Meet the Tallizen: Courtney

Courtney Weston is a Senior Visual Designer at Tally based in Atlanta, GA. Day to day, she focuses on creating visually captivating materials that help to tell the Tally story. This includes working cross functionally with a number of teams, creating striking marketing assets, and constantly improving Tally’s overall look and feel. Courtney firmly believes in the importance of understanding the “why” behind each project which allows her to ensure that the story her creative work is telling is accurate and compelling. 

In addition to being an integral part of the creative team, Courtney is also a founding member of SOURCE, Tally’s employee resource group for Black Tallizens. Reflecting on her journey, Courtney shares that creativity has been a theme through her life. Having spent the majority of her life in the performing arts as a dancer, she has been able to find a field that continues to foster her love of art, design, and expression. 

A Day in the Life of a Tallizen

Walk us through a day in your life. What does a typical workday look like for you?

I work very closely with the Partnerships team, and we meet twice a week to discuss creative needs ahead of any sales/follow-up calls. My main focus is on deck presentation materials, branding everything to fit the potential partner's existing look-and-feel, and any additional materials needed to help them see the way that Tally fits into their product/line of services. Sometimes this includes video work, website/email mockups and anything that helps bolster the pitch.

What is one of the most impactful things that you have learned at Tally?

To be enthusiastically nimble. A lot of change has happened over the past year, but I constantly watch as everyone shows up to do what needs to be done -- it doesn't go unnoticed.

What advice would you give to folks trying to get into your field?

Many designers focus strictly on artistic choices and technical execution. I think understanding the story you are trying to tell and why expanding one's capabilities past pixel-pushing can enhance one's artistic choices into more confident ones.

What would you be doing right now if you weren’t in your current role? 

In true Gemini Moon fashion, I have way too many interests to boil this down to one answer... It would be a toss up of something in the performing arts (I was a professional dancer until age 22) or in the culinary arts. Reading that answer back, I clearly just want to make stuff.

If you could switch jobs with anybody else at Tally, who would you switch with and why?

Easiest answer would be someone on the product design team. I'd still get to "make stuff" (see above), but the level of understanding and consideration they have to employ to design our products requires a ton of insight that I have a lot of respect for.

Why did you pick the career that you chose? What do you love about your chosen field?

I had a big choice to make when I turned 18, whether to continue in the performing arts as a dancer or to choose this other "design thing" that I also loved so much. Designing felt like something that had legs beyond whatever age my body decided to quit, so I chose that path and have yet to regret it. I love that design can show up in literally any industry, and it's allowed me to work closely with other creative professionals including ones in the performing arts industries. I'm still able to "make stuff" (clearly I'm running with that phrase) but I can do so from literally anywhere in the world and hopefully until I'm actually ready to retire (cries and crosses fingers in millenial).

If you're a part of an ERG, tell us about it! 

I'm one of the founding members of SOURCE, the employee resource group for Black employees at Tally. We're a small group, but always here for support of Black Talizens and hopefully some more events in the future!

Tallizens Offline

If somebody made a movie about your life, who would play you?

Dominique Fishback!

What do you like to do for fun outside of work?

Attending as many stand-up comedy shows as I can

What are three things you can’t live without?

Earplugs, Jacobsen Finishing Salt, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

What's your most prized possession?

My cookware collection (I can't pick just one pan)

Lightning Round

Favorite sports team?

LA Lakers

What are you binging on TV right now?

The Righteous Gemstones

Favorite restaurant?

Delbar Middle Eastern in Virginia Highlands

What's something you collect?

Spirits (the liquid kind)

Go-to delivery order?

CAVA bowl with Splendid Greens/Lentils, Falafel, Shredded Romaine, Persian Cucumbers and Pickled Onions

What star sign do you relate most to?

Again, my Gemini Moon won't let me choose one, and my Leo Stellium would disagree, but I think my sun sign is pretty spot on for me: Cancer.