Cecilia Camacho can say that she has dedicated her entire professional life to creativity. There has always been a creative part in what she has done, and when this was hidden between large corporations and office jobs, she sought refuge in her own refuge, Cecile Collage , the most artistic part of their projects. Then came the big leap: leaving the stability of a permanent position to launch into creating CC/Studio and CC/ Magazine. The Montreal International Jazz Festival was to blame. She traveled alone to cover it as a journalist, and returned with keen intuition and strength ready to try. The desire to fight made her take the great leap of entrepreneurship and, although this word is associated with fear and obstacles, Cecilia summoned the courage of the entrepreneurial warrior and launched herself to create her projects. Today, she can say that things have gone well for her, and when she needs a boost, Ilia concealer and RMS blush, two staples of her Laconicum selection, give her the courage to continue. Yes, a blush has that power.
We spoke with Cecilia Camacho, founder of CC/Studio and CC/Magazine
Seeing how you started, we have to ask you this: when starting out, should we take a run or is it better to jump all at once?
The most important thing, at least from my point of view, is to know if you are an autonomous person. And by this I mean being aware of what your personality is. Because I know cases of people who, by nature, have not handled self-sufficiency, multitasking, proactivity or frustration well, and have become discouraged or have simply realized that they prefer to work for others. Neither of these two options is better than the other, you simply have to know yourself to decide to undertake .
From there, it is important to have a plan, which is flexible, since the paths of the self-employed are inscrutable... And it is also very important to have a vision, a strategy, clear objectives and establish an action plan : both to create the business and to communicate and sell it.
My experience tells me that in addition to being prepared, it is very important to be resilient to cope with the uncertainty, changes and surprises that come with being self-employed, and also to be passionate about your project. Desire is essential. At least in my case it's my engine. Doing things with enthusiasm is not a guarantee of success, but it is a great motivation that makes you bring out the best in yourself and therefore the results accompany you.
That said, I'll stick with “taking a run” hehehe.
"The most important thing, at least from my point of view, is to know if you are an autonomous person[...]. You simply have to know yourself to decide to embark on an undertaking."
You started with Cecile Collage, which you say is your refuge to express your creativity.Does creativity need shelters in this fast-paced world?
Creativity is something intrinsic to me, but it is true that when I refer to something more artistic, my alter ego CecileCollage automatically appears. It is the refuge where I go to let go, escape and do what I have been doing since I was a child, which is to make collages. I mainly make collages that stand out because I use a lot of words, since I like that when someone faces one of them they feel that the collage “speaks” to them. There are many hidden messages and meanings in all of them, which invite reflection.
And as for the relationship between the speed at which the world is going and creativity, I believe that more than ever we must encourage it, both personally and professionally, and also ensure that it becomes the standard of any business . Because creativity is what differentiates us from each other and that is what makes us unique.
How did this artistic project come about?
From a very young age and thanks to my mother I attended extracurricular painting, drawing and art classes in general. And in my house, both reading and manual work or anything that had to do with creativity was greatly encouraged. In fact, my mother was very good at all kinds of crafts. She feared a natural talent. So let's say that my childhood marked my way of relating to art, and perhaps that is why it has been and is so present in my life.
Currently, I have to admit that I have the collages on stand by, but I know that I will return to them as soon as I can because they make me very happy.
"I believe that more than ever we must encourage it [creativity], both personally and professionally, and also ensure that it becomes the banner of any business."
And how did CC/Studio arrive?
When I decided to start a business 6 years ago, I decided to keep the naming by which I was known: The Girl with Bangs (the name of my blog). And for the first 4 years I stayed like that. The brands that approached me knew me by that name and it was much easier for me to start my entrepreneurial stage.
However, after a while, and especially when working mainly with foreign clients, I realized that for them it was unpronounceable and that I no longer felt identified with it. I considered a new branding and a new service offering, which gave way to the birth of CC/studio - a studio specialized in strategic consulting, curation and content generation, and 360º communication for lifestyle brands - and CC/magazine - independent online magazine, specialized in art, design, culture, hotspots content, trends, innovation and travel -.
