Today we’d like to introduce you to Carissa Justice.
Hi Carissa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story is meandering like many entrepreneurs. I started out wanting to be a journalist and my career took many turns from there. I worked as a music writer (mostly unpaid), then a travel writer (that didn’t actually get to travel), then a content writer (writing product copy for places like Walmart), and finally landed an in-house copywriting role at Shutterfly. I found my professional home on creative teams working on brand initiatives. Eventually I made my way on the agency side and never looked back. I started my own studio 8 years ago and have been working on branding projects ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It wasn’t smooth in the sense that it was linear or easy. But I also found a good rhythm in taking roles that taught me new skills and new sides of the branding world. Not everything felt like a “good fit,” but everything taught me something. I was also privileged to work in the Bay Area for over a decade which is a great place to build the foundation of your career. I made lasting connections that helped me continue my success even after I left.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nimble Creative & The Subtext?
I run a strategic branding studio called Nimble Creative. We help leaders stake out a vision that teams, customers, and the market can’t help but move toward – and equip them with the strategy, language, and visual systems to make it inevitable. From zero-to-one startups to institutional brands ready for reinvention, our goal is to help companies move with confidence and conviction.
We’ve had the pleasure to work with large brands like Strava, Figma, GoogleX, ThirdLove and Coinbase. We’ve also worked with a number of startups in a variety of industries you’ve probably never heard of. I enjoy both challenges — working with established brands during key business shifts or helping shape a brand from the start.
I’m most proud of our track record. All of our business comes in from word of mouth – clients recommending us to other people and collaborators coming to us for new opportunities to work together. We try to make every project as good as the last.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success comes in many forms. Over the past 8 years running my own business, it has meant different things to me. At the start, it was establishing enough flexibility to do great work and be present for the early years of motherhood. At other times, it was defined by the kinds of projects we could bring in to the studio. Now, I focus on being able to do great work with great people. I recently brought on a partner, Gina Gutierrez, and that’s been really energizing and fulfilling in a new way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nimblebrand.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carissa-justice-24928658/
Image Credits
Headshot and family photo by local Atlanta photographer, Gregory Castel. All other work done on projects in collaboration with designers and in-house teams.
