In search of work, Chaya M. Milchtein applied for a job at her local Sears in Glendale, Wisconsin. When asked which department she wished to join, Milchtein chose the auto center—but not because she knew anything about cars.

“I didn’t even have a driver’s license at that point,” she says. “I just thought it might be a little more interesting than all the other options that were available.”

Little did Milchtein know that her job in the Sears Auto and subsequent positions would teach her all she ever needed to know about cars. Such posts put her on the road to becoming an automotive educator and influencer, known to fans as Mechanic Shop Femme. On TikTok she is approaching 600,000 followers, plus nearly 120,000 on Instagram.

And now, she’s an author, too. Little, Brown published Milchtein’s first book—the Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership—a few months back.

The book (also available in e-book and audiobook form) is an indispensable guide for anyone who wants to buy a car, or needs to know how to take care of the vehicle they already have.

Milchtein, who is queer, points out that the automotive industry has never been a welcoming place for us. And by us, she means “women, queer people and folks of marginalized identities.” So, she strives to take our experiences “into account in every sentence I write.”

Here, Milchstein, who has worked with brands including CarMax, Tire Rack and iFixit, discusses her career in the automotive industry:

Muse: What made you write this book?

I’ve been doing automotive education now for seven years. And I look at this book as a one-stop shop. You can’t always take a class, and you can’t always get on a call with me. There’s something about a book that just allows a bit more nuance, a bit more context. And it allows for a reference that’s at an accessible price point.

While cars are an everyday part of our lives, so many people live in fear of them breaking down and having to deal with that.

That’s exactly right. Everybody is terrified of the next time their car is going to break down, or just having to go in and get an oil change—it’s like fear of the unknown. What’s going to happen? And the less money you have, the more likely something’s going to happen that’s going to put you back further from where you are.

Your book is comprehensive, covering everything from how to buy the right car to finding a good mechanic, plus the ins and outs of electric vehicles. Is anything particularly resonating with readers?

The biggest thing people say is, “There’s so much information in here!” For me, what’s important is that I give you as much information as possible in the most digestible way, but also make sure that information is actually useful.

You’ve worked with a number of brands as an influencer. Any dream collaborations on your list?

Subaru and State Farm are definitely big ones. I would love to work with SimpleTire. Their platform is great. In the future, I see a possibility of consulting with automotive brands, not in an influencer capacity, but in a consulting capacity, where I can help them understand a substantial part of their customer base. Sometimes brands miss that. A lot of times, customers buy from them because they don’thave a lot of other choices, not because they are fiercely loyal. There’s a difference between buying from a brand that you love—and you feel like their marketing and education and content really speaks to you—and buying from a brand because their products are the best option for your budget at this point.

Why do you think you took to the automotive industry the way you did?

I’ve always been the one who’s wanted people to understand things, whether it was being raised in a Hasidic Jewish home and asking more questions than were appreciated, or getting into this space and saying, “I’m going to give it my all until I figure out what the next thing is.” I want to excel or succeed and feel like I’m making a difference in some kind of way.

When I started in the automotive industry, I was like, “Oh my goodness, I’m going so far away from what I thought my life was going to look like—a life of service, in a way. I wanted to help people. Even in high school, I was running the gay-straight alliance, and I was interning at Fair Wisconsin, and I was stumping for the Victory Fund. I had expectations that I would be able to help people in a more—I don’t want to say legitimate—but in a more substantial, easier to understand way.

Then I got into the automotive industry, and I thought, “I’ve just got to do this. I’ve got to keep a roof over my head”—only to realize how much help people really need in this space and how cars touch every single part of our lives. Having a car provides you with the opportunity to drag yourself out of poverty, to get jobs that are further away.

We also get to know some personal things about you in this book. Why was it important to you to share some of your life with your readers?

Before you start a blog, you have to find a name, right? And I came up with Mechanic Shop Femme. And one of the big reasons for putting “femme” in there is because I wanted to make sure I brought my full self to this work.

People had to understand that I was multi-passionate. I have a lot of things that I love and experiences I have been through. It allows me to connect with people on a deeper level. There’s something about being vulnerable that allows people to connect with you, that allows people to see you as a human being as opposed to just a person who talks about cars.

So when I wrote the intro and the conclusion to my book, I wanted to share who I was, to set the stage for what the book was going to be. And being somebody who went through the foster care system at 16, I think that was a pretty important part of my life. And it was a point in my life that really brought me to where I am today. Because had I not gone through the foster care system, I may have ended up in a very different place.

The post TikToker Mechanic Shop Femme Writes a Guidebook on Car Ownership first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Here, we round up the best campaigns that put the cowgirl spirit front and center this year.

Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Rides to Paris

Just when we thought Beyoncé couldn’t surprise us anymore, she introduced Team USA in full Cowboy Carter style ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. This spot by NBC Spots was about more than sport—it was about culture.  

Tesco’s ‘Whoosh’ Gives Urban Cowboys a Shoutout

In the U.K., Tesco is taking the cowboy spirit to the streets—or rather, into the living rooms—of urbanites with its latest Whoosh pusg. Directed by Daniel Lundh, this quirky outing reminds us that you don’t need wide-open spaces to embrace your inner cowboy. You just need a little imagination and, of course, Tesco’s on-demand delivery.

Cowboy Skyr: The Snack for the Modern Rancher

Y’all hungry? Icelandic Provisions has you covered with Cowboy Skyr yogurt. Dubbed “Iceland Hold ‘Em,” the snack is prominently featured on a rugged pedestal anchored by cacti, rope and a rodeo sash (of course). The campaign plays up the fact that cowboys aren’t just about the grit—they’re about fueling up right, too.

Etsy’s Cowgirl Chic

Etsy’s put out some great creative this year, and this celebration of the Cowgirl aesthetic is no exception. This funny ad from Orchard Creative features not one but two cowgirls and focuses on artisan-crafted goods that bring the Wild West to life in chic, contemporary style.

Cowboy Fashion Rides the Runways

Pharell may have kicked off the cowgirl couture phase with his Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter collection, but Calvin Klein brought the look to the masses. The brand’s recent ad featured Blackpink’s Jennie and blended cowboy elements with Calvin’s signature modern, minimalist style.

Cookies Go Cowgirl Chic, Too

Not to be left out of the rodeo by the big brands, small businesses, and creatives are taking a spin around the corral. One such local Brooklyn bakery brand, Sofia & Grace Cookie Co recently released a playful cowgirl-themed TikTok ad that punches way above its weight. The spot is refreshingly clever, on-trend, and just fun.   

The post The Best ‘Year of the Cowgirl’ Campaigns first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Ashley Rudder has spent nearly a decade of her career at the intersection of creators, brands and platforms. This makes her uniquely qualified for her new role as Deutsch New York’s chief creator officer.

“Creator” being the key word. Rudder is the first-ever to hold this post at the agency, which recently launched a content creation practice dubbed SociStudio.

Deutsch NY’s commitment to becoming a major player in the social media and content creation space “was the biggest draw for me,” Rudder tells Muse. “I know that that’s the future.”

Rudder previously oversaw content creation at Whalar. Her career path also includes a stint as assistant vice president of strategy and content at Lashify. Earlier, she spent two decades at MAC, the cosmetics firm, where she began her career as a makeup artist, rising to become director of digital content and artistry.

Rudder is also co-founder of the digital creative collective known as HAUS OF SÔS. And she has experience as a creator herself, having shared beauty and lifestyle content via her @ashley_rudder.

Here, Rudder discusses early days on the job at Deutsch NY and working with creators:

Muse: I’ve never spoken to a “chief creator officer.” That title feels so of our times.

Ashley Rudder: I’ve been seeing this evolution for quite a while. Even eight years ago, I was kicking down doors and letting my presence be known and seeing how valuable my point of view was because I actually had a handle and I actually was a creator.

I’ve seen it through those phases of me being in beauty and then going to Whalar and understanding the platforms and how the entire ecosystem looked. It was the same challenges every single time: How do we meet the demand? The volume’s too large! The beast can never be satisfied! And how do we keep our brand voice? All this time, I’ve been helping clients with that.

And, now, this is my dream job. Through our interview process, I knew I was with the right people when Val [DiFebo, Deutsch NY CEO] said, “We already have a content shop.” And I thought, Okay, they get it. They really get it. We’re going to really do something powerful if there’s no convincing involved.

The fact that you didn’t have to convince the leadership to see the value in this space says a lot, because there are still people in this industry focused solely on the “traditional” way of doing things. They do need to be convinced that we’ve arrived in an era of social content.

I’ve been told a thousand times that this isn’t right, this isn’t how it’s done. So, there’s a blind spot for you, and I’m here to let you know what it is and how we’re really about to partner and do something incredible.

And, slowly but surely, the leaders that I’ve worked with have double clicked on what I had to say and could see the value there.

You’re just a few weeks into your new role. What have you been doing? And what have your priorities been in these early days?

