Two Newport media entrepreneurs share advice for burgeoning creatives
As an undergrad at the University of Rhode Island, Sabrina Araujo Chamberlain was receiving a daily influx of emails concerning campus events, and thought to herself, why isn’t there a social media page that consolidates all these emails? From that thought, Chamberlain would go on to work in social media and marketing until forming her current venture, The Passion Fruit Media. After earning two degrees in architecture from Roger Williams University, Jenn Shore was hired by the founder of TED, Richard Wurman, and began a winding career path towards her graphic design firm, Shore Creative.
In 2012, URI ran social media accounts for the college itself and for the student senate, but both accounts were strictly informational. The event advertisements that plagued Chamberlain’s inbox inspired her to create @urievents, which is still active today. “I would not be here where I am today if I didn’t have this idea, even though I was already in the career path,” she says. With relentless determination and heavy promotion, the Instagram account gained over two thousand student followers, and their engagement rose through the roof. The university took notice of Chamberlain’s work and hired her post-graduation to work in social media for the Division of Student Affairs.
After her time working with the university, Sabrina Araujo Media was born. Now rebranded as The Passion Fruit Media, their mission is to assist businesses in growing their online presence with style. Chamberlain believes that our region is primarily exposed to digital marketing agencies that are focused on strategy, rather than aesthetics, which is where she comes in. Her advice for burgeoning entrepreneurs is to try, fail, and try again. “The best thing that could ever happen to you is failure… It’s important for you to have a dream, but I think it’s also cool for you to have a backup in case that dream fails,” she said.
Richard Wurman and Jenn Shore had similar career paths that began in architecture school, later working for other architects, and finally, transitioned into graphic design. Like a lawyer or a doctor, architects must take exams to be certified in every state. All that work, just to design bathrooms for years on end? It didn’t speak to Shore. While working alongside Wurman, Shore learned an invaluable lesson, which was how to be a one-man, —or in her case, one-woman— show. She intently observed his business practices, from how he negotiated with clients to how he handled his finances. She also leaned on other Newport creatives, approaching them to inquire on how they handled the obstacle of management. Once returning to Rhode Island after a stint in Miami, Florida, Shore decided to leave Wurman’s firm and create her own business.
She had enough of a support system, she says, “that if I did just totally fall on my face, someone would have picked me back up.” Chamberlain also encourages forming a support system through networking, interning, and volunteering in your preferred industry before branching out on your own.
As an artist and creative, the logistics of running a business are often puzzling. Shore suggests taking business courses in school but if that’s not possible, sites like Skillshare, Coursera, and MasterClass provide lessons on necessary backend skills and tasks. Outsourcing comes with a hefty price tag, but Shore highly recommends hiring an accountant, if not a bookkeeper. In order to stay afloat as a business and an individual, Shore asked herself, “What salary do I feel like is appropriate for me to be making at this point in my career, given the work that I do?” and worked backward to plan revenue and expenses to allow for a living wage. Chamberlain learned the realities of professional life through her work as the Digital Marketing Strategist at URI’s Division of Student Affairs. That position was her first experience with social media marketing in a professional setting. She learned how to create marketing campaigns, sit in meetings, and participated in unique experiences both on and off-campus.
Though many stray from office life in order to escape the traditional nine-to-five, Shore advocates for it, but only to an extent. Entrepreneurs often work from home, the comfort of which can lead to lackadaisical attitudes around work ethic and time management. Shore stresses that establishing a routine is essential to starting a successful venture.
According to the designer, tenacity, determination, and creativity are the most important traits for a new business owner. Shore says that after its infancy, maintaining your business and “keeping it healthy and happy” is where the real work begins.
