Katie Witkop – Wild Business Growth Podcast #123: Founding Designer of Faire, Side Hustle Florist

The design of your brand and website are already important. Now, add in 10,000+ makers selling millions of products on your site. Design becomes even more important. That’s the enormous job of this week’s Wild Business Growth Podcast guest, Katie Witkop. Katie is the Founding Designer of Faire, the online wholesale marketplace. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and your other favorite podcast platforms.

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur or innovator joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the crazy creative and unusual ways they grew their business, and provides tips for you to do it, too. Hear the woman who became the voice of Siri, the man who’s reinventing the sandcastle, how GaryVee’s partners are turning the wine world upside down, and more wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

Episode 123: Katie Witkop – Founding Designer of Faire, Side Hustle Florist

Katie Witkop, the Founding Designer of Faire, joins the show to share her journey from packaging design to leading the design of the online wholesale marketplace. Hear what’s driven Faire’s growth, how to build a team from the ground up, construct a creative work environment, adjust your brand and site design over time, and the type of flower she can’t get enough of. This episode covers everything from building a startup to the oddly satisfying. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Packaging Design vs. Website Design
• How did Katie start her career before joining Faire
• How do you hire the right employees
• What has led to Faire’s growth
• How did Katie’s job interview go
• What makes a creative office space
• Calm vs. Headspace
• What is the funniest product ever sold on Faire

Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Intro
  • [0:28] Email me at for help using your podcast as a business-building tool
  • [0:42] “ABC” by The Jackson 5
  • [0:51] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [1:02] Faire valuation
  • [1:32] Faire
  • [2:05] How does designing physical products compare to designing websites
  • [2:20] Williams Sonoma, Packaging Designer
  • [2:37] SKUs (Stock Keeping Units)
  • [3:28] Punchcut
  • [3:35] Agency
  • [5:18] How did Katie’s early career experiences help her become a Founding Designer
  • [6:02] Trade Show Booths, NY NOW
  • [6:18] UX (User Experience), Credit Karma
  • [6:37] Faire is based in the Bay Area (couldn’t resist)
  • [6:58] What made Katie switch from packaging design to digital design
  • [7:58] iOS, Android
• The Faire Story & Being a Founding Designer
  • [8:41] How did Katie hear about Faire in the first place
  • [8:55] Print Design
  • [9:09] Square, Max Rhodes
  • [9:15] Yes, my name is also Max
  • [9:21] Y Combinator
  • [9:47] How did Katie’s other interview with Max go
  • [11:46] What was her first project at Faire
  • [12:08] Keynote Presentation, Wireframe
  • [12:41] Microsite, Nike
  • [13:22] Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
  • [13:39] How did Katie build the design for Faire’s portfolio while keeping it delightful
  • [14:26] Customers vs. Consumers
  • [15:17] What was a key learning early on that made Katie adjust the design
  • [16:48] Hero Image
  • [16:59] Makers, Brands
  • [17:58] Logotype
  • [18:52] Sales
  • [19:06] How has Katie adjusted the design as site traffic increased
  • [20:10] Sub-brands
  • [20:15] Customer Interviews, Retailer
  • [20:43] Commerce
  • [21:03] Tech (Technology)
  • [21:16] Apple
  • [22:35] How do you build a team from the ground up
  • [23:08] Design Team
  • [23:32] Recruiting, Head of Design
  • [24:13] Robin Bigio
  • [24:29] How does Faire’s hiring process today compare to the start
  • [25:00] Biz Ops (Business Operations), Data Scientists, Engineers
  • [25:48] How has Faire been able to achieve their growth
  • [26:13] Work Ethic
  • [27:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool

• Inspiration & Creativity: People, Hobbies, and Resources
  • [27:50] What makes a creative work environment
  • [28:45] Mission, Brit Epperson, Interior Design
  • [30:41] HQ (Headquarters), Founder
  • [31:16] How do you create a successful and positive work environment
  • [32:18] What are Katie’s favorite hobbies
  • [32:42] Side Hustle Florist, Floral Design
  • [33:12] Marina of San Francisco
• Wild Business Shoutout of the Week
  • [35:15] Calm
  • [35:22] Instagram, Headspace
  • [35:38] Instagram Video Ads
  • [36:19] Pee-wee’s Playhouse (AHHHHHHHH!)
  • [36:24] Oddly Satisfying
  • [36:32] Did the ad make Katie switch from Calm to Headspace
  • [37:23] Marketing
• The Unusual: Pet Peeves, Quirks, and Weird Talents
  • [37:49] What is a quirk Katie has
  • [38:10] Katie’s Corgi Watson
  • [38:21] Co-Worker
  • [38:50] Email, Slack, iMessage
  • [39:19] Social Media, MaxPodcasting
  • [39:35] What weird talent does Katie have
  • [40:14] Photoshoots
  • [40:51] Stylist
  • [41:13] What is Katie’s biggest pet peeve
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [42:29] Transamerica Pyramid
  • [42:36] What is a photoshoot styling tip
  • [43:52] 2020 Dumpster Fire Ornament
  • [44:06] Garden Roses
  • [44:15] David Austin Roses
  • [45:01] Connect with Katie at Faire.com, on Instagram at @KatieWitkop, and on LinkedIn
  • [45:26] What are Katie’s final thoughts
  • [45:34] Buckminster Fuller
  • [45:51] Subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast
  • [46:02] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on GoodPods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [46:05] Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn at @MaxBranstetter
  • [46:08] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – Jungle Tribe – provided by Jamendo

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but dreading the time commitment? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Katie Witkop on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, subscribe to the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!