Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Pino.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Believe it or not, I did not go to school for Graphic Design or Web Design and Development. I began as a Political Science major with the idea of going to Law School. After a semester, that quickly changed to Psychology. While working on my Psychology degree, I began my minor in Communications with a concentration in Media Production. It was there where I met my best friend and began working on projects together. This was my first taste of being creative in college and I absolutely loved it. My mind would just come up with these ideas and I would make it happen. That’s when I decided to double major in both Psychology and Media Production. However, my creativity did not stop at creating videos. I remember taking a media class with Dr. Perry at Incarnate Word and we had to write a paper on any media topic and I chose “Objectification of Women in the Media.” I remember writing the paper and part of the rubric was that we needed a cover page. Instead of just turning in a white piece of paper with black text on it, I decided to design a magazine cover for my paper. That one assignment, changed my life. The words that Dr. Perry said to me that day, stuck with me to this day. He told me that I had a real talent and I needed to do something with it. I also knew I needed to explore it because I loved the creativity of design, it was totally different than media production. I started exploring further and there were a couple of design and web classes offered within my major as electives, however, there were not enough classes offered for me to really learn what I wanted. That is when I went to the school of graphic design to see what I needed to do to change majors and that same day found out it was impossible to do as I was already deep into my majors and would have had to pretty much start over. I was not going to let that stop me though. I started playing with the design software any chance I got, whether it be for a project. something for a friend, or something completely made up.
After graduating, a friend from college (now a lifelong friend) called me with an opportunity to be a Graphic Designer at a local non-profit. I jumped at the opportunity and submit my resume. I was hired later that week and began my first career post-college as a graphic designer. This opportunity was short lived. About 8 months later, due to financial issues, we all lost our jobs. I was sad, but I did not let that stop me. Not long after is when I decided to start Creative Eyedeas. This was 15 years ago, in 2007. It was started mostly as a “freelance” type gig because I didn’t feel I was at that level yet to go full-time. I also needed to pay the bills, so I needed a full-time career. That’s when I began teaching high school. I was hired at a local magnet high school as one of their visualization teachers. I taught graphic design, web design, audio/video production, and a portfolio course. I was able to share my knowledge of the design, web, video, and audio production fields with growing minds on a daily basis. I was also able to encourage my students to dream big and that they can achieve anything they set their mind to.
Fast forward to 2020, we are hit with a wild pandemic. I was still designing, but also working full-time to pay the bills. As a single mom of 3 girls, this changed everything. I had to figure out how to make it work with my girls now at home and also trying to transition from having a job to becoming my own full-time boss. I was scared, but I also wanted to be a role model for my girls. I wanted to show them that they can do whatever they put their heart, soul, and mind to. I wanted them to see how hard their mama worked to make things happen for them and how happy she was doing it. I also want to teach them what my parents taught me, “work hard for everything you want and things will happen.”
Come 2021, I finally decided it was time. I was ready to take Creative Eyedeas full-time. I began taking on bigger clients and securing new design, web, and brand management contracts. In the last two years, not only have I grown, but my business has grown. I’ve also continued to educate myself to keep up with the existing software changes and entirely new software.
Honestly, I would not be here today without the full support of my parents and family. From day one, they have always been my biggest cheerleaders. If you ask my dad about my design work, he will pull out his briefcase full of things I’ve designed. My parents are the two most influential people in my life. My mother, who has worked hard since she was little and worked until she was 70 years old. She made sure we always had the things we needed. And my father, who came to this country as a teenager and worked hard to build his American dream. The stories he has shared with me and witnessing my mom do all she did, fueled my passion for life and entrepreneurship. I also would not be where I am today and Creative Eyedeas would not be where it is today without some of the people I met during college. These amazing friends believed in me and my work and believe it or not, I am still working side-by-side with some of them today. I am beyond grateful for all of the opportunities I have had put in my path and I am so excited to continue to grow and to take Creative Eyedeas to a whole new level.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it has not been a smooth road. There are always struggles in life. Some harder than others, but I will never let that stop me. My parents instilled a lot of amazing values in me, one being my ambition. I was laid off, I encountered clients that didn’t value my work or my time, I encountered clients that never paid me for my work, and there are a lot of times I’ve heard “no.” None of that stopped me, it only made me stronger and more fueled my determination to make things happen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Specialities: We specialize in Graphic Design, Print Design, Branding/Identity Design, Web Design and Development, SEO, and Social Media Management.
Our attention to our clients and our attention to detail. I will never just “do the job.” Any work we do, must be held to the highest of standards before even taking in front of the client. That could be from choosing the right font(s), the perfect color palette, and then paying attention to the tiniest of details like alignment and spacing. Nothing is just arbitrarily picked, every choice made on any project has a reason.
I would also say that, we spend time getting to know the company or brand that we are contracted to do work with. We work with companies and brands who truly believe in their work, so we can truly believe in ours. I don’t believe in the traditional agency-to-client relationship. I know that truly unique and successful strategies that push the needle for a company come as a result of trust, transparency, and partnership.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I would also say that spending the time to get to know the company or brand that we are contracted to do work with. We work with companies and brands who truly believe in their work, so we can truly believe in ours. I don’t believe in the traditional agency-to-client relationship. I know that truly unique and successful strategies that push the needle for a company come as a result of trust, transparency, and partnership.
Contact Info:
- Email: paola@creativeeyedeas.com
- Website: www.creativeeyedeas.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativeeyedeas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativeeyedeas
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/creativeeyedeas
