Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassia Marina.
Hi Cassia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Back in 2016, as luck would have it, I fell flat on my face after having left my job and some entrepreneurial investments and activities did not work out as I would have hoped.
As a mother of two small kids at the time, I had to figure out something and figure it out fast! What I always had was my hands and creativity. All I needed was my laptop and an internet connection to start my online business in opening a digital design studio.
And this is where the online business strategist journey began because I fell in love with how having a business on the internet can empower women, not to mention minority women.
Technology is truly a great equalizer, it levels the playing field and that’s just what it did for a black woman and mother of two. Ever since I started I noticed that was also my niche and it became an integral part of my brand’s messaging “women’s empowerment through online business”.
Today, I work with and empower women through intentional brand strategy and visuals from all over the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, it has definitely not been a smooth road. I like to describe Entrepreneurship like a roller coaster. I went from a design studio offering brand and wedding invitations to web design and social media graphics to being a full-service brand agency and consultancy, offering Brand Strategy VIP Days and Web Design Services.
It’s impossible not to pivot through adversary, growth and an ever-changing digital world.
One of the many challenges for creative businesses is the feast and famine cycle, mental health in a world of hustle culture and creative burnout from the world wanting more, more and more. Not to mention these algorithms wanting more and more. The mental toll of the pandemic and the uncertainty of it all. I had to slow all the way down in 2021 to 2022.
And lastly, one of the most important challenges is believing yourself, putting yourself out there and keeping on in running your race when you are feeling to quit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a graphic designer by trade but at my core, I’m a design thinker and creative entrepreneur whose work spans visual brand identity, brand strategy, web design, creative direction, visual conceptualizing, content creation, podcasting and more.
While proudly born and bred in the beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago, I spent all of my childhood years growing up between Trinidad, Tobago, New York, Michigan and Canada. And as such this exposure has heavily influenced my perspective on my identity, my work and the desire to operate in a global and digital way.
I had dreams and eyes set on attending a prestigious art school in NYC, the School of Visual Arts (SVA), but being raised by a pensioner, this was not possible. Instead as life would have it, I found myself as an understudy to a Creative Director and Ad Agency owner. Here is where I learned the ropes of design, copywriting, marketing and the agency world and where my love for corporate-level branding was ignited.
What most people don’t know about me is that I worked on the copy for many corporate press ads. Little did I know how that skill would become useful in today’s digital marketing world where storytelling is key. Eventually, I was able to attend a local college part-time to get formal training in the field of graphic design.
I have experience working with brands such as Repsol, Nestle Caribbean, Catelli, Chaguaramas Development Authority, Huawei, WiPay Caribbean and working with women-owned small business owners to design, develop and launch their brands online. I’ve hosted branding and online business workshops and published a branding workbook.
In the creative world, the success of any project needs great project management and as such I fell in love with Asana to manage creative projects so much that I became an Asana Certified Pro Consultant.
I am also the creator and host of the podcast Tea Time with Cassia Marina, a podcast that started as being a place to dish the tea on all things branding and online business tips and strategies, has evolved into a space for both productivity and wellness to build a holistic approach to finding meaning and purpose in our work.
I am passionate about personal development and mental health because as someone who grew up without her parents, I have had to work through a lot. Nothing was handed to me in the least. As an INFJ personality type and empath I believe my story and my empathy is what makes me the designer, creative entrepreneur and master of my craft.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the weather and the magic that happens in realizing dreams, much like New York City. Can’t think of anything I do not like really besides how superficial things can be.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cassiamarina.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_cassiamarina/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassia-marina
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/_cassiamarina
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cassiamarina
Image Credits
Kyle Archibald Photography
