Each summer, three students interested in client service, copywriting, and graphic design are paid full-time to run Famous, an agency of interns within Fresh Produce. In 2021, designer Alex Duncan of the Kansas City Art Institute, writer Shawn Kuhnel, and account executive Jeannie Jedlicka, both from the University of South Dakota, spent their summer working with ten different clients on a diverse line up of projects.

Now that you’re “closing the bow” on all your projects, let’s take a minute to reflect on the experience. Overall, what did you think of being a Famous intern and working at Fresh Produce?

Alex: Delightful. Everybody is very receptive, accepting, and a little weird in a good way. The projects were diverse, challenging, and rewarding.

Jeannie: I wouldn’t be surprised if they started selling fruit at some point.

Shawn: It’s kind of hard to think about it all as one overall experience, if that makes sense. There were so many different things going on at once, but it never once felt like we were “just the interns.” We were a part of every step in the process and seeing what we were able to put together was very rewarding.

You had the chance to work with ten clients this year on a diverse lineup of projects, including web design, branding, events, PR, and some architecture. Which do you think was your favorite project?

A: The Fairburn Building [which was in partnership with Friends & Citizens, the internship program at Co-op Architecture in Sioux Falls]. It was the most conceptual project I’ve ever done, and the fact that it has a chance of becoming a reality makes it awesome, too. Designing an entire bespoke alphabet out of a gemstone was super cool, and seeing a building being designed based on artwork I came up with was insane. It really helped me see that, in the future, I could work with architects and come up with something that I could explain to them.

S: I agree with Alex, but mostly because it ended up being a personal project for me. After finding out that this building could potentially be constructed in Rapid City, where I was born, and that they wanted to name the center around a gold rush theme, my background with my father owning a store that sells gems and minerals really made coming up with the name Fairburn a memorable experience. Seeing the work Alex did and coming up with an entire design system surrounding that was incredible. I feel like the next step is to get the Fairburn logo tattooed on me now.

J: I really enjoyed the Remote Work Ready (now called PorchLight) branding project because I built a personal relationship with Jessica Meyers, the Co-Founder of Remote Work Ready. We’re on texting terms at this point and having that relationship with a client was really gratifying. I built the same relationship with Bob Christenson (of Badger Clark Publishing) while we were working on the Badger Clark Map project. Knowing I could run upstairs when I needed input from him, or sit in his office and listen to his stories made that experience more worthwhile. It made it feel a lot less like we were doing marketing.

What was one thing that stood out to you about working as part of the Famous team?

A: Working with a copywriter. I was just talking about this with my girlfriend, and I told her about this being my first time working with someone who focuses on copy. It was interesting to see Shawn come up with a name or some copy, and how that sparked something in the design. My professor Adam, who recommended the internship to me, asked if I knew anything about the copywriter I was working with because their role makes the design process more efficient. They come up with an idea or together we bounce ideas off one another and we see where to take it from there.

J: It was a thorough system, and it was made clear that communication would be the key to a successful project. I think we described what we needed from one another in a respectful and understanding manner that led to overall efficiency. Especially with South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s CHEERS! project. When we got that project, we only had five days to pull together a concept to pitch. The way we worked together to come up with the idea, even if we had to sweat a little because we forgot to bring the presentation with us, was totally worth it.

Those are valuable experiences to have, especially when you’re working with a lot of clients at one time. What are some challenges you had to face as you progressed through each project?

S: Working with Poetry Out Loud was challenging because of the target audiences we were trying to reach. Poetry Out Loud is a program for high school students implemented by teachers, so we had to figure out how to market to both high school students AND teachers at the same time. It was challenging trying to find that mix, but when it all came together we had a plethora of things for both targets that we felt communicated the idea behind the program well. It was also challenging for me because I’d never done a PR campaign before, so it was fun stretching my wings to see what I was capable of.

J: Making sure to stay diligent with all projects, especially because of their differing timelines. Some projects, like SDPB, had quick turnaround times and needed constant attention from start to finish, while others dwindled on throughout the internship.

A: These were some of the tightest deadlines I’ve ever dealt with. Doing that much creative work all at once, like dealing with five projects in one day, made it an interesting challenge to bounce back and forth from different mindsets.

There’s a lot more than meets the eye when working in a marketing agency. What are some learning opportunities you had as you operated Famous?

J: I learned what it truly means to be in account service, and that’ll be super helpful for the upcoming years of my life when I have to figure out what I want to do when I get out of college.

