Meet Jeff Farinosi

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeff Farinosi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jeff, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

Optimism is defined as a hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. I like to say that even if I lack a bit of hope or lose a little swagger about one particular thing, I always find a smidgen of what I’m doing a success. Not pressuring myself to reach insanely lofty goals keeps me grounded. It’s not lowering the bar…it’s being reasonable in our everyday living. For example, if I’m golfing and my final score is meh, I’m not hard on myself because A: I don’t golf enough to be consistent, and B: It’s a hard ass sport! So if I smack a 300-yard drive or sink a 40-foot putt…that’s a great day for me. I keep my level of success reasonable for the type of personality and artist I am.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

If you didn’t know this, there is a difference between a graphic designer and the brand designer I am. If you are looking for individual visual elements like a logo or a brochure, you may just need a graphic designer. If you are looking for a cohesive brand narrative across all touchpoints in your business, I’m the brand designer you can hire. It begins with me becoming your bestie so I can truly tell your story. I then research and strategize a plan to get that narrative exactly the way it should be told.

Welcome to Tiny Beast Studio. I have a fantasy storybook theme because I am a huge fan of the imagination. My narrative lies within the inspiration I’ve had growing up with Where the Wild Things Are, Dr. Seuss, Tim Burton classics and our wild planet and the creatures that abode here. I have a mascot named Yakoon. He was created from my own imagination and through animal photography. He is a cross between a yak, a baboon and a wild boar. I then started creating more beasts and now I am currently writing and illustrating a 10-book series. Wish me luck! But for now, I will still be focusing on my clients who range from solopreneur to larger company rebrands that lost their voice or need a new narrative.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Adaptability, empathy and artistry are three qualities I embrace when it comes to my success. Having artistic abilities is of course an obvious choice, but you’d be surprised how many designers out there never painted, inked or used charcoal. Many of them are entirely in the digital space and I think that’s fine, but having fine arts in my tool shed makes me a winner in the imagination game.

Empathy comes next. Since I’m a visual storyteller, I need to make sure they are the hero and I am guiding them to embrace their superpowers. Showcasing their vulnerabilities and openness is as human as you can get in the business world. It’s not a weakness–it’s a strength, that opens the door to trust.

Adaptability comes with empathy I believe. Adapting to one’s personality and having patience and understanding of where they are, where they once were, and where they are headed is important when strategizing their brand story.

My advice for the kiddos would be to take your time and slow down. Get to know people. Many young generations, especially after Covid, have lost the ability to connect with anyone at any age. Especially in-person. It’s time to get away from your own ego, open up and most importantly want to learn about others. Fit inside of their shoes. Not literally.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Mental health is extremely important these days. Did you know that back in the 50’s before the digital age, people on average had 25,000 less decisions to make every day? It’s insane…it’s up to 32,000 I believe. Mostly easy unconscious efforts like whether to brush your teeth before or after flossing. I’m up to 20,000 right now I believe. Ha.

So taking a breath and giving yourself breaks is key to avoiding a burn out. Exercise, eating healthy and having a consistent sleeping and wake up pattern is so important. Like, every day. EVERY DAY, people!

I would also advise to take two hours out of your day (maybe not every day) to clear your mind and brainstorm ideas by yourself or with your team. Maybe even a day. You’ll be surprised how creative you get. Oh, and keep those phones locked up unless using a meditation app that helps you get to that place of solitude.

When you take time off, you’ll get to know you better.

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Image Credits

Profile photo brought to you by LiLo Photography

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