In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting one member of the Moira Team each week. To start off, meet Clemencia Herrera, the CEO and Creative Director of Moira Studio!
Describe yourself in three words.
Clemencia Herrera: Passionate, student, complicated (haha)
What’s your morning ritual?
CH: Most days, I wake up at 5am–that way I have enough time for myself before the madness ensues. I shower, have breakfast (typically crackers and cottage cheese with a glass of almond milk with double shot of espresso–I have a machine I love at home). I usually like to read a book or magazine (NatGeo or The Economist) while eating. Once I’m finished I go into our guest bedroom where my old office used to be, I set up a small quiet space there. I light a candle and meditate for 20 minutes. I’ve found it is the one thing that helps me keep my wits about when things get to be a bit much. After that I head to the office, I try to be there at around 7/7:30am. I look at my emails, then Asana, organize my day, and make sure I know what the team has pending. I like to take advantage of the quiet hours of the morning to get done things that require a lot of concentration like accounting, processes, strategy, or design.
What do you do to get your creative juices flowing?
CH: I get ideas at all times of the day–sometimes showering, sometimes walking–so I keep notes on things I come up with and save them to then use them. If I have to create on the go, I like reading AdWeek or looking at visual blogs. Even if it has nothing to do with what I’m working on, it’s kind of a palate cleanser. I also own a lot of books about all kinds of disciplines: furniture design, advertising, copywriting, typography. I especially absolutely love Dutch advertising; they are just masters at it, but it is quirky and very different from American ads.
What advice do you have for women who want to break into the field of advertising?
CH: I feel like women have such a huge knack for advertising. We are empathetic, insightful, and intuitive, which makes us perfect for getting down to that consumer insight–to how people really feel about this and that. However, I think what’s tough for us is to translate this to something direct and witty. Many women are not used to being the witty one in the group, so it’s all about practice, practice. Get offensive, get your hands dirty, get provocative, don’t play it safe.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced to get to this point in your career, and how did you overcome it?
CH: Two years ago someone asked me if I had formed my (then 2 year-old) business out of college…I graduated from college in ‘00! Being a woman in the industry means already that you have to prove your knowledge; looking younger than your age multiplies this exponentially. I refuse to wear pantsuits, too! I’ve been able to overcome this by sheer effort and by bringing my body of work to the forefront. Before I meet with potential clients, it helps to mention that I have 20 years of experience. Although I’ve unfortunately have had to mention my real age more than I should, I don’t care; I just don’t think that it should be such an important part of the discussion.
What is your favorite social media platform and why?
CH: I still like Facebook because most of my friends from far away are there–same with my family. It’s a great way for me to keep up with their comings and goings. The closest family member (besides my husband) is 1,000 miles away so I appreciate that there’s one container where I can keep in touch with everyone. My second favorite is Instagram, because there is such a different vibe there, way more artsy. I can see the polished side of my friends on Instagram and then the unpolished on Facebook, haha. I’m also a nerd and read Reddit a lot, although I don’t really have too much time to contribute.
What’s your favorite brand? Why?
CH: I love everything Elon Musk is doing, both SpaceX and Tesla have found who they are and have developed this almost impossible brand promise–but they have delivered on it, and how! Their marketing and PR is sharp and forward thinking. Again, maybe it’s the nerd in me speaking.
What are five things you couldn’t live without?
CH:
- My Jaybird bluetooth earphones–they are an ever-present accessory on all my outfits as I’m constantly on the phone.
- Asana–I’ve learned over time that if I try to retain everything I won’t focus on anything at all–Asana is an extension of my brain that I can visit whenever I want.
- A view of the water–I’m lucky enough to live a few blocks away from the Charles River, and I cross it everyday to go to work, it’s like a reset button just to look at it.
- The woods–when the weather permits I go with my husband Carlos hiking wherever, as long as there are trees, and if there’s a lake, even better.
- My double monitor setup–best investment ever.
Would you rather live without pizza or ramen for a year?
CH: I CANNOT live without ramen ever.
What is your favorite thing about working at Moira?
CH: The amazing, ever growing team we’ve put together. I remember years ago when Moira was just a little idea in my brain. I dreamt of having a creative team in which we can all push ourselves constantly, complement, inspire, and even sometimes antagonize each other everyday. Coming into our office and see all those smiling faces is what drives me to work harder every single day.