Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Zwonok.
Hi Alyssa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I formally launched Nomad Cre8tive in 2018 from a side hustle I started while working as a flight attendant in 2016 to satisfy my intense desire to innovate, create, and work from anywhere. This deviation proved invaluable, as I collected further evidence that I could successfully work from anywhere as a designer, even soaring 30,000ft above the ground. The open skies created space for my idea for Nomad Cre8tive to come forth into life, and while the passengers slept, I laid the groundwork for the business plan that would change how agencies operate for the better.
Having always seen myself as a leader, I wanted to have a positive impact on the creative industry and drive change, so I decided to take my career’s fate into my own hands, transforming my passion and creativity into a successful business. The concept of Nomad Cre8tive came from a personal desire of wanting to work from anywhere while combining my passions for design and travel. That quickly grew into so much more as I now have impacted over 50 freelancers’ lives and an increasing number of businesses each year.
What started as a dream of mine while working on an aircraft as an airline attendant has turned into an incredibly humbling reality.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Having built such a large team was exciting and admirable to some, but as the business has evolved, so have our needs. We are now looking to lean out our team in order to better manage internal communication and ameliorate client experiences.
Managing so many people proved to be challenging, especially as freelance schedules constantly changed from month to month and team members worked from all over the world. We now have a solid team of trustworthy Directors who essentially run the show and manage a smaller group of specialized freelancers. In this case, bigger wasn’t always better.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Nomad Cre8tive is an entirely remote team of fearless creatives that brings unparalleled passion and drive to every project to help brands exceed industry standards. We bridge the gap between traditional creative agencies and freelancers through a win-win structure that combines the best of both worlds: the freedom of freelancing and the reliability of an agency.
We value work-life balance, choosing when, where, and how much we work. With a vast and growing roster of clients who trust Nomad Cre8tive to bring their brands’ vision to life, our reach goes from local to global and everything in between. We specialize in branding startups and re-branding small to mid-sized businesses.
We offer services in marketing, branding, graphic design, and social media. Our mission is to bridge the gap between traditional agencies and freelancers, providing teams of specialized remote creators to businesses locally and globally. In direct alignment with my values, I created a business to suit my life and not the other way around, empowering others with the same dream.
At Nomad Cre8tive we strive to provide clients with an agency-like experience, without the overhead costs of a traditional in-house agency. By supporting mission-based brands, and growing with them, our mindful, millennial team helps companies make a difference while realizing their goals, across a sea of industries.
We produce excellent creative work for businesses, bringing value to their companies and empowering entrepreneurs by providing them with the tools and collateral they need to launch and seamlessly run their businesses.
We personally curate teams for all our clients based on their diverse industries and our team members’ individual experience. Our team is comprised of Canadian freelancers who work on a per-project basis. We aim to provide them the freedom to determine when and where they work, and on which projects. This brings unparalleled passion and drive to every project.
I’m consistently striving to break the mold and change the agency culture. I want to rewrite the narrative of what an agency should look like and how it should work while forever empowering my diverse team of freelancers by giving them the freedom to do their best work. I believe that great work comes from passionate people, so as a leader, I felt it was important for me to create a workplace environment where people are excited to work on projects and not feel forced or unmotivated on assignments.
My efforts in improving the traditional agency structure start by providing flexible hours and realistic expectations to my team and clients. Having worked nine to five at agencies earlier in my career, I quickly realized this structure was not for me, and I was not alone. As a creator, I felt unmotivated most days, forced to work excessively long hours on projects that didn’t excite me whatsoever. Overtime was expected and not compensated for, and gratitude for a well-done job was not common. I was easily burnt out and uninspired and knew there was a better approach to building an agency and leading a team, putting balanced workplace values and sound business practices at the forefront.
Prioritizing people’s mental health and work-life balance has always been my number one priority. Being mindful that rest and doing things we love outside of work are necessary. This has been proven to be more productive than overworking. I practice this myself and encourage my team to do the same.
In the first few years of business, I rigorously searched for, hired, and led over 50 freelancers from all over Canada with different backgrounds and specializations. Diversification is important to me, and I ensure to provide every applicant with an equal opportunity to be a part of Nomad Cre8tive’s inspiring network. We are equally as welcoming to our clients, coming to us at different stages of their businesses. No business is too big or too small for us. We are happy to customize and adapt deliverables for each client.
This remote model is also environmentally friendly as it eliminates the need to commute and is completely digital and paperless, resulting in little to no carbon footprint.
Our excellent track record has brought in over 30 five-star Google Reviews, over 60 five-star Facebook Reviews, and over 35 Recommendations on LinkedIn has created trust amongst small local businesses as well as opened doors to larger brands and agencies, including DAVIDsTEA, CANNA Canada, Royal LePage, and Hikvision in our first few years in business.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve been very independent in building my business, however, I’ve been surrounded by entrepreneurs amongst my family and friends who inspired me to go out on my own. They gave me tangible proof that building a successful business on my own was possible.
Though doubts were expressed along the way from outsiders, I never let the negative comments get to me. I’ve always believed in myself and having a husband who believes in my potential just the same is incredibly encouraging and supportive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nomadcre8tive.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomadcre8tive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nomadcre8tive?wtsid=rdr_0WcxjxCGtNkiaMrDn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssazwonok/
