E012: Brad Schultz, Brad Schultz Design

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Katy McKinley

I'm Katy McKinley and you are listening to "I Can Make That: Conversations with Creatives". I have been existing in a world of art, sewing and other various forms of creativity my entire life. Along my crafty journey, I've collected quite the group of talented characters that I get to call my friends. Instead of keeping their wisdom and with all to myself, I'm using this podcast to bring them to you. Behind every piece of art is a human being who went through a range of successes and failures in making and in life. And I'm here to share their stories.

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Katy McKinley

Everybody, we are back at it with a new guest and a new episode of "I Can Make That: Conversations with Creatives". I am thrilled to share today's guest with you. I don't remember how I stumbled upon him on Instagram, but I smashed that follow button almost instantly when I did. He has an incredibly infectious energy that just burst out of his images and you immediately want to be a part of what he's got going on at all times.

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Katy McKinley

Some people just have the IT factor and Brad has it for sure by day. Brad Schultz is a high school teacher where he helps mold the minds of our future leaders by every other living and breathing moment outside of teaching. He is also is blogger, podcaster, Knitter YouTuber creative amazing things and most of it is bundled under the umbrella of Brad Schultz designs.

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Katy McKinley

Brad is part of a very underrepresented niche of men in the sewing community, and he brings such a fresh, fun, playful energy to sewing that is simply unmatched. And I am confident that you'll leave this episode wanting more interactions with him. I know I will walk into I can make that.

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Brad Schultz

Brad Yeah, Thanks so much for having me. I'm grinning ear to ear. I need that sort of intro every day of my life. Like, so I think.

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Katy McKinley

I'll just show up like right before school every day for you and give you, like, a little hype lead in.

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Brad Schultz

Yeah, that's awesome. Thank you so much for that intro.

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Katy McKinley

Oh, my gosh. I'm just and I believe every word of it. I think you're amazing and I think everyone else just needs more of you, so.

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Brad Schultz

Well, thanks.

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Katy McKinley

Let's start out by getting over our pass or through the surface level of things. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? What do you do for your day job?

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Brad Schultz

All right. So I grew up in a small town called Williston in Florida, and I actually still live about 30 minutes from there. So I live in Gainesville, Florida, now, so a little bit bigger than what I grew up in, but not that much bigger, I guess, in the grand scheme of things. Interestingly enough, I grew up about 30 minutes away.

00;02;59;03 - 00;03;20;27

Brad Schultz

I moved north northeast about 30 minutes into Gainesville, but yet I teach high school about an hour south of where I am now. So this whole area of Florida is my my domain. But yeah, like you said, I teach high school. I taught elementary school for 14 years, so I taught the garden for ten years and first grade for four years.

00;03;20;27 - 00;03;46;23

Brad Schultz

And then just randomly two years ago, I made the jump to high school and boy, was a change. But I love it. I love it. So I teach TV production. All right. Digital video technology is the the actual term for it, and we call it TV production. And so it's fun. It's like a digital creative art class where, I mean, we get to envision ideas and put it all on screen.

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Brad Schultz

So I have a I have a good time with it.

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Katy McKinley

That sounds amazing and something I wish that we had when we were growing up at school.

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Brad Schultz

Yeah, totally. I had either.

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Katy McKinley

Yeah. Do you have a background at all in TV production or how did you get how did you go from elementary to high school? This is that is a that is a wild job. Really?

00;04;06;02 - 00;04;23;19

Brad Schultz

Well, to answer the first part of the question, that's what everyone asks me because no, I do not have a background in television production at all except that I guess when I started teaching, however long it's been now, 14 years ago, I mean, I started teaching, I guess 16 years ago, but 14 years ago I was part of a grant.

00;04;23;25 - 00;04;48;11

Brad Schultz

And that grant was all about using technology in the classroom specifically for video creation with students. So for years and years I made videos with my kindergartners, and I'm lucky to teach in a county that has a really amazing media festival every year. It's kind of like our Academy Awards and their categories and the videos have to be student created and edited from from ground up.

00;04;48;23 - 00;05;10;03

Brad Schultz

Even in kindergarten, students did all of the work. So I would create videos with my students and we would submit them to the media festival every year. And it was just something we really looked forward to. It was a way to give more like a hands on approach to learning and and enhance some of that creativity and interest in what they were working on.

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Brad Schultz

So fast forward, whatever I said, 14 years, there was a job opening at the high school and that now the lady who wrote the grant that I was part of 14 years ago was the principal at this high school, and there was an opening and she thought of me and she contacted me and I, you know, I taught elementary for so long.

00;05;29;27 - 00;05;52;15

Brad Schultz

I just I was at the time of my life, I just felt like I needed something different. I loved elementary. And immediately she called and asked me and I told her no. I thought I will never teach high school. So I've always said. And then I thought about it over the weekend and I ended up going the next week and touring the school and took the job and haven't looked back since then.

