Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Alvarez Gibson.
Hi Emma, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m a writer and branding strategist who spent years convincing people to buy things. Slowly, I’ve meandered my way into much more meaningful work that honors human connection, reflection, and transformation. Born in Torrance and raised in various parts of the South Bay, I learned English and Spanish simultaneously and grew up in a multicultural, multiIingual, multipassionate home, all of which informs my approach to life. Living between worlds, neither here nor there but simultaneously everywhere, creates a need for and a prioritization of belonging, of inclusivity. My writing has been featured in print and online magazines, newspapers, and anthologies, and I’ve helmed both print and online publications. I’m the founder and creative director for Crow Haus, my boutique marketing firm. I am also the communications and marketing director for a local nonprofit that is doing beautiful things. In my spare time I’m writing a novel.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Crow Haus came about on the heels of another agency, Dossier, started six months before COVID hit. My then-business partner and I managed to do pretty well that first year, in spite of everything, but business slowed to a crawl thereafter. At some point, my partner said she wasn’t interested in heading up an agency anymore, so we parted ways (amicably; we’re still very close). I created Crow Haus in 2023 and (let me know when this starts to sound familiar) did pretty well at first. By the time April of this year rolled around, I’d lost the bulk of my income thanks to the “DEI IS VERY BAD” stance and related threats coming out of D.C. around that. Small businesses are my favorites, but one of the drawbacks is that when the world is on fire and the economy is behaving accordingly, no one is looking to spend any money on branding and marketing. That’s just the reality. I’m lucky to have found full-time work doing what I love in a field that means the world to me—and still be able to take on the occasional Crow Haus client!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I specialize in branding, design, and copywriting for small businesses; I create everything from brand identities to marketing collateral; from social media campaigns to blog posts. My clients say that I just get it, that my ability to see them and share in their vision borders on the spooky, and that working with me is easy and fun. I believe in high-touch service for every single client, regardless of budget or project. My process is hands-on, collaborative, and deeply human. I ask hard questions. I listen for what goes unsaid. And then, as your partner, I create something that is true, beautiful, and bears your unique signature, whatever that may be.
What I’m most proud of the breadth and depth of work I’ve done, and for the broad variety of clients I’ve worked with. That includes project briefs like, “The character in my film script is lying about his name, and he’s speaking Spanish, and also it needs to be funny,” and, “I need 30-40 royalty-free images for my skincare website and they need to have a witchy vibe,” and even, “Help! I just realized our marketing brochure has typos in it and also it looks like 1996!” I’ve done work for teaching hospitals, indie perfumers, therapists, legendary authors, music magazines, property-tax organizations, auto companies, and graduate schools.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Imagine a kid who was equal parts Pippi Longstocking, Shirley Temple, and Natasha Lyonne’s Nadia from Russian Doll—but also wildly sensitive and deeply nerdy. I got obsessed with music early—like memorizing Simon & Garfunkel songs in preschool early. In grade school I created a magazine called Superkid! with fake interviews and fake ads, and by middle school I’d started dyeing my hair black and listening to Peter Murphy. In high school I won a bunch of journalism awards: My grand plan was to move to New York, work at Sassy Magazine, and live that cool-girl-writer dream… but Sassy went under, and I realized I actually didn’t want to leave Los Angeles. So here I am—still mixing mischief, feeling everything deeply, and turning all that wonder and chaos into words and images.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crowhaus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvarezgibson
- Other: https://www.alvarezgibson.com
