Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Gabor.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Shannon. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
From as early as I can remember, creativity and art were always an integral part of who I was and what led me to my first role at an agency focused on QSR (quick service restaurant) and entertainment promotions.
I started at the bottom and worked my way to the top of that creative team—kind of like Drake, haha. It always felt natural to mix my creative side with my love for consumer behavior, which eventually led me to working in-house for a brand as a packaging designer on the world’s most iconic doll of all time, Barbie.
Several years into that role, I had the ‘itch’ as I like to call it to take on more, to make a bigger impact, and to finally build the creative team I dreamt of when I was looking to bring on a partner while I was still working at Mattel. In 2005, Clever Creative was born, and I have never looked back.
Has it been a smooth road?
Every entrepreneurial journey has a road of its own. I have been fortunate that my road although unpaved when I began, has been relatively smooth. There have been moments, where the road divides, and I had to make impactful decisions on how to proceed. Whether it be uncomfortable growth, upleveling leadership in myself or others in my agency, or evaluating client work that was suitable for our talents. As of recent, we are feeling the effects of mergers and acquisitions of the large entertainment studios. However, it provides us time to reflect on how to evolve those long-term relationships as well as look to other new emerging industries to put our agency development focus.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Clever Creative, Inc. Tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Clever Creative is a woman-owned and operated creative agency in the heart of Los Angeles. Since our start, we have set out to simplify the agency process and truly commit to building a genuine relationship with our clients and partners. Our immersion process into understanding the challenge and brand need allows us to activate people-first and put the human connection back at the center of branding. Our life experiences influence our approach to design and allow us to brand for real people with real needs in the real world… not just a product or creative brief. We like to say that regardless of size, we move needles for our clients and mountains when we have to.
With today’s moving consumer pace, brands must get integrated and added value from their agency. This means that you must be able to prove business value, work with speed and agility and provide top-level creative solutions to uplevel the brands purpose.
To build our award-winning team of talent we tap into people who come with hybrid skills, expertise and align with our values. As experts in the space, we must be in tune with all markets, be passionate consumers and lifelong learners. This allows Clever to engage, build and impact brands in entertainment, wellness, cannabis, CPG, non-profit and beyond. I believe that brands are looking for extensions of their in-house teams and Clever is proud over the past 14 years to be just that for incredible clients who see our value, trust our expertise and appreciate your truth and candor.
What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
Cooking with my mom, especially food from her background, including Guatemalan style tamales and empanadas. I recall many weekends where my dad would be playing guitar, filling the house with The Beatles while she filled it with delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, making us hungry for days. I am so blessed and grateful to have been raised in such a loving, supportive, fun and happy house with my parents and three sisters. The values that I was provided since birth are the same values that I have used to build my career.
I believe that there is little, if no separation, to how you professionally activate from how you played and solved problems growing up.
Contact Info:
- Website: clevercreative.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Rachel Thurston Photography
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