A: Making sure to set realistic goals and making big steps every day to meet those goals. That way I’m not scrambling when we get closer to a deadline. That’s something that use to happen in school with a lot of people, me included, where you think you’re doing a lot until you actually get to the night before a project is due and you’re not as far along as you thought.

What are some takeaways you’ll carry with you after the internship?

J: As I head into my junior year of college, I’ve learned so much about how the real-world works. Now I get to go back to school, take my experiences here, and see what else I can discover.

A: Letting the experience make me work more efficiently. I think it’s more of learning how to push myself to only work on something for a certain amount of time and move onto the next thing. Because sometimes I can work on a project for hours and nit-pick every little thing, but you don’t always have that kind of time.

S: It was eye opening to see everything that a copywriter does. When I got this internship, I didn’t think I’d be coming up with names of buildings or brands, and I think it’s been helpful to see that there’s a lot of other things to do within a marketing agency. It’s good to know there are options for me out there if I ever decide marketing isn’t for me.

See the full case study of all the work done by Alex, Jeannie, and Shawn this summer: pickfresh.com/study/famous-2021

Fresh Produce is accepting applications for Famous 2022 from December 3, 2021 to February 4, 2022. Visit famousinternship.com to start your application!

We first met Brianna Schreurs while she was attending South Dakota State University for a degree in advertising. She joined our crew as Famous’ 2019 account service intern, and in May of 2021, we hired her as a project coordinator. In her first few months back, we sat down with Bri to talk about her journey into advertising (and Fresh Produce), her interests and passions, and all the ways she lives an interesting life.

Bri, can you share what your journey to getting hired at Fresh Produce looked like?

It felt like a journey. After our internship, all three of us (Bri, Bailey & Tom) knew that we would come back to Fresh Produce. It was just a matter of when. So my entire senior year at South Dakota State University, that was the conversation. With COVID-19 and me graduating in May, the company could not hire me just because there was so much uncertainty. I had to find something else to do, so I moved to Rapid City and worked for KOTA Territory News and KEVN Black Hills FOX. And it was really fun and exciting. I learned a lot there, but I also knew that job didn’t have much longevity, so I approached Mike about revisiting that conversation and coming back to Fresh Produce. It took a few months to transition and figure out how everything would work, but now I’m here.

We’re so happy to have you back at Fresh Produce! How did you get interested in advertising?

I’ve always been interested in marketing, but I never had a name for it. Just because when you grow up in a small town, there isn’t really much talk about how you could do creative things for a living. Creative things were kind of looked down upon as something you couldn’t make a living around. When people asked, ‘What do you want to do after you graduate from high school?’ I had no idea and that was okay.

But my senior year, I really got freaked out about it. I remember that I really enjoyed my agriculture classes. I was involved with FFA, wore the blue corduroy and everything. I just had a lot of fun. My agriculture advisor was my favorite teacher, and he was just so vibrant, and he got to do a variety of things. So I told my mom one day that I would go to SDSU to be an agriculture instructor. My mom was like, ‘Why would you want to do that?’ And I said, ‘I don’t really know what I want to do with my life, so if I become an ag teacher, at least I can go anywhere.’ And then she said, ‘I think you should do marketing.’ So that’s what I did. It’s really funny the lack of thought I put into it. And I never even changed my major in college because majoring in advertising just worked.

Within the field, I think there’s a lot of ways to help people articulate ideas and get business. Marketing can accomplish a lot for any business and that’s always really intrigued me. I enjoy really good strategy, and there’s fun in it too. I love making connections and constructing a brand that relates and speaks to people. All of that is really interesting, compelling, and worthwhile work.

What experience or passion feeds into your interest in working at Fresh Produce?

I’ve always been attracted to strong communities in my life, and Fresh Produce is a strong community. I’m always interested in how we like to nurture our culture, support each other, and celebrate each other. I think all of that is why I like Fresh Produce. I’m really passionate about good communities.

I’ve always been a very relational person. In college, I was really involved in SDSU’s student-run newspaper the Collegian, and one of my favorite things I did there was create processes and celebrations for my staff that led to making a really good product. The process of that was really fun. I led a Bible study group throughout college and I taught sixth-grade girls this last year in Rapid City. Both were workshops in making an intentional community for learning and vulnerability.

Why did Fresh Produce’s creative approach appeal to you?

