Hello. I’m Elsie.
I'm a Creative Director who's spent 20+ years building brands, campaigns, and designs for everyone, from Target and Coca-Cola to global entertainers, most recently leading the full rebranding and merchandise collection for Russell Brand. Campaigns, merch, and launch events are where I go deepest: taking a project from idea to something a user or fan actually wants to own.
Along the way, I've worked across healthcare, beauty, and entertainment, leading creative teams and creating designs for brands like Walmart, Amazon, ESPN, Goodyear, Snap-On Tools, and Starbucks, to name a few.
LIVE + MERCH
This is home. I've led merch and launch events from the very top of the idea down to the smallest production detail: art direction, vendor management, client relations, etc. I got my start in art and stage production in school, and I'm a musician myself. I spent a small part of my earlier years as a merch manager for small bands. So tour and artist life aren't things I learned about. They're things I lived. That background not only influences every branding project, but gives me an advantage as a designer to understand a an audience when it comes to launching a product and creating merchandise.
LEADERSHIP
I've worked with Fortune 500 brands and picked up a few awards along the way, but leading is what I love most. I've managed the largest book of business at a creative department of 40+, mentored young talent into creative leads, and been the one brought in to unite teams that weren't working well together. I believe in being direct, staying humble, and lifting the people around me. Rallying a team around one clear goal? That's my sweet spot.
BACKGROUND
Originally born and raised in Brazil, I came to the US at 17 to master English as an exchange student, planning to return home for med school. Instead, I won scholarships for college in Kansas, studying Fine Arts, Theatre Production, and Design. I started my career at an ad agency, designing, writing, and coding. The work turned heads, which meant bigger brands, awards, bigger projects, and eventually, the work I do today.
PERSONAL LIFE
I work in the city but live in the country in West Nashville, with two teens and a barn. When deadlines allow, I paint, I play guitar and piano, and drag my friends into my house band. I love live music, meeting new people, and making a real difference in the lives of the people around me. Otherwise, what's the point? Be a good human. <3