Rising Stars: Meet Mariia Osipova of Laguna Niguel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariia Osipova

Hi Mariia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved to America three years ago from Ukraine because of the war. The city I lived in, Kharkiv, is located on the border with Russia, and staying there was no longer safe. In Ukraine, I worked at an IT company as a UI/UX designer, but after moving to America, I had to start my life from scratch, which turned out to be a big challenge.

I arrived in California alone—my family stayed in Ukraine. I had some acquaintances here, and I knew the language at a conversational level. However, I couldn’t find a job in my industry as a UI/UX designer, so I started researching the market—what’s popular here, what the business trends are, how the system works. There is a significant difference, of course.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This journey has been incredibly challenging. If I had known how different the system of life is here, I might not have moved to the States. Take job searching, for example—I never imagined it would be so difficult to find a job in general, even if you speak the language. I had never encountered a situation where looking for a job could take anywhere from four to eight months. I had the opportunity to work as a designer for an American company here for about three months. At that time, I worked as a waitress at a café in the mornings, and after my shift, I would come home and create designs for the website.

The cost of living here is also something to consider. You constantly have to smile and engage in small talk, which I wasn’t used to. Europeans tend to be more serious, but perhaps also more sincere in their interactions. I’m still adjusting to the mentality here.

Another challenge is being so far from family and friends. I was completely alone for almost two years. It was only when I started working in marketing that I began making more new friends.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I realized that even in the IT market, finding a job without connections is nearly impossible. So I began studying how social media marketing works here. However, as I later understood, social media as a sales tool is still in its early stages in the U.S., whereas in Europe, every business relies heavily on Instagram and recognizes its importance.

Visuals matter. And in my opinion, this is something the American market is lacking.

Since I have experience in design and a strong sense of visual aesthetics, I understand how visuals, marketing, and trends work. That’s why I started filming videos for social media, businesses, influencers, and brands—essentially creating content, as it’s commonly called now.

I also have experience managing social media, from developing content plans to running ads. By developing my own unique style for profiles, designing stories, posts, and growing pages. I’ve worked on graphic design as well. Right now, I’m actively growing in this field. Filmmaking has inspired me to realize that I’d love to create commercial videos in the style of mini-movies. I admire what well-known brands are doing with their product advertisements—they present them as stories.

Currently, I work on profile visuals, shoot and edit videos, and often come up with my scripts and ideas. I believe I do it quite well. I have acquaintances in the film industry, and when I showed them my work, they gave me quite positive feedback.
However, I am always my own biggest critic. I already have several publications in digital fashion magazines—collaborative projects with models.
I’ve changed many jobs here, from being a waitress to working at a hotel reception. Right now, I’m combining my growth in marketing with a simple job at a hotel front desk. This experience also gives me the opportunity to study the American mentality and better understand the culture.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
no

Contact Info:

• Website: http://behance.net/maryosipova
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocean_visual?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-osipova-3072581ba?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
Photographer Kate Krylova
Samples of visual work Maria Osipova