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Brad Schultz

So I've been there a full two years. This is my third school year because I started in the middle of that school year.

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Katy McKinley

I think. So during the pandemic with our son, he's he's a single child. So we were trying to come up with ways to like, get him to do things and interact with people that, you know, was virtual because we were just home right theirselves as everyone was. And we had him create like a little YouTube channel where he was giving news.

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Katy McKinley

And honestly, like I when we put it together, I would just try to give him an outlet. But when you think about what TV production our little YouTube news does, like what you're doing, the kids are learning how to research their learning writing skills. They're learning public speaking skills like it's so many amazing things wrapped into one that you kind of just don't like think about.

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Brad Schultz

Right? That's what all of my students and all of the parents as well. At its core. What? It's just communication. Yeah. Can't you show you can't create a video without some sort of idea that you want or need to communicate. So I mean, and that involves all of their reading and literacy and public speaking and research and everything included in that.

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Brad Schultz

It ties all of that academic ability with a creative sense that we all have and kind of melds the two together.

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Katy McKinley

Yeah, it's just awesome. I, I envy your job a little bit at the same time because high schoolers are tough.

00;07;20;26 - 00;07;48;17

Brad Schultz

You know, high school for me as a teacher is all about building relationships. You know, 99% is about building relationships with my students. And that's not always easy. But you just have to remember that I always say they look like adults, but they still act like kindergartners. And we laugh, you know, they still like the fun stuff. And I kind of forgot that a little when I started high school, because in my mind I was thinking, they're so much older, you know, I need to change the way I teach and do.

00;07;48;26 - 00;08;09;26

Brad Schultz

And I realized pretty quickly, no, a lot of the things I did in elementary I still do with my high schoolers and they still enjoy it because they are still kids and they enjoy life and they want to have hands on fun and they want to create things. So yeah, it really has just kind of melted from one experience and elementary into high school pretty smoothly.

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Brad Schultz

Now, talk about culture of high schoolers, though. I've not been in high school while I graduated high school 23. So it's been a while and just walking on the campus. Man, 20 years, a lot of things. So it was kind of like, you know, running face first into a brick wall for the first couple of months until I got my feet under me.

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Brad Schultz

But now I'm soaring and I love it.

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Katy McKinley

Well, let's, I guess, shift a little bit to your outside of school life. I read in your bio that while your mom could be kind of sort of credited for your initial introduction into sewing, that your granny is actually the source of inspiration and guidance for your entry to this craft. Do you remember what your first sewing project was or like?

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Katy McKinley

I don't know, what's your sewing origin story?

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Brad Schultz

And like my first sewing project ever, like in my life.

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Katy McKinley

I don't know, maybe the one that impacted you the most or that you feel like this is it.

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Brad Schultz

Right? Well, like you said, yes, I saw a lot with my granny growing up and especially Halloween costumes. So, you know, growing up as a male in a small town, a small country town, I'd say in Florida, sewing is not something on your list of to do items. And especially growing up when I did, you know, this was years ago and sort of the outlook on a lot of things have changed over years.

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Brad Schultz

So it wasn't something that was necessarily socially acceptable when I was interested in it. But Halloween always gave me the opportunity to have an idea and show up a costume I wanted. And my granny was always there with me too, to make that happen. So those really are kind of my first memories of sewing and having ideas and going to the store and finding fabrics.

00;09;57;24 - 00;10;14;22

Brad Schultz

And she would do the tough bits and then I do the straight lines and that's really kind of how I learned the base of sewing. But then I don't know if they still offer like home in school, but when I was in middle school, we had a whole class and it was a rotation that everyone had to take for a portion of the year.

00;10;15;00 - 00;10;30;17

Brad Schultz

And part of that was sewing. And I remember making a pillow and other students were doing other things and just being I, I just kind of fell for it right off the bat. And I don't I don't know why sewing of all things jumped out at me like it did, but it's just one of those serendipitous things, you know?

00;10;30;22 - 00;10;52;06

Brad Schultz

It did, but I kind of put it away. And then years later, I was an adult. I had started teaching and I mean, I had my granny's old sewing machine that had been packed away in the closet, and my friends and I were going to a Jimmy Buffett concert and wanted them making it. So about, well, your, your craft, you, you can just make us all matching shirts.

00;10;52;21 - 00;11;13;07

Brad Schultz

And I thought, you know what? I can't do that now. I had never I mean costumes. Yes but like actual clothing I had never made. So I bought out sewing machine. They started playing and the shirts never got made, but it kind of reignited that love for me. And then blogs were so huge then, and I was just reading and reading every night.

