Why We Partner with CEA CAPA to Mentor the Next Generation of Creatives
/If you follow us on social media, you see the polished final products and the effortless custom rugs in a hospitality lobby. But anyone who works in design knows that a nice Instagram page is only about ten percent of the real story.
Social v. Real
The real magic of what makes our company is in the ninety percent you don’t see on social media. At TOTZKE, everything from the initial rug design to the final installation relies on deep, trust-based client relationships; a process you can only fully see from behind the scenes. The opportunity to show students that reality is exactly why we partner with CEA- CAPA to bring in university interns. And for Lauren Totzke, this partnership is personal.
When Lauren herself was a student from the United States, she navigated the same excitement and nerves that our interns experience today. She came to London through CEA CAPA, completing an internship that reshaped her career path, which led to what TOTZKE is today.
"My own CEA CAPA internship was the catalyst for everything I have built here," Lauren says. " I would never have been presented the opportunity to move to London with J+J without the internship. It showed my employer that I was up for the challenge of moving to London. I thought I was coming for 2 years and have stayed for over 15. I hope to show our interns that business relies on human connection. I want them on installation job sites, in the room for client briefs, and learning how to communicate with people face-to-face. It’s the little things that add up and build trust and business. That is how you build a reputation and a career."
Our Interns
Previously, TOTZKE has hosted four interns, and this summer, that full circle philosophy is being put into practice by our fifth creative intern, Alexis Kretsch, a junior studying Advertising Creative at Michigan State University.
Instead of just managing our digital presence from a desk, Alexis has been able to experience the London design world; joining us on-site, learning the logistics of rug production, and seeing firsthand how we nurture client relationships from the first sketch to the final reveal.
We asked Alexis to share a bit about her experience in the London design world through TOTZKE:
“Back home at MSU, you learn the technicalities of branding and design, but there is no textbook for the pace or norms of the London creative industry," says Alexis. "Working with Lauren and the Totzke team has completely reframed how I view the business. Knowing that Lauren started out as a CEA CAPA student herself makes her mentorship even more impactful. Getting to go to real client installations and seeing the trust that goes into every project has been eye-opening. It has taught me that the most meaningful creative work is not just what looks good on a social media feed, but the real-world execution and relationships behind it."
For us at TOTZKE, hosting interns keeps our perspective fresh, connects us with incredible global talent, and allows us to pay forward the life-changing mentorship that started it all.
We are incredibly proud to partner with CEA CAPA, and we cannot wait to see how Alexis takes her London studio experience back to Michigan and into her senior year. Ultimately, hosting interns from CEA CAPA isn't just about providing a workspace; it is our way of ensuring that the real-world skills, client relationships, and raw craftsmanship of our industry continue to be passed forward.