Meet Mary Gutierrez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Gutierrez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.

Mary , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Resilience comes from being self-aware, mindful, and open. It can’t be taught in a textbook, it’s a life skill you learn over time from your own unique experiences.

There are three significant moments in my life that have shaped my resilience. But I’ll share the most significant and personal one that I haven’t shared in public until now. In the past, I suffered from years of depression. I was in a very dark headspace. I had what is considered high-functioning depression. Because on the outside everything looked fine, but on the inside, I felt so much turmoil.

Being Filipino our culture doesn’t openly talk about depression. Nor is depression seen as a mental health issue (I believe the reason for this is lack of education). It’s sad but it is a hard truth. Some Filipinos associate depression with weakness and something you need to “just get over”. Seeing a therapist was frowned upon because it meant you couldn’t handle yourself.

Because of this, it was hard for me to understand that I needed help. I knew I was depressed but internally I was angry at myself for being so weak and feeling the way I did. I was always the person trying to do what was right for everyone else, while I silently struggled.

During these times, the only thing that kept me going was my son. I knew it was my responsibility to take care of this innocent boy. Some days were harder than others, but there was always a small voice reminding me, my son needed me. Looking back, I realize my resilience was trying to fight through even during days I couldn’t function.

There was one particular night, I broke down crying in the dining room, trying to hide the tears from my son, but he saw me. This sweet boy brought over a toy that played music and said “mommy I know how to make you happy!” He played the music and started dancing. At that moment my heart was filled with such gratitude for this 3-year-old boy. Innocent as he was, he was my lifeline, he showed me how simple it is to smile and enjoy the moments.

My depression didn’t stop right there, but that was the wake-up call I needed to get my mind straight. I accepted the fact that depression was real and I went to therapy, read books, and kept a healthy lifestyle I surrounded myself with positive and supportive people. I learned to become more self-aware and accepting of my feelings.

The biggest takeaway for me when it comes to resilience is lifelong learning. As long as you’re progressing 1% better each day with your values intact, that’s what’s important. Life will always throw you curveballs, but it’s how self-aware, mindful, and open we are that will allow us to get up and keep living.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I own and run Intrinsic Maven Graphics a branding studio that focuses on a strategy-first approach to branding. What does that mean? It means we don’t just make brands look good on the outside (because your brand is so much more than your logo), we help brands focus and explore from the inside out. By building a strong foundation first.

I support and guide entrepreneurs’ brand discovery with my brand strategy workshops. We do some deep introspective work into their brand, to discover the who, why, what, and how of their business as well as work on a little brand psychology to help business owners reach what I like to call “Brand Realization”. Just like Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs, there’s a hierarchy of stages your brand must move through to reach its full potential. Design work and logos are only a small portion of what building a brand truly is.

We help our clients discover their brand, beyond the surface level which creates a deeper connection between the brand and the business owner. When you as the business owner have a deep connection to your brand you will find it easier to connect with the right clients, build a community and convert.

Without being deeply connected to your brand how can you expect your clients or customers to connect with you? And how do you effectively reach your audience with your message if you don’t know how and why you say what you say? This is why Intrinsic Maven Graphics leads with strategy before design.

That being said, we do create amazingly unique-looking brands. But they are intentionally and purposefully built and designed that way.

I have two awesome designers on my team, Duy who is an amazing illustrator and 3D artist, and Jasmin who is our mockup queen and color whiz. I am the Brand Strategist and Web Designer of the team but I also do some of the graphic design work as well. I have to admit my deep love is truly being a Brand Strategist.

I enjoy the deep dives I do with my clients, the introspective work helps them explore their brands in ways they never thought possible. During our sessions, business owners get these a-ha moments and the light starts to click and they begin to see their brand with a newfound perspective. That energy and the flow are why I do what I do. I love being able to help business owners get even more excited about their brands and business and feel that same rush they felt when the idea of business first came to them.

At Intrinsic Maven Graphics we lead with purpose and intention and we love watching our clients succeed in their mission and vision as well as build a legacy that impacts lives.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d say mindset, work ethic & having an understanding of business would be the top 3 things that will help people with their journey through entrepreneurship. Passion is great and it plays an important role in your journey, but without the right mindset, work ethic, and a little business acumen, that passion will be difficult to turn into a business.

Developing a growth mindset is no easy feat, but allowing yourself to be present and acknowledge when the fixed mindset starts to step in is the beginning of improvement and self-development. A growth mindset will allow you to accept struggles as challenges and help you focus on the importance of lifelong learning. Because in anyone’s journey learning doesn’t stop.

For me personally, your work ethic is just as important as the mindset and they go hand-in-hand. Even as a young adult or teenager, a work ethic can start to be developed. It may be tempting to put off what you should do now for some fun, but we all know where procrastination leads. Having a strong work ethic will give you the ability to make moves and build habits and discipline which are needed when you want to build a successful business whether that be a freelance business or something bigger.

Lastly, I think educating myself on the basics of business played a huge role in my journey. For entrepreneurs, being your own boss is great, but if you don’t know how to handle the day-to-day of a business, you might be in for a shock. I suggest to those who ask to get their ducks in a row when it comes to the operations side of your business so as you keep moving forward in your journey you’d have laid the foundation right and can continue to grow and build from there.

These three qualities and skills may be mundane to some, but I believe they go hand in hand and are all essential when on your journey to starting a business. Even for those not starting a business and just building a career, or are on a journey to better their health, having knowledge and educating yourself on the basics of whatever the topic is will have a huge impact on your journey in the long run.

So mindset, work ethic, and knowledge I feel have been the most impactful on my journey.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal clients are brands that care deeply, act thoughtfully, and live to create an impact in the world. They are deep thinkers and introspective, who value support and mentorship, as well as experiences. They are curious, unique, and have a big vision.

These clients have been in business for a few years, but are in a time of change, whether that be they’re ready to scale and grow or they’re pivoting to focus on something different. They value the importance of branding and understand that branding isn’t something that you can create overnight.

They are the business owners who have big ideas but just don’t know what to do with them and how to make them come alive. They are purpose and mission-driven but are not confident in their brand because it is not attracting the right customers/clients and feel they are not sending the right message.

They are clients who are ready to invest to make big bold moves with meaning and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.intrinsicmaven.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intrinsicmaven/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intrinsicmavengraphics
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intrinsicmaven