\u201cHave a break. Get some clarity. Build up again something that aligns with where you want to take your career.\u201d That is the advice of 2023 Women in Business and Regional Development scholarship winner Rene Veno, who did just that. She took a step back and away from more than a decade in the retail apparel sphere and set up her own business Raison Detre Creative Co \u2013 using her graphic design skills and life experience to create a brand for a new business or lead a rebrand.<\/p>\n
Rene intends to use the scholarship windfall to upskill in the AI universe \u2013 using the latest technology to enhance what will always be a human-led hands on approach to the brand creation process \u2013 and she has already touched base with one of the international leaders in making AI work for you to learn as much as she can as quickly as possible so she her clients can start reaping the rewards.<\/p>\n
It is 20 years since Rene graduated from university with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in graphic design and with a minor in art history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI loved art history but it doesn\u2019t lead to any specific job – it did, though, help foster my love for meaning in art,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you study art history you are impacted by the meaning of art and that has helped shape my graphic design.\u201d<\/p>\n
The original plan when Rene was looking to her future was to be an interactive graphic designer \u2013 put simply, working with animation. That didn\u2019t pan out as she instead studied straight graphic design and then the question was \u2018where to from here?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you are a student and in your 20s, you are asking where is this going to lead me \u2013 what is the job at the end?\u201d she said. \u201cAnd they are fair questions but it does mean you get a job for the sake of getting a job because you have to pay bills \u2013 you don\u2019t really think about what your career is going to look like.\u201d With a clear talent for illustration, Rene found herself immersed in the clothing industry working for boutique studio that had major clients in surf and skate wear, designing prints for T-shirts and other design tasks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a nice job to get straight out of university,\u201d she said. \u201cA good job for a 21 year old. I have always had an interest in fashion \u2013 I love the opportunity it gives you for self expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once she was in the apparel industry it was where she stayed for almost a decade, working on Torquay and Melbourne, but she did start to ask herself those questions about the future. \u201cI started thinking \u2018is this really where I want my career to go?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Rene said. \u201cYou have to give yourself permission \u2013 it is OK to have a career change.\u201d The career change coincided with a move back to Mount Gambier \u2013 a tough decision but one both Rene and her husband are so glad they made.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is such a great place to live and my husband is not from here and he just loves it,\u201d she said. \u201cI think for a long time we had the mentality that you had to leave Mount Gambier to make it and if you moved back people would ask \u2018what happened?\u2019 We are conditioned to think you have to move elsewhere to have a successful career but that\u2019s just not right.\u201d<\/p>\n
The move back home saw her move into roles as an executive assistant in both the private and public sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt gave me that break from a certain career path that wasn\u2019t really working for me anymore,\u201d Rene said. \u201cWhen you take a step back and take time away from something you get a lot more perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
She did keep her hand in. though, with her freelance work, much of that still in the fashion industry.<\/p>\n
Motherhood arguably sparked the next change and the move to establishing her own business, taking her graphic design skills but offering so much more with her work in the brand creation space.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew when I had my first baby, she is now seven, I couldn\u2019t work full time anymore \u2013 for me personally, time with her was the priority,\u201d Rene said. \u201cWhen I first started the business I saw myself as a freelancer but then I realised that I was a personal brand \u2013 it really changed how I approached client work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has taken a few years to work out what mu unique offering is and I have made sure I just keep learning, upskilling all the time.\u201d Rene has tackled online courses, sought out mentors and accessed business coaches to ensure Raison Detre Creative Co is the best brand creation business it can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am focussed on how I can best serve someone and get the best result for them and get their dream realised,\u201d she said. \u201cI am all about creating a brand identity and it is an important thing to get right from the start \u2013 it is so much more than just coming up with a logo and moving on. Your brand needs to be strong and consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Locally Rene has spearheaded rebranding projects for Metro Bakery & Caf\u00e9; Vanity, Jolly Soles and Soul Physiotherapy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI sit somewhere in the space between logo designer and brand strategist,\u201d she said. \u201cCreating your brand identity should be seen as an investment \u2013 it is a holistic process and it needs to have longevity. Customers connect with brands through their stories and that connection creates brand loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Making sure she leaves no stone unturned is why Rene applied for the scholarship \u2013 so she could access the best possible mentorship in the AI space.<\/p>\n
\u201cRather than complaining about people that just use AI, I decided why not learn more and see how it can assist me in my work \u2013 it will never replace my creativity, my relationship building with clients and my personal, hands-on touch to every project. I want to learn how to harness the power of AI in my business, to use it to strengthen my offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Women in Business & Regional Development Scholarship winner ready to keep learning \u201cHave a break. Get some clarity. Build up again something that aligns with where you want to take your career.\u201d That is the advice of 2023 Women in Business and Regional Development scholarship winner Rene Veno, who did just that. She took a […]<\/p>\n