Taylor Grosse
Creative Director / Operations Director
Melbourne, FL
www.junocreative.studio
instagram @junocreativestudio
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Q What do you do?
“I’m a creative generalist, and type-A wanna be, who loves to bring brands to life.”
I'm a blend of strategist, designer, and communicator, which means I like to be fully involved in brand development from start to finish. I thrive when I'm creating brands from the ground up, getting into the nitty-gritty, and then helping to bring it all together through the visual identity, messaging, website, and more.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Woof. It's been a journey. I grew up creating all the time. I was a branding nerd before I knew what branding really was, but I've also just always loved all things art and design. After studying fine art for years and graduating high school, I went to the University of Florida and got my bachelor's in advertising. It was a good balance for me: it involved strategy, creativity, understanding people, and solving problems.
After graduating, I got a job as a marketing manager for a huge cannabis startup. It gave me a lot of opportunities to learn about marketing in the real world. I kicked off my time there with a rebrand of the company and then got to dive into all of the other aspects of the company's marketing. This included everything from social media management, to email marketing, to store openings, product launches, and so much more.
Then, I actually wanted to take a break from marketing and advertising, so I ended up getting a job as a middle school art teacher (the how of that is a long story). It sounds irrelevant, but it taught me that I was really good at understanding my audience because if I was able to create interesting experiences for a bunch of 13-year-olds, I could do the same for anyone.
After you-know-what began, school was different and I needed a change. That's when I started freelancing. I spent a little over a year going at it on my own and met Sam, the founder of Juno Creative Studio (where I'm a partner now), through the internet. We began working together in January of 2022, and I haven't looked back!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Personally, I stand out because my experience is unique. The jobs I held prior to Juno gave me a lot more autonomy than most other fresh college grads get. I learned by doing, by trial and error, not by some theoretical practice that was safeguarded by a classroom or a bunch of my seniors who could fix things if I messed up. I understand how to learn quickly but also how to admit that I don't know something. I understand how to recover if I make mistakes but also how to learn from those mistakes. My experience also lends itself to more holistic and unique perspectives. I draw connections based on context outside of the standard branding/marketing/advertising world, which allows me to create more interesting experiences for various audiences.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I actually have a minute for some personal projects (which is weird tbh) so I'm savoring that. I'm trying to spend some time getting back to my roots with more traditional art forms and take a brief break from digital creation.
I'm extremely fortunate to start with a few really cool new clients in the coming weeks.
Q What’s your style?
I don't have a distinctive style as much as I do a process. I don't like to box myself in stylistically partly because I work with such a range of clients and partly because I get bored easily.
One area I've found myself working on many times is 70's inspired brands, which I am good at and is always fun. But my portfolio has quite a bit of breadth to it, or at least I like to think it does!
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I would love to dive deeper into illustrative logos. I have created a few, but I want to do more! I'm also really interested in UX/UI, and I'd love to do more real work in that area.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Honestly, the pressure to cater to everyone has been a big thing that's been frustrating to me.
The fact is, I'm not for everyone. Not everyone has the same values as I do. Not everyone can afford to work with me. Not everyone is mentally/emotionally/logistically ready to work with me. And I'm learning that that is okay.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Honestly, the pressure to cater to everyone has been a big thing that's been frustrating to me. The fact is, I'm not for everyone. Not everyone has the same values as I do. Not everyone can afford to work with me. Not everyone is mentally/emotionally/logistically ready to work with me. And I'm learning that that is okay.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
When I began freelancing, I wish I could have told myself to focus on DOING rather than planning and strategizing my business to death. I think I would have made a lot more progress a lot faster had I reached that realization sooner.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would love to learn more about custom coding and web development. I know the basics, and I'm fortunate to have the ability to work with an AMAZING web developer on client projects. But, I love the idea of creating something super custom and would love more guidance in that area.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm looking to work with some more product-based brands! I really want to do more packaging and print work because I want to see the creative work become tangible. And to be able to create an entire physical experience, rather than a digital one, is a different kind of satisfying.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I would LOVE to work with a beauty or fashion brand that is looking for truly unique creative with a really strong conceptual base. It would be amazing for that to be an ongoing collaboration, where I could serve as a creative director to ensure the brand vision is coming to life properly. And being a consistent support for great clients is always fulfilling.
Q: What is your rate?
We have worked with a range of clients and budgets. Some have started as low as $800 and some have exceeded the $30k mark. We have a variety of services that can fit a lot of budgets and stages of business, and we work really hard to make sure that our clients are getting deliverables that are actually going to work for them.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
The easiest way to get in touch is to fill out this form on our website! Once that's done, we will set up a call to chat more and see if we'd be a good fit to work together.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I love Matthew Miller the most. He's a great example of the type of creative I strive to be.
instagram @bymatthewmiller
Kori Whitby is also AMAZING. She truly is the copy queen.
instagram @bykoriwhitby
Another favorite of mine is Berona! She's a super talented photographer who does some really stunning creative shoots.
instagram @beronamphoto
There are so many others but those are the people that consistently stand out to me!
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Observe stuff and limit rules!
This member profile was originally published in July 2022.