I left two desirable corporate roles, as a senior designer at Nike and a creative director at PepsiCo, to start MLTI NYC, a multidisciplinary creative agency in New York. While this trajectory might seem unexpected, I have learned the value of doing my own thing.
Founding a company was not one single decision to leave my safe job and monthly paycheck. It was a series of many decisions. When things got tough, I could either throw in the towel, or I could double down on my commitment. I told myself: "Just start." And since then, I've told myself many times: "Just keep going." It's about persistence, but that doesn't mean you can't be open to change in the future.
After all, it's my career transitions that have brought me to where I am today and filled my network with lots of talented people, many of whom are now my clients. After experiencing disparities in different company cultures, I felt more equipped for the journey ahead.
When I left my job at PepsiCo, I didn't have agency experience, but I knew I wanted to start one. I educated myself, spoke to agency founders and freelanced for advertising agencies for around six months before officially starting MLTI NYC in May 2018.
Failure is inevitable along the way, but as long as you learn from your failures, then the path will lead you to success. I have realized that I have the ability to do whatever I set my mind to, as long as I trust the process and my own ability to figure things out. I now have a small team that flexes between 5 and 15 people. I want to keep it small and intimate, while also ensuring that we continue taking on bigger and better projects.
Entrepreneurship is empowering, and I love taking action and bringing an idea to fruition. For example, in addition to my creative agency MLTI NYC, I also started a side business, DWNTWN Run Co., after identifying a pain point in women's running apparel: a lack of storage. DWNTWN specializes in running bras with three pockets, where you can keep your phone, cards and keys. With both of my businesses, I'm creating with purpose and authenticity, and I believe in what I am doing, every step of the way.
I'm not a big believer in mapping everything out. Have goals, of course, but be open to the road twisting and winding. You'll learn along the way.