Joanie Bier, BrandJuice Strategist, is the spotlight of our November employee profile. We sat down for a Q&A to deep dive into her refreshing way of thinking and insightful vision that drives our team every day.
Tell us about where you grew up?
I grew up amongst the ski bums and champagne powder in Ski Town, USA. Also known as Steamboat Springs, CO.
What brand is your personality most aligned with?
I’d like to think Artifact Uprising. It’s a collaborative, soulful brand that celebrates all creative and exploring natures, and has an immense appreciation for all things beautiful.
What led you to choosing this profession?
A passion for both creative and strategic thinking, and an inability to choose between the two. This job requires equal parts left and right-brained thinking.
Who inspires you? Who do you aspire to be like?
People blessed with wild minds inspire me. Those who are a little strange, a bit off-beat and are able to see the world from a completely different perspective. The ones who risk curiosity and wonder, embrace spontaneity and delight in the unknown—to me, those are the people who embody the truest essence of the human spirit.
What’s your most irrational fear?
Sharks. Even though I’ve lived in a land-locked state since birth.
If you could keep only 5 possessions, what would they be?
- My sister’s puppy, Balto. Though she’d never agree to it.
- My sister. Does she count as a possession? Maybe I should rethink the order of this list.
- My camera.
- My Mac laptop. Can’t use Lightroom without it.
- My passport.
What are you drinking come five o’clock?
Anything with an alcohol content above 5%. I’m not picky.
Best restaurant in Denver?
Work & Class—their green-chile cheddar biscuits changed my life. Hand to God.
What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year?
This year: The Nightingale – It’ll move you to tears
Ever: Every Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling is my spirit animal
When you’re in need of creative inspiration, where do you go? What do you do?
I get out and go exploring. The feelings, perspectives, and wonder I experience when exploring—whether in the woods, on the side of a cliff, by the sea, or even in the desert—trigger a magnetic-like pull for me to walk deeper into their beauty. It elicits an insatiable craving to know more, feel more, see more, and become more. Exploring out-of-category experiences and refreshed sources of creativity make a world of difference in reframing perspectives.
What was the last picture you took with your phone?
A buffalo skull adorned with dried florals I found in a shop over in Cap Hill. I was trying to resist the impulse purchase, but the photo is such a little temptress that I’ll probably have to give in and buy it.
If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
I think Dallas Clayton said it better than I ever could: “Get out from your house, from your cave, from your car, from the place you feel safe, from the place that you are. Get out and go running, go funning, go wild. Get out from your head and get growing, dear child.”
What’s the best part about working at BrandJuice?
Better question: what’s not the best part about working at BrandJuice? But in all seriousness, it’s a combination of circumstances—the wild-minded people, the unbelievable diversity of the work, the challenges that feed a beautiful learning process—that together contribute to making this job so wonderfully unique.
Follow along on our social media over the coming weeks to find out more about what Joanie’s life is like when she’s not cultivating creative genius at BrandJuice.