Today we’d like to introduce you to Kori Smith.
Hi Kori, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been artistically inclined since I was a child. My grandma used to save a stash of computer paper and an old shoe box full of crayons and colored pencils for me, from probably about 3 years old to maybe high school. I used to literally draw everyday products like toothpaste or chips, and draw logos, practicing what I now know as branding.
My mom and my Auntie influenced my “passion for fashion”, simply just being young Black women who appreciated culture and style. They passed that down to me, for sure. Growing up I always said I wanted to be some variation of an artist, or a fashion designer. I would come up with fake clothing designer names, draw my own designs, and stapled the pages together to create catalogs (when that was a thing lol).
Fashion had always been my first love and art was my gift. I was always known for my sense of style but realized an artistic career could possibly be attained when I took graphic design classes in high school, which grew to me creating flyers, logos, and SGA campaign visuals as a side hustle in college at my HBCU.
Approaching my senior year of college I felt like the Holy Spirit revealed to me to establish a brand named after my birth date: 77Nine7. The number 7 in the Bible represents Divine Creativity. For example, God displayed His Divine Creativity by creating the earth, and everything in it, in just 7 days.
I’ve been blessed to carry out and discover different creative talents and abilities since then. Today I help entrepreneurs and other creatives tell their stories, visually, through creative direction, brand design and identity, and content creation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Lol my road has been as smooth as a turtle’s back, if I’m being honest. I’ve struggled with accepting my gift for years. But now God is saying “See, I told you so!” I let excuses, rejection, and comparison creep in and became my biggest enemy. Because of that I lacked consistency, being a jack of all trades but a master of