We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lara Schmoisman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lara, appreciate you joining us today. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
The Darl has been a remote agency since the company’s inception, so our whole team works 100% remotely. Although we have our office headquarters located in Calabasas, California, our team is formed of more than 30 people scattered around the world.
The use of new tools, software, and all kinds of digital assets gave us the opportunity to keep our operations running. Some people had to modify or alternate them, but it prevented many companies from shutting down. This would never happen 10 years ago.
In our case, in order to recover from a crisis, we had to create new strategies and started doing “Blue sky sessions” for each of our clients. What we do is once a month every single team member (design, social media, performance, etc) that works on a specific account gets together on zoom to discuss strategy, analytics, and insights. This allows everyone to understand what is happening in each part of the digital ecosystem. Each asset created needs to connect with another asset on a different platform as if they were parts of a puzzle. No element should be isolated from the big picture, everything must be intertwined in a way that makes sense.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At The Darl, we rely on a particular process of brand identity development that was created exclusively by us; it’s our secret sauce and one of the things that make us unique.
We are a 360 Marketing/ Advertising agency.
At THE DARL, we do branding, launching, positioning, and accelerating! We take a creative and strategic approach. Our classic design elements will keep connecting with your audience over time. The design team is led by the art director and consists of a group of graphic designers, video editors, and graphic motion animators that work closely to make the most creative assets possible.
We connect through stories. We help our clients find their voices. We use all our experience and techniques to choose which published media are relevant to you. The ongoing team support and collaboration for finding what interests your audience makes brand publishing effortless.
Have a compelling brand story to tell? Do you want to share your passion and knowledge with others? We can help. At THE DARL, we help build your brand and take it to the next level with our PR & Communications services. From Market Research to Media & Analyst Relations, Editorial Services, Influencer Marketing, and all that in between, our team can do as much or as little as you need to build credibility and brand recognition to the public. Public relations is another crucial way to reach your audience, build awareness and create a positive business image. PR can supplement all your marketing efforts and support your other initiatives in a way advertising can’t. PR also provides valuable backlinks that help your digital SEO and online health.
We’re in the know. We can help pair your brand with others who align with your values for the most bang for your buck through our extensive market research. Our team works with social media influencers in your niche for consumer-driven results you can count on through our Influencer Marketing service.
The ecosystem is constantly changing, so we must be flexible and adjust to the new requirements.
We specialize in Wellness, beauty, and fashion industries.
Awards and recognitions
Lara Schmoisman
2021 FORBES NEXT 1000
2021 LA TIMES Inspirational Woman Nominee
The DARL
2021 LA TIMES Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Leadership Forum Nominee
Four-time recipient of the Best of Calabasas Awards for Marketing and Production Agency, qualifying for the 2022 Calabasas Business Hall of Fame
2022 STELLAR Business Award Digital Marketing in California
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2008 I desperately needed a job. I turned to a headhunter for a new job. She told me that because I didn’t have a linear career and my experience was too broad that I should consider just staying home taking care of my kids because there was absolutely no one who would hire me… After a good cry, I decided that I would not let her decide my future. I will make it.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I spent much of my time listening to the radio and watching TV. Even as a little girl, I knew that the world had many possibilities, and I was the type to make things happen. At just 14 years old, I started working at a radio station, learning the ropes.
I went to school to earn a certificate in screenwriting and a BA in radio and TV production. But as most of us probably know, life after college wasn’t exactly straightforward. And life after college in the entertainment industry? That was rough…so, unsurprisingly, I could not find a job.
Later that year, I came to the US to learn English. One thing led to another, and some doors started opening. I was sleeping on a hand-me-down mattress with coils sticking out of it. I was taking as many jobs as I could and sleeping little, but even so—somehow, life was starting to fall into place. Opportunities to learn and grow came my way. I worked in TV, film distribution, digital, marketing, and advertising. Later on, I was even giving lectures at CAL POLY Pomona—I was living my dream, or what I thought was my dream.
After flirting and dating for a while with each industry, I realized that I didn’t want to settle down with any of them because each one was equally important. All the skills learned complemented each other in this new digital world. And as I was taking a step back and evaluating where I was going, new opportunities came my way, which prompted me to start my agency, The Darl.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laraschmoisman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaraSchmoisman
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraschmoisman/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaraSchmoisman
- Other: Coaching program: www.laraschmoisman.com
Image Credits
Saulo Padilla