I think Ted has been the first person in my entire life that was like, ‘Hey, creativity isn’t something you just reach for in the dark and it comes to you. Rather it’s a muscle you have to practice.’ And so, learning about the creative process that we have in place was really attractive to me because Fresh Produce takes it so seriously.

What gives you energy and feeds your creativity?

A lot. That’s the answer ‘a lot.’ Haha, no, I can think of a few things. I really enjoy a good run. I’ve been running for a few years consistently. Every time I run, it’s really clearing and grounding, but it’s also very exciting because I accomplish something. The action of it can feel hard or easy but it’s all about how far you want to take it. Some days I don’t want to take it that hard, but I still find delight in it. I also just love being outside. I’m a really big hiker, which is one thing I miss about living on the other side of the state.

I also really like beer, and I really like food. I enjoy cooking, and I’m not great at it, but I’ve learned how to make coffee syrup, homemade pasta noodles, and pizza crust in the past year. But beer is always very fascinating to me. There’s an infinite amount of ways to brew a beer, and I just love how people can reverse engineer it or respect the history of a style. It’s also very full of camaraderie and curious people, so I really love the craft beer community.

What is your favorite Mystic Truth and why?

In Command and Out of Control just because that’s at the heart of what I do as a project coordinator. I am in command of the situation by making sure a plan is set, and there’s at least some structure for the team and the client. But also am out of control to make crazy big ideas for the team happen and delight our clients.

How do you live an interesting life?

I just surround myself with people that I love and that challenge me. A lot of the things that make me interested in my own life are setting goals and habits and seeing if I can do them. The act of trying to do something consistently for a month and creating structure in your own life is really interesting. I try to wake up early, so I can do good work and I try to go to bed at the same time so I can have enough time for the people who fill my life with joy.

If you’d like to welcome Brianna to Sioux Falls or want to send her a note, you can reach her at brianna@pickfresh.com

“I first met Ted in graduate school. I mean, I knew who he was, but it was then when we became friends through Capers. I introduced him to [Sorenson Broadcasting] and he became the intern there. When I became the program director, Ted pitched me Rock Garden Tour, which at the time was called Two Hours of Flower. It was the only show hip enough to combine gardening and rock ‘n’ roll, so I let him do it on the air.”

“So, I had the interview, but Ted got the job.”

Designer Marvin Chang has been a part of Fresh Produce for almost six months now, and he’s brought with him a unique experience and vision that have filtered into the work that we do. We sat down with Marvin to talk about his journey to Fresh Produce, how he found his love for design, and what feeds his creativity.

Marvin, can you share your journey to Fresh Produce? How did it all happen?

It’s quite a journey actually. It happened selectively and randomly at the same time. So my plan after graduating from MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) was to apply for jobs locally in Minneapolis. And if that didn’t work out, I’d go a step further and think of places like Portland, Seattle, or the West Coast. So “randomly” because I didn’t think I’d relocate to the state right next to Minnesota. And what I mean by “selectively” is in regards to my connection with Tom (designer at Fresh Produce). We had both been selected for last year’s Command X design competition organized by AIGA. If it weren’t for this opportunity, I wouldn’t even know Tom. We just got along, had things in common, and had mutual friends.

So through Command X, I got to know Tom a little bit and he talked about where he worked. He talked about Fresh Produce’s history and work culture, and how he enjoyed it. So I got curious and visited him in Sioux Falls after the competition, and he gave me a tour of the office. I love that there’s an art gallery within the space… I also got a chance to meet a few members of Fresh Produce and all the conversations gave me good vibes and made me think this would be a good environment to work in. Later on, as I was applying for jobs in Minneapolis and the West Coast, I heard that Fresh Produce was hiring and I got connected with Mike and Ted. I had a few interviews with them and got assigned a small project to work on. I got hired, and soon after got an apartment, a new dog (Marco), packed, rented a U-Haul, and moved here from Minneapolis in early February.

We’re so glad you connected with Tom and he introduced you to Fresh Produce! We’re happy you’re here. So, how did you get into design and what do you love about it?

I heard someone say that a logo is the spirit or soul of a brand and I’ve remembered that line for quite a long time. Imagine a million dollar business where the actual logo did a lot of work for it—it’s just hard to believe that before you’re a designer. So I studied traditional drawing. I think I was in the sixth grade when my mom put me in a training school for traditional drawing, which is hand drawn and pencil drawing with watercolors or oil. So I was trained to be a traditional artist. I did a lot of hand-drawn stuff earlier, but later realized I didn’t see myself becoming an artist, selling the art, or being an art teacher. I was looking for an option that incorporated my creative mind or process while formatting my skills and inspirations together. So I realized that graphic design is something that would help achieve that kind of thinking.

