Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Wong.
Hi Stephanie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Originally from San Diego, I decided to move up north for college and studied at UC Davis, where I studied communications and writing (although I declared my major on the very last day possible!). This feels like an important moment in my story because I’m someone who has found it challenging to commit to one thing. I used to be insecure about this part of myself, but now, being in LA and out of my 20s, I’ve learned it’s more of a positive: to have a lot of interests and a colorful career path. After Davis, I moved to San Francisco, where I spent close to a decade. I stumbled into a career in social media and, for a long time, went down that path. It wasn’t until I started my own creative studio, the Bright Collective, where I knew I wanted to something that felt more meaningful. I began supporting entrepreneurs and creatives with brand strategy – from visuals to messaging to web development. At this time, my partner and I moved into this charming 1920s house in Atwater Village. I fell in love with renovating – both the interiors and the garden (I even created my own Instagram account @fincaglenfeliz). This was another inflection point in my life where I was ready to yet again, try something different. I followed my intuition and blindly reached out to the founder of ORCA; a landscape design studio based here in LA. I’ve been full-time for about a year now and haven’t looked back.
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?
I’m someone who has a lot of interests, and at times, I felt like I wasn’t an expert in anything. I was envious of certain friends who seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do, whereas I’ve had many moments in my career where I felt lost. Those have felt like the biggest challenges – just not knowing where I’m headed. I’ve found patience and following your curiosity to being one of the best ways to move forward.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider myself a multi-hyphenate at my core. Currently, I’m the Brand Director at ORCA, a yoga teacher, a community member of By Way of Us, and a home renovating enthusiast. The majority of my time is spent at ORCA, which is a landscape design studio and outdoor product studio for life without walls. I feel grateful I found this sweet spot where my passion for design and gardens intersected with my background in brand and marketing.
However, my journey, like so many creatives, has not been linear. I started my career in San Francisco working on the social team at POPSUGAR. From there, I moved to a startup called Peerspace and got a taste for startup culture. After Peerspace, I worked at Minted as a social media manager and then MADE PR, a boutique communications agency repping brands like Timbuk2, Fellow Coffee, and CA Olive Oil Ranch.
Then Covid happened, and my partner and I uprooted our lives and moved to Los Angeles. During this time, I started the Bright Collective, a creative studio focused around brand strategy. As a consultant, I loved getting to work with a variety of clients and enjoyed the freedom of running my own business. At this time, I started to renovate my 1920s Spanish-style house and became obsessed with design and, in particular, landscape design. Living in Los Angeles, we’re so lucky we get to be outdoors and stay connected with nature. I was starting to feel burnt out by the freelance/consulting lifestyle and longed for a team and a career that felt more meaningful. That’s when on a whim, I reached out to ORCA. I love being on a team and getting to work out of our studio in Highland Park.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
I consider myself someone who is able to take risks. I’ve tried the more corporate environment and soon realized while the stability and resources were nice, it wasn’t for me. I decided to start my own business and take on clients, something that happened organically. To me, going down the path as an entrepreneur or creative feels like the less safe option. There’s no manual or clear path forward, which can feel scary for a lot of people. It’s not for everyone, but I’ve found following my curiosity and taking risks gets you a whole lot closer to finding work that aligns with your values.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.orcaliving.com/
- Instagram: Personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/stephmwong/, ORCA IG: instagram.com/orcaliving.com, Home IG: instagram.com/fincaglenfeliz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemwong/
Image Credits
Jenelle Fong
ComePlum
