Meet Valeria Galvan | Founder & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valeria Galvan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valeria, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my own business was a process that developed naturally throughout my freelancing years. My journey began in 2018 when I landed an internship at Rolling Stone magazine in their video department. Here is where I began to truly discover my passion and develop the innate talent within me. Here is where I got the most exposure to the entertainment industry, learning all the ins and outs, the good and the bad, and what would ultimately lead me to the work I do today. Once my internship ended, I stayed on as a freelancer and continued to absorb every bit of knowledge that I could about the industry at large.

This experience, and many more that came after that, became the basis of how I started out my business. Having that corporate exposure truly made me think about who I wanted to be and what my business represents. The day I decided to make my business official is the day I sat down with my journal and a pen in hand to bring together the knowledge I had acquired so far from previous jobs. From writing down my vision and purpose to company values and ethics, I laid the foundation of my business. I would put myself in the shoes of my previous bosses and even company CEOs and ask myself what I would do or change if I were actually in that position.

I think the most important part of starting out your own business is looking at your heroes. I studied music in college, and in class, we always had this saying “learn from the greats” which meant to study, analyze, listen, observe and do what the Jazz greats in history did, including their mistakes and downfalls. By doing this we really got inside the mind of the artist and saw what made them great. From there you can begin to develop your own voice and music style, even if you make mistakes along the way. I applied that same wisdom when I began my business. That’s where Galvan Creatives was born from. I believe that throughout the journey you will inevitably make mistakes, but you can make less and develop your voice when you learn from the “greats”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a motion designer. For those that don’t know, motion design is a branch of graphic design but we work with visual effects, animation, and other cinematic techniques to bring artwork to life. In college I went from being a music student to a film student, here is where I took my first animation class and just fell in love with it. But what really pushed me to become a motion designer was one class I took called Live Performance Art. This class widened my perspective on the capabilities and applications of animation. From projection mapping to digital art, I was suddenly curious about this other form of storytelling. Here is where the fun begins because after that I began to see the possibilities of digital art and saw it as a new form of storytelling.

When I started my business I wanted to provide something that was different from all the digital and creative agencies out there. Through curiosity and research, I began to experiment with holographic design. (Yes, holograms!) Here I saw an opportunity to create new and exciting immersive experiences. Holographic design has a wide range of applications and has helped brands create more memorable experiences with their customers. When we bring our installation into a space, it naturally attracts people because it’s something they’ve never seen before. Brands stand out from their competitors, experience higher foot traffic, and leave a long-lasting impression on their customers which leads to higher brand loyalty.

While we’ve only been experimenting with this technology for a year and we’ve had a great response so far. As always there are challenges along the way and I believe one of the biggest has been the fact that we are still a young company. Establishing a rep and breaking into the business is always a challenge when there is already an established norm. I have been dismissed multiple times because of my age and have had a plethora of “No’s”. I even had one instance where a prospective client told me he didn’t like working with young people because we are too ambitious. But what doesn’t kill my spirit is the few yes’s here and there. The people that have actually taken a chance on my work. When I get these opportunities, I do my best to go above and beyond the client’s expectations and sure enough, they are blown away. It is thanks to these yes’s that I’ve been able to expand my reach and create new connections. I’m thankful for those that took and keep on taking a risk on me.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned through this process is patience. The inevitable virtue of patience. As I mentioned before, at the very start of my business journey I received many No’s, but the success comes from what you do after that No. I’ve found myself multiple times going back to my drawing board and analyzing why I received that No. It was in those moments that I was able to refine my business plan, strategy, and goals. You will find yourself continuously working on this and I personally believe it will never be finished, just improved with every client. But the biggest factor in all this is patience. We live in a fast-paced society where we can everything in an instant with a push or click of a button. Success will come! But it is the hard work and resilience along the way that sets you apart from others and you patiently wait for your next big break. I want others to believe in themselves and not be discouraged by what other people say along the way. We know ourselves better than anyone else ever will. It is that belief in yourself that you find the strength to continue no matter what life throws at you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Miami is definitely a unique city and my go-to when I have friends or family visiting is food. Miami has such a unique mix of Latin cultures that you can find a truly authentic experience from any Latin country here in Miami. From unique staples like Sergio’s and Calle Ocho’s Ball and Chain to the little hidden food trucks around Wynwood. There’s always something delicious to eat at any time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I think the person that deserves recognition throughout my journey is my mom. As an entrepreneur herself, she was the one that saw my entrepreneurial spirit way before I even did. But she never pushed or pressured me into starting my own business. She would just drop hints here and there, but I always had a different plan. It was through my journey that I discovered that spirit for myself and after that my business naturally developed. I think it was very wise for my mom not to pressure me or push me in that direction. She just knew it was bound to happen, but she let me discover it on my own. I’m forever grateful for that.

Website: https://www.galvancreatives.com/

Instagram: Galvan.Creatives

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-galvan-a8172a137/