Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Mauch
Hi Katie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been really artistic and enjoyed drawing and creating growing up. As an agricultural communications student at South Dakota State University I learned how to apply that to a potential professional career, although at the time this business wasn’t my end goal. I totally thought I wanted a career in corporate ag communications doing PR in an office somewhere, although freelance work was always something I enjoyed. After I got married, I moved to Iowa while my husband finished veterinary school. I came out of college with a really varied set of skills, and I think that shows on my resume; I worked in journalism for a time before taking a job as a communications specialist for one of the Iowa State University research farms. As we got closer and closer to moving back to South Dakota, I started taking on more freelance work and realized that’s where I wanted to make a difference; by providing design and marketing services to businesses and producers in the ag industry and in the rural areas where I grew up. When we settled back in South Dakota we moved to a really rural area, and the time was right for me to take my freelancing full time and start Katie Mauch Design + Marketing.
Like most people who grew up farming and ranching, I have a huge passion for the industry and supporting it in my career now, even though I’m not directly involved in production in my work. My family runs a herd of primarily Angus cattle on the commercial cow-calf operation in north-central South Dakota where I was raised. We live fairly close by, so in the last few years since moving back to the state I’ve been really fortunate to stay involved in the family ranch and continue nurturing those roots in the beef industry.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think starting your own business is ever easy. Of course there have been a few obstacles; finding clients and figuring out how to market yourself while still making a living is tough, and it’s something I discuss a lot with other young creators in this industry as one of the biggest challenges. But I’ve been truly blessed with a great support system, not only in my husband and family but in the network that I built before starting my business. Some of the people that I worked for or with as an intern or a student have become some of my best clients and dear friends.
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?
I specialize in creating marketing solutions for farms, ranches and rural businesses. At times it can be a struggle for businesses and individuals in rural areas to have access to those resources, and it makes a big difference for them especially when it comes to social media marketing or large design projects like livestock sale catalogs. I’m kind of a one-gal show, so I get to follow my clients through the entire process from inspiration and sketches to the final product. While that can be a lot of work for one person, it’s especially rewarding to hear from them all through the process and how appreciative they are of my ability to work with them one-on-one. I’m really thankful for the client base that I’ve built, especially those that have come back over the years so I get to help them grow their business and marketing strategy.
My business is a full-service design agency, so I offer logo and web design, print design, and videography and photography services. My favorite projects lately have been some videos I did recently for Mosquito Park Enterprises at their bison ranch by Vivian, SD. I love being able to fill a need for high quality videos and photos in an age where having great visuals online is increasingly important.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I love spending time outdoors, which is funny coming from someone who spends a lot of time cooped up inside with a computer. But we keep a good-sized garden and try to spend as much time outside with our two dogs as we can. Living along the Missouri River has been great for that. I think some of that desire to be outside growing things also goes back to my artistic nature and that desire to always be creating; I do a lot of canning and preserving from the garden and from things we’ve foraged, and we spend a lot of time hunting and fishing. It’s really special to be able to create something that not only feeds my family, friends and neighbors, but keeps us active and helps nurture that connection to the outdoors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katie-mauch.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiemauchdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieMauchDesign
