We had the good fortune of connecting with Jim Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jim, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My wife and I began on a journey to pursue our shared passion by starting our own brand. Together, we are known as Geek&Chic. During the day, I work as an Associate Creative Director for an Ad Agency, but by night, I write synthesizer music as a TEEEL. As a self-proclaimed geek, I have a collection of pop culture memorabilia, electronic synthesizers, and a passion for Hot Wheels and cars. On the other hand, my wife, Dana, has a deep fascination with fashion.

After spending 17 years as a teacher in a classroom in New Jersey, she now works at an aesthetic medicine boutique in La Jolla, California. She embraces her chic style every day. Surprisingly, she has a geeky side as she reads over 50 books a year. As for me, I also express my unique personality through my wild choices of funky shades and accessories. Together, we embody the essence of being both Geek and Chic.

To represent our brand, I designed a GC logo that pays homage to prestigious fashion brands by intertwining the letters to make a heart, while adding an 8-bit touch to make it distinctive and truly our own. On our page, you can find a range of merchandise including shirts, hats, and other cool items that I have designed, as well as a collection of vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces available for purchase. This venture has been a passion project that never feels like work, as we both have our day jobs and do not feel pressured to make it our sole focus.

In addition to our online store, we also participate in local car shows, swap meets, and other special events in and around San Diego. These opportunities allow us to personally interact with our customers and showcase our products in a more intimate setting. It’s been a blast and eventually we plan to go bigger with our brand. We’re looking into doing pop-up events and place some of our items in local stores. This is just the beginning for Geek&Chic.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
With over 20 years of experience in graphic design and advertising, I have gained valuable insights from designing logos for small businesses to launching massive global campaigns in the healthcare industry. Geek&Chic is a fun expression of art that draws inspiration from the things we love. I draw inspiration from the iconic designs of Peter Saville during his time working with Joy Division and New Order. As a passionate enthusiast of 80s pop culture, I also incorporate references to my favorite films and music into the brand. My art for my TEEEL music project intertwines seamlessly. Like Geek&Chic, I draw inspiration from the colors and sounds of the 80s and take a visually-driven approach to my music.

By keeping these projects separate from relying on them for a living, we are able to maintain complete control and direction over everything creative. Similar to my TEEEL music, Geek&Chic is a labor of love that is solely managed by us. We personally handle the packaging, shipping, and ensure that each purchase is a personalized experience. We greatly value brands that go the extra mile to make their customers feel special, and we strive to do the same with our brand. Remaining true to our passions, we pour our hearts into every project and strive to produce the best possible results. Another nod to why there are so many heart-shaped items in our store. Although the concept of Geek&Chic has been lingering for quite some time, we are now excited to bring it to life and allow it to naturally expand and evolve.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My wife and I have embarked on some incredible adventures since moving from New Jersey to California. We’ve explored the beautiful city of San Diego, often playing tour guides to our visiting friends.

If our friends were staying for a week, we would kick off the experience with Mai Tai Monday at The Luau in La Mesa. This spot offers fantastic drinks, a friendly staff, and a killer back patio with Tiki torches and fire pits. It’s the perfect place to start the week and enjoy live music or even try our luck at karaoke.

On Tuesday, our focus would be on tacos. We couldn’t resist a visit to City Taco on La Mesa Blvd, followed by some record shopping at Re-Animated Records. This store has an impressive selection of vinyl and horror DVDs, and the owners are truly rad. Another taco spot we ago to a lot is Penelope’s, where their quessabirria tacos reign supreme. If we wanted to keep the festivities going, we’d drive up to La Jolla, grab some tacos and to-go margaritas from Don Bravo’s, and enjoy the cliff view from Calumet Park.

Wednesday nights are a personal favorite because they break up the work week. I religiously visit the Riviera Supper Club for their bangin’ burger and tots. Plus, on Wednesdays, the talented jazz band, Jason Hanna and the Swingin’ Bananas always put on an incredible show that always inspires me to work on my own music.

Thursday is a day for cruising around and exploring the city. We would head to Balboa Park to visit the gardens, the Comic-Con and Model Railroad Museum, use our guest passes for the San Diego Zoo, play some games at Coin-Op in the Gaslamp Quarter, and cross the bridge to Coronado to catch the sunset and dogs at Dog Beach.

On Friday, we could hit Old Town for lunch, check out the shops, make our way to Little Italy for a quick beer. Finish off the day with some salt and pepper wings, and shrimp chow mien take-out from Wei Wei. Cruise over to Lake Murray for the sunset, followed by a backyard party with our friends.

Saturday mornings are all about attending Cars and Coffee car shows and exploring the city. Hit the farmers markets or maybe grab a drink and bite to eat in North Park. We would then head to the beach to soak up the sun and relax.

Sunday would start with looking for treasures at The Kobey Swap Meet, followed by lunch by Mission Bay, where we can watch the boats go by. We would end the night by hanging out back in our backyard oasis. It would be the perfect way to wrap up a memorable week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We would love to give a shoutout to our friends, family and new supporters. Without all of you, we couldn’t share our passion. Thanks to all of you that have ever bought from us or even liked one of our social media posts. Every action is appreciated. Thank you!

Website: https://geekandchicstore.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geek_and_chic_store

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-jim-smith/

Twitter: https://x.com/teeelmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamTEEEL/

Other: https://teeelmusic.com

Image Credits
The photo with the yellow car in the background is from Chris at CB Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSoCal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.