Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicie Mok. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nicie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
It was a long process unlearning the idea that there was one way to survive.
I was born to immigrant parents and brought up with very particular expectations. My life was an extension and reflection of them. Hobbies were good, but at the end of the day, I needed to be able to secure a good, steady job. For me, that was supposed to be investment banking.
I guess I have two pivotal career points: how I got into art and how I got into branding and consulting. Both came about with me saying yes to something new and learning along the way. Some of my saying yes meant saying no to what was professionally safe, but I’ve always strongly followed my gut instincts and they haven’t led me wrong yet. The risk paid off, and I’ve been very lucky.
I graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Financial Economics. I obsessively worked on a start-up my last year there and it changed everything. I couldn’t imagine going the rest of my life without experiencing that level of interest and passion. So, I pivoted hard from my trajectory and followed my curiosity instead. I panicked a lot in the beginning, but eventually found my groove.
Out of school, I was getting call backs for a lot of more senior positions at various start-ups and marketing companies, but nothing was quite the right fit. No one knew how to place me. My experience was wide and varied. I had a background in finance, fashion, art, app/web development and design. I eventually decided to just pursue work with brands I really believed in and it led to more and more opportunities. It became less about expectations and titles and more about the work and the impact that work had on the larger world.
With art, it’s something I fell into as a teenager. I took classes at FIT while in high school, and I signed myself up for things that were well out of my comfort zone. One of the courses that stuck was something along the lines of comic book writing. It pushed me to do my first illustrations, and that led to me winning various scholarships and nationwide contests I entered on whims with super last minute projects. I remember people being very surprised. It took them by left field, and me too, in a way. I was creative, but not necessarily an artist.
Right when I turned 18, I ended up at an experimental art gallery with a childhood friend and we quickly became a big part of that scene. Maybe on the second or third time meeting, we were offered the opportunity to curate a two month show. We created without rules and asked seasoned artists and friends to do the same. I remember the day the gallerists told us the New York Times showed interest in covering our show. There was such a strong feeling of validation, even though I felt guilty of entering the space blindly. Thanks to that initial yes, I’m still doing something in art. That pushed me out of the hobby zone and eliminated my fear.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Nicie Mok. I’m a branding consultant and one of the founders of QVK, an interactive and interdisciplinary arts experience.
As a consultant, I help brands discover, refine or revive their identities. That encompasses everything from language, market placement, pricing, marketing, creative direction, product design and distribution, web creation, and shop front design. I help craft a story for a particular entity and make sure it’s consistent across the board. I love doing something that’s as analytic as it is creative. I’ve had a nice variety of clients, from product-heavy brands, small businesses, entrepreneurs, to historic bars and venues.
As far as QVK, I’m part documentarian, part narrative creator. We’ve done everything from interactive art parties to months-long residencies at Smithsonian affiliates. Every project brings new challenges and I try to fill whatever role is needed at the moment. That involves everything from production, promotion, branding, art creation and curation, performance and hosting. We’re a team of 4 and each of us really does it all.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Having the room to play and evolve is the most rewarding thing about all the work I do. Every day, every project, every year is different. As a creative, everything around you feeds into the work you produce. It’s cool knowing the future always holds something novel.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have gotten a lot of my work from either word of mouth or through meeting new people. I’m fairly private in terms of my social media presence, so it always amazes how many people come out of the woodwork with projects.
My advice is to give every project 110%, regardless of the scope. Take pride in the work you do. People will notice.
Contact Info:
- Website: thisisniciemok.com
- Instagram: niciemok
Image Credits
Shanna