Fresh out of the University of Sioux Falls with a multitude of media and artistic talents, Greta Smith recently joined the 605 team as the new sales and account manager.
Get to know just a portion of the young professional and what she’s capable of, including being a musician, a poet, a self-proclaimed “social media stalker,” and more.
“I make a lot of mistakes, but I learn every time.” -Smith
Have you always been interested in the publication industry?
I laugh now because when I was younger, I wanted my life to be like one of those “rom coms” where the female lead works at a magazine company. (There are a surprising amount of these movies.) But it wasn’t until college when I realized that the magazine industry stitches together many of my interests: graphic design, writing, art, photography, and meeting new people. Something I love about 605 Magazine is the focus it places on trying new things and being involved in the community.
What did you go to school for?
I graduated in 2022 with degrees in art, English, and media studies. Respective concentrations are graphic design, writing and rhetoric, and social media marketing.
What are you most looking forward to as part of the team?
I’m looking forward to experiencing more of the area and meeting the amazing people here who love what they do.
Where is your favorite place to go when you aren’t in the office?
I love museums, thrift stores, coffeeshops, libraries, and local parks. One of my favorite places in Sioux Falls is McKennan Park. I hide behind the begonias and write poetry.
FUN FACT
Smith also works mornings at Starbucks.
What’s your favorite part of South Dakota?
I lived in Minnesota until I attended college at USF, so I haven’t done much traveling in South Dakota. That being said, I’d be happy in any rural city with a local coffee shop.
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
If I could go anywhere, I think I’d pick one of the art capitals of the world: Florence, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; São Paulo, Brazil; Montmartre, France.
What is one of your guilty pleasures and why?
I would say Instagram stalking. I find so many details about people who have no idea who I am, but I like to know things. It’s guilty because I probably shouldn’t be creeping, but if they made it public, there’s no issue here, right? I also like to stalk all my friends’ social media posts and be a menace in the comment sections.
Do you have any animals?
I have a cat at home. She’s a skittish calico named Maggie.
What’s your go-to coffee order?
I don’t have a go-to order because I rely heavily on a seasonal menu and I’m a sucker for a specialty latte. I also love teas and tea lattes of any kind, probably more than coffee. However, flavors like lavender, honey, or anything on the more delicate side are my favorite, because they make espresso taste beautiful.
What skill are you best at?
Something I love to do outside of work is write music. I taught myself piano and guitar, (with the help of some very patient friends) and I’ll play gigs here and there. Lately I’ve been leaning more into the folk genre, and I love it.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did that lead you here at all? What’s your dream job now?
I never had a dream job growing up. I just wanted to be good at everything, or at least try everything. My dream job now is anything that allows me to create art, experience beauty, and share it all with others. One such example of this is being employed to create nail polish color titles. I’ve always wanted to have that job.
What else are you passionate about?
I’m extremely passionate about the color orange, Christianity, dirt, oil pastels, music, poetry, pigeons, travel, Vitamin C oil, men’s jeans, Spotify playlists, learning, fresh flowers, dancing, VSCO, stick figure doodles, and cherries.
What’s your favorite place to go for inspiration?
I find inspiration in a lot of ways, like when I am driving or looking at the sky. But I wouldn’t say I physically go somewhere to be inspired. Usually the inspiration hits me when I open up my mind to beauty, to exploration, to acting like a little kid, and to gratitude.
