Daniela Brown
Creative Director, Content Strategist, Community Builder, Podcaster, Photographer, Brand Builder, Co-Founder of EUNOIA Brand Experiences, Co-host of The Creative Therapy Podcast
Austin, TX
www.danielabrown.co
instagram @danielabrown.co
youtube
pinterest
Q What do you do?
“My astrology describes me as being obsessed with dreamy visuals, creating in community, and cultivating a life aligned in my core values. ”
My holistic approach to creative direction, allows me to insert myself into the mind of the ideal client, extracting their dreams to influence the reality I create through photo and film.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
2010 - I'm 15 years old and my cousin asked me to photograph her wedding. I fell DEEPLY in love with photography and creative direction. 6 months later I started my photography business and pursued an internship under fashion photographer Kristopher Armstead.
2013 - I've just finished my internship and I'm packing my bags to head to Nuremberg, Germany to study fine art photography. I learned a lot about my creative process, honing in on my ability to remain inspired in the midst of adversity, and leading a creative team.
2014 - 3 months later I realize the school I joined was actually a cult (oops! I'll tell you about that another time ) and moved to Atlanta where I explored the world of commercial photography. I learned about the importance of story-telling and emotional connection to drive engagement and sales.
2016 - I moved to Abu Dhabi to teach young photographers how to cultivate their intuition and creative energy. During my time there, I became entranced by all the stunning abayas and hijabs around me. I wanted to share the beauty of this cultural practice with the western world and published them in ALT HAUS Magazine (oh yeah, did I mention I started a magazine while I was there?) Although there are no new issues being released, the process of designing, publishing, and marketing a magazine gave me a holistic view of what it takes to strategize and produce high-quality content focused on community.
2018 - After spending a few years living out of a suitcase, I was ready to settle back in my hometown of Austin, TX. As I expanded my business to service clients across multiple industries, I found them struggling with the same thing: they were all overwhelmed by strategizing and managing their content effectively. I took the years of experience I had in content production and started developing systems and processes to give them more time to focus on what's important.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Something that I integrate into every client experience is creating a high-level customer journey map. This process is crucial to understand the ideal client's experience from discovery to purchase, allowing me to infuse their journey with content that compels them to become loyal fans and advocate for your brand in the future.
Q What are you working on right now?
I recently started a podcast called Creative Therapy, where my co-host Learda Shkurti and I talk about what freelancing is really like, and share the trials + mistakes we've experienced throughout our career. We also interview other freelance creatives on their journey, and get deep on what it means to work for yourself and take care of your mental health.
I also recently started a branding agency called EUNOIA (oo-noya), with my co-founder Jessie Bosley, where we create curated brand experiences for businesses rooted in intentionality. We take a holistic approach towards brand building, and extract the core purpose and vision behind the brands we work with.
Q What’s your style?
My style is dreamy, ethereal and cultivated. Everything I create is with purpose, and I believe less is more. I don't like messy sets, confusing storylines or plot holes. My aim is to be the advocate for the brand I'm creating for, and maintain the integrity of the message we're communicating. This approach allows me to empower my creative team to do what they do best, knowing that I'm taking care of the little details that elevate the visuals from 'meh' to a-mayyyyyy-zing.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I love creating. Whether it's directing a video or photoshoot, photographing a campaign or strategizing a content plan. The act of creating with and for brands that align with my values is when I feel most happy and full of purpose.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I struggle with creating content for my own business! I thrive when I work within a team, and am able to use the mind of the ideal client to inspire me. I'm so inspired by the brands I create for and the creatives I work with, creating on my own is sometimes a struggle. Getting out from behind the camera and intentionally taking the time to show my face can be daunting, but I hope that my authenticity helps my audience see the real person behind the business.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I would absolutely hire someone to take care of lead management or accounting. As a highly creative person, I'd rather spend my time dreaming up my next campaign!
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would have gone back to myself when I was Head of Production at a Media Tech Company a few years ago and told myself...
"You don't want this job. It might LOOK like a dream job on the outside, but this company doesn't care about you. You have so many skills, and great ideas, but they don't value you here. AND they're not paying you nearly enough for the amount of work that you're doing. Learn what you can from this experience, but remember to connect to your values. Visualize the life you want to lead, and connect with others who are in alignment. This will allow you create with intentionally, stop contributing to the digital noise, and make an impact through content."
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I'd love to learn more about the THC and CBD industries! I see so much opportunity with content that can be created, but there are a lot of legalities around how these products can be portrayed and advertised online. As someone who was homeschooled their whole life, I definitely am resourceful and proactive about learning more. But I relish the opportunities to connect with industry experts and widen my perspective.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Ideally I'd love to work with brands, creatives and businesses that are looking to elevate their digital presence through high-level content creation. If there is an opportunity to tell a story, I am all over it. I work with a variety of creatives that I've hand-picked and vetted to work alongside me. No matter the medium, I have someone in my back pocket that can execute under my direction.
My favorite visual projects are photography and video. Creating campaigns that prioritize casting underrepresented groups are my jam, because we need more REAL people and REAL bodies in the content we consume. I take a minimal and understated approach towards the final product, and do my best to showcase the most honest representation of the models and products we work with.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love all my past clients and have broken down the experiences we've had together in my client case studies here.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
You can fill out an application to work with me here: www.danielabrown.co/application.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Jessie Bosley is my co-founder over at EUNOIA, she's a total badass who has an eye for brand messaging that connects and converts. Working alongside her has been an honor, and the creative strategies she brings to the table have allowed us to elevate the brands we work with to new level of luxury.
Learda Shkurti is my co-host over at The Creative Therapy Podcast. She's been an integral part of my internal team and has empowered me to step into abundance and flow through her thoughtful approach towards business management. Working together has opened my eyes the possibilities of the future, her positive outlook and intuitive creativity helps me get out of my head and into the reality we're creating together. She's always on the cutting edge of new trends, and offers an honest perspective that you can trust.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Spending time outside - Connecting to mother earth - Let her speak through me
This member profile was originally published in September 2021.