We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alain Katsman and MJ Barnes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alain Katsman and MJ Barnes, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Made in July’s mission is to provide strategically-sound and impactful creative solutions for businesses overlooked by traditional creative agencies. We blend fresh thinking and collaboration to build brands that make an impact. Our business is rooted in friendship, and that’s exactly how we treat our clients – as friends.
When our backgrounds are pieced together, it’s clear to see where and how this mission for Made in July was born.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met?
Even though we’re co-founders, we’re also friends. We originally met as student and professor at the University of Miami in 2018. Alain was hired as a designer for Orange Umbrella, UM’s student-run communication consultancy where MJ serves as the Managing Director and Faculty Advisor.
MJ’s advertising pedigree began in Texas, where she received her undergraduate (Texas Tech University) and graduate (University of Texas at Austin) degrees in advertising. Shortly after, she uprooted from Texas to Miami to take a job in Account Management at global ad agency, CP+B. Over the course of seven years, MJ lived and breathed the CP+B culture of community, hard-work, and never stopping until the best idea wins.
Taking a break from the agency world, MJ started teaching at the University of Miami School of Communication in 2016. After a year on the job, Dean Gregory Shepherd asked MJ to get the “yet to be named” student-run communication consultancy off the ground. Fearlessly, and with the help of several bright students, she did. In 2017, Orange Umbrella was born.
Alain joined Orange Umbrella in 2018 when it was still a very young business. It operated like a start-up, while also simultaneously being an experiment in experiential learning. As the first-of-its-kind at the University of Miami, Orange Umbrella allowed students to have a hand in building internal protocol, establishing operations, pitching clients, and recruiting talent.
Orange Umbrella also filled a demand for South Florida businesses – it connected young talent with local and small businesses that desperately needed marketing and communication help but couldn’t afford agency prices. The formula was effective, and Orange Umbrella – to this day – is a growing, thriving student-run business that provides valuable services to local and growing businesses, non-profits, and start-ups.
Because of its success and rapid growth rate, Orange Umbrella is a model for other student-run businesses across the country.
Over the course of his time at Orange Umbrella, Alain applied his creative versatility across projects and teams. He rose the ranks and was promoted to Vice President of Creative Development. For the 2 years we worked together at Orange Umbrella, we developed a like-minded approach to creatively solving problems. It wasn’t apparent at the time, but looking back now, it’s clear that our shared vision took root in those formative days at Orange Umbrella.
Alain Katsman and MJ Barnes, love hearing how you met. Can you tell us how your backgrounds and shared vision set you up to build a business together? And what makes Made in July different than other agencies?
After graduating from UM in 2019, Alain took his professional talents to local agencies in Miami – Razorfish and Team Enterprises – to cut his teeth on global brand work. MJ continued her work at Orange Umbrella but wanted to dip her toes back into the private sector. MJ, with her growing experience, had acquired a passion for building successful communication businesses and saw the need to help niche clients.
In May of 2021, and with the encouragement of her sister who eventually became Made in July’s first client, MJ approached Alain about starting an agency. But, if we were going to do it, we wanted to make sure our agency was going to be a new kind of creative shop.
After a couple of brainstorm sessions, it became abundantly clear that hard work between friends didn’t feel like work. And that beautiful design, impactful communication strategies, and insight-based creative were desperately needed – and also highly appreciated – by non-traditional brands and businesses often overlooked by high-gloss agencies.
Made in July’s first, and most devoted client, is Forestar, a national land development company headquartered in Texas. Forestar has hired Made in July to provide names, logos, brand guidelines, web design, social media strategy and much more for many of its residential communities across Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Phoenix. The relationship continues to thrive.
Our agency has also partnered with startups to build their brand and visual identity from the ground up.
As a whole, and because of Made in July’s nimble yet effective team structure, our agency is able to quickly pivot to produce the exact types of communication solutions needed by clients. Made in July specializes in strategically-based design, copy, and web development, but we’re also capable of much more – from public relations, print production, digital advertising, and the like.
Made in July is different from other agencies because we believe that great creative can not only change lives for the better but that it can also live anywhere – from entry monumentation plaques, out-of-home signage, or a consistent tone of voice in an Annual Report.
We also believe that internal culture is paramount to the success of our business, and therefore, to the success of our clients’ businesses. We know that the best work happens when collaboration is at the heart of every conversation. And we bring that approachability and open-mindedness to all of our client calls. There’s nothing we’re not open to exploring or considering because we know great creative can and should live anywhere.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Made in July was founded by two friends who saw the good in each other and their capabilities, and who only want the same for their clients.
The relationships we have with our clients are just as genuine, and we recognize the importance of building a valuable network. Clients re-hire us and refer us because they like working with us. We don’t bring any ego to the job, just an open mind and a good attitude. The work doesn’t feel like work. It feels like a collaborative approach to finding the best solution among friends.
In Miami, in particular, Made in July is putting our network to work and exploring opportunities with several South Florida-based companies. Our roots are here, and we’re excited to help local businesses bring their creative visions to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.madeinjuly.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madeinjuly.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/madeinjuly
Image Credits
Mary Beth Koeth, photographer https://www.mbkoeth.com/ https://www.instagram.com/