only last 24 hours. That is my favorite one, because we all have hard days and you just got to make it through that extra 24 hours and wake up the next day and deal with it.
Maya Jain: Yeah, the sun always rises on a new day, is something that my dad says.
Ceci Johnson: Yeah.
Maya Jain: And, I think those are really, that is a really good piece of advice. That, know your, be confident for yourself. I think that’s a really great piece of advice.
Ceci, this was super, super nice. I know you have a very- ahead of yourself, so I don’t want to take up more time, but this was phenomenal. I appreciate you so much. I appreciate you giving us some insight into, what makes you tick, What makes Ceci New York amazing as a brand.
And, this was lovely.
Ceci Johnson: Well, thank you so much. I appreciate you very much and thrilled that I can come and help in any way I can. So, thank you.