Today we’d like to introduce you to Linny Monteiro.
Hi Linny, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in a small beach town in Santa Catarina, a state in the south of Brazil. My parents owned a magazine in my hometown and that’s where the dream of learning other languages and the curiosity of seeing different cultures came to life. With my parents’ support, I moved abroad when I was 20 years old.
I resided in Miami for almost 10 years, where I became fluent in English and Spanish. I attended the University of Miami for Business Communications studies and The Arts Institute for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic & Web Design. Living in Miami for many years definitely played a big part of who I am today, a city that is so culturally blended and colorful, full of life and music, it was very inspiring to live and work there.
After a few years of being a designer and art director in Miami, I was ready to fly higher and take new risks, and that’s when in 2019 I decided to move to Los Angeles to live and work among the most creative professionals in the world.
In 2021 with the growth of social media platforms, I started working with Reality TV Show personalities, like Indy Santos–the first Brazilian-born to be on CBS’s show Big Brother– and other influencers and brands, offering content creation, creative direction, branding and other marketing services, and that’s when I left my full-time job and opened The Cali Agency.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Between the culture clash, language barrier, immigration processes, it was everything but a smooth road.
Following your dreams is never easy, but truly satisfying. All the struggles I went through made me who I am today, and is one of the reasons why I’ve decided to open a marketing agency that focuses on voices and brands from BIPOC communities.
Many times I found myself where I was the only Latinx in the room, or that I had to work harder to show my skills and advance in my career because of my accent or the fact that I’m an immigrant. There is still a lack of representation from BIPOC, and it’s time to change that.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Cali Agency. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The main reason why I opened The Cali Agency is to work with multicultural voices and brands.
As of right now, we offer all our marketing services in 3 languages (Portuguese, Spanish and English), and we have a team from Mexico and Brazil. We are mainly focusing on content creation and branding for influencers and brands.
I love concepting–combining research, strategic thinking, empathic listening and design to create meaningful, effective work. We are very proud to be a women-owned agency and to be able to work with creators and inclusive brands.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Not everyone knows but I actually have twin sisters that are also in the creative field and majored in Film Production. We’ve been collaborating in creative projects for a few years now, documentaries, production and commercials, and it feels good to work together with my siblings. We really love what we do, and it shows in our work and in our lives.
In my free time, I enjoy painting, mostly abstract art. I love mixing up colors, acrylic, spray paint to come up with different techniques on canvas. There is something very therapeutic about painting and not having rules on what you can create. As Picasso said: “Learn the rules like a Pro, so you can break them like an artist.”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thecaliagency.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecaliagency/
Image Credits
Paulo Macedo Paulo Macedo Paulo Macedo Peter Borguer – Caju Brasil CBS
