Today we’d like to introduce you to Fabiana Rendon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2003, my parents moved our family from Ecuador to the U.S. in pursuit of a life filled with greater opportunities for my brother and I. I was in 4th grade and knew zero English. School was an adventure. I would always get myself into crazy things due to my lack of understanding. Little by little, I started to find my way. The school I attended had a great ESL program. That, combined with Spongebob and Scooby Doo after-school, led me to be proficient in English in about a year. After that, there was no shutting me up.
Watching my parents work so hard to give my brother and I a better life instilled a sense of drive in me at a very young age. I knew that whatever I wanted, I had to work hard to get it. Earning it myself, rather than getting it handed to me, was a great feeling of ownership and independence for which I thrive on. All of it reflected on my amazing parents.
From a young age, I was always involved in the arts. Dancing, painting, making my own clothes, playing the drums, etc. I remember cutting up magazines and printing pictures to put mood boards together just for fun or to decorate my room. I attended a tech high-school focusing on System Technologies. I had the opportunity to get my hands on Adobe Creative Suite. I explored most of the programs, but always left my assigned work until last minute because I was always busy creating my own projects and edits. I was approached to take on the yearbook editor position my senior year under the guidance of my counselor (Shoutout Mr. Keith!) who taught me about organization and placement. I enjoyed taking part in both the creative and administrative parts. I also had the opportunity to pick any program to self-teach and present a project at the end of my senior year. I knew the video wasn’t in the pool of “recommendations”, so I picked Adobe After Effects because I wanted a challenge. I used my dad’s point-and-shoot camera and my friend’s iPhone to make a compilation video of my summer. Editing and manipulating videos was really fun for me. I jumped on illustrator and created a brochure to hand out to my teacher before presenting it. Included were summer quotes and mood photos to set the tone for the video. My goal was for the video to tell a story without me having to explain it.
During high-school & college, I went through a plethora of jobs. To me, this was a way to rack up experience because it’s “what you should do” and obviously a source of income. I always felt as if I was waiting for the right moment to dive into what I wanted to do. I clearly remember the moment I decided to stop waiting.
I was working a sales job selling products at wholesale stores. I absolutely hated it, but I was really good at it. Within my first two weeks of training, I made top 10 for sales in the U.S. I thought to myself, “if you’re really good at it, then you should stay.” Management would say… “There is so much room for growth for you in this company!” However, every lunch break I would call my mom crying because I felt trapped doing something I didn’t like. I was at a point in my life where I had bills I was responsible for and the money was great. This was really hard for me because I’m not, and have never been, a money hungry person.
After crying my break away one afternoon, I had a middle aged man come to my booth. He told me he used to be in sales too and my sales pitch was great. He proceeded to tell me he ran an advertising agency and I told him that I wanted to do something similar. I asked him what advice he had for me in my journey and he said “Just start, and learn along the way, but START!”
Somehow, an absolute stranger standing at my booth said the correct words for something to click in my head. That was the last day I cried during my lunch break haha. I quit the next day and started making a business model for what is now RENDON CREATIONS.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been smooth, but also hasn’t been too rocky. Initially, I struggled with not knowing my own worth or my works worth a.k.a impostor syndrome. Many struggle with this, especially women. As time went by, I learned to be decisive and direct with myself, people around me, and my clients. Every struggle brought on a new lesson. I learned my time was extremely important. I learned to pay attention to detail. I learned collaboration is key. I learned the concept of “don’t take it personally, its business” and I learned you never stop learning.
I also struggled to find a lot of time devoting myself to RC when I treated it as a “side hustle”. Now, that it’s more than that, it’s even harder. BUT, I always remind myself that if I want something bad enough, I’ll make time for it. This also brought on another great lesson: ITS OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP. This is something I’ve gotten better at, but still struggle with from time to time. I can’t remember who said this or where I heard it, but “If you could do your dream yourself, its too small.”
A piece of advice I can give anyone is to not stand in your own way. Stop building mental barriers. *It’s not about the resources, it’s about being resourceful* Life doesn’t always go as you planned and you just have to figure it out.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into RENDON CREATIONS story. Tell us more about the business.
RENDON CREATIONS is a creative agency based on branding strategies and artistic direction.
In other words, RC builds marketable stories depending on the client’s needs. RC provides various branding services such as brand identity, advertising, marketing campaigns, social media strategies, etc.
My specialty is identifying opportunities for growth and knowing how to execute them. I’m most proud of the reaction my “work” brings to people and myself. Its a great feeling knowing you “captured the vision” a client had for their project, or even better, “took their vision and went above and beyond.” I would say that is also one the biggest factors that sets RC apart.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
Based on my own experiences, one of the biggest female leadership barriers today is sexism, in and out of the workplace. In some instances, I’ve had to work harder than a male to be taken seriously.
However, times are changing. More females are stepping into decision making and top-tier roles. Women in my generation are making big moves, for which they are actually being credited for. Im thrilled to play a part in the movement of kickass-opinionated-ambitious -female leaders. Whether or not its emulated, it’s important to know we have a choice.
I’m thankful to be surrounded by strong female roles that I look up to in different realms of my life. Thank you to my amazing mom – Faby, Jessica Verch & Rachel Mele. Without the positive reinforcement of others, the process of believing “I can” would be a lot harder. I hope to be a positive influence, not only to women, but anyone who feels “unprivileged” based on their demographic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rendoncreations.com
- Email: rendoncreations@gmail.com
- Instagram: @rendoncreations
Image Credit:
Laura Dee, Hubris, Lovelace Photography
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