00;11;13;07 - 00;11;30;13

Brad Schultz

I couldn't get enough. And that was now. It was the first year I started teaching. So I guess about 16, 15, 16 years ago. And I've not looked back. I mean, I just can't get enough information about sewing and I just keep on blazing down the trail.

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Katy McKinley

Do you remember the first time that you put on and actually wore and maybe not the first exact time, but I remember putting on my first shirt that I made and wearing it out of the house and being like, I just hope this doesn't fall apart. Well, I'm walking around like, I don't know what it was like. I had confidence in the hall, but what?

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Katy McKinley

I laughed. I was like, Oh God, this is going to this is going to fall apart on me.

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Brad Schultz

One of my biggest negative traits, or at least I think so, you know, it can be positive and negative, but I am a big perfectionist, good or bad, But it took me so long to actually wear something I made. I would make things and then I would think that they were not good enough. And that's something I'm constantly telling you.

00;12;11;23 - 00;12;32;25

Brad Schultz

So was this. Yeah, you got to get over that, like enjoy what you're making on it and wear it because you know, it's hard. You put all this effort into making something you love the experience while you're doing it, and then you get done and you see one mistake or a couple mistakes and you end up just pushing it aside and it kind of trips away at that other motivation you have.

00;12;33;06 - 00;12;58;26

Brad Schultz

So it took me a long time really to kind of get going until I felt confident enough to wear something. But I do remember years ago now, I mean, it was a couple of years after I had started, I was going on a trip to New York City. It was actually my first trip to New York City, and I made a coat like a full on Navy blue winter coat that had inter lining and had a leopard lining on the inside.

00;12;58;26 - 00;13;11;18

Brad Schultz

And I had all of the hand pad stitching. I had watched Dirty C on her YouTube channel. I can't think of her full name anyways, I'm sure everyone knows who Dirty is when I graduate.

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Katy McKinley

She's turned, as I said. She.

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Brad Schultz

Yes, yes, yes. Back then that was before she had patterns and everything. She just had a YouTube channel. I she taught me through her videos how to do all the bad stitching and I did all of that and has a beautiful silk leopard lining and I wore it on my trip all week in New York and was in LA.

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Brad Schultz

So that really was the first thing I remember making that I completely fell in love with.

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Katy McKinley

Oh my. Do you still have it?

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Brad Schultz

I do, actually. It is way too small for me, but part of it, it's hanging in my closet. I just that's one thing I'll never you know, I'll never get rid of.

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Katy McKinley

Well, I don't think you said unless you want to just give it to me and then we'll see how it goes. It sounds amazing.

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Brad Schultz

You know, it's a classic garment. It's still beautiful. I absolutely would wear it now if I could.

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Katy McKinley

Well, my husband and I have never subscribed to the idea of gender roles like we honestly bucket and that tradition that traditional I guess idea our ideology and here here I am and like the sewing and crafting community which is heavily considered to be a quote unquote woman's hobby but think about it like all the famous clothing designers, most of them are men like Versace, Armani, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, like Alexander McQueen.

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Katy McKinley

But so if the fashion and design industry is so heavily male influence, how are we so not allowing or not seeing more men and boys get into something like home sewing and home design at a younger age, do you find being a man in the sewing community? Is it is it a challenge for you? Do you feel like this world is harder or easier for someone like you?

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Katy McKinley

Who kind of does it go along with that stereotype?

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Brad Schultz

Well, I think that society in general so looks at design and fashion design specifically as kind of flamboyant and frivolous and extra. And I think that, you know, in strict gender roles, all of that flamboyance is is dedicated to the woman right. So I think that men, even if they are interested in something creative, they're probably going to go more of like the engineering route where they can create.

00;15;24;19 - 00;15;43;24

Brad Schultz

But in a very structured sort of way, I do think that there are gender roles still today that that keep men from sewing, even though even if they have a love for clothing. Right. Just something about sewing, it still feels very feminine. I don't know why that is. It's not something I've ever subscribed to, but a lot of people feel that way.

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Brad Schultz

Do I feel like it's a struggle for me just in the sewing kind of world in general? No, because it's not something that I really ever you know, I've kind of always beat to my own drum. And even back when I was younger, if it was something that I loved doing, I, you know, I did. But obviously it is definitely a very woman heavy hobby.

00;16;07;18 - 00;16;37;07

Brad Schultz

That's not a bad thing. Right. And I think that it's much more open for men now. And here's what I also think. I think that there have always been men sewing and that it's just these days now becoming a little more we see Mormon posting about it. So it's becoming more socially, quote unquote, acceptable. And there doesn't seem to be so much fear around it, which I kind of find so silly because, I mean, what's what's so scary about making something awesome and sharing it?

