Today we’d like to introduce you to Fiona Mares.
Fiona, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Unlike most creatives, I surprisingly wasn’t a naturally art-inclined kid growing up. It wasn’t until I started working at a photo lab in high school that my focus narrowed on the creative world. It was a place that clicked and made the most sense to me. Every medium seemed to peak my interest so I started taking as many classes as I could in film, painting, photography and digital media. I’ve always struggled to focus on one area of the Arts… I loved everything but the world kept telling me “you have to pick one”. In college, I pursued Film and Cinematography before switching many times over and settling on Digital Arts with a Marketing/Advertising minor.
After graduating, I worked at various agencies and start ups throughout Southern California. Eventually, I landed my dream job at STN Digital in San Diego. They provided me the one thing most agencies don’t: absolute trust. Trust in my ability and the freedom to pursue the things that excited me. I was finally able to dip my toes into all aspects of the creative field including illustration, motion, editing, 360 videos, interactive content, but also do it for some of the biggest brands in Sports and Entertainment. Eventually, I was able to grow into the creative I wanted to be, worked my way up to Art Director and helped build a creative department.
However, I quickly learned that working up a ladder isn’t for everyone and that’s ok!!! I found that my passion lies more within making and being hands-on in the creative process rather than managing or facilitating. I eventually took the big risk of starting my boutique creative group called Palette Collective with my partner Michael Regan, which I have been pursuing full-time for the past two years now. I’m creating and making more now than I ever was before. It’s an absolute dream.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a first generation American, hard work and perseverance run through my blood. Nothing has been a smooth road in my life and my career is no different. Cliché as it is, the only way to get to where you want is to put in the work. Practice. Practice. Practice. What worked for me was focusing all of my energy on exceeding people’s expectations and learning any new skill I could. The industry and tools are (and always will be) rapidly changing so adapting is the only way to continue to stay relevant.
Another hurdle that took me the longest to learn is to stay authentic to who you are! It’s okay to not fit into everyone else’s boxes. You can create a world that you want to live in! I’m naturally very adaptable an often found myself fitting into the molds that others needed me to be in. While it was possible, easy, and very fluid for me to do so, it didn’t feel authentic to who I was and wanted to be if I was only putting myself in other people’s boxes. What about my box?
A part of staying authentic is also saying “no” … Which is a very hard thing! Especially starting, I often took on projects or tasks that didn’t align with my core because “work is work”. In doing so, the project always ends up suffering in some capacity and nobody wants that. Understanding this about myself and how I approach client/work was one of the biggest achievements I’ve made and everything since has changed drastically for the better.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
Palette Collective is a boutique creative group. We are not a traditional agency with project managers, sales teams, or quotas. We are just 2 people creating fun and interesting content with a wide range of skills and clientele. I focus more on illustration, motion, and design while my partner, Michael, specializes in web and UX/UI.
We often find ourselves as a “behind the scenes” hit squad for larger agencies. Our small size allows us to be nimble, quick, and flexible – so we can hop onto last minute projects with agencies who may not have the internal resources to do so. Due to our size and desire to experiment, we frequently work with new technologies and programs. In doing this, we’re able to stay on the cutting edge in various design sectors.
We budget and plan everything together with our clients so we have a firm understanding of what can and cannot be completed. We don’t use project managers or any outside factors to dictate what we can deliver. We can accurately deliver work to our clients without a ton overhead and guesswork.
As a company, we pride ourselves on being extremely open and honest with our clients, which also includes having a shared vision. We don’t just take on any and every client, instead, we ensure our vision aligns with our clients. This allows us to deliver the quality of work we want. We aren’t going to sacrifice our time or yours.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I may sound like a broken record but I’m gonna say it again: versatility and adaptability. While it’s important to find your voice and create work that is authentically you, it’ll also behoove you to adapt and change that work overtime. Just because you were good at something once doesn’t mean it will be that way forever. It’s not fair for you or clients if you stick to something just because it’s comfortable. I’ve refused to be satisfied with the status quo and I’m unafraid of hearing “no”. If I’m provided an opportunity that’s new and unfamiliar, I’m always willing to take it on.
Being adaptable is also very beneficial in a client-relationship matter. Any work you do is always a partnership between you and the client, where you need to be ready to move and resolve on the fly when it comes to a difference in opinion or direction. Change is an opportunity to improve and who doesn’t want to be better?!
It will always a bit of an uncomfortable process to step out of your boundaries, but this fearlessness allowed me to push myself into new areas and make big important decisions like starting Palette Collective. The ability to pivot quickly is the most important tool I’ve learned. It’s a skill that will serve you longer than any other ever-changing design program out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.palette.is/
- Email: info@palette.is
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palette.collective/
- Other: https://dribbble.com/palette
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
