Meet Christie Oxler: Graphic Designer at Holistic

We’re excited to introduce Christie Oxler, our new Graphic Designer! Learn more about her current role, what she does for fun, and the coolest place she’s ever visited in this interview.

Tell us about your role at Holistic. What do you do? Who do you work with?

I'm the graphic designer for Holistic so I get to do a little bit of work with everyone designing how we'll show off our work to the world. My job is to make the important information pop. In this position, I can connect with each team member and help polish the look of their projects to the idea they've been envisioning. It's fun getting to express my creativity while also helping the team accomplish Holistic's mission.

Tell us about your background. How did you end up here?

I'm originally from St. Louis and studied Marketing at Mizzou. I worked as a social media intern for a few local companies and eventually got into designing. Though I loved doing social media, I found my eye for detail was better used for design instead. I ended up moving to Chicago after graduation with the hopes of doing something I was passionate about, but I felt a bit discouraged after hearing of hiring freezes due to COVID-19. Once I heard about Holistic, all of my interests aligned and I was so excited to jump on board with a company that I felt shared my values.

Christie and her friends at Mizzou graduation

What’s something that has surprised you since joining Holistic?

Something that surprised me was when Tom, our CEO, set aside a lot of time for meetings to talk through exactly what we do at Holistic and the meaning behind it. This is something that seems so straightforward, but I never experienced it in other jobs. This time allows for our team to open up the conversation, understand new viewpoints, and help each other brainstorm new ideas on how to improve. It's after those meetings that I feel like I’m a part of something larger than myself and that this is just the beginning! Each team member is so dedicated to bringing Holistic to the vision we see it becoming and I absolutely love working with them.

In your mind what does a great employee experience look like?

Working with a team that I feel comfortable asking questions and being myself around is something I've always needed in a job. With remote working now, it's an added challenge getting to know your co-workers and the Holistic team has been so great at working around this. From starting off our weekly meetings by giving shoutouts on how much we appreciate our colleagues to ending the week with a happy hour, I don't think I could ask for a more welcoming team.

Who is someone you admire?

I've followed Mira Mariah (aka @GirlKnewYork) for a few years now and she's inspired me to express my creativity in all aspects of my life. She shows off her designs in a way that is so confidently herself and advocates for everyone to be unique and to not take life too seriously. It's seeing influencers like her help me to be comfortable and confident in my skin-- helping both my personal and professional life. It's because of her that I've been setting aside time to design in journals, new forms of art, and even tattooing that has been therapeutic to me.

What do you do for fun?

I've always been really into thrifting! My mom used to bring me to second-hand shops when I was younger and see if we could find any hidden treasures so it's kind of like a fun nostalgic game I still play with myself today. I've always loved fashion but part-time college jobs never paid enough for the clothes I had the taste for, so I figured by thrifting I would pay pennies of what I would be buying before and even recycle while I'm at it! My friends have been encouraging me to sell thrifted clothes on the side (and I'll take more of an excuse to keep shopping) so I'm beginning to start a page where I can do that. As I'm getting into designing, I'm trying to find new ways to practice the tools I'll be using in my job, so thrifting is a fun passion project I can work with photography, photo editing, and even website and social media design.

Where is the coolest place you’ve ever been?

The coolest place I've ever been was probably Freetown Christiania, a small town in Copenhagen, Denmark. This little place is filled with cool local pubs, graffiti, and art everywhere and no technology or cameras allowed! They don't want this place ruined with tourists so it's a lowkey area that's only talked about through word of mouth.

In general, traveling is something that's really important to me. All through college I spent my time planning new trips and saving my money to get there. I ended up living in Madrid, Spain, and Genoa, Italy as an au pair so I could have the experience of a host family and live in a new place for next to nothing. I spent my weekends traveling around Europe and experiencing some of the best moments of my life. I finally got to study in Barcelona, Spain so it really changed my college experience.

Christie during her semester studying abroad

Thank you for everything you do, Christie!