Andrea Schmid
Andrea Schmid
Chief Creative Officer of Le Deux Creative
Culver City, CA
www.ledeuxcreative.com
instagram @ledeuxcreative
instagram @dredreschmid
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am CCO of the creative agency, Le Deux, that focuses on digital marketing, branding and website development.”
I am one half of a duo (hence our french name the ‘TWO’) and help execute all creative decisions for our clients. My role includes scheduling and strategizing shoots, connecting brands with influencers, and organizing and publishing content on active social platforms. In other words, I handle the creative direction of a client’s social media. I work in person, alongside and consistently with our client from start to finish to establish their aesthetic, tone, and content strategy for their social media.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
My mother is a physical therapist for children with disabilities and growing up I always wanted to follow in her footsteps. I went to school studying occupational therapy in hopes of securing a life just like my mother. While I was focused on OT classes, I also adopted French as a minor. With medical school fast approaching, I jumped on the first opportunity to visit France. Not unlike some of my favorite young adult novels, I had a cliche ‘come to Jesus’ moment and fell in love...with fashion. I finished school with a French major and hustled my way to New York City in pursuit of a career in fashion. I took internships at jewelry lines, magazines and clothing companies and finally packed up to explore California. I worked as a wholesale account manager for a bag company in Los Angeles and slowly adopted their social media into my everyday role as a hobby. Two years later, I had turned my hobby into a full time gig for the CEO’s three companies. In an attempt to dive deeper into the field, I moved to the agency world and worked through positions as a social media manager, content manager, and influencer marketing manager. After absorbing skills from each position, I recognized my capacity to hold my own and launched a boutique agency with a business partner.
How do you stand out in your field?
Often times, those working in the digital sphere are so wonderfully technologically advanced that they lose some level of social skills. When I first adopted digital marketing as my career, my world was wrapped up in little squares on a smart phone app. My friends, crushes and career opportunities all stemmed from staring at my phone, tablet and laptop. I started to reflect on my skill set and recognized a majority of my clients were happy with the work presented on social media, but they also preferred meeting me in person. I recognized that a huge proponent to maintain clients, was my ability to converse with them face to face. I continue to practice and appreciate this aspect of my career, even when the final product exists online.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Currently, I strategize and publish social media content for around 5 clients on monthly retainers. This is of course with assistance from my partner and amazing interns. This work is always changing with seasonal updates and new clients but the retainers keep things consistent.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
Working closely with brands on social means most of my work is a solid representation of them. Although I admire and appreciate each project I’m working on, I have yet to collaborate with a brand that emulates my style entirely and to be honest, probably never will. I am constantly experimenting and believe that contributes to my ability to hone in and adopt a brand’s tone easily. If I had to pinpoint a page in my field that currently represents me I’d encourage everyone to follow @SugarDove. It’s clean and elegant with spunk...oh and it’s a page full of homemade sweet treats.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
Photography. It’s a pivotal aspect of my career and unfortunately an industry in which I’ve never been able to participate. I’m quick to learn but need the time and the goods to nail this skill.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I constantly battle convincing clients and others of my worth within digital marketing. Everyone has some aspect of social media and therefore makes it difficult to convince someone to pay for a service they have been able to execute at one point.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
The last task on my to-do list is always my own business development. If someone could target and cold e-mail a number of potential clients, even just one day a week, it would not only advance my company but also eliminate the stress of not checking off that pesky final task!
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
f I could hop back in time it would be right around my first year of university. Although I doubt I would even listen to my advice, I’d try and convince myself to participate in groups, classes, and clubs outside my major. I don’t regret a single decision as each mistake and success led me to this moment but I do wish I had some perspective from different industries. I spent a lot of time studying for the classes necessary to graduate and would have liked if I challenged myself with student council, book clubs, or even a musical or two.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
Someone sit me down and dig into finances. Why my education included geology lab and not a breakdown on taxes is beside me but I would really appreciate some insight. From business banking accounts to budgeting and saving for the future, an expert with this knowledge would benefit me both personally and professionally.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
Currently sourcing clients either launching or adopting a social identity. I tend to lean towards fashion or lifestyle brands based on my background but I adore food and dabble in hospitality as well.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I currently work with a woman owned production company that takes on projects that are stereotypically ‘masculine’. The company has us incorporating aspects of their current projects like the NFL and a knight’s battle but asks that we put a feminine twist on any published content. This experience has granted us a plethora of creative freedom but is also intertwined with a movement about which both my partner and I are passionate.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
Our clients pay from $750-$3000 a month for social services. Depending on the extent to which you want us involved, we start with strategy, content creation and posting to your existing social handles on Facebook and Instagram. As brands start to incorporate newsletters, digital ad management and influencer partnerships, our pricing goes up. Those that are launching or rebranding will also incur a cost for website builds or brand content decks.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Just shoot me an e-mail or check out our website and inquire online. I actually love when people dive straight in with questions. I can then gauge where you’re actually needing the most help and we can hop on a call from there!
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Lay in the grass and sing.
This member profile was originally published in June 2018.