Rising Stars: Meet Ayse Nazli Donmez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayse Nazli Donmez.

Ayse, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, a truly unique and dynamic city with a fascinating history and cultural richness that continues to inspire my creative passions. The experience of calling such a complex and endlessly interesting place home played an integral role in shaping who I am today and instilled an affinity for art, cinema, and the study of culture and history in me at an early age, intensified by a deep fascination with all forms of storytelling. 

Over the years, I have remained committed to this sense of curiosity as I experienced the transformative power of art, films, and books firsthand. My desire to decode the workings of the systems and the minds that give us cultural products and experiences that can move, motivate, and even disturb audiences evolved into a vocation. I became interested in understanding how to make something profound and captivating, as well as profitable, for its creator, the platform through which it’s presented, and, in a less literal sense, for its consumer. 

That’s how I ended up here, driven by this hunger to learn, produce, and influence. I’m now pursuing a multi-disciplinary career in the entertainment, arts, and events industries, along with a Doctorate in Business Administration, aligned with that urge to create and make it possible for others to convey and realize their visions. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a career in an incredibly competitive environment is a challenging feat in any scenario. When you add the pandemic effect especially and certain limitations one faces as an expat to the mix, the road sure does get a bit more bumpier, but I have no complaints. I see those struggles and redirections as opportunities to grow, develop resilience and resourcefulness, and learn new skills. My academic and professional career trajectory and my journey as a creative took so many exciting turns thanks to those bumps on the road, and I’m grateful for them. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work on creative marketing, advertising, branding, and promotion projects for the entertainment industry. These include trailers, teasers, posters, billboards, digital ads, social media campaigns for film and television, publicity event design, and production for brands and studios that create the cultural products we all love. It’s really fun getting the pieces of a puzzle together, tailoring stories, and always finding new ways to communicate their essence with artistic integrity and innovation while simultaneously considering the desires and dispositions of our target audience and our client’s expectations. 

Before the pandemic, I specialized in curating and producing experiences and events that bring creatives across different industries together, like exhibitions, international art fairs, and festivals, in addition to experiential marketing projects for a variety of brands, including Maserati, TAO Group, and Jimmy Choo. 

I plan to shift more of my focus to that and utilize my skills as a storyteller and marketer to create meaningful experiences, platforms, and opportunities for fellow creators who share my passion for art and film. There are several projects, ideas, and potential partnerships I’m currently working on, some integrating AI, so I’m excited for those next steps. I’ve been taking writing more seriously, too, recently. Looking forward to what will come out of it. 

I think my international background, understanding of different cultures, my innovative and hardworking spirit, and my ability to bring a vision to life through collaborative effort and to always keep a professional mentality in a creative and fast-paced industry are qualities that set me apart and the things that I’m most proud of! 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Luck has played a tremendous role in my life and business. I can’t underestimate my good fortune – I’m beyond grateful that I was born into a supportive family, had access to resources that allowed me to flourish, and was equipped with the right foundation and opportunities to pursue my passions and goals surrounded by people who believe in me and my vision, versus focusing on survival every day, like so many unfortunately have to. 

I believe that fortune favors the bold, too. The more you say yes, the more willing you are to go out of your comfort zone and take risks, and the more you get up after your fall, the luckier you will get. I think there’s hardly a time that you won’t be rewarded for having grit, resilience, a good work ethic, optimism, curiosity, and a general lust for life that you channel into productive pursuits. You make your own luck by investing in yourself and your talents and strengths. 

That said, like everyone else on Earth, I also had moments when things felt truly out of control, and I doubted whether I was on the right path. To my surprise, every time I felt this way, something unexpected and positive came my way, restoring my faith in my journey and giving me the strength to keep going: a new job, a new connection that inspired me, someone who was moved by my work, an act of kindness or a show of genuine interest becoming a huge opportunity… what more proof would one need to consider herself lucky? 

Image Credits
Ali Gokay Sarioz