Paula Garrofé is one of the most prominent Spanish influencers on the social network for professionals Linkedin and Instagram. Graphic designer and marketers, she creates content for brands to sell, making videos with a very disruptive humor, conquering thousands of followers in Latin America in countries such as Peru, Chile, Mexico and Spain who follow her peculiar videos and tips for professionals. Here is his peculiar and motivating interview.
Check out their social networks on Instagram and Linkedin in the following links.
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulagarrofe/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/muchomascreativa/
INTERVIEW: Francisco Calderón M. PHOTOGRAPHY: Paula Garrofé
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND?
At first, the main motivation was not having to put on a suit every day, not having to get up early and not having to put up with bosses, and who can resist the idea of working in pajamas, (laughs) but seriously, it would be leave my mark on the world, share my creativity with all of you, and above all in a different way, with creativity, disruptive, above all different, that stands out, that is what I have always wanted.
WHY DID YOU STUDY MARKETING AND GRAPHIC DESIGN?
Studying marketing and graphic design was like mixing ice cream with cookies, it was the perfect combination, that is, knowing how consumers’ brains work, to create the perfect strategy, execute actions that in the end have results, that is wonderful. But at the same time having the ability to make everything look beautiful on the screen is wonderful, on the screen or on the surface, making everything aesthetic is beautiful, if we get superficial it is that beauty ultimately moves the world. Everything that is beautiful, catches your attention, you like it, not because it is beautiful, the standards but because you like it, it is special, it is different, it is unique, it represents your personality and well, if you mix that with knowing how to sell it, there It is when you merge marketing and design to be able to make all my creativity, all my designs see the light.
HOW DID THIS STYLE OF MIXING HUMOR IN YOUR VIDEOS COME ABOUT?
I have always been told that I have a rather peculiar humor, so I decided to take advantage of it and the truth is that humor is an excellent way to tell and connect with the audience, to make that information more digestible, more entertaining, so that the message gets through. It has always been said in studies that when there is humor, people retain the message, but not the brand, so you also have to work on the brand, in this case, the personal brand or branding so that it is recognizable, too. I mean, you stay with the message, what that person said, but you also stay with their face, who they are, how they speak, everything. And for that you have to work very well on your personal brand, and then, who doesn’t like to laugh. So, that’s why I wanted to make videos, like Tiktok format, because the networks that I usually use like Linkedin are quite formal and serious and Instagram, which is very visual, I wanted to give it that touch of humor, breaking the molds, that barrier, that it is as if imposed on Linkedin, that everything has to be professional, very formal, very corporate, I cannot cross a certain line because what are they going to think, if they hire me. And in the end, we are all human, we all like to laugh, and we all need that grain of happiness, that snack that I call it, to spend the days in a different way, with humor, with grace and being happy, which in the end It’s what we all want.
WHAT DO YOUR CUSTOMERS SAY ABOUT THIS STYLE, DO THEY FIND IT WEIRD OR DO THEY ACCEPT IT?
Many of my clients think that I am a little eccentric, but they really appreciate my unique sense and my sense of humor (laughs), because in the end laughter has its charm, plus life would be boring without a little bit of extravagance. You have to know how to differentiate the personal brand that I carry, that I teach you to create content, in a fun, entertaining way, but always in an educational way, here you always learn something from every content that I teach you, even if there is humor, we have fun, I play the music like crazy, there is always a message, I have tried to make people aware of it, and clients know it, they appreciate it and it is what they want in their brand. There are those who contact me to see what type of strategies and projects we can do so that their brand also has the same effect and that the community in the end also interacts with them, which is what they want, they interact, they suggest, they are active, they are not zombies
WHAT ANECDOTES HAVE YOU HAD MAKING THESE VIDEOS?
There are many anecdotes, but what I like most about the videos is how when clients contact you they refer to a video that maybe you published 3 months ago that you no longer remember what it is about and you think: “what you are telling me seems like from another person. I have a bad memory, I am quite absent-minded, when someone reminds me of something about a well, about a video where all the videos are more viral, I don’t know what they are talking about and I have to play along, say: “yes, yes and so on, It’s true, but I have no idea what you’re telling me,» I have to act because I can’t remember everything I do, or all the comments they send me, not even in private messages because it can’t end, there’s one left! crazy!
WHAT IS YOUR VIDEO THAT YOU MADE THAT YOU LIKE THE MOST AND ANOTHER THAT YOU LIKE LESS?