It’s listening. It’s a lot of listening and understanding the anatomy of Deutsch NY and understanding how things have been working here. The priority is to understand what’s good, which is where we are now—and then envision what the better and best version of this brand will be. I’m just writing in my Moleskine where I think improvement should be. But right now they’re just hypotheses.

Of course, I can’t keep myself out of the work. So, all of the clients that I know we currently have, where I know I can make an instant impact, I’ve been loving being on those calls as well.

What does SociStudio have to offer?

We’re in the war room with this deck that we’re building. [She motions around the room she is sitting in during our Zoom call.] But, overarchingly, SociStudios is here to solve those problems for paid and organic, for social for brands, and, of course, with an endemic advertising eye.

Everyone working for Soci is a creator on the platform. We don’t have anyone who does not have the practical experience. Theory is fine. But if you’ve been in there doing it—those people know how it works.

It really is a holistic moment, because most brands are focused on paid, and paid can frequently be very unexciting. But to those who are creators, we know how to put a fresh face on paid social so that it’s even more successful.

And also we’re excited to be offering the organic piece of it, which is dicating how our brand is showing up in the space. We need that perfect balance between being a part of the conversation and getting used to not owning it. It is more about a telephone than a microphone, and that’s really where we’re keeping all of this.

Some brands only want to link up with creators who have massive followings. Do you see any value in getting in on the ground floor with someone who is interesting, but has fewer followers? And building them up while they’re promoting your brand?

Absolutely. You’re smelling what I’m cooking for sure. If you love a creator’s lens, you have to also understand that they often have limited resources. They’re doing everything by themselves. So, it’s adding value to the contracts [with creators] and saying, “OK, we’re not only paying you for your creative, but we’re going to provide you with an editor. We’re going to provide you with a crew, so you can have more than just your own camera on site, so you can start doing things that are your actual dream.” It’s a bigger relationship than just transactional.

I recently interviewed Jordan Palmer and Alex Bauer, a gay couple who run a salon in Omaha. They have a huge TikTok following and have done brand deals in the hair space. But they also want to do deals with brands outside of that niche. What are your thoughts on creators seeing the bigger picture and casting a wider net? Should brands think this way, too?

I’m glad that they’re thinking that way, because that’s how you create longevity on the platform. You’re going to get bored if you’re only doing one schtick. You need not be a one-trick pony. You can have opinions and show up in spaces where people don’t expect you. For brands, it’s shortsighted to only work with endemic creators.

I also talked to another TikTok creator, Garrett from Goldies, a former finance bro who shares lifestyle content and supports small businesses in NYC. He does brand deals, but he is also working on creating products, including a tote bag . What do you think about the idea of creators making such products? Do you see instances where brands could partner with them to help make those products?

Absolutely. I would love to get in some sort of venture capitalist moment with creators to help support them and help them understand how to break into that market—helping them find better vendors that aren’t eating away at their profits. But, also, creators are doing what they do. They will burrow and find a path to get to where they need to be.

While you are experienced in the world of social and creators, some of this must be new territory for your colleagues. How are people at Deutsch feeling about diving into this pool?

I’ve hit the ground running with a lot of different people from so many different departments at Deutsch NY. They have a real passion for social, and may not normally get to work on that stuff.

A lot of people have said, “I would never have asked to do that because I just think I should stay in my lane.” And I’m like, “Yeah, this is going to be a place where there are no lanes.”

We’re coming up with a launch plan and creating our content buckets and asking how we want to show up with the brands. Both brands, Deutsch NY and Soci, are going to show up in this space. The energy is high over here.

The post Ashley Rudder on Steering Deutsch NY Deeper Into Creator Content first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Using cutouts, M&Ms and lots of espressos, artist Rudy Willingham celebrates Simone Biles, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter in fun and unexpected ways on his TikTok and Instagram accounts.

These projects satisfy his own creative urges. But Willingham, repped by Giant Artists, also works for clients such as Aston Martin and HBO’s House of the Dragon, which ranks as his favorite show. (Muse covered the whimsical stop-motion ads Willingham made for Whole Foods in 2022.)

His wife and father-in-law work with the Seattle-based artist in a garage that has been converted into an art studio. “They help with a lot of the printing, cutting, supplies, studio set-up, etc. It’s a true family business,” Willingham says.

“We’re in the process of rebranding to Rudy Willingham Studios as opposed to [me] just being known as an artist/creator,” he reports. “Social media is a huge part of what we do, but we can also create larger TV campaigns, billboards, art installations, copywriting, etc. We can act as a small ad agency when needed.”

Here, Willingham talks about his celebrity-inspired artistic endeavors in more detail:

I know you have to be a fan of Simone Biles because you have celebrated her in two new projects. Why is she such an inspiration to you?