00;16;37;07 - 00;17;04;06

Brad Schultz

But like I said, that, you know, that's a whole that's never how I thought. So I don't really ever it doesn't ever affect me. Something, though, that I did think was really interesting is way back when I first started sewing, I was I don't know if you've ever heard of silhouette ads, but Peggy, as the owner of silhouette patterns and she does light webcasts online and I started watching her webcasts.

00;17;04;06 - 00;17;30;11

Brad Schultz

I mean, she started probably ten years ago, and she used to offer a sewing like convention conference convention in Dallas. And I wanted to go. So I had emailed her and just asked, you know, how many men are usually out these? Because even though it's not something that I've ever consciously affected me, I guess in some parts, you know, it always did.

00;17;30;11 - 00;17;48;10

Brad Schultz

Why else would I reach out and ask how many men are going to be at the convention? And her exact words back to me were, It doesn't matter. Think of every big designer, just like you said. I shouldn't say every big designer, but so many big designers are male. So if you want to come, then come. And we will.

00;17;48;10 - 00;18;01;25

Brad Schultz

All of you, and we will all accept you. And I went and I went by myself and I had an amazing time. And I definitely I think about that comment often, as she said to me, because it's not something I ever thought of before. So it's funny that you bring that up.

00;18;02;05 - 00;18;22;16

Katy McKinley

When we see men pop up in the like. I, of course, work for patents for pirates when male So is pop up in that group. I feel like people just flock to them, like they're so excited to see someone different, you know, sewing for themselves or for, you know, someone in their family. I don't know. It's just it's it's refreshing to see that.

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Katy McKinley

It's not even I don't I don't know how to describe it. It's just really fun to watch the excitement surrounding it. And I just hope more people get involved in it.

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Brad Schultz

But why do we think that is, though? Like, why do we think that men don't? And I don't think that's that it's they don't sew as much, but they don't maybe share as much. There's does still seem to be some sort of stigma against males sewing and not in the sewing world, but kind of socially.

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Katy McKinley

I think people still see sewing as like, oh, I mean it as a hobby. Well, it's a job for me and a hobby and life in general. But I think people discount sewing as like a side thing. So maybe they just don't see it as like a formidable business style. And, you know, hobbies fall by the wayside eventually as you grow older.

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Katy McKinley

Sometimes. I don't know. I actually don't have any answer for that.

00;19;16;15 - 00;19;35;13

Brad Schultz

You know, the biggest hole I mean, I could chat about I could chat about this forever because it you know, it is a part of my life being a man, always those. But like I said, it's never really been an issue for much of a thought of mine just sewing in general. However, I use a lot of women sewing patterns.

00;19;35;23 - 00;19;56;22

Brad Schultz

I mean, a lot almost. I mean a lot. So many more options. Like almost every pattern I saw was a woman's pattern. And I just learned how to make that work with me because when I look at a pattern, it doesn't matter to me that a woman is on the front of the cover. What matters is what design lines are there, what style is it?

00;19;56;28 - 00;20;08;13

Brad Schultz

How can I make this work for me or what am I looking for? I'm always looking at the design itself, not who it's on, on the front of the pattern cover. But that really does stop a lot of people.

00;20;08;13 - 00;20;28;12

Katy McKinley

Yeah. I think also you'll probably I mean, you said you like precision sewing and you're a little bit of a perfectionist. So if you're taking a woman's pattern and and putting it on a traditional male body, like you've got to adjust shoulders and different things. I think some people are intimidated by that whole aspect. People don't like doing adjustments for art.

00;20;28;12 - 00;20;55;19

Katy McKinley

I think I love sewing for the puzzle that you get to solve, and it's actually why I'm really into working on pattern making and design skills right now, because I'm really driven to figure out like numbers and measurements in circles, squiggly lines, and you know, how that all comes together to make something wearable. And I've seen you have this tagline in a few places on Instagram and your website that says, Sewing is where engineering, creativity and trends collide.

00;20;55;19 - 00;21;05;01

Katy McKinley

The perfect place for my passions to melt. So is that are you similar to me? Like, do you are you a process person? You like the process more than the end result? Sometimes.

00;21;05;28 - 00;21;37;15

Brad Schultz

I mean, listen, I love clothes. I love clothes. But yes, I mean, really, that is my tagline. That is what I love. I love having an idea and figuring out how to make that idea come together. I love the fashion side of things and trends, and I love figuring out how I can bring that into my life. So yeah, I love tailoring, I love layers of things and yes, all the engineering and making something work the way I want it to work, I'm obsessed with.

00;21;37;25 - 00;21;54;01

Katy McKinley

My dad is an engineer and I just really think that that's where my brain does, where instead of doing, you know, putting together machinery, I'm putting together, I'm using the same process just on a different material, I guess.

