皇家华人

For 皇家华人 Fox graduates Greg and Kirsten Johnson, creativity and commerce go hand-in-hand

By Andrew Shaughnessy

When 皇家华人 Fox art alumni Greg (G05, MAT10) and Kirsten (G08) Johnson approached their alma mater with a proposal to create custom-made backpacks for Bruin student-athletes, it represented a big win for both parties. , the couple鈥檚 startup outdoor gear and apparel company, would add a big client and an order for hundreds of bags, while student-athletes would benefit from a superior product that was tailor-made to meet their needs.

鈥淲e hosted a focus group with one athlete per sport,鈥� Kirsten says. 鈥淭hey brought all of their backpacks in, and we gave them a survey where they had the opportunity to tell us what they hated about their current backpack.鈥�

The athletes loved it, giving extensive feedback that helped Greg and Kirsten design a tough pack with just the right features: straps for baseball bats, pockets for wet swim gear, and clips to hang cleats or goggles. A few prototypes later, Bruin athletes had a backpack that met all their needs 鈥� one they had helped design.

While the deal was a home run for the couple鈥檚 budding business, neither Greg nor Kirsten fits the typical entrepreneur mold. They鈥檙e lifelong artists who rely on a mixture of creativity and innovation as the formula for their success.

Solving Problems

Like so many great ideas, Kaution was born out of a healthy sense of creative dissatisfaction.

Greg always had a love for the outdoors 鈥� surfing and wakeboarding were his particular passions 鈥� but he was frustrated with how hard it was to find a bag tough enough for his adventures.

鈥淲hat do I want in a bag?鈥� Greg asked himself. 鈥淲hat would I make for myself?鈥�

Among the items on his wish list: a bag that was waterproof but wouldn鈥檛 mold, hardy enough that it could stand being tossed around and wouldn鈥檛 blow out, thick enough that his gear wouldn鈥檛 punch holes in the fabric. No one seemed to have quite what he was looking for.

Despite having zero experience in the apparel or outdoor gear industries, Greg set out to design his own bag. In 2015, he and Kirsten cofounded Kaution.

The process of designing a viable product took years 鈥� a slow burn of incremental progress and figuring things out as they went. Greg read books and watched YouTube videos to learn to sew. Kirsten taped photocopies of bag blueprints onto their sliding glass door, tracing the design and redrawing changes. Prototypes failed. Pitches went unanswered. They struggled, but they kept on creating.

鈥淧eople see these final products tied up in a pretty little bow,鈥� Kirsten says. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 see all the failures along the way.鈥�

The first iteration of what has become Kaution鈥檚 signature Lazarus dry bag was only slightly superior to other products offered by competitors. But each new design took the product a step further, and slowly, the company grew.

From Starving Artists to Creative Entrepreneurs

Student-athletes helped design bags to meet all their needs: straps for baseball bats, pockets for wet swim gear, and clips to hang cleats or goggles.

These days, Greg and Kirsten are living their dream. In addition to growing Kaution, Greg teaches ceramics in Tigard, Oregon, while Kirsten runs her own creative agency, Reverie. But their road to success wasn鈥檛 a quick or smooth one. They鈥檝e done their time as struggling artists.

鈥淲e鈥檙e 37 and 33,鈥� Kirsten says. 鈥淲e graduated so long ago and we鈥檙e just now in this place. I just started Reverie two years ago. I would never have been able to do that right out of college. I spent three and a half years teaching preschool for $15 an hour. You have to figure out what you鈥檙e willing to sacrifice and if you really want it 鈥� and at the beginning of all this, what we wanted wasn鈥檛 starting Kaution, it wasn鈥檛 starting Reverie. It was to be debt free.鈥�

They spent their first three years out of school paying off their debts. Greg went to grad school to earn a master of arts in teaching degree while continuing to work, and Kirsten worked two jobs. They moved into a trailer for three years, sold everything they had, and 鈥淐raigslisted鈥� their Christmas gifts to make ends meet. Eventually, they were able to pay off their debts, build their own house, and develop the space, experience and client base to start their own creative companies.

鈥淚t took about 10 years of very, very hard work,鈥� Greg says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the artist鈥檚 path. But it鈥檚 all possible. It鈥檚 all worth doing.鈥�

Looking to the Future

Kaution鈥檚 partnership with 皇家华人 Fox marked a turning point for the company, helping establish credibility and opening up opportunities for similar custom projects with other organizations.

鈥淭he fact that they could be part of designing something, be face-to-face with the people making their bag, that鈥檚 something that really excites people,鈥� Kirsten explained. 鈥淓specially when you come in with a competitive price.鈥�

Now, Greg and Kirsten are working on updating Kaution鈥檚 products 鈥� always honing, improving and perfecting. Seeing their businesses succeed is satisfying, to be sure. But for the Johnsons, it鈥檚 the process 鈥� the act of creation and the building of relationships along the way 鈥� that they love the most.

鈥淔or me, art is worship,鈥� Greg says. 鈥淚t just flows out of me. 鈥� It feels like that鈥檚 why I鈥檝e been put on this earth 鈥� to make. This business is just a way to perpetuate that.鈥