Jessica Comingore
Creative Director of Marbury
Los Angeles, CA
www.marbury.co
Instagram @marburyco
twitter @marburyco_
Facebook
Q What do you do?
“I work with creative entrepreneurs and companies to develop a cohesive story across all assets.”
I am the founder and creative director of Marbury, a boutique branding studio that specializes in refined identities and brand alignment for creative entrepreneurs. We work with lifestyle brands to craft a cohesive brand identity, first and foremost, and are then available to tackle any supplementary collateral, such as print, packaging, or website design. I also offer a limited number of one-on-one consulting sessions for creatives each month that focus on their next steps in business, identifying their audience, work-life balance, and mindset shifts.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
My background is in interior design and decorative arts, and I segued into graphic design by virtue of living behind the computer for so many years, drafting floor plans and navigating Creative Suite for client presentations. I also authored a successful lifestyle blog for nearly a decade before turning my focus solely to Marbury, bringing with me a wealth of experience, and the knowledge of what makes a brand unique and successful. Since launching my studio in 2012, I’ve branded businesses in every facet of the lifestyle industry, from interior designers, to restaurants, to fashion brands, to artists.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
One of my biggest goals with launching Marbury was to refine our offerings to focus on the areas where we can best serve our clients, and for us, that is the brand identity process. While some designers may offer a one-off logo or color palette, we dig deep in the beginning stages of each project to uncover the quantities that make our client’s businesses unique. We provide value to our clients in our ability to listen, respond, and nurture a strong partnership throughout the brand-building process. We believe in a collaborative relationship, clear communication, and that it takes a team to build something truly amazing.
Q What are you working on right now?
We’re in the process of branding and re-branding a number of lifestyle businesses, locally and worldwide, including an interiors shop, an organic dog treat company, a men’s athleisure brand, a florist, a jewelry line, and a PR company. We’re also dreaming up ways to expand our Afternoon Tea offerings to provide more support to creative entrepreneurs navigating the ins and outs of self-employment.
Q What’s your style?
I’m drawn to things that are approachable and speak to the why behind a brand. I believe that refined design doesn’t mean simple or under-designed, but rather thoughtfully researched and expertly executed, eliminating anything unnecessary so that the necessary can speak. Our work for Sarah Kersten would be a perfect example of this.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Sometimes I wish I could spend more time just experimenting and exploring design concepts in Illustrator, but with a growing team, my time these days is best spent researching, directing, pitching, consulting, and presenting to clients.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I often feel limited as a small operation and wish I had more hands on deck to assist in the every day tasks of running a business (and a website!). Sometimes it feels impossible to do it all, but I'm learning to seek out experts in the areas I can use a helping a hand, and to say no when I'm maxed out on energy.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Manage my inbox!
02
03
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I had told myself about the importance of balance in my late teens, and that
you should work to live, not live to work.
The understanding of work-life balance came much later to me in life, and is a topic I’m passionate about discussing with other creative entrepreneurs as they embark on their own journey of self-employment.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would love more insight on marketing and business strategy. The topics endlessly fascinate me, but aren't necessarily my strong suit.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
We’re always looking for exciting new brand identity projects to tackle, namely in the lifestyle sphere—restaurants, food and beverage brands, travel companies, wellness coaches, fashion brands—you name it.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Our ideal client is a six-figure lifestyle brand who is 3-5 years into running their business and wants to elevate and refine their brand identity to better reflect the quality of services and/or products that they offer. They seek the confidence that comes with standing behind a brand that captures the unique qualities that set them apart from a sea of competitors, and attracts more of their dream clients.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
I would encourage them to visit our Services page, where we've outlined the ins and outs of our brand identity package, including process and timeline. If everything looks good, they can complete the contact form on our website, or send an email to mail@marbury.co to get the conversation started!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Cooking, reading, hiking, traveling, and
at least one day a week of my phone on airplane mode.
This member profile was originally published in April 2016, Updated April 2018.