00;21;55;00 - 00;22;11;09

Brad Schultz

Well, yeah. So my dad's a carpenter and he's that he literally he built my parents house. He built the house I grew up in. He can just throw a building up like it's nothing, right? Because he's done it for so long. He knows how all of that goes together and works together. I use those same skills. I just do it with fabric.

00;22;11;25 - 00;22;29;05

Brad Schultz

So that's while using that terminology engineering, because I think it resonates with people. You know, it's not so frivolous. I don't think anybody thinks engineering is frivolous. And really we're doing the same thing. We're just doing it with fabric. And that's the way I like to look at it.

00;22;29;13 - 00;22;33;03

Katy McKinley

Absolutely. I'm 100% on board with your idea.

00;22;33;03 - 00;22;54;19

Brad Schultz

And I don't know if you know, but for years I actually I designed and made custom bridal gowns and talk about earring. Yeah. There's a lot that goes into that. So yeah for four years I did custom gowns and I also did really kind of over-the-top costumes for an event production company here in town for these really big charity events.

00;22;55;02 - 00;23;15;05

Brad Schultz

I mean, so we had things like sticking off of the model's back and like hanging out their sides and all these over-the-top costumes and trying to make everything work and figure out how it was going to wear. Still be comfortable for the person wearing it, but still have the image that I wanted and with wedding dresses, you want it to be comfortable.

00;23;15;05 - 00;23;36;15

Brad Schultz

You want them to look the best they can look. You want everything to work because you're only wearing it once. And you made a comment earlier about being making your first garment and being scared was going to fall apart. The first wedding dress I made, I was at the wedding and I almost had no breath as she walked down the aisle, not because it was so beautiful what it was, but I just kept thinking, Oh my God, What?

00;23;36;16 - 00;23;38;12

Brad Schultz

It just like, falls apart.

00;23;40;06 - 00;23;49;12

Katy McKinley

You are so much braver than I am. I people asked me to alter their clothes and I'm like, No, I can't imagine doing it in a bridal element.

00;23;49;19 - 00;24;08;04

Brad Schultz

I laugh and tell everyone I'm retired. I did it, I'm done. It was extremely stressful. And now. No, I don't. I don't him. I don't help anyone. Somebody made a comment at school today. One of the students must. I think he ripped like his shirt under his arm. And he asked the teacher next to me if he had a sewing kit.

00;24;08;04 - 00;24;23;03

Brad Schultz

And the teacher joked, He's like, If you're asking anybody, you should ask him. And I just joked and I said, I don't So don't ask me that. This is my own little private. I like to keep to myself that I'm just joking. But yeah, I am not an alterations person anymore.

00;24;23;15 - 00;24;39;14

Katy McKinley

Well, can we please talk about your photos? I love, like every image you ever share. They're all always super pristine and thought out, and honestly, they're just amazing. Do you have a photographer? Are you taking these on your own? Like, tell me about your brilliant imagery.

00;24;40;01 - 00;25;01;08

Brad Schultz

So things have changed over the years. Before COVID, I did have a photographer. I have a friend of mine who actually I had her her son in kindergarten years ago, and she's an amazing photographer. And in the city that I teach in. So she's awesome. And she a lot of the professional photos she took. But I tell you what, I got the new iPhone for two yean.

00;25;01;08 - 00;25;29;08

Brad Schultz

Nope, I'm wrong. 13 this past summer. I know now I'm already behind. Things move so fast because I think the 14 already. But anyways, the iPhone takes really good photos. Now some of the photos actually most of the photos I put up are just taken with my iPhone and I have a friend, actually a best friend. And so most of the places that I'm out, if we're traveling or whatever I'm doing, whatever outfit I'm wearing, he'll just take the the photo for me and they look great.

00;25;29;08 - 00;25;30;01

Brad Schultz

So I use them.

00;25;30;23 - 00;25;45;15

Katy McKinley

And you're just like, I look really good. Can you snapshot of me real quick here. Oh, they're awesome. I just I love it's they always just look like you brought a photographer everywhere you go. And you just make sure that, you know, they get all your good sites.

00;25;45;16 - 00;26;05;28

Brad Schultz

Yeah, well, I tell you, when I started, I'm not a model. I mean, that that's kind of a given. I'm not a model. I had no idea what to do. And so my my photographer friend, her name is Jenny. And I would say to her, like, okay, you're you have to coach me, because when you tell me to pose, all I do is look at the camera.

00;26;06;01 - 00;26;23;22

Brad Schultz

So thank God she was the me. And after, you know, after doing a while, you just kind of get the hang of it. And so you'll notice a lot of times in my photos, I'm looking kind of off at the ground and laughing. That's kind of my go to pose. And my friend teases me and says, That always looks like I'm looking for coins.

