Today we’d like to introduce you to Caridad Fernandez.
Caridad, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I never really knew what I wanted to do until now. I’m 25, almost 26 and I started working in the “marketing” field at 19. It began with Real Estate Marketing, after that it was a whirlwind of different industries that I got into. Retail, restaurants, beauty, distribution, sports and more. At first, I jumped from one industry to the next, learning all I could from there and then moving on. I believe that experience and knowledge led me to where I am today. Last year I was struggling to really find my place, honestly, I was just struggling in general. I graduated from Florida International University three years ago with a Bachelor’s in Advertising, but I wasn’t happy with what I was currently doing. I wanted more. I taught myself graphic design and used all the knowledge I had gathered from my past to get into brand developing. I have always been into art and design, even as a child I used to doodle little cartoons on the corners of my notebooks. I didn’t really know what to do with my life until I had a rough time last year, I guess I needed to hit rock bottom in order propel me to where I am today. A lot of times, we are too tired from our jobs, from our daily routine that we don’t make time or give energy to working on our own dreams. We are making someone else’s dream come true and then sleeping on our own. I had to disrupt that for myself.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Along the way, I have met amazing people, people who have supported me believed in me. People who did not allow me to settle, those who felt that I could do so much with my life. I have also dealt with people who told me I should take the safe route and stay at that office job I was miserable in. I have lost friends and I have lost a lot of money along the way. When I made the transition into working for my business full time, I had to work two jobs simultaneously for several months. There were nights that I went hungry and there were many times where I wanted to go have fun but simply couldn’t afford to miss work. I’ve also had internal struggles. Struggles in finding the right balance between working hard and staying disciplined, while still having fun, but not getting carried away with this new found freedom. I am not always as focused and organized as I should be. There have been times where I let clients down or fall short of what is expected from me. I feel that all these things are necessary though, in order to learn, we need to grow through them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Space Bar Designs story. Tell us more about the business.
Space Bar Designs, my brainchild, my everything. My business specializes in Brand Development and Graphic Design. We are not the best, but we strive to be. We work mainly with start-ups and small businesses. The process usually starts like this… Companies come to us with no look, no branding, nothing. We dive in, dig deep to get to know their business, what their goals are, where they see themselves down the line, who their target audience is, etc. The next step is usually to do research and develop a brand guide from there. Once that is done, we move on to designing content for their social media, websites, flyers, manuals, all of that good stuff. As a company, I am most proud of the relationships I’ve built with my clients. I know them on a personal level and they know me. I care about their business, I care about when they get sick or how their families are doing. My clients also care for me. They support me, believe in me and that is essential. I always tell them that we will “grow together.” And I believe that is what sets us apart from others. I also only work with positive people and make sure to surround myself by a community of dreamers, do-gooders and hard workers. Space Bar Designs is not a one-stop-shop. I don’t just design something and then never hear from my clients again, it’s a process that never really ends. You have to keep reinventing yourself and your brand, keep introducing new and exciting things. Another thing that sets us apart is that most of our clients are not local. We have clients all over the states and Canada, many of which I have never physically met. So, even though we are relatively small and young, we are international, and that is exciting! It’s only the beginning!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I believe that going to school for my industry is not necessary and I feel that eventually, it can even become obsolete. I think there will be a shift in this industry where more people are self-taught like I am. I also believe that this industry is going to merge and cross over with others. I already see evidence of this. Working with computers used to be for the “so-called nerds” now I feel that it’s something many people want to get into or learn about. I see a crossing of cultures and communities, where music, tv, fashion, and entertainment come together with technology and the sciences to create ART. I also feel that the need to sit at a cubicle is diminishing in this industry, like I always say, “the world is my office” as long as I have my computer and wi-fi, I have no strings.
Contact Info:
- Website: spacebardesigns.com
- Email: hello@spacebardesigns.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/space.bar.designs/
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