The video that I liked the most is in the category of dogs, I have the theme of always putting little animals when I evaluate the staff and I split the screen in 2 so that the little animals always appear on the right side, while I make people of human resources, as director of the company and I scold them for everything they have done wrong during the semester, whether because they have been distracted on social networks or someone who has left at 200 km per hour in the car after finishing work, and I mention it, “it can’t be that you get away from work for a while because it seems like we are mistreating you!!”, they always make me laugh while I record them, I have good memories of these types of videos because I like them. I love animals, so anything that involves putting animals in my content, that at the same time has a message, has humor, is always displayed, works very well. And the ones I like the least, not by editing or by message, was one that I also did with the split screen and I put: The intern and the senior, and I had to represent myself when I started. I was 18 years old, I already started doing my first steps, my things and when you start to remember how naive I was because I had to record on video as if I were taking over the world: “how cool! “They hired me at an agency!” ytal, and on the other split screen was the senior because she was taking one of those aspirin, ibuprofen, and lighting incense because she was stressed and traumatic from all the hassles she had, when you remember you think how long I have traveled, how much time has passed, and Not because I feel old, but because you think: “How did they deceive me all this time?!!!” but thank goodness that now one also grows, matures and already knows how to differentiate, because whoever comes to manipulate you and look for new intentions and it is true that you already manage yourself as an adult, having to face your self from 15 years ago is complicated, eh, it’s complicated.
WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FOLLOWERS AND FANS, WHAT ANECDOTE HAVE YOU HAD WITH THEM?
I don’t like to call them fans as such, or followers because it really is still a community, we are all like superheroes, each one has a superpower, a special ability, and in the end that is it, I like to be able to support myself and learn from them, because Sometimes I have doubts, problems, and I contact them and you say: “oh! That you control this! “Can you help when a problem has arisen with a customer?” and vice versa, if they have a problem, I like that they also turn to me, so that they have me as an option, to solve, because any doubt or problem they may have and above all laugh, reading comments, it is exaggerated, sometimes I laugh here alone, “no, I look crazy,” is not normal. And anecdotes, because when I travel, if I have ever found myself at the airport, or in the places where I usually go, which are on the coast, here on the beach, passing with my family, someone has stopped me and said: “I’m such a person!” And it happens to me a lot that I don’t have a good memory or I have a hard time relating faces, I remember the names but not the faces. Even though I’ve seen you 1,000 times, I can’t place you, I don’t know who you are, and I also feel bad, it makes me uncomfortable because I tell you: “I don’t recognize you, I don’t know who you are,” and when I go with my family, well, of course, they say: “ Are you Lady Gaga?” and I say no, they probably spend their summers in this area too and it is by chance that we met. And I’m always very excited to put faces on people and see how they move live, not just on the screen, so it’s appreciated, it’s appreciated.
WHAT INFLUENCERS AND DESIGNERS INSPIRE YOU IN YOUR PROFESSION?
I don’t have any influencer or designer that I like more than another, really, because I suffer from diogenes syndrome with the issue of saving creatives or works that I like and it’s true, I could tell you that videos on YouTube, of people that I like see, and I have shown it in some content that I have made, right now I have about 5,600 videos to see of different people who contribute things, whether it is things, whether they paint, singers, how they edit videos. I like to learn about everything, but I love the processes and how that person has had an idea to execute it, that is, I love the mind of a person when it comes to creating. I mean, I see a painting and I like the painting, but I like that person’s mind more, I would like to sit down with that person one afternoon, have a coffee and say: why did you make the painting like that? Tell me everything, What were you inspired by? Why these colors, why these people? why this structure? «Why did you make it this size like this? All the fabric, everything» I love that people explain to me, give me reasons, reasoning, why they do things the way they do them. So everything that is photographers, designers graphics, I love seeing people’s portfolios, I adore it, Behance, it’s my favorite website, that’s where I get inspired, from many artists and works they do and well, I could tell you: Woody Allen, Tarantino, I really like a movie, the soundtracks, the lighting, the scenes, I love scriptwriters, and I don’t know any, it would be wonderful to meet a scriptwriter and have them explain to me why you did something like that, I would love it. So I can’t give names, but Dioguenes syndrome is there, I won’t say more.
HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK TECHNOLOGY, THE DIGITAL WORLD OR AN INFLUENCE INFLUENCES WHEN BUYING SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU TELL THEM? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SEE RESULTS WITH YOUR CLIENTS?
Technology and social networks have changed the game completely, people trust more in the recommendations of people they admire or trust, in this case like influencers. I don’t really like the word influencers either, it is no longer an influencer as such, because sometimes influencers promote products, either for money or because they have been given it as a gift, and many have not really tested them and have not even verified that They function in them to give an accurate opinion to their community. So I really like the word influencer more, a person you can trust and really if they are passionate about the product or its message they sell it to the community because they believe in if not, it doesn’t work, and if you have that ability to convince To that person, that’s when you are influential, okay? Influencer was given the name but I like the word influential, the ability to influence other people, obviously in a positive way. And what can we say about technology, it is giving us life, at the level of connecting countries with countries, of getting closer that we could never do physically, the way of editing videos, of getting them across, the message, what you think, your values to other people, through social networks. Technology is gold. Now you have to know how to take advantage of it and use it in a good way, not to do evil or take advantage of manipulating others, which unfortunately is the other side of the coin, which is why it is so demonized, but if it is used well, it is very good weapon to be able to live from it, from yours, from what you like, and not only the passion but the fact of being able to help other people, with what you know how to do and being able to solve their problems, that is wonderful , technology has made it possible.
