A coffee with Danae Fischer
An inspired young designer with very clear ideas: Danae is half Spanish and half Swiss, but she grew up between Spain and France, where she was born. Mixing cultures and languages has been her entire life, so it’s not really surprising to find out she fell in love with creativity and art direction while modelling in Paris. “A dream job”, as she calls it. She worked in events, designing festivals and music events, from spaces to digital campaigns, videos, voiceovers, and copywriting. And then she had a crisis, a profound personal crisis regarding sustainability. Her values weren't being represented anymore, and that creative environment did not really resonate with who she was, how she saw the world, and where she wanted to go. As often happens, turbulent times and crises lead to personal improvement. She tried to launch her first agency but was a massive failure…
Tell us a bit more about your story. How did you open your own agency, and where are you now in this journey?
When I decided to start my very first agency, I was a bit naive, so it didn’t work as I wanted it to, but I tried, and it was a great experience and a very important moment in my career path. Another great moment that helped me become who I am now and define who I want to be as a creative was in 2018. Among other clients, I was working with Blondish DJ. and she was having a huge moment on social media, plus a new consciousness about plastic as a global issue was emerging. Long story short, she hired me to shape this incredible momentum, so I became the head of communication. We created a foundation and started spreading the message, organising events on the topic, making a documentary...and then Covid arrived. Everything, as we all know, stopped, and to me, it was like a cold shower, both personally and professionally. So, it was then that I decided to take time to study coaching, which I have always wanted to do. This is because the work environment is where we spend most of our time, and if we want to improve it, we need to start from us.
Now, I provide creative services for different brands, mainly in the hospitality sector, from management to creative direction. I get very involved in everything I do, and I really like to create close relationships with people because, in the end, that's what it is all about.
On your website, there is a drawing where communication and consciousness meet. How much coaching is in there and how much of your past experiences?
Yes, that is inspired by an Ikigai, which is a powerful Japanese concept referring to something that gives someone a sense of purpose, a direction. During Covid, I researched what I wanted to focus on and what my passion is, and I always came back to the exact two words: communication and consciousness. Today I know they are my compass: they are the process by which I do things. Certainly, they find their foundations within my coaching course, but I think they have deeper roots in how I view and imagine the work system.
What is creativity for you?
I see creativity in everything, not just us as creative people. It's in how you address a problem in your life, from a personal to a professional one, even a financial one. This is because, to me, creativity opens up and amplifies possibilities. It is literally energy.
Why did you decide to be part of The Carrot Collective? And what does it mean for you to be part of TCC?
As soon as I got the values, the idea and the mission of TCC, I thought, "finally, someone is doing it!". I always had in mind an ephemeral agency, a workplace extremely flexible where freelancers could gather on projects, but I remember mentioning to some of my colleagues: that the timing wasn’t right and the feeling was that it would be just impossible, too complicated. So when I came across TCC, it was a massive yes! I know we are still in the early stages of the project and that we are all shaping it, and it will constantly be shaping, but I think the foundation will probably be solidified in the next couple of years. So I'm very excited to be part of it because I feel absolutely aligned and in tune with the values that TCC is about. I trust that something good will come out of this; if nothing does, I have new friends!
What is your vision for the future of work in 3 words?
Emotional intelligence, financial intelligence and self-accountability (something between collaboration, maturity, and responsibility). Let me explain this: if we were all freelancers and everybody was self-employed, I believe society would be much more mature because each one of us would be responsible for ourselves and then collaborate with others. This is how I see the future of work. Decentralisation is the future; we all know that, but the next step, I think, is truly crafting the possibilities for different individuals to collaborate depending on the project and the needs. Freelancers care about life-work balance because they know how to organise themselves: they can burn themselves to the maximum if they have to push in two weeks for a project, but then can go off because they need to. For me, it brings maturity to another level: since I'm responsible for my emotional well-being, my physical well-being, my intellectual well-being, and my finances, why shouldn't I be responsible for how I do my job?
What do we need to invest in as a society to reach this future, can you find 3 resources for the future of work?
It will be the same three words as above because all three words I mentioned are something one should use in life, not just in professional life. When I studied executive coaching, I learned that you cannot and shouldn't separate your personal life from your professional one because it will not work. Each of us is a picture of both, which is why talking about balance is so important. At the end of the day, how many hours do we spend working? And how many at the end of your life? 80%, if not more, so it should be good. You are responsible for making it good, stop complaining and start shaping the way you want things as much as possible. Why are we even questioning it?
Last but not least, what is the tattoo on your wrist?
It's Mickey Mouse ears. Did it with my best friend ages ago; it reminds me of those crazy times and our friendship because she has it as well!
(Illustration by pch.vector on Freepik)