Here at CBT, we want to make sure our readers know what kind of people are making their magazine. Every month in the magazine, we do a Q&A with a Person You Should Know, or PYSK, in Columbia — and over the next few months, we’ll be showing you a Person You Should Know from the Business Times Company.
Meet Jordan Watts, our editorial designer! Jordan is responsible for designing everything in the magazine, which means she’s the one who makes us the best-looking publication in town. She also tackles any special BTC projects that come her way. She’s the hardest working designer in town, and we’re lucky to have her. Get to know her below!
Name:
Jordan Watts
Title:
Editorial designer.
Age:
23
Job Description:
My main focus is designing our monthly business journal, Columbia Business Times. In addition to that, I also design our quarterly publication Machens Advantage, client ads, event collateral, custom publications, as well as any in-house design projects that come up.
Years lived in mid-Missouri:
Closing in on a year come August.
Original hometown:
I’ve always had a convoluted answer to such a simple question. I was born in Germany, where I lived until I was nearly 10. My family moved to the states in 2002, and I spent my teenage years in Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. Then I moved to California for college, landed a job, and got married, so I created a home for myself there as well. And just to make everything a bit more confusing, my family calls Western Pennsylvania home, since most of my large extended family lives around there.
Favorite volunteer/community activity:
I feel like every week, I watch an episode of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and find a new issue that fires me up. This week, I’m upset about the reality of food insecurity and the fact that processed “food” products are more accessible and often cheaper than produce. I’m really trying to discover exactly where I want to focus my energy so I can be the most effective and get involved. I need like a dating show for charities.
Professional background:
I graduated college and landed my first full-time job as a graphic designer for a celebrity fashion e-commerce website when I was 19. After almost two years there, I moved to a different city and was referred to Mariners Church, where I was part of a design team for our network of church campuses throughout Orange County. Last summer, my husband and I relocated to Columbia so he could pursue his Ph.D. at Mizzou, and I was fortunate enough to come across this position at the Business Times Company. The company culture, quality of products, and opportunities for me here are something I never thought I’d find in a city this size. It’s been a really incredible (almost) year so far.
Favorite thing about my job: There’s never an excuse to be bored. You are constantly learning. Each position I’ve held and every company I’ve been a part of has allowed me to learn new software, tools, techniques, concepts, skills, procedures — the list goes on and on. There are so many directions you can take your design career. I can dedicate my whole life to design and have barely scratched the surface. That’s both completely terrifying and awesome.
Why I’m passionate about my company: Nobody is just here for a paycheck. We all deeply care about our clients, our community, our products, and each other. That kind of commitment affects all aspects of work life. Everything is very intentional, and we all truly believe that we are doing important work.
Favorite mid-Missouri restaurant: Coming from California, where my diet consisted mostly of mexican food and sushi, you can usually find me at Carlito’s or Osaka.
A mid-Missouri businessperson I admire and why: I spend my days behind my desk surrounded by content about great business leaders in our community, which makes this a little creepy since they have no idea who I am. I think that Kristen Graham-Brown is doing really incredible work over there at Hoot Design Co. They are a woman-owned creative agency, producing beautiful and smart content for awesome local businesses while also creating original e-courses and workbooks for creatives and business owners. All of this is in addition to her service for the creative community in Columbia. #GirlBossGoals
Favorite hobby: Traveling! Or singing!
Favorite color: White.
If I weren’t doing this for a living, I would: be pursuing some other creative endeavor. Styling photoshoots, travel blogging, making short films, starting a band, running a food truck. I’m still young and I have a lot of projects ahead of me. I want to do it all.
My next goal: Consume less, create more.
Family: Thanks to my lovely parents, I’m the middle child, smack dab between my older brother and younger sister. I was basically adopted into my husband’s family when I moved to California and have the sweetest in-laws I could hope for. And of course, my husband, Steven, who is the best person I know. We have puppy fever, so we’re hoping to adopt as soon as our lease allows.
Most people don’t know that I: once got stuck on a roller coaster with the guys from One Direction.
If my coworkers could describe me in one word: Dope.