In your project it is essential to be aware of trends, even get ahead of them. How do you survive the incessant flow of information and the need to always be first?
It is true that the speed and enormous amount of information that we all generate and consume complicate the selection of what really matters and contributes. But that is exactly where we (CC/studio · CC/magazine) add value. We are experts in tracking current and future consumer trends, and we act as a radar for our clients.This means that we collect and analyze a lot of information from multiple sources in order to understand and tactically anticipate the movements of the different markets.
As for “always being first” I don't think that should be the goal, this only causes fear of being surpassed by the competition. It is about offering differential value, being authentic and truly contributing.
The markets are increasingly filled with brands. Their idiosyncrasy and their way of doing things is what differentiates them from the rest. The “how” is the Ace to attract your audience. And that “how” translates into the brand image, in the tone and way of communicating, in customer service, in the aesthetics of the stores/website/networks, in the strategy… It is about a set of things and betting on details to stand out, be seen and be attractive to our target.
You not only capture trends, but you generate content in CC/Magazine, your editorial project. What's different about your online magazine? How do you select and give the information to contribute something more?
CC/magazine is an independent online magazine. One of our pillars is that “we are more about the good than the new.” Although we write about current or trending topics, we always prioritize the quality of what we review. For this reason, and to give you some examples, we can write an article about an artist who was famous years ago, but who inspires us extremely and we greatly admire or even recommend a restaurant that opened 4 years ago, but that still seems sublime to us... We are defined by content curation, it is vital and we only share what really inspires us.
Regarding the way in which we select and offer information, the truth is that I have a huge file, where I have a thousand and one references - photos, screenshots, ideas, phrases, excerpts from books, etc... - grouped by themes. Every week we share new content on the web and through the newsletter, and much of that content is also available in the English version of the magazine. The time has not yet come when I have asked myself: what am I writing about this week? I am a voracious consumer of culture and art, so in this sense there are always things to review and share.
Content generation is an insatiable monster: you can always say something more, social networks always want more. And this has become a problem for many brands that have decided to close their networks to take a break or to start over, citing overinformation or even ethical conflicts with them. As a communicator and content creator, what is your opinion on this?
It is a complicated issue, because each case would have to be evaluated and see what the pros and cons are of having a presence or choosing to disappear. However, in the face of this type of crisis for or against networks my response is always the same: “come back to you” . It sounds a bit mystical, but it's not [lol]. I mean thinking about your brand and asking yourself the right questions regardless of the comparison with other brands, the competition, etc... That is to say: not looking outside but inside, because that is where there is more clarity and honesty.And when you find yourself at that point, it would be interesting for you to ask yourself these types of questions: Why do I want to have a presence on social networks ? what objectives do I want to achieve ? what use do I want to give it ? how much time do I want to dedicate to it ? what are my red lines ? how many networks do I want and can I have a presence on ? Social networks do not have to be an obligation but rather another communication channel to expand your brand. For this reason, the most important thing, if you decide to be in them, is to establish a content strategy and convey the essence of your brand in this communication tool. The thing about followers and likes is another story. In fact, it is a melon that we could open another time... If you still don't feel that it brings you anything good or that the effort you put into it does not have the expected return, you can consider disappearing. But I think that, although there are many bad things about networks, if we readjust the way we see them and relate to them, as well as our brand strategy and the "time/effort/results" equation, we can get a lot out of them.
"Social networks do not have to be an obligation but rather another communication channel to expand your brand. For this reason, the most important thing, if you decide to be on them, is to establish a content strategy and convey the essence of your mark in this communication tool".
Where do you find the point of coherence and stability to not disappear from the network scene and stay sane?