CAN YOU TELL ANY JOKE OR JOKE THAT COMES TO YOU?
I am a person with a sense of humor but I hate jokes, but I am going to make the effort and tell one, what is the name of the hero of graphic designers? CONTROL Z MAN! Always undoing mistakes.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE REALITY OF SPANISH ADVERTISING?
Spanish advertising has great creative potential, okay? And it is true that tradition and innovation merge well when it comes to running campaigns, but not everyone is capable of doing it and I am no longer talking about that, because it is fine, tradition and innovation mix it, it is fine. that message, but it is true that most of us are stuck. What do I mean by this?. When I say stagnant, it is that we are anchored to the past, it is as if it is difficult for us to jump, to do something innovative, disruptive, different, for what they will say, it is true that there are many sensitive people, that everyone is affected, that this word has been said , it is that of course he is on the side of that sector, and rejects the others, it is like you have to select each word with tweezers, be careful who you put in the campaign, be careful that the message does not have a double bottom, everyone It interprets it in its own way and in the end people are afraid that this will harm their brand, and it ends up having a bad impact because in the end all brands are the same, in the end you say, which one stands out? The usual ones. The ones that take risks, the ones that don’t care what they say and the ones that in the end, you see it and say: “it caught my attention” and of course it caught my attention, among all the boring things, of course it stands out, like that We have to move forward, and we have to wake up and start jumping off the diving board, because this is starting to smell like death, right?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK IN ANOTHER COUNTRY LIKE CHILE FOR EXAMPLE?
I have Chilean, Peruvian, and Mexican clients, so what is the whole Latin American area, I have already touched it, a lot of my community is Latin, and I love the sense of humor, the way of communicating that it has, it does not get upset with so much. ease, they are always happy, they always have good words, really the deal is that it is another planet, directly, so yes, and well, I love exploring new horizons and cultures, so I am always willing to bring my suitcase and my style of humor to any part of the planet, so Chile, there I go, China there I go, Brazil there I go and wherever I go.
WHAT IS THE MOST SUBLIME THING YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR VIDEOS?
Here I’m going to get sensitive, and the most sublime thing I’ve done in the videos, and here I’m going to generalize, is to make people laugh, have a good time, maybe you’re having a bad day, and a lot of people who contacts me privately tells me, I’ve had a shitty day, today I argued with the boss, they fired me, and I watched your videos this week and you really give me motivation, you give me hope, I laugh, I I have a good time, and sometimes, don’t say anything that I can apply in my work, you make me smile, and with that, you get the gasoline, my gasoline is that, that people can disconnect, a minibreak, that they see the comments of others, and that we all laugh, I always say it, my content, my channel, my brand, is like a bar, or like a club where you go in and have a good time, you talk to others people, you laugh with them, you learn, we give links to websites, portfolios, other people’s so they can use other people’s tools, we all support each other, and that’s what I like, in the end that’s it, I open the door to the bar , you come in for a while and maybe that day, well, there will be public comments all the time, a couple of pieces of content and I like that, making people feel good.
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO LOOK TO BE INFLUENCERS AND CREATE CREATIVE CONTENT LIKE YOU?
The first thing I would tell them is not to give themselves a label, don’t say that you are an influencer, designer or video editor, no! You will put that later, for now, have fun with the process, have fun with the content you want to make, because I am a graphic designer, and I also dedicate myself to marketing and making advertising campaigns, but in the end I have really discovered, making videos, editing , adding music, creating effects, creating content, regardless of whether it is graphic, whether it is posters, flyers and so on, I love the audiovisual video theme, and in the end I have had to generalize that category, and it is a content creator all kinds, but that makes people laugh like that, I would tell them the same thing, to be authentic, to be themselves because having to wear a mask, a mask every day, and having to pretend because you are on networks and having to show a role that you’re not, it’s exhausting and having to get up and say: “today I have to make a video, let’s see, get yourself ready a little, what am I talking about, prepare a script, maybe prepare some guidelines, but you don’t have to be a character, because in the end they end up catching you and they see that you are someone else, because someone will want to contact you, to ask for services and when they talk to you they will say: “mmm… you are not the person in the videos, you are not the person, the person who writes those contents, the blog, you are not that person in the photos, you are someone else”, and in the end that does not generate trust and they vanish, and they leave. So naturalness and authenticity, and above all having fun in the process, why is that there, not doing anything out of obligation, nor because social networks dictate it to you, nor a system when you really enjoy that content, and it comes out genuine, it comes out that you are, and that attracts people like you who like you, and what better way to get up every day and open the agenda and say: “Today I have to work with people who think like me, who understand me and have the same values as me. «I like it that way, that’s how it feels good» and not wearing a suit and tie, being a character that you’re not, and hating your life, hating your job, and hating having to create content, so (sigh) creativity It flourishes when you are yourself, that’s how it is, period, (laughs).
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