Sarah Lempa
Founder of Dang Fine Creative
New York City, NY / Bali, IND
www.dangfinecreative.com
instagram @travelempa
Q What do you do?
“As the founder of Dang Fine Creative, I help brands and individuals leverage their authentic personality + voice to reach aligned audiences through social media strategy and content, copywriting, branding, and more.”
Basically, I wear a lot of different creative hats, and they're all digital.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Back in 2018, I was a fresh college graduate hell-bent on starting my own creative business where I could both be myself and support others in doing the same. After getting my BSB in Marketing at the University of Minnesota (and figuring out the corporate life wasn't my jam), I booked a one-way flight to Vietnam with nothing but a backpack and my laptop in a total "why the %&# not" moment.
Over the following 6 months, I built a career as a freelance writer + creative strategist, working with both publications and clients on a variety of projects from social media to copywriting and Squarespace web design. My work has since been published by Business Insider, VICE, Healthline, Fast Company, and more. I'm also a Lonely Planet guidebook co-author.
In 2021 I was ready to shake things up, and thus Dang Fine Creative was born: My creative studio. It has been a wild ride (literally), working across time zones and various methods of transportation anywhere from trains to Thai Tuk Tuks. I couldn't be more grateful!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I really give a damn. I take the time to get to know my clients, their industry, and their short + longterm goals to come up with strategy-based creative that truly reflects who they are and what we plan to achieve together. In an increasing sea of AI copy-paste, sounding like a human has never been more important – and I'm all about forging partnerships based on understanding, shared vision, and having some fun along the way.
Q What are you working on right now?
So many things! All at once! AKA the usual creative experience – but to name a few: I'm revamping Dang Fine Creative's website, keeping up with the ever-evolving social media landscape to evolve client strategies, and editing a mind-boggling amount of Instagram reels for all of the awesome people we work with.
On the personal side, I'm a dancer and you'll find me trying to keep up with choreography at least 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes creating my own. I'm also trying to become fluent in Indonesian. I love visual creative as well, and you'll often find me in a photography studio or an art museum.
Q What’s your style?
I love things and people who are both bold yet straightforward. That type of fully-human honesty that instantly draws you in (without oversharing, of course) has always inspired me, from psychology to works of art that make you think "what were they going through when they created this?"
In my work, I like to ask questions that help me understand who people are regardless of whether I'm working with an individual or a company of 50+ people. Curiosity is my style, and my perspective seems to ever-evolve with the more information that I get about this unique world that we live in. Learn more about how I work here.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I'd love to do more in-person creative direction and explore my passion for photography and videography. I do a lot of this purely for fun – sometimes I model for creative collaborations, and I could see myself behind the camera too. Hopefully someday I'll add it on!
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Self-marketing often falls to the bottom of the list when we're working with a handful of clients at the same time. I have a lot of creative ideas about how to showcase my own process, portfolio, and creative perspectives – but sometimes I become laptop-ed out and I go to the dance studio instead of continuing past my regular client work to-do list.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
It'd be great to have someone hold me accountable for that lack of self-marketing I was just talking about above. They could legit just yell at me once an hour to remind me to post on Dang Fine Creative's Instagram and eventually I'm fairly convinced it would pay off eventually.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
When I was 20, I went to a corporate career fair in college and I cried in the bathroom because I felt awkward as hell in my Ann Taylor suit (looking back, this has become a funny anecdote – at the time, not so much). I'd go back and tell that gal to let her true personality fly, because that was the only thing that was EVER going to work out for us.
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 from other creative founders in my field, but I'm also really interested in the arts, psychology, geopolitics, human rights, and history.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I work across a huge variety of industries and have partnered with brands ranging from health and wellness all the way to travel, events, design, and a whole lot more – for me, it's all about how we both feel when we connect. When the vibe is right, it's right, you know?
I absolutely love helping people with their social media strategy + content, copywriting projects, Squarespace + WiX design, branding, email marketing, and general creative consultations.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I've been so fortunate to work with many amazing clients ranging from start-ups to mid-sized businesses, founders, designers, authors, and community builders.
A few highlights:
I co-authored a Lonely Planet guidebook about Lombok, Indonesia.
I designed marketing materials + copy for the University of Minnesota's Alumni Travel Programs.
That deeply satisfying feeling of seeing a client's brand new Instagram account come together, strategy brought to life, brand colors popping, numbers growing – PEAK! Too many times to count. Never gets old.
Meeting clients IRL for the first time after months of working together online first. Past studies have shown that espresso martinis may have occurred on at least 2 occasions.
Q: What is your rate?
All of my pricing is completely custom and entirely dependent on what clients need. I don't do packages because I don't believe that creativity is one-size-fits all.
I do, however, have a few price minimums here for reference. I'd love to chat about your project and give you a fully custom proposal.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Send me an email at contact@sarahlempa.com and I'll get back to you within 24 hours. You can also DM me on Instagram @travelempa (with this career, I'm chronically online).
Q Who is a creative you admire?
My amazing mom, Mary Lempa, is an incredibly talented artist. I grew up surrounded by easels and paint brushes, which sort of explains why I love creativity so damn much. It's a part of my family and I was always surrounded by various mediums. She recently illustrated a children's book and I'm just so elated for her.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I talk to everybody and anybody!
This member profile was originally published in November 2026.