Entrepreneurs in the Heartland: Rachel Ignotofsky, Illustrator and Author

Standing out as a designer or illustrator on the internet isn't easy. There's so much work already out there, and it can be difficult to set yourself apart. However, every so often I'll come across an illustrator whose work is bursting with so much personality and charm that I can't help but notice and want to find out more about them. Meet Rachel Ignotofsky.

Rachel is a Kansas City-based designer, illustrator, and author who has combined her love for science and illustration to create educational and beautiful pieces of work. Her "Women in Science" series, which highlights the contributions women have made to different STEM fields, has received mentions from Scientific American, Fast Company, and Buzzfeed, to name a few. 

First off, I'm a huge fan of your women in science illustrations. I understand you have a strong interest in the sciences, but could you elaborate on why you wanted to do the series in the first place?

Throughout history women have made amazing contributions to science, engineering,  and mathematics that have changed our world for the better. Yet today, women are still underrepresented in these fields. Young girls are not seeing a space for themselves in the sciences, but we need their brainpower and perspective to create solutions to today's big problems.

So how do you make young girls comfortable in pursuing these subjects? I think that a good way to fight gender bias is to show young girls and boys strong female role models. Illustration is a powerful tool to educate. I wanted to do something that celebrated these women and inspired people to learn more about them. 

This series has become a book that will be in stores July 26th. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World , profiles female scientist from ancient times to modern day. I hope this book will make more of these women household names and inspire young women to be excited about science and always follow their passion.

“I think that a good way to fight gender bias is to show young girls and boys strong female role models. Illustration is a powerful tool to educate.””


You used to be a designer and illustrator at Hallmark before transitioning to launching out on your own. How was that transition to being self employed and managing your own business as an artist?

It was scary, but I always to wanted to work for myself. The transition felt like a graduation. I enjoyed my time at Hallmark and learned a lot, but it was time to move on and start my business. Taking a risk on yourself is always worth pursuing.

What are some projects you have in the works that you're really excited about? 

I am very excited about my Women in Science Book. I am also very proud of a couple infographics I did for Pablove Cancer Foundation to help explain the research they were funding and raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer.

I am also working on a documentary about a local Holocaust survivor called Big Sonia that is really heart warming.  I am very picky with my projects, I really want to do work that interests me and helps causes I believe in.

Do you have a morning routine? 

I am a night owl so I start my day usually around 10 am and exercise for an hour.  I write a list before I go to bed at night so I don't have to think too hard when I get up. I just do whatever it tells me to until I am fully awake.

Favorite sources of inspiration for your work? 

Science and history are my main inspirations. If a topic excites me I let the content drive my illustration. Right now, I am obsessing over David Attenborough documentaries. I love seeing the planet's natural beauty and amazed how the photographers get their footage.

How have you marketed yourself to potential clients?

I use social media as my main way of getting my work in front of people. Clients usually seek me out because of my self driven projects. Hard work and passion are the best way to gain more clients and get paid to do work you'd do anyway for the pure love of it.

I saw that you're from New Jersey. Why have you decided to make Kansas City your home?

I got hired by Hallmark right out of college. It took a little bit to adjust to a new city but you meet people, fall in love, and start building a life. The reason I stayed in KC now is because I have great friends, a wonderful (big and cheap!) house that I rent and all of the perks, great community and opportunities that living in a small city provides. 

And finally, what would you put on your "Mixtape Monday"? 

I am all about what is on my stitcher podcast streamer. I like hearing a story while I work, rather then listen to music. So I got This American life, Reply all, Serial, Savage Lovecast, Planet Money, RadioLab , Slate's working, and Invisibilia cued up right now.

You can see more of Rachel's work on her website and on her Etsy store. 

Entrepreneurs in the Heartland: Jill of For Strange Women

A year ago, I was struggling to find a new perfume to purchase that didn't smell like potpourri or wasn't full of mystery chemicals. A friend recommended I check out For Strange Women, an all-natural perfume brand based here in Kansas City. Like the name suggests, For Strange Women doesn't make typical scents. Instead, you can buy fragrances like horse, Winter Kitty™, coyote and campfire.

Jill McKeever of For Strange Women is one of the many Midwest entrepreneurs taking a passion and turning it into a successful business. Not a week goes by that I don't hear of some inspiring, creative project happening here in the Heartland. And as a female business owner, I'm continually inspired by so many other women doing great work in the worlds of art, craft, activism, business, and entrepreneurship.

Every Wednesday, I'll be sharing a new Q&A with an inspiring individual doing their work here in the Midwest. Today's feature is with Jill McKeever, owner of For Strange Women.

You quit your job as a graphic designer to launch your business full-time in 2009. How was the transition when you decided to turn your perfume-making hobby into a business? 

