Rising Stars: Meet Caileigh Blake-Christo of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Caileigh Blake-Christo.

Hi Caileigh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Going to school for graphic design has allowed my creative work to cover industries from luxury to wellness and lifestyle to music media. My professional career started with freelancing as a Graphic Designer. Through networking, I added Creative Director, Social Media Manager, and Content Creator to my skillset. Within these industries, I noticed a pattern: these companies needed assistance in brand development and creative direction. And thankfully, those are two roles I really enjoy. My favorite parts of creative direction are putting together mood boards, prop sourcing, styling, and seeing the final edits. I like being a part of any creative process. Collaboration and helping bring a vision to life is not only fun but so so fulfilling. Seeing an idea become reality is beyond magical.

More recently, Digital Marketing Manager was added to my credentials and I’m grateful to that boss because he took a chance on me. I wasn’t sure about the role, at first, because I didn’t have all of the knowledge to run the website or schedule emails. Luckily, I had amazing coworkers and my creative problem solving skills to assist me in succeeding in the role. I led the rebrand of their logos, created a new email structure, helped with creative direction on photoshoots, and managed content calendars to keep everything on schedule. While I enjoy being creative, I also have an organized side and my time as a Digital Marketing Manager fulfilled both that creative and organizational need.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My creative career hasn’t been the smoothest road but smooth roads don’t promote growth or learning. Interviewing for corporate roles and meeting new clients have both been bumpy experiences.

Applying for jobs and interviewing has been stressful. As a Graphic Designer, a lot of the roles I see lump 3 or 4 roles into one. It seems that companies want the most bang for their buck, but it’s clear from those job descriptions that they aren’t looking for quality. I don’t apply to those jobs because those companies would not take care of me as an employee. I’ve also been ghosted more times than I can count. When that happens, I look at it as a good thing because, if they can’t communicate from the get go, then who knows what my experience would be if I got the job.

My freelance journey in acquiring new clients has mostly been through happenstance. Some I’ve met through social media, some through friends, and some have been coworkers who want to build their own brands and want my help. Working with founders to develop their brand is my forte, and I’ve found the most successful collaborations have been with founders who are consistent and clear with their ideas. Graphic design is a form of visual communication and it can be frustrating when a client, instead, wants me to read their mind. When I don’t have clear direction, asking questions is key to not wasting my own time. Some clients have been open and willing to hear feedback while others didn’t want to admit their own faults. That’s when I know the collaboration won’t move forward after the current project.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a creative thinker, it’s important for me to be collaborative, adaptable, and think outside of the box. Specializing in brand development and creative direction allows me to zoom out and see things from multiple perspectives. I truly feel like the magic happens through problem solving and being surrounded by the right people. I enjoy working closely with others and bouncing ideas around. Sometimes the ideas go nowhere, and other times, it’s in that playfulness that unexpected breakthroughs happen. For example, I was working on a photoshoot for a flatlay campaign and my creative direction saved a concept that wasn’t translating well. The shot used spools of thread with stud earrings poked in to display the jewelry, but the studs wouldn’t stay on the spools. My bosses were ready to scrap the idea but not before I suggested wrapping personalized necklaces around the thread instead. The new idea worked immediately. Personalization is at the core of this company, so it actually made the shot more on-brand than the original idea. The photo ended up being a favorite and ran on Instagram, email, and as the website header. I’m proud of myself for being a creative thinker and not giving up on ideas so easily.

Having creative outlets outside of work is also important to me. Creating or doing something just for fun allows me to exercise different creative muscles while also taking a step back from the stress and pressure of my job. While being a professional in a creative field is fun, sometimes I can get exhausted or even blocked. To overcome this, I make sure to take necessary breaks for my mental health. I enjoy collaging, filming and editing funny videos, puzzles, walks in nature, and journaling. All of these things help me come back to myself after working on a project. I also think these other creative outlets help me problem solve in my professional work. It’s all about balance.

What does success mean to you?
I define success as persistence and not giving up. It’s an ongoing journey, not something you arrive at. I am successful because I am constantly learning and growing as I strive to achieve my goals. Once you achieve a goal, you can keep going, and I think that’s also what success means: not staying where you are. To me, failure isn’t the opposite of success, because failing means you still tried. I think failure means you figured out how not to do something, and that can help you not make the same mistakes in the future. Those lessons can later aid in your success.

My professional success means being happy, fulfilled, and free. Right now, my goal is to work with a company and clients that meet that criteria. I want to work for brands in industries I am interested in, who have integrity, and show me I am valued. Measuring that success also means it creatively challenges me, helping me to learn and grow. I want to feel content and emotionally stable with whatever it is I’m doing, not operating on autopilot. I also think success requires a lot of self trust. My decisions influence my success and I have trust in myself to get me where I want to go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.caileighbc.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caileigh-bc

Image Credits
Lauren Weiss
Irida Mete