00;26;23;27 - 00;26;36;04

Brad Schultz

So now when he takes like I look for the coin, so I do what I can. But, you know, obviously having a professional photographer makes that so much easier for sure.

00;26;36;17 - 00;26;52;17

Katy McKinley

I'm dying to learn about color analysis from you. You've talked about it a couple of times. I am not even going to try and explain it with a lead in. I just want you to tell me what it is, why you're so passionate about it and what it's done to change how you make choices in your own wardrobe.

00;26;52;25 - 00;27;14;10

Brad Schultz

So if you follow me at all, I have seen my photos. You probably know already. I am obsessed with color. I'm not the kind of guy that wants to wear, you know, khaki all day, every day. No, I do work aqua a lot, but, you know, I like color. It makes me happy. I like mixing colors and I like trying interesting things.

00;27;15;00 - 00;27;37;03

Brad Schultz

So I decided, I guess it was this past summer I decided to get my colors professionally analyzed. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and a lot of people will kind of pooh pooh it right? But I'm telling you, it has made such a huge difference. I ended up using somebody online and I sent them photos and then they sent me a full report back.

00;27;37;09 - 00;27;54;28

Brad Schultz

And so the way the person work that I use is they would relate your skin, are you warm or cool? And so they would take your image and they would surround it by gold or silver, and you would literally can visualize visually see how much better you look. You look out there, you know, and the color that works best for you.

00;27;54;28 - 00;28;19;06

Brad Schultz

I looked healthier, My skin looked warmer, like everything just I just looked more alive. And then the second part that after they chose warm and cool, they would go to muted colors or muted or clear colors. So clear colors being like a Oh gosh, I am not a pro. This looked like a bright kind of like a lying green.

00;28;20;22 - 00;28;50;22

Brad Schultz

It's kind of hard to explain colors over over this. But anyways, a clear color versus and and you and I could see I could see the difference how I was more muted and how it just kind of tied everything together. And then the last thing was dark versus light. And I actually was really surprised that mine came out dark because I am usually mostly always wearing light colors, but I could visually see and the image, the dark colors that they surrounded my face with, it made my eyes pop more.

00;28;50;26 - 00;29;05;12

Brad Schultz

It definitely made my hair stand out more. And that in itself, even without knowing what colors I wear, my best colors in itself, seeing the difference between just what a couple colors can make next to your face was a big eye opener for me.

00;29;05;21 - 00;29;20;01

Katy McKinley

I was going to say, I feel like I've seen a lot of people compliment you about like the different color changes you've made without them maybe even knowing that you did this whole color analysis. And so it's obviously a testament to that. It works.

00;29;20;09 - 00;29;41;08

Brad Schultz

Right? So I ended up as a very warm, seasoned and this person kind of lay out the way they do colors. I'm a copper autumn, so it's the warmest of the autumns and you get a card that shows all your best colors. Now, the thing to note, or at least the thing that I note about this, like I said, I'm not a pro at this, but they're all sort of in the family.

00;29;41;13 - 00;30;02;28

Brad Schultz

And that's what I love about having this card. I'm actually holding a year, I'm talking to you and I'm looking at them. What I started realizing as I got these colors and kind of started focusing on them is all of these colors go with each other. So if everything I make is somewhere on this card or at least goes with these colors, all of a sudden everything I making goes together.

00;30;02;28 - 00;30;23;17

Brad Schultz

So it's almost like creating this capsule wardrobe where you can mix and match everything. So I started buying shoes in these colors and I started making clothing in these colors. And I did a whole like a summer capsule when I went to the beach. And it's not that I was necessarily aiming for it to be a capsule, but I realized that everything went together.

00;30;23;22 - 00;30;42;02

Brad Schultz

So that's what I love about it. It gives me so many more options and the things I'm wearing. And on top of that, as if it wasn't enough, I feel like it does. It makes my skin look better. It makes all the features that we want to look better and to pop and to bring attention. That's what these colors do for you.

00;30;42;16 - 00;30;47;19

Brad Schultz

I know it sounds a little crazy, but I swear it works. I swear by it these days.

00;30;48;04 - 00;30;51;27

Katy McKinley

Now, I believe. I believe you. Maybe one day I'll be brave enough. Yeah.

00;30;51;27 - 00;30;55;07

Brad Schultz

I used Color Guru and she was awesome color guru.

00;30;55;07 - 00;31;13;27

Katy McKinley

I will be looking her up then. We haven't talked directly about it yet, but you have a website that you've been working on diligently for pattern reviews. So any tips, general sharing of you and your content? Do you have current or future plans for Brad Schultz design dot com Where do you see your space on the web taking you?

