Meet Adeniz Villar of Story Place Media in Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adeniz Villar.

Adeniz, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My career in Marketing evolved after working in a few different arenas. I began as a buyer in the apparel industry working with contemporary women’s and men’s brands. Witnessing the surge of social media and its effect on brand exposure and revenue growth, I quickly learned the in’s and out’s of the emerging media landscape. I decided to teach myself all things social, soon learning I had a knack for creating content. Shortly after, I was offered the role of Director of e-Commerce and Marketing for LA-based retailer Kitson. In a short time, I doubled the brand’s Instagram following, created strong influencer partnerships and marketed successful events. I soon began receiving business inquiries across several different industries and I realized, I wanted to creatively tell each of their stories. I spent the next few years freelancing, consulting and collaborating with inspiring people and brands, all of which led me to eventually start my own company, Story Place Media.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Hands down this journey have been a rollercoaster. There were several moments of “what the hell am I doing?” and “Should I change careers?” I’ve had crazy good days and super low days which I think is normal for everyone, business owner or not.

One of the biggest challenges was knowing my worth. Putting a value on what you do isn’t easy especially in this digital space. And there’s no rule book or set of guidelines so you’re kind of left to figure it out on your own. I’ve struggled with wanting to say yes to every client even ones who could only afford a quarter of my rate because I wanted the business but I’ve learned that can be detrimental to my business. It’s all a learning process.

Fortunately, I have a great network of friends and colleagues whom I’ve been able to reach out to and get some advice from.

Also, it’s so tough to not get caught up in competition. I learned a long time ago to keep my eyes on my own desk. There are going to be a ton of other agencies out there who do who I do but I tell myself, “they’re not you!” And as cliche, as it sounds, it’s true. While it’s been challenging at times to keep my eyes on my own desk, it’s done wonders for my self-esteem.

And honestly, one of my biggest struggles is setting aside time for myself. I absolutely love what I do and I’m constantly in work mode. Monday mornings are the same as Saturday nights when it comes to working. Being a business owner, I don’t have a clock out button. So, I’m constantly struggling to find a balance.

I’ve had a myriad of other struggles and each one has been a learning lesson. I think we’re always going to be tested and have challenges along the way. And because of that, I’ve learned that no matter what curveballs are headed my way, I’ve got to stay positive and believe in myself.

Please tell us about Story Place Media.
It’s funny because I get asked, “what do you do?” often and I feel like it’s kind of a mouth full when I say it. I’ll spare you the long version here readers 😉 Essentially, I run a creative marketing agency that specializes in content marketing and social media strategy. We create content from start to finish for brands and individuals and through that visual content we set out to tell each client’s story. We also manage social platforms including community management and influencer collaborations.

I think what sets us apart from other agencies is that we strive to tell a story and strive to make a connection with each audience through that story. There’s a huge misperception about social media and what it can do for you. People think it’s a place to sell and promote products which it can help drive sales, yes, but I think that’s secondary to what social media’s purpose is. And to me, social media is a place to share stories and connect. I think that by doing that, you’re creating a relationship with individuals and from that relationship, you’ve built trust. And once you’ve built that trust only then can you offer your products and will generate business from that.

I also think that brands and “influencers” forget that when they create content it needs to be humanizing and relatable and if you’re going to ask your audience to buy something then it has to be something that’s going to benefit them. It’s important to ask yourself “How is this going to serve them?” Because if you don’t know, then it’s likely they won’t know and won’t buy what you’re offering. So at Story Place Media, we set out to make sure we’re not only creating a story about each brand and their product but engaging, connecting and providing value to each audience member.

One thing I’m proud of is being able to educate. I have an infinite love for storytelling and connecting with people and I’ve had brands and other business owners reach out to me for advice and education. Providing knowledge that helps someone else grow, is a really great feeling.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over what would I have done differently? Hmm… I’m not sure I like that question. Only because it sets us up for thinking about a scenario that will never exist. We can’t go back and do things differently so why think about it? I strive to look forward and not dwell on the past. I’m not one to perseverate on things I could have done differently instead I try to learn from each situation and take that knowledge and apply it to the next thing. I kind of like the struggles at times because it means, I’m learning evolving and to me, that’s really the only way to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.storyplace.media/
• Email: adeniz@storyplace.media
• Instagram: @storyplace.media
• Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/storyplacemedia/

Image Credit:
Marie Buck Photography

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