We were lucky to catch up with Sergio Jara recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sergio, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As a child, my travel experiences were limited to just a few family holiday trips between the capital city and my hometown. Yet, even those short trips sparked a sense of curiosity and an open mind. Once I graduated from college and began my creative career in advertising, I resolved to experience the cultural melting pot of my country firsthand. Over the years, I was lucky enough to have visited 22 of Colombia’s 32 states, immersing myself in its incredible diversity before venturing abroad.

By the time I turned 29, I felt a strong desire to celebrate my 30s somewhere else. Growing up, I had always been captivated by stories of New York City but I didn’t want to be a mere tourist spending two weeks there. I wanted to experience New York as close to a New Yorker as possible. It was an ambitious goal that required me to take a significant risk.

In 2018, I made the leap. After navigating the complexities of visa paperwork, I left behind my dream job at BBDO, where I’d spent 4 years. I said goodbye to my family, friends, and even my pet for what I called a sabbatical year to study. I landed in Queens, NY on a cold winter night. The reality hit hard: I had left behind a growing career and the comfort of everything familiar. On my second day, I woke up with a realization, this wasn’t going to be a sabbatical.

Before I left Colombia, Julian Lozano (ECD at BBDO), my former creative director and now close friend, gave me advice that would become my mantra: “Si a todo.” Say yes to everything, no matter the language barriers, financial constraints, or physical exhaustion, I committed to embracing every opportunity that came my way.

That advice changed everything, within a couple of weeks, I found myself back on the creative track. I networked tirelessly, meeting people from all corners of the world, a few of them became my chosen family. I juggled freelance gigs with night classes and weekend events while exploring corners of the city I had never dreamed about. During my rare free moments, I worked through complex immigration processes. I was living the New York trifecta of hustle, learning, and exploring, and somehow, I thrived in it.

Fast forward 7 years, I look back on that decision as the turning point in my life. Taking that risk taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of pushing past fear. There were sacrifices along the way. I missed family milestones, watched loved ones grow older from a distance or mourned their passing from afar. Yet, the rewards have been profound, it was the best investment I’ve ever made in myself.

Today, I still hesitate to call myself a New Yorker, but Brooklyn, NY is undeniably home. Living here has not only allowed me to build a thriving creative career but also to explore the world in ways that once seemed impossible. For a kid who rarely traveled to exploring the globe has been nothing short of extraordinary.

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?

Hola 👋🏽! I’m Sergio, and I come from Riohacha, a vibrant Caribbean city in northern Colombia. I grew up just 500 meters away from the sandy beach waterfront, something I still feel incredibly lucky about. That tropical upbringing stands in contrast to the urban energy and changing seasons I now experience in Brooklyn, New York, but it shaped a lifelong appreciation for the warmth of summers and the rhythm of the beach life.

Before moving to NYC, I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia’s bustling capital in the Andes Mountains. There I started my creative journey at BBDO, where I had the chance to work closely with clients through every stage of the process. From developing initial concepts to designing, art directing, and producing 360 campaigns, I learned the foundations of my craft and discovered my passion for visual storytelling.

Today, I am proud to be part of the small but growing group of Latin creatives in the United States, where only around 9.5% of creatives are Latin@s. I currently work at MRM // McCann Worldgroup, where I channel my passion into creating visual stories and immersive experiences through design, film, and technology.

While awards are a nice recognition, they are not what drives me. I believe that the best work comes when you truly enjoy what you are doing and when you are surrounded by people who care about the craft as much as you do. That said, I have been lucky enough to see my work screened and awarded at some amazing places, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, The Art Directors Club, New York Festivals, London International Awards, Effies, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, El Dorado Festival, DOC NYC, and LCD Berlin Awards. None of it would have been possible without the collaboration and support of so many talented people I have had the privilege of working with over the years.

Outside of work, I am passionate about cycling and have logged over 20,000 kilometers, according to my Strava Profile. I also challenge myself in other ways. As someone with dyslexia, I am currently learning Japanese as my third language and am proud to have kept a streak on Duolingo.

For me, creativity is all about insightful connections and well-crafted ideas that inspire untold stories and move people.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Since I can remember, art has always been a central part of my life. I started by drawing and later explored photography using my mom’s Kodak film camera. Art classes felt like the only place I truly belonged, but back in school, the creative options were limited, and the focus was predominantly academic. After finishing high school, I found myself at a crossroads, unsure about my career path. It was in advertising that I found the right balance of creativity, strategy, and storytelling. However, even after graduating from college with a degree in my hands, I was still uncertain about my direction. Advertising covered such a vast spectrum from strategy, to account management, copywriting, design, production, and research… So, it was hard to find my niche.

This journey led me to explore a wide range of roles in the ad industry. Thanks to a professor, Zamir Hamad, I landed an internship in production, at RCN TV, which opened up opportunities to work later at LAPOST, a post-production studio. There, I wore many hats: community manager, webmaster, copywriter, designer, photographer, videographer, and producer. This versatility helped me build a portfolio and gain experience that set me apart.

Eventually, this led to my first agency job as a branded content creator, which transitioned into a promotion to creative art director. One moment that stands out is when Alberto Morales / Buentypo (who was a senior creative at the time, now Creative Director at McCann Workgroup) congratulated me when I received my first Wacom tablet from the IT department. It was a small funny moment, but it was a significant milestone in my growth as a creative.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn from incredibly talented teammates. Each person I’ve collaborated with has contributed to shaping my skills in design and art direction. Without their guidance and support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. In 2023, I was ranked #75 in the global list of designers at The ONE Show and was also recognized as one of the global Top 5 in interactive, online, and mobile design. Source: https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-archive/creative/2023/145/7/all/all

This journey has taught me that pivoting isn’t just about making big, drastic changes. It’s about being open to new opportunities, learning from every experience, and being willing to adapt to different challenges as they come. These shifts have helped me shape my craft, and stay true to my creative vision.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My mother, who worked in the healthcare industry, taught me the value of avoiding routine. The fear of falling into a monotonous cycle, where every day feels the same, has always been a major motivator. The constant pivoting, whether it’s tackling a 360 campaign, designing for OOH, or working on social branded content briefs, keeps my days exciting. The challenge of constantly finding new insights to solve clients’ problems, and pushing my craft forward is what fuels my creative mind.

At the same time, while advertising has given me a platform for growth and a way to pay the bills, I’m on a personal journey to discover a true artistic voice. Through illustration and photography, I seek to uncover beauty in unexpected places and create work that resonates deeply. While traveling, I aspire to produce art that goes beyond the commercial realm, something more meaningful and reflective of human emotion.

In the end, the most rewarding part of being creative is the process itself, the ongoing discovery, learning, and growth that come with each project. I’m on this journey, and that’s what keeps me passionate about what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sergiojara.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/sergiojarasocarras
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergio-jara-socarras
• Other: Reel: https://vimeo.com/1009875871

Image Credits

01- Portrait by @sanfer_carlos
02- Durex TVC @ MRM // McCann Worldgroup
03- USPS TVC @ MRM // McCann Worldgroup
04- Gatorade TVC @ Sancho BBDO
05- Pepsi TVC @ Sancho BBDO
06- Spotify OLV @ Bokeh Agency
07- Coinbase DOOH @ Bokeh Agency
08- NYC Photo by @sergiojarasocarras
09- Illustration by @sergiojarasocarras