00;31;14;20 - 00;31;32;06

Brad Schultz

You know, I have wanted to start a blog and have a website for a long time. When I first started sewing, like I said earlier, blogs were such a huge thing. You know, I don't think you was as big of it. Well, I know it wasn't as big of a deal back then, and I loved reading sewing blogs, and I've always wanted to have one.

00;31;32;06 - 00;31;54;25

Brad Schultz

And actually probably ten, 12 years ago I started one. I think I got one post up and then nothing ever nothing ever happened. And I guess just over the past couple of years, I've kind of noticed like anything I put on Instagram, I'm mostly on Instagram, you know, Instagram owns that for lack of better wording. You know, when I put it out there on Instagram, it's theirs.

00;31;55;04 - 00;32;19;28

Brad Schultz

And if something happens tomorrow and Instagram is gone or everyone decides to leave Instagram or whatever it is, that stuff is no longer valid. I feel like I'm losing the work that I'm putting out there. I don't have full ownership over it. The same goes with all social media. It's not just Instagram, anything on Facebook. I've now started making YouTube videos and I just kind of wanted a place to hub and keep all of that information.

00;32;19;28 - 00;32;37;16

Brad Schultz

So if anybody wanted to find anything about me, it's all on my website. They can find it there. I'm really hoping that it's a way of me kind of building community in the sewing world. Also, I'm a teacher. I'm a teacher at heart. I've taught for a long time. It just comes natural to me. I love teaching about sewing.

00;32;37;26 - 00;33;01;21

Brad Schultz

I taught an in-person sewing classes for years leading up to COVID and then everything's, you know, halted then. But I love posting and teaching things and talking through projects. I'm working on, so I'm just hoping it's going to be a good source. One inspiration to education and three community. That's really what I want to build. I love it.

00;33;01;21 - 00;33;15;10

Brad Schultz

I'm super excited about it. I'm glad I finally kind of took the leap. It can be a little daunting because everything you add to your plate just it's one more thing to keep up with, right? So but I'm very excited about having it and building it.

00;33;16;21 - 00;33;39;18

Katy McKinley

I've had a sewing blog or a blog. I don't know if it has a specific niece anymore. I'm very like, I don't know, a million years. And honestly, it's for all those things that you describe mine is less pretty than yours, but it's also like it's like a journal or a diary. Like you can look back on things that you made and be like, Well, I made that.

00;33;39;18 - 00;33;51;18

Katy McKinley

Or if, Oh God, either way you have cataloged your life and your creativity and I don't know, it's it's fun to have that space on the web for yourself.

00;33;51;27 - 00;34;08;18

Brad Schultz

I totally get that feeling because I like I said, I'd mostly been on Instagram for years now on Instagram is that for me, I can look back and see it's the way of chronicling the things that I had made. So yeah, net org I need, but I'm able to put even more information. So yeah, I love that.

00;34;09;00 - 00;34;16;19

Katy McKinley

Yeah, absolutely. And I saw that you have a podcast going and knitting podcasts. Is that something that you're going to keep going with or.

00;34;17;04 - 00;34;40;27

Brad Schultz

Oh yeah, you know, I, I learned to knit probably about ten years ago, but kind of pick it up and drop it and pick it up and drop it. But I've knit over the years. A woman, her name is Georgia, a friend of mine. We taught together when I first started teaching and we actually kind of learn to knit at the same time and started a project together back then.

00;34;41;06 - 00;35;01;03

Brad Schultz

And now we've come back together and we're filming a monthly knitting podcast, just talking about the projects we're working on and what we're doing, and I'm having so much fun with it. She is too. It's I love watching knitting podcasts and I don't know if that's something you've seen or the kind of the sewing community listening that is to this has paid attention to.

00;35;01;03 - 00;35;12;14

Brad Schultz

But there is a big knitting community on YouTube, and while I say podcast is technically not a podcast, it's a I don't know, whatever you call a podcast is on video. Video based.

00;35;12;21 - 00;35;14;19

Katy McKinley

I guess it's a video podcast.

00;35;15;00 - 00;35;15;20

Brad Schultz

Yeah, video.

00;35;16;00 - 00;35;29;13

Katy McKinley

As I've heard, I read somewhere that like people like to watch, about 50% of podcast audience members like to watch podcasts. So I think you're, you're doing the right thing, right?

00;35;29;13 - 00;35;46;29

Brad Schultz

Yeah, I know a lot of podcasts put out the video and especially with knitting when we're talking about colors, like I was just trying to talk about colors. That's really hard without showing it and or trying to show something I'm working on. It's just really nice to have it on camera. So we're having a great time. We're actually filming again next weekend.

00;35;46;29 - 00;36;02;23

Brad Schultz

I might have an episode going up soon that I just finished editing today. So yeah, I love it and I love the time with her. You know, we it's not that we we just didn't talk For years nothing happened. We just kind of lives when that our own ways. And I moved to another school and now I'm on a second school.

