Today we’d like to introduce you to Elvis Sierra.
Hi Elvis, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story starts with a burned CD. My passion for art and design started when one of my cousins introduced me to graffiti. When I was younger, my family and I would take trips to the bay for the holidays. On one of these trips, I asked if my cousin could burn me a CD with all of his favorite rap music. The explicit versions, of course. I remember him handing me a CD with my name tagged on it. I was in fourth grade, so that was the first time I had ever seen anything like that. I was used to drawing things like spiderman and dragons. After seeing the CD, I gave up the dragons to learn how to write graffiti.
I kept that interest alive through high school. When I was about 14, I got into streetwear and skateboarding. I began to take interest in brands like The Hundreds, Supreme, Baker Skateboards, etc. I admired the graphics and each brand’s point of view, and I told myself I could do that, too. I was a part of two clothing brands in high school, one of which I started with my brother. We were designing the merchandise, sourcing the shirts, finding silk screen printers, shooting the merch, and launching mini advertising campaigns on social media. As a teen, I loved to hustle. I was also working a part-time job at the time, so I was constantly on the move.
After high school, I attended Otis College of Art and Design and studied graphic design. During my time there, I knew I wanted to merge my interests for design and business. I wanted to help create and shape brands through design and any other creative outlet. Along the way, I was able to land internships at some amazing advertising agencies like Day One Agency and The Many (formerly known as Mistress). I was able to soak up a lot of knowledge that has helped me to this day. I’ve been truly blessed to meet some amazing mentors along the way. Right before I graduated college, I found out that I was going to face my biggest challenge yet: fatherhood. Since then, my daughter has been my driving force and the one who pushed me to start De Nada Creative.
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?
The road was not smooth at all. A lot of ups and downs. Thankfully, at the moment, we’re up. I started my business after being laid off during the pandemic. I always wanted to start my own creative agency, and I feel like I was forced to do so sooner rather than later with the way things played out. During that time it was very difficult for me to stick to my decision due to the lack of clients or work that I was getting. Agencies were contacting me with job offers, which often sounded tempting, but deep down, I knew I had to keep pursuing my dream. The first year of starting my business was a lot of trial and error. I had to learn how to pitch to clients, value my work, learn when to turn down a job, and manage and hire people. My biggest challenge is definitely learning how to lead. In difficult situations, it’s up to me to stay positive and guide my team down the right path toward success.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about De Nada Creative?
We are a full-service agency based in Downtown Los Angeles, CA. Our staff has a strong advertising background; our staff has created for companies like Google, Stitchfix, Biofreeze, Qdoba, Chipotle, Bumble Bee Tuna and more.
De Nada translates to you’re welcome, you’re welcome to take risks, refresh or restart. Here at De Nada, we aspire to help businesses by providing a service that shakes up their industry. We look to create culture and help companies find their voice in order to reach their target audience adequately.
Lately, we’ve been building a lot of brand identities and websites but are looking for clients that are looking for creative campaigns to advertise their business. We pride ourselves in the relationship we build with our clients. We like to work together to come up with creative solutions rather than taking orders and cutting out the creative process. We welcome anyone with a vision and a dream. No task is too big or too small.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was interested in things that sparked my creativity. I was all over the place. I learned how to play the guitar, picked up acting for a little bit and finally dove into art and design. I also loved to talk, I would talk up a storm. There was just something about making people laugh or engaging someone through a conversation that I loved. It’s still something that I do to this day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: denadacreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/de_nada_creative/
