Today we’d like to introduce you to Randi Brill.
Randi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
At 14, I announced I was going to be in charge of something—and I have been in charge of many creative “something” ever since.
In 1982, armed with only my recent BFA in Graphic Design from Carnegie Mellon University, $57 and a fierce drive to succeed, I launched my first company, Quarasan—and have launched many successful companies since. I grew this design sole proprietorship into a multi-million dollar educational design and development firm, serving the nation’s largest educational publishers.
In 2014, I transitioned Quarasan into QuaraCORE, my thriving design agency in Chicago. QuaraCORE focuses on the CORE creative offerings that myself and my team are known for—and adore. I define myself as a “simultaneous entrepreneur.” Rarely content with a linear progression of companies, I can often be found at the helm of at least two businesses at once.
In July 2017, I released my first book, 99 CREATIVE WOWs: Words of Wisdom for Business in both softcover and e-book forms to capture and share my business expertise and creative strategies under my own Randiland Press imprint. I’m currently creating 99 companion podcasts to underscore the strategy and application of each WOW. In the first quarter of 2018, they will be releasing on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
In my role as Chief Creative Officer for QuaraCORE, I “live” my WOWs each day. I use these compelling life lessons and sound business principles to energize and jumpstart my clients’ creative visions in QuaraCORE’s vibrant problem-solving “Creativity Lab.” As the Creativity Lab Guru, I don my lab coat and goggles to dream up creative solutions for robust and complex business challenges with clients across a range of industries. A vital part of all of my work with clients, I also use my 99 WOWs to inspire both seasoned staff and new interns and to personally support family and friends. In all cases, I apply both my creativity and wisdom to “create great new results that help others soar to success.”
In 2012, I founded Teacher Peach, LLC, a snappy e-commerce retailer with one focus—recognizing and rewarding teachers and students with amazing teacher gifts and motivating classroom materials. As the company’s Chief Peach, I essentially built this company from the ground up and personally designed its products—on my own dime (if only it were just a dime!). I was determined to learn the ropes of e-commerce and nonprofit givebacks first-hand. What began as an entrepreneurial learning experience has grown into a highly successful e-commerce company, selling over 250 products exclusively on Amazon, with multiple top sellers in that competitive marketplace. In addition, Teacher Peach gives back! 10% of the profits from every sale go into its Teacher Peach Seeds Fund to support a range of charitable initiatives focused on confident and creative kids.
I’m also an avid and entertaining speaker, podcast host, author, and blogger—the latter activities occurring most often from 1 to 3 am in the morning when I’m still wide awake and working—to create my own luck. Stay tuned; I’m just warming up.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey has been smooth at times, bumpy, curvy… and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
My biggest challenge in my original creative services business that I’d founded and run for 30+ years, occurred on a rainy Wednesday as I hung up the phone from yet another gruelingly difficult client phone call. In that moment, I fully realized and could finally articulate that, “I loved my work—and hated my job.”
The industry was changing dramatically; commoditization was all the rage, and the industries with which we worked were even trying to commoditize creativity. As the long-time entrepreneur of this vibrant and creative services company that I’d grown to a staff of over 80 in our own seven-story building, I suddenly realized that others couldn’t commoditize our creativity—unless I let them. And in that moment, I decided that I wouldn’t be doing that anymore.
That’s exactly when my biggest, quiet, isolated, tell-no-one, ENTREPRENEURIAL FEAR ever—set in. Resolve and fierce determination to embrace and create change are great and powerful, but they do not ever eclipse this kind of fundamental fear: What if my vision for my next iteration is NOT enough to achieve success doing only the work I adore? What if I’m not enough either? This duet of fears truly kept me awake at night.
Even with this fear—or perhaps because of it—I pushed forward—HARD. I began the intense and difficult three-year process of reshaping my company, moving from full service down to only our team’s unique, core creative offerings and redefining our business in ways that cannot be commoditized. I also set out to learn new skills by starting an entirely new B2C company on a parallel track, an online retail company of teacher gift and student motivation products, Teacher Peach.
Writing these sentences makes the process sound so organized, clear, and direct; it was anything but. Choosing what to keep, whom to retain on the team, and what services and clients could/should move forward often left gaping craters that were ALL my job to fill well and wisely. That, of course, never happens smoothly. Like any renovation project, there were lots of surprises around corners, behind walls, and in the basic rewiring, each of which demanded a creative solution.
I sifted, evaluated, made mistakes, and course corrected until I ultimately began to clarify and focus on the only work only WE can do, the creative problem-solving services that set us apart. I began to only play to my strengths, reputation, and track record. The results began to signal me that my fears were unfounded or at least able to be addressed. However, fear had become a new habit by this point, so my own doubts continued for a while, especially as I branched out into new markets and new businesses where my past successes were completely unknown.
My fear continued like a shadow, habitually stretching and retreating as I chipped away at each obstacle. As I evolved, this fear I’d come to know and recognize ultimately transformed to become my fuel. I even wrote a book as an outgrowth of my transition experience, 99 Creative WOWs: Words of Wisdom for Business.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with QuaraCORE, Teacher Peach, and 99 Creative WOWS: Words of Wisdom for Business – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
At QuaraCORE, we fire up creative solutions to business challenges in our “Creativity Lab!” with clients from many industries all while wearing lab coats and goggles, armed with fresh “school” supplies, tools, and proper nutrition to fuel creativity.
People risk vast energy and resources to solve problems and I help clients confirm the right CORE problem through our unique creative process, utilizing a vibrant lab containing giant gumballs, ruby slippers, and endless coloring tools that produce results that often differ from initial plans.
With QuaraCORE’s problem-solving prowess, creative juices, and principled passion, clients zero in on the right CORE graphic, branding, marketing and product solutions for the right CORE problems. Then this team deftly brings these solutions to life—through final creative delivery and engaging marketing messages.
At Teacher Peach, teachers are tops. We are the go-to brand for amazing teacher gifts and motivating classroom products that help teachers inspire kids to become confident and creative—in school and out! From certificates, greeting cards, positive postcards, and more, teachers recognize student success—easily, economically, and of course, effectively with Teacher Peach classroom products.
Teacher Peach donates 10% of the profits from every product sale to fund initiatives designed to help raise confident and creative kids through its nonprofit fund, teacherpeachseeds.org!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Love the transportation system; I adore my train time. I love walking in the city and beyond. I love the number of small businesses and I love the many different neighborhoods.
I don’t like traffic, trying to park, construction… but I do love what the construction brings! We have two seasons here, Winter and Construction! It’s true, don’t you think?
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 East Wacker, Chicago
- Website: www.quaracore.com, www.99wows.com, www.teacherpeach.com
- Phone: (312) 981-2540
- Email: randi@quaracore.com
- Facebook: www.teacherpeach.com
- Twitter: TeacherPeach123
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