There are Instagram experts who know the network very well and who know what you should do so that, for example, instagram positions you better and shows you more times. That means using all its features, posting at times when your audience is most present, making more videos, posting long comments, interacting with the accounts you follow X times, uploading X photos to the feed and X stories, etc… Something like what happens with SEO. But in order not to go crazy and get caught feeding “the beast”, the most important thing is to set our limits and be the ones who control the network and not the other way around. That or outsource its management to another agency and just focus on your supervision. Be that as it may, the healthiest thing is not to remain subjugated to them and to distance yourself. Networks are not a panacea and life is something else.
"In order not to go crazy and get caught feeding “the beast” [social networks], the most important thing is to mark our limits and be the ones who control the network and not the opposite."
Your evolution has always moved in the field of creativity in different formats. How do you rate this trip?
7 years ago I made an exhibition that I called “Life is a collage”. And the truth is that that title perfectly summarizes my life journey and life in general. Because a collage is just that: a sum of different elements that together make up a whole that makes sense. And that's how it has been. I have experienced many things, good and bad, I have been aware of everything, I have learned and I have enjoyed.
On the other hand, one of the things that has turned out to be a constant on this trip is that by doing many things, apparently different, it has been difficult for me to define myself. This has meant that at times there have been people who have not understood very well what I do. And we all, without realizing it, tend to use labels and be reductionists, and when we do many things and are multifaceted, sometimes confusion arises.That's why now, when they ask me, I define myself as a Strategic Consultant and Creative Director, but I emphasize that I don't like to limit myself to a single discipline. In fact, what defines us as a studio is that we manage comprehensive projects using different disciplines/media/possibilities to expand the field of vision and offer creative solutions to our clients.
The journey began as The Girl with Bangs. What is Cecilia Camacho like now?
It's been more than 10 years and the truth is that she has had a lot of rain since then hehehe. The essence remains, which is my enthusiasm, energy and the desire to create and share. Ah! And the bangs, of course. It will accompany me until the end of my days. But perhaps the biggest change has been the focus. Time has given me perspective and clarity to know what I want to do and what I don't. Delving into this aspect has been fundamental for me, and I think it is for anyone. And at the beginning of undertaking the limits do not exist, because there are a kind of clouds that fly over your head and are called "fear" and "need", which prevent you from setting them, even though that can cause havoc. . For all these reasons, I feel that, after all this journey, the present is a good time. Of course there is uncertainty, but there is also filming, years of experience, many more resources than when I started, learning and the same desire to continue.
As a trend hunter, we understand that in your life you also look for difference. You have chosen Laconicum on numerous occasions. What do you find different about us?
In addition to feeling very identified with the brand, both aesthetically and with the philosophy that you transmit, I love the curation of brands that you do. And also the way in which you communicate the different products. I really like the tone, because it is close, honest, empathetic, but at the same time serious, in the sense that you speak with knowledge. And the “We like it because” section seems like a great success to me, which is very useful to choose one product or another.
Those trends you work with revolve around lifestyle, which is nothing other than well-being, a word deeply rooted in our universe. How does Laconicum bring you well-being?
For me, well-being is a compendium of things that involve taking care of myself on the outside, both my skin and the way I dress, and on the inside, through healthy eating, going to therapy, meditating, practicing yoga, training, reading, writing and traveling, which is my greatest passion. So Laconicum helps me a lot with that first layer, which may seem superficial but is actually the prelude to everything. others.
"I really like [Laconicum's] tone, because it is close, honest, empathetic, but at the same time serious, in the sense that you speak with knowledge."
Tell us your laconic selection, products that you like and enjoy.
I love taking care of myself and good cosmetics. And I have to thank you for discovering brands that I already consume regularly such as ILIA Pai Skincare , RSM Beauty, Sachajuan, Beached, mid/night 00.00 or Eve Lom.
Among my latest laconic discoveries are: the sunscreen Natural hydrating sunscreen SPF30 by Grown Alchemist, the body cream by Aesop Pai Skincare Light Work, cream blush by RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek (color: Modest) and ILIA
"I really like [Laconicum's] tone, because it is close, honest, empathetic, but at the same time serious, in the sense that you speak with knowledge."