Going back to that quote—I started practicing logo design. The very first logo I did was for my brother-in-law’s friend’s family. He had a media company and was looking for a logo. I’d never done one before, but I’d always wanted to try. He loved the logo and now uses it for everything. He even printed it out really big to put on a wall at his business. I was so proud to see my work out there.

Do you still draw in your free time?

I do draw occasionally. But I do more collage work versus hand drawing now. I find magazines and look for interesting shapes, type, or color, and put together collages, and I post a lot of them on my Instagram. That’s something I enjoy doing. Aside from designing branding or logos, collage work is part of my creative process.

What are some things that give you energy or feed into your creativity?

I get a positive boost of energy from general life things. For instance, my dog Marco. Walking my dog, playing with him, and exploring different parts of town where he can run around. That just makes me happy. Watching movies is another thing that gives me energy. I watch at least one movie every week. I’m a huge fan of films, and actually, one of my dream jobs aside from being a graphic designer is to be a movie poster designer. As far as creative energy, I get that from reading design books. In college, I used to go to my school library and spend an afternoon there. Seeing other designers’ work also gives me creative energy.

What is your favorite Mystic Truth?

My favorite is, “I just love it.” It’s that little word—”just.” It has such a tone and personality. I think that’s a good attitude to have, to not think negatively of things.

How do you live an interesting life?

Thinking positively and paying attention to the beauty of life. Paying attention to the details, who you’re talking to, what’s happening on a day-to-day basis. I believe that the most important person is the person sitting in front of you right now. The most important moment is this moment. The most important thing is the thing you’re doing right now. I always love living in the moment. I think one of the reasons I love dogs is because they live in the moment. I try to focus on what’s happening right now versus thinking too much of something else. That’s helped me see things from a different perspective as well when it comes to design. Treating every project not as what we’ve done similar to it, but instead as an opportunity to try a bunch of new things. That’s where the fun starts to happen.

If you’d like to welcome Marvin to Sioux Falls or want to send him a note, you can reach him at marvin@pickfresh.com

Growing up in the Sioux Falls punk scene, Fresh Produce writer, Brian Bieber, often found himself among the audience at Nordic Hall – a scene that would come to grow into its own culture, community, and economy by a group of unassuming teens. Eventually, that scene would also spawn a feature-length documentary filmed and produced by Bieber.

“As a teenager, you’re within the established structures that most people are in – sports, theatre, the school band, and all those avenues where a lot of people go. We didn’t really fit in any of those. We were buying our own instruments, booking studio time, and figuring out where to press records.”

The early stages of I Really Get Into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk was inspired by surfing the Rapid City punk rock archives.

“I started asking around for people to digitize records and tapes [from the Sioux Falls scene]. From there, the conversations I had with people got me thinking about how many artists from the punk scene were doing remarkable things.”

“You can say ‘Holy cow, we were 15 years old and not very good at playing instruments’ or you can say ‘Holy cow, we were 15 years old and we made a record’.”

The making of the documentary began in June 2018 with a dinged car and a $900 insurance check. Bieber used the insurance money to buy a camera, which was packed up in that dinged car and brought to Kansas City for the first interview with Kristin Conkright, who sang for the legendary Sioux Falls band, Switch.

“The benefit of having a community that encourages a do-it-yourself ethic is incredibly valuable, especially to young people, and this documentary is an example of that. I didn’t know how to do it when I started, but I taught myself as I went, and got plenty of help along the way. You never really just do it yourself. It’s more about understanding that you don’t have to wait around for permission, and I think that’s incredibly important.”

A few months later in October 2018, a four-week sabbatical from work gave Brian the focus to think about what he wanted the documentary to be, and by December 2020, I Really Get Into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk rolled out in a swatch of merch from pins, postcards, and cassette tapes to a DVD format and limited edition VHS tape.

“At Fresh Produce, there’s plenty of room to work on your own thing, but having a month off to only think about the documentary let me put all my creative energy into that.”

To purchase merch or a DVD format of the documentary, visit ireallygetintoit.com.

Read about what other Fresh Produce crew members did during their month-long sabbatical.

• Living Unsettled in Barcelona
• What do you do when you get a month-long sabbatical from work?