Meet Liz Marie

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Marie.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
In kindergarten, I wanted to be an artist. My father is a musician, and we always struggled to make ends meet. Creativity was always humming through my veins, but the unspoken message was clear: don’t try to do something creative for money.

I was a great student, so I resigned myself to a highly academic path. It wasn’t until I was in college at UCLA that I completely stumbled into marketing (a way to get paid to be creative). I got accepted pre-med on a full-ride for Air Force ROTC and graduated a Communications, and Spanish double major and armed forces reject. It was quite a transformation.

I always knew I could write, and that led me to an internship during my sophomore year at a boutique branding agency called MBC Strategic (shout out!) that changed my life. On my very first day, the founder Matt Brunini gave me a book called The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier, and from that moment I was hooked.

Over the next ten years at MBC, I learned everything I could about branding, working my way up to Director of Brand Strategy. I started in copy and messaging, then went to grad school and studied design. I would start with the research, build a brand strategy, define the messaging and the creative direction, and then execute it all. It was a blast.

In 2017, I needed a new challenge, and I joined Griffin Capital as the in-house Creative Director. Then last year, I launched a passion project called Morning Sunshine, focused on helping more positive lives. Ironically, that led me right back to my own passion — brand strategy — so I’m building a consultancy focused on helping brands, and the people that run them, grow and reach their full potential.

Please tell us about your art.
I used to take type and some graphics and create a logo. Today, I take people’s dreams and ambitions and create that reality. Everything I do is about spreading positive energy, inspiring people to pursue their dreams, and giving them the resources they need to do that. I help everyday people and brands find their purpose, tell their story and reach their goals.

For businesses, that means crafting a creative strategy that captures the heart of who they are, resonates with their customers and stand out from their competitors. Brand is powerful. There is so much research that proves that a clear purpose, a strong culture, storytelling, prioritizing the customer, and creating more value are ALL tied to stronger performance and higher growth rates for your business.

I’m especially passionate about working with female- and minority-led businesses because I believe equity and representation matter.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
When I was young, I had no idea there were so many opportunities to pursue a creative path that didn’t doom you to the life of a starving artist. For me, the answer came in finding totally different ways to apply my creativity in order to solve real-life problems.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My website lizmariestrategy.com features case studies, insights, and resources about brand strategy.

My Instagram @hellolizmarie is where I give daily doses of inspiration centered around growth, goals, purpose, and positivity.

Contact Info:

• Website: lizmariestrategy.com
• Phone: 310-439-8602
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: instagram.com/hellolizmarie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellolizmarie
• Twitter: twitter.com/hellolizmarie
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellolizmarie/

Image Credit:
Photographer: Jason Taylor

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