We were lucky to catch up with Bre Fernandez-Powell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Bre, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
After immigrating from Cuba at a young age, I discovered my passion for creative endeavors like writing poetry, doodling, and spoken word. However, as the typical immigrant daughter, these interests were pushed aside. My family encouraged me to become an attorney, a secure and prestigious profession. I followed this path until my first semester at George Washington Law School, where I realized it didn’t align with my values and led to an identity crisis. While difficult, in hindsight this anxiety-riddled revelation was necessary. Embracing a more unconventional, new age perspective, I tapped into my inner child through travel and stumbled into the advertising industry as a writer. This field allows my creativity to flourish in shaping brands. Moreover, I have the freedom to pursue other creative outlets like creative coaching, teaching, and alongside my 9-5.
Bre, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Two words. Mad Men. Yes, the hit TV show about advertising’s golden age is what drew me into the industry. Remember, in Hispanic culture the professions we’re often exposed to are law, engineering, medicine, and other traditional tracks. I had no idea this even existed, until I watched Peggy Olsen coin the iconic tagline, “A Basket of Kisses.” After dropping out of law school, I knew I needed to explore this further, enrolled in the dual Masters program with FIU and Miami Ad School, and the rest was history. The result? Being able to intern and work at some of the most revolutionary agencies in the world. Miami Ad School exposed me to industry leaders, and it help me get my foot in the door at FCB NY, crafting work for brands such as NIVEA, AdCouncil, FDA, and many others. Fast forward a few years later, I have risen up the ranks as an associate creative director (ACD), spearheading multi-media creative campaigns for Bacardi, AT&T, Pedigree, Pollo Tropical, just to name a few. Now, I can proudly say I’m one of the few Latina creative leaders making a difference and shaping the industry, considering that we make up a small percentage. In all honesty, it’s not an easy industry to be a part of, given the long hours, inflexible deadlines, and high demand. Still, here I am, and not only that, I’ve begun to creative coach the next wave of talent, as well begun my teaching trajectory at University of Miami as an adjunct copywriting professor. This alone, is what I believe has set me apart, my POV, my experiences, and my raw, uncut learnings that I share on Linkedin in my #Breisms thread. This has captured the attention of both agencies and clients, where my distinct, diverse skill set is valued for bringing in a distinct perspective that can shape cross-cultural advertising initiatives. Now, I’m collaborating with a local Miami agency, Macias Creative, as an Associate Creative Director, and a creative consultant for clients aligned with my values. In terms of the services I’ve been currently offering, branding, 360 campaign work, social media, copywriting, strategy, creative coaching, and consulting are my strong suits.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
As a Latina advertising professional, there’s a wealth of resources available for creatives of color that I had no clue about when I was starting out. For instance, there is no need to attend portfolio school, if you’re in a University with a creative advertising track that helps you develop your book and land internships. But let’s say you didn’t go to college, and have no idea where to start. No problem. Certain agencies work with aspiring creatives who come from different career paths to break into the industry, such as Wieden and Kennedy, Droga5, amongst others. Additionally, there are now creative career coaches available (me included), free initiatives like The One School, 100 Roses from Concrete, Talk to a Creative Director, Women Who Create, just to name a few. These are resources that industry professionals often gatekeep, but on Linkedin I’ve helped raise awareness for the next wave of incoming talent under my #Breism thread and @BreakingAD_ instagram account.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Those who work in the digital advertising space want to unplug when they leave work AKA me. While I am active on social media, my channels are private, and the content I share is for my close friends and family. However, everything changed during the pandemic. In 2019, I uprooted my life in NYC to move to Austin, Texas, and level up in my career in the advertising industry. Less than a year in, I was laid off due to shrinking client budgets. Naturally, I was pissed off, so I turned to Linkedin to share my firsthand experience of being let go during the pandemic, along with my thoughts on where the industry was headed in the DEI space, mental health advice, and job searching strategies that worked for me. Initially, I had 300 followers, now I have over 5k, and growing. Becoming a Linkedin micro-content creator was never my intention; it emerged from my frustration with the industry. Through growing my page, I’ve learned a few things—be unabashedly authentic, don’t follow trends just for the sake of it, it’s okay to hold views that differ from the norm, and engage with your followers by commenting, liking, DMing, and reposting. Being active on Linkedin not only helped me secure job opportunities but also led to invitations to judge award shows, participate in industry panels, and contribute as a writer for Adweek, among other things. The best advice I can offer is to simply start; the rest will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: bre-fern.work
- Instagram: brelikethequeso
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brefern/
Image Credits
World Red Eye