We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brooke Molinari. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brooke below.
Brooke, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you got your first non-friend, non-family client. Paint the picture for us so we can feel the same excitement you felt on that day.
I found myself working away as a graphic designer at an advertising agency that specialized in healthcare and financial services. The campaigns I worked on were for Medicare and banking products…YAWN. As a young designer, the work I was doing didn’t give me sense of fulfillment. An intense desire for something new began to consume me.
For a dose of inspiration, I decided to attend a conference called Create and Cultivate. This conference brought together influential figures, entrepreneurs, podcasters, and industry thought leaders, all of whom shared their wisdom with a crowd of ambitious women from diverse creative fields. The event also showcased booths featuring emerging product brands.
During this conference, I had the great opportunity of engaging in a couple of pivotal conversations, reminding me that even amidst rejection, remarkable opportunities can arise. Let me share these two encounters for you:
Firstly, I struck up a conversation with a representative from a highly sought-after coconut-based beauty product brand. They shared that they had recently lost their graphic designer and were actively seeking a replacement. I got a business card and mapped out my follow-up plan.
The next conversation was with my favorite blogger and podcaster at the time, Lauryn Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential. Determined to meet her, I discreetly slipped away from the session I initially intended to attend. To make a lasting impression, I expressed my admiration for her in a bold and memorable manner, a little bit of passionate cursing always does the trick. I knew I would follow up with her later, and I wanted to ensure I said something that would make her remember me. But I digress, the essence of my message to her was centered on how she inspired me to seek a life where I could be passionate about my work every day.
After the conference, I crafted a series of sample graphics aligned with the coconut beauty company’s brand aesthetic, intending to showcase my design skills. However, I received no response. But I used that rejection as momentum to keep on shooting my shot. I decided to send that same presentation to Lauryn in my follow-up email, detailing how she had motivated me and providing an update on what I had been up to since our meeting. She appreciated my boldness and requested a call. Prior to the conversation, I prepared additional sample graphics tailored to her aesthetic, which she absolutely adored. And that’s how we began our first project together of hundreds.
For the first time, I experienced a sense of passion and enthusiasm, ignited by the designs I was creating. Meeting Lauryn would ultimately alter the trajectory of my life in ways I could never have fathomed.
Brooke, 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?
Today, I sit in the proud role as founder and creative director of Nari Creative. Nari Creative stands as a distinguished design agency specializing in branding, website design and development, as well as comprehensive ongoing graphic design support. We have carved a niche in delivering great design to influencers, entrepreneurs, and product businesses alike. Our clients includes top-tier influencers and entrepreneurs boasting high-converting blogs, thriving online stores, and sought-after services. From digital assets like captivating blog covers, Instagram Stories, Pinterest graphics, affiliate product collages, digital lookbooks, and emails, to tangible print collateral such as exquisite beauty packaging, PR boxes, mailer bags, clothing tags, apparel graphics, even down to the patterns on press-on nails—we wholeheartedly believe that if it demands design, we are more than capable of delivering. While our passion is endless for every creative endeavor we take on, there is a special place in my heart for product packaging, for nothing compares to the sheer fulfilment of holding in my hands something I have created.
But let me take you back. My journey into the realm of graphic design for influencers was marked by bold encounters and a dash of hustle after getting my first client. Let me assure you, putting yourself out there is no walk in the park. The people I wanted to work with were like celebrities to me. Before every call, my hands would get clammy, trembling so much that I could barely hold my phone. I often found myself gasping for breath, pausing mid-conversation to regain composure. Even as I navigated my day job at the healthcare/financial services advertising agency, I diligently cultivated my own roster of clients, juggling secretive calls from the shampoo aisle of the pharmacy conveniently located beneath our office.
Undeterred, I persisted in growing my portfolio and client base, dedicating nights and weekends to freelancing. Eventually, I reached a tipping point where my freelance income nearly rivaled my earnings at the agency. It became abundantly clear that if I took the leap, I could sustain myself entirely through my own endeavors. And so I did. With undivided attention focused on nurturing my business, the growth was wild.
Within a year, I expanded my operation by hiring several additional freelancers to cope with the growing workload. In no time at all, I transformed from a lone freelancer to a fully operational graphic design agency. With this evolution came a rebranding, bidding farewell to the simplicity of operating under my name and embracing the vibrant and playful identity of Nari Creative—an amalgamation of my last name, MoliNARI, exuding a sense of fun and artistic vibrancy. Amidst this whirlwind of growth, there are moments when I can’t help but feel as though my agency built itself, as if I were just a spectator. Yet, I recognize these thoughts as my impostor syndrome, for I know deep down that I toiled relentlessly to forge the agency that is Nari has become.
Those who choose to collaborate with Nari Creative are resolute in establishing a strong online presence and are poised to elevate their aesthetic to new heights. We don’t merely create for brands; we build relationships and grow alongside them. We firmly believe in the fusion of form and function, ensuring scalability and sustainable growth for our clients.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Retention is a subject that I am extremely passionate about. While I may not always be the primary point person for each client, now that I have a dedicated project manager, I remain committed to nurturing a personal connection with them. It is this very bond that fosters loyalty towards my agency. Engaging with my clients on a more intimate level, I try my absolute best to see everyone in person when we’re in the same city. Most of my clients are on the West Coast, so I fly from NYC once a year to spend time with as many of them as I can within a short trip. Otherwise, I make it a point to schedule Zoom calls, personally checking in with them. I also take to Instagram to comment on their stories and posts, showing genuine interest in their day-to-day lives. Additionally, I find joy in frequently sending them design inspiration and pitching them new ideas, ultimately aiding them in expanding their digital footprint and, naturally, allowing Nari to flourish by broadening the horizons of the design work we provide.
It’s important to me that each one of my clients feel like a priority. I strive to create an atmosphere in which Nari Creative is perceived as their very own in-house graphic design team. Even as our client roster continues to grow, it is our philosophy to never let anyone feel overshadowed or neglected by a sense of busyness. At Nari, personalized attention is an integral part of our ethos.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Most individuals discover Nari Creative through word of mouth. Our amazing clients of-ten share our name on social media or drop our name to friends. Many of our new clients have come across us through the site credit in the footers of websites we designed. It’s the sweet harmony of client recommendations and strategic visibility that propels our growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: naricreative.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/naricreative
Image Credits
Chloe Stokes and Felicia Lasala