When Alencia and I decided to build this integrated marketing agency and creative studio, it seemed like a happenstance. But even the very formation of our friendship was serendipitous, so while it seemed a coincidence that we had skills and knowledge that complemented each other, we knew that we were meant to join forces to collaborate and build something larger than us. Something that we had never necessarily seen built before.
Alencia and I met for the first time inside one of our alma mater’s dining rooms. I barely made it inside for a late dinner before the doors closed—and while there were a few last-minute diners huddled in the dining hall, she caught my eye. I’ve never been shy so I took it upon myself to plop next to her and make a new friend. We guess you could say that the rest is history.
Over the years, a beautiful friendship blossomed and we found that much of the work we did at our jobs overlapped. I was knee-deep in marketing strategizing and content creation while she spent her days doing UX/UI and design work.
Naturally, we found ourselves lending our skills to family, friends, and members of the community. When the pandemic began, we saw firsthand how businesses (especially small Black businesses) were affected and wondered how we might help some of those businesses stay afloat amidst the tumultuous health and economic situation that our communities faced.
Our reasons for creating Studio Mars are simple
No, really. They are.
1. As black women with unique life journeys, we want to positively impact this world with our own creation.
At Studio Mars, we value creativity, sustainability, and strategy. Yes, our goal is to help businesses thrive when it comes to their creative assets and strategy, but we also want to drive a sustainable model that prioritizes education. We grew up not having things done for us; we had to learn how to make our way.
Now it’s time for us to show the world what we have learned and what we are capable of while helping you do the same thing.
2. We want to inspire and educate others with what we have learned.
It’s important that we not only provide our partners with a finished product but also the information they need to grow their businesses. We want you to walk away with knowledge and reassurance.
3. We want to bear witness— for the women and girls that look like us and speak like us.
We want to help you make an impact by helping you get your message across so that you can begin to build your legacy. Something to make all of the blood, sweat, and tears worth it.
We want them to see us because we see them. For the girls who didn’t necessarily see the life paths, they sought reflected in the media or by the people around them. For the girls who don’t think they’re capable of building something special in this big, big world.
So long story short, we took some notes from the five founders of the legendary urban sportswear empire FUBU by creating something that was “for us” and “by us.” By putting our own special stamp on this world, we also want to make a positive declaration of black empowerment. While our services aren’t exclusively for those of the diaspora, it certainly prioritizes and values the diaspora. Everything we do and everything that we create is with the diaspora in mind.
Token black girls, no more
Instead of continuing to be the only black women in the room, we wanted to investigate what it may look like if we transformed into the black women who created our own room. We were inspired by the women who paved the way before us in their own industries—making us feel seen in places and spaces we never even dreamt of.
To be honest, remaining in our current status quo seemed a bit bleak. Currently, only 3.2% of leadership roles at large U.S. companies are held by Black people—and for every 100 men that advance to a leadership role, only 58 black women do. This is compared to 80 white women and 72 women overall. Furthermore, only 4% of Chief Marketing Officers are black women.
We saw these things reflected in our own workplaces, and so we decided to take a few notes from the late and great Shirley Chisholm. Kinda. While others are meant to bring the folding chair to the table and make major traction there, we decided that it was our purpose to just build our own damn table. Building Studio Mars seemed like our next radical act.
The pandemic and beyond
We’d be remiss if we made no other mention of the pandemic.
Between February and April of 2020, black-owned businesses declined more than 40%. Even without considering the COVID-related challenges, black-owned businesses faced issues such as lack of capital and cash flow, recruitment and retention of employees, and marketing/advertising.
We felt that this was a niche that we could fill. By helping these businesses reach their audiences and increase their sales, we could help them battle their challenges.
With 99.9% of minority-owned businesses being small businesses, we wanted to help businesses build the systems and collateral necessary to expand and scale up.
With 99.9% of minority-owned businesses being small businesses, we wanted to help businesses build the systems and collateral necessary to expand and scale up.
Peace of mind comes first
The final piece of our “why” is our style of working. In both our personal and professional lives, we’ve leaned heavily on the prioritization of peace of mind and rest.
Alencia and I attended a rigorous university and had to learn firsthand how to take care of our minds while getting assignments done. Especially in a space where production was prioritized over mental health. After a certain point, we realized that ultimately we had to take care of ourselves if we were to take care of anything else. This wasn’t always as easy a decision as it sounds.
We know that without rest and peace of mind we are unable to focus and do great work. Yes, business is important; bills cannot get paid without money.
But nothing is more important than employee happiness. Many companies boast about a happy family environment but do not actually honor the healthy work/life balance of their employees.
At Studio Mars, we choose to give each other space and respect. The work cannot be done if we feel undone. This makes for a pretty unique working relationship with our partners.
Ways we will support you
We are here to help you—whoever you are. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur, a hair stylist, an up-and-coming chef, content creator, music artist, or beauty guru. It’s time for you to get your message and brand into the faces of your audience. Yes, the digital world may seem saturated but by helping you tune into your authenticity and purpose, we can help you tune into the community that has been waiting for you.
You should be able to focus on honing your craft and sharing it—not devising a strategy to defeat this week’s latest algorithm changes.
Whether or not you are able to work with us right now, we still want to be a resource for you. Period.
Keep up with us on social media and our blog to stay in the loop when it comes to all things:
- Branding & design
- Website development & design
- Marketing strategy
- Social media
- Trends and more!
Ways you can support us
Follow us on social media. You can find us on all platforms @bystudiomars. Even if you aren’t ready to work with us just yet, give us a follow and keep up with us. Who knows? You may have a question for us later!
Let’s get to work! Not getting the engagement you want on Instagram? Want to start an email campaign to engage leads but don’t know where to start? Need help creating a brand and brand story that makes sense? Hit me up at kibrett@bystudiomars.com
Start the conversation. If you don’t know where to start yet, just send me an email at kibrett@bystudiomars.com. We got you.
