Meet Allison Braund-Harris ‘13: SIGD Advisory Council Member

Before co-founding career management hub Hardly, Braund-Harris built her expertise in the branding industry by working with renowned companies such as Coca-Cola, Colgate and Anheuser-Busch.

Hardly allows professionals to track their growth and goals while learning from experts. Braund-Harris, who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Auburn’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD), is now one of the experts SIGD students can look to for inspiration and guidance.

“I want to ensure students have ample real-life experiences that expose them to collaboration with different disciplines,” said Braund-Harris, who went on to earn her Master of Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s in branding from the School of Visual Arts. “There is opportunity for students to engage with others on campus, such as the Harbert College of Business. With this, they’ll be more prepared to communicate and grow within their future jobs. In addition to this, there are numerous alternative career paths out there, which should be explored. Creativity and critical thinking are valuable to many different industries, but students may not know what is possible.”

One of Braund-Harris’ earliest leadership experiences traces back to her time as a student, when she participated in a group project for the National Portrait Gallery, based in Washington, D.C..

“It was the first ‘real world’ graphic design job that I participated in, and it was also one of the first times I found myself leading and organizing others,” she reflected. “Succeeding in that project encouraged me to be courageous in other ways, like interning in New York City the following summer. Looking back at my career so far, there’s been a handful of magic moments like this, but the D.C. trip was one of the firsts.”

Braund-Harris has consistently demonstrated resilience and adaptability throughout her career. In 2020, her world travels were cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting her to channel her energy into founding Hardly. Her ability to adapt was evident even during her time at Auburn, when she faced a tough choice between two internships. Instead of choosing, she convinced one of the companies to sponsor her senior project, turning a challenge into an opportunity.

Now, she’s paying it forward by mentoring Auburn interns through her company.

As Hardly continues to boost careers, Braund-Harris aims to boost SIGD students’ experience through her role as a member of the Advisory Council.