Life & Work with Dana Cariello

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Cariello.

Hi Dana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t curious – my attraction to finding the most riveting, exciting insert something here is vast and unyielding. Nothing is ever off-limits. That curiosity drew me to almost everything growing up. I read mountains of books, watched hours of documentaries, and was such a chatterbox to strangers. Hours of my childhood were spent outdoors simply wandering the world within a 10-mile radius of my house. Even today, I love plopping myself in a new section of Los Angeles and simply getting lost. All that being said, that curiosity, paired with the artistic mindset I was gifted with truly set me up for a creative-driven life. I was absorbing all of this stuff constantly and art quickly became an outlet for me to express my reaction to it all.

From a very young age, I was an advanced illustrator, completing realistic portraits by the time I was barely a teenager. In parallel, I grew up with my mother running her own company. That introduced a business mindset I equally thrived in. High School had me in both AP Art and a Marketing Academy. When it was time to go to college, I already knew I wanted to work in Fashion. One of the first things I saw when I got access to the internet was Alexander McQueen’s work – I never looked back. It was tough finding a program that allowed me to be both creative and analytical until one of my teachers suggested I look into Fashion Marketing. I ran with that and got the opportunity to attend The Savannah College of Art & Design. Sparing the details of an undergrad degree, it truly set me up to grow into the career I was yearning for. I moved out to Los Angeles imminently after graduation and have been so thankful for every second here.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all!! I moved out to Los Angeles, a fresh baby from college. I only knew one soul, had no idea what living in a big city was like, and LA kicked my ass. The first job I worked post-grad was such a b*tch slap of reality. The bubble college has you in is nothing compared to how things are in the real world. SCAD set me up with an incredible foundation professionally, but working a real adult job was the life training I needed to grow. My biggest struggle was having imposter syndrome – nothing was ever good enough for the standards I held myself to. I kept reaching higher, faster, more, more, more. Breaks or vacations were nonexistent. As you can guess, that was the ideal recipe for burnout. I still struggle with rest to this day. Luckily, Los Angeles has a slower lifestyle than compared to the East Coast, so I am finding it easier to take a beat.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am forever and always a hybrid – the cross-section between creative and analytics is where I thrive. From my internships in college to now, I am deeply entwined in DTC. I was thrown into the world of E-commerce upon graduation and truly enjoy working in this industry. The only constant when it comes to this career is change. I am never bored with the day-to-day market shifts. I would say I am known for being a bit of an organizational freak. Spreadsheets are my babies, please, don’t ever take those from me. Joking aside, that level of detail, paired with the fact that I can speak to/from creatives has truly set me apart throughout my career. I was the only student in my internship that held their own in both the designer and marketing meetings with no issues. I am most proud of what I have built in my career within such a short time. Not many 20-somethings can say they had the opportunity to build a business from scratch and it grow into multiple, profitable storefronts within five years.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The people you allow in your life are the ones that should inspire you to be a better person. Being in complete isolation showed me quickly who my true friends were. I came out of quarantine with some of the strongest bonds I have ever had with any circle. I was able to reconnect with so many people I haven’t spoken to in years.

On the other hand, that period allowed for plenty of internal reflection and growth I am incredibly thankful for. I feel like I was forced to face myself in ways I never expected. Opening myself to those conversations was difficult but ultimately allowed me to heal in ways I never thought possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: CarielloDana.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danacariello/?hl=en