What she does in the air doesn’t even seem real. It looks CGI. I’m in awe of her physical ability. I’m also inspired by her comeback story. Everyone deals with struggles, and being able to fight through that and excel takes a lot of courage. It’s what sports are all about. I can’t believe she took two years off and comes back even better. Who does that? I love witnessing greatness, and she is definitely the G.O.A.T.

Are you sporty at all?

I’m a huge sports fan and played a ton of sports growing up. I’m retired now—pretty sure I’d tear my ACL playing any sort of pickup game at this point. Also, can’t risk injuring my thumb. How would I hold my cutouts?

I have watched your Simon Biles paper cutouts piece a million times. Can you take me through the process of making it?

It’s quite laborious, but we have a pretty efficient system. First, we export 100 images from her routine. Then we turn the background white and make her leotard transparent in Photoshop. Then we print and cut each frame with a Cricut machine. 

We shot all the cutouts in front of red, white or blue backgrounds to give them that patriotic feel. After shooting, it’s just a matter of editing in Lightroom and then lining up each card in Premiere. 

How long did it take to complete that piece?

About two weeks start to finish.

You also recently created an image of Eminem out of 7,000 M&Ms. Was that more or less the amount of M&Ms you initially thought it would take?

We knew it would take around 7,000, but it took so much longer than we initially anticipated.

The main problem was that we had to super glue the back of each one , which was a nightmare. When we’re experimenting with new styles, it’s always difficult to estimate how long a project will take. I was really happy with how it turned out, though. And now we can take what we learned and apply it to new projects moving forward.

What are the challenges of working with milk chocolate covered in a sugar shell?

They were surprisingly durable! I was initially worried they’d melt with the glue, but they held up really well. 

I’ve been listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” nonstop. So I was delighted to see you made Sabrina Carpenter stop-motion art out of 200 espressos. How did you create the designs, and how many espresso machines did you have going? I can’t even wrap my head around how much work went into this piece.

I was excited when that song blew up because we’d done a bunch of latte animations, so we had the process down and now had the perfect subject for it.

All it takes is one machine, lots of coffee and a ton of patience.

Do you know if Simone, Eminen or Sabrina have seen any of this amazing art?

I know Simone and Sabrina have seen it, which is so cool. I don’t see Eminem as a big social media guy. So, he probably has not.

I find everything you do so clever and joyful. Why do you make art?

For exactly that reason—to make people happy. I have an insatiable urge to make stuff. It’s almost like breathing. I just have to do it. I’m sure most artists can relate.

Are you self-taught, or did you study how to make art?

I have no formal training other than working at ad agencies for 10 years. [Including stints at WongDoody and DNASeattle]. I started in new business, then moved on to strategy, digital, and then, finally, copywriting. I think this breadth of career experience has really helped me in what I’m doing now because as a small business owner you have to wear a lot of hats.

How would you describe what you do as an artist?

I always have trouble doing that. I guess you could put my art into two buckets. Number one: stop-motion using practical materials—paper, snow, lattes., basically anything but CGI. And number two: street art/collage art—transforming everyday objects into something new. 

I have a lot of different techniques, but the one thing I want to be consistent is that it’s handmade, organic and fun.

Do you work whenever inspiration strikes, or do you have set hours—like maybe you are a morning person, or an evening person? 

I’m definitely a night owl, although I have two young kids, so I’ve had to begrudgingly become a morning person. We’re working pretty much around the clock because you have to constantly pump out work to succeed on social. It’s a grind, but it doesn’t really feel like work.

Do you have any dream clients? Here is your chance to put that out into the world.

Would love to do some work for the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics in L.A. I’m also interested in getting into music videos, TV show intros and more broadcast spots.

One of the best things about our business is that we’re very nimble and can work on big and small projects depending on what the brand needs. Clients don’t have to hire an entire film crew to get something done, which makes turnaround much faster and hassle-free.

Do you listen to music while you work?

I listen a lot to KEXP 90.3, an incredible radio station in Seattle.

I also make music myself. Search Rudy Willingham on Spotify. I started my social accounts as a way to promote my music, but then the art took off so I’ve been focusing on that. I’m hoping to get back into the music game soon, though. 

Any upcoming projects you would like to tease?

For so long, I’ve wanted to launch an Etsy store and start releasing music again. Hopefully, by answering this question it will manifest into reality.

The post Simone Biles, Eminem and Sabrina Carpenter Inspire Rudy Willingham’s Latest Art Projects first appeared on Muse by Clios.

Photo: Noah Good

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