00;36;02;23 - 00;36;23;27

Brad Schultz

She retired and fate just kind of brought us back together a couple of months ago. And at that point I was kind of starting my own YouTube stuff, especially with this TV production job. It always has me thinking of video now. So I was starting my own YouTube stuff and I brought up the idea and she just kind of jumped on board with me.

00;36;24;05 - 00;36;28;16

Brad Schultz

So yeah, we're loving it. I'm looking forward to that continuing on as well.

00;36;28;27 - 00;36;36;27

Katy McKinley

Well, I sign up for your newsletter and I'll probably subscribe to our YouTube channel. So I'm your number one fan. I'll be I'll be watching, don't worry.

00;36;37;27 - 00;36;38;27

Brad Schultz

Thank you. Thank you.

00;36;39;24 - 00;37;00;24

Katy McKinley

Speaking of big fans of creative people, I am all about spreading the love and for the final question, I would really like to see you give a shout out to someone in the creative realm. Do you have a favorite creative individual that you like to follow on social media? What is there anything that stands out that makes them extra special to you?

00;37;01;18 - 00;37;21;09

Brad Schultz

Well, I can tell you. I mean, obviously, I follow a lot of people. There are three that lately I've just watched continuously. I watch YouTube every day like it's my way to chill at the end of the evening and I talked about slow, slow up patterns a little bit earlier. They've been doing live webcast for years and years and years.

00;37;21;17 - 00;37;49;26

Brad Schultz

I've learned so much from them. So that's kind of like a long, a long love of mine. But lately there's a YouTube channel called So So Live, and she does livestreaming where she sews, like as people are watching and chatting with her. And each week or every two weeks. I don't know exactly where schedule is, but she's sewing a different project live on camera and it is something I love watching and it's also something that I really would love to do.

00;37;50;23 - 00;38;10;02

Brad Schultz

So I kind of aspire to do that as well. And I don't know, there's just something so relaxing and fun about watching the things she's taking. And the last one is actually a sewing pattern company and it is the sewing workshop. So they have been doing weekly videos too. And their patterns to me just they're simple but yet so unique at the same time.

00;38;10;11 - 00;38;33;29

Brad Schultz

And I love the stuff that they put out and I love watching them kind of chat about designs and what they're sewing and making and giving inspiration. So those are my three and those are all, I guess, businesses. So, so like she has some patterns on her website too, but she's, you know, she's one of us. She's just a so we're like us that has made YouTube her full time job and I love watching them.

00;38;34;08 - 00;38;48;29

Katy McKinley

I think I would I've only done the sewing live a couple of times, like on Facebook. And I get I don't want to say that I get real sweaty doing it, but I get real funny. Did it like it makes me so nervous that I would say the right terminology because you can't edit yourself while you're doing it.

00;38;48;29 - 00;38;52;20

Katy McKinley

Like, Oh, it's a lot. So. Right. Kudos to her for doing it all the time.

00;38;52;20 - 00;39;06;23

Brad Schultz

I really want to do it. I actually already have a setup. I'm sitting here in my sewing room and I have every day the camera set up over my sewing machine. I had multiple camera setup, everything set up. I just haven't taken the plunge yet.

00;39;07;22 - 00;39;23;25

Katy McKinley

Well, you know, I'll be watching when you were doing it. Well, Brad, thank you so much for giving me your time today. Coming on the show. It's been so good. I'm not sure if you're ready for this, but I'm your new best friend, so I'll be you know, I'll be a rapper when.

00;39;24;08 - 00;39;26;22

Brad Schultz

I say we can never have enough best friends, right?

00;39;26;25 - 00;39;33;27

Katy McKinley

I know. Seriously. So if you like Red, do you have a red headed best friend yet? Because I'll fill that slot if you need it.

00;39;34;07 - 00;39;35;05

Brad Schultz

I bet you're going to have it.

00;39;36;22 - 00;39;53;04

Katy McKinley

Well, for everyone listening, thank you again for joining us for another episode of I can make that conversations with creatives and I'm going to hand it off to Brad. They could please take us out by telling us how we can find you online so we could support you on your blog and your song adventures even further.

00;39;53;25 - 00;40;06;07

Brad Schultz

Well, that's really simple. I'm pretty much Brad Schultz design everywhere you look and my website as Brad Schultz designed dot com and like I said, that's kind of the hub. Well I will be putting all of my information so you can find me there.

00;40;07;05 - 00;40;44;15

Katy McKinley

Great. Thank you so much. Thank you for tuning in to I can make that conversations with creative transcripts from this episode along with links and more information about today's guests can be found at WW w dot wild and wonderful dot com see you next time.