It was scary. I had no sure income. However, I had come from a not financially-stable past, so I figured if I could live with no money before, I could do it again. However, it was the beginning of the recession. Everyone thought I was crazy for quitting a very stable job, and starting a business based on perfume that smells like cats that I’m selling on the internet that people can’t smell. Everything about it just sounded insane.

I had no business experience and didn’t have a business plan. It's not like I came up with a fully branded product line and now I’m going to launch it and here are my projected earnings. It was more like me being creative and experimental and seeing where I was making money, where I wasn’t and adapting from there. For several years, it was just playing with things and paying attention.

I love your brand and the packaging design [which Jill creates herself]. How did the branding evolve?

I learned graphic design skills on the job while working for a school district. So the beginnings of my graphic design career were on school materials, which were very far from my actual design style. The For Strange Women brand is much more in line with my personal style. 

When I was in college, I didn’t take graphic design classes, I took classes like sculpture. Everything I made was super scary and dark and weird. Making this brand really took me going back to who I was. In the first couple of years, the brand was a little more sterile and corporate looking. I realized that I hate what a lot people do branding wise. A lot of companies are getting stuck with these trendy branding schemes, of say 2008 or 2012. But the For Strange Women brand is who I've always been and feels very timeless, even as other design trends come and go.

You mentioned that you're fairly introverted. As an introvert, how do you manage to effectively promote your business? 

My approach of marketing myself has been very passive. I’ve found that if I wait for people to come to me, am very open to what people want to do, and am true to who I am, I will always attract the right customers. I didn’t have to hire a PR agency or try to go out and tell my story. People still find me online and are interested in me partly because I am kind of a mystery. They want to find out more.

I had an article in Oprah's magazine, was a featured Etsy seller, and Kat Von D has found me and talked about me to her following. Big things have happened over the years, and I never once tried to make those happen externally. As a consumer, I don’t want everything pushed in my face. I don’t want to be overtly advertised to, so I try not to do it. If what you’re doing is really great and there’s some soul to it and there’s something really special about it, people will talk about it. They will come to you. It's about letting your work speak for itself. 

“If what you’re doing is really great and there’s some soul to it and there’s something really special about it, people will talk about it. They will come to you. It’s about letting your work speak for itself.””

What is your creative process? Where do you get inspiration for new scents or products? 

So many places. Often, I’ll travel and come back with a new idea for a new scent. Sometimes there will be a new extract of a plant that wasn’t available before that I'll want to use.

Some of it is also customer led. If I get enough requests by customers, I'll make something new. For example, people were asking for a lower priced product line and I did that. People were asking for florals, and I did a floral line.  

You're from KC, what makes you stick around and do your business here?

I question that all the time, but the cost of living here is really low. When I started out, I could do this so much more easily here than say going to San Francisco. I feel a lot less pressure and free to make and do whatever I want. Freedom has always been one of my most treasured aspect of what I do. KC is getting better and better, while other cities are getting overcrowded and getting harder to find places to rent.

What do you have in store? What are you excited for product wise?

We just got through the busy season--from the Christmas season to Valentine's Day--so this is the first time I’ve had to rest, even though I'm still getting a lot of orders in. I'm currently starting to work on collaborating with some jewelry designers, such as Evil Pawn Jewelry, on perfume jewelry--things like perfume bottle necklaces and compacts. 

Packaging is the place I’m turning to because my fragrance line is pretty packed right now. When I started making my scents, there wasn’t much out there in an all-natural form, but now hundreds of people imitating that, and I’m not really interested in exploring in that because so many people are. 

Many people love that with perfume jewelry, you can wear and bring with you. The perfume then becomes both a physical and invisible piece because the perfume itself is invisible. There's a lot that can be done with it, so I'm excited about that.

Jill has collaborated with different jewelry makers over the years to make perfume jewelry, including this amulet necklace by Gigi Moon.

Jill has collaborated with different jewelry makers over the years to make perfume jewelry, including this amulet necklace by Gigi Moon.

What are your longterm goals for the business?

I definitely don't want it to turn into this big company where I have a huge factory that supplies huge chains. I’ve had several opportunities to sell to folks, such as Urban Outfitters, but it would necessitate so many other things, and that’s just not the direction I want to go. I want to keep it small, and if it gets too much beyond that, it would be a different business entirely.

A long term goal is for me to start stepping away from the day-to-day operations and be able to focus on more creative work. I'm also interested in possibly supplying my own perfume extracts and exploring different aspects of the business. Eventually it will evolve a bit, but so far it's working the way it is. 

You can buy any of Jill's creations on the For Strange Women Etsy store, as well as from her studio and store in the Crossroads.

Mixtape Mondays: February 22

It's going to be a big week, with some great projects and blog posts in store! On Wednesday, we'll be posting our first "Entrepreneurs in the Heartland" feature, which profiles business owners in the Midwest that are turning their passions into business. We'll also start sharing our favorite tips for social media marketing and branding. But until then, it's time for another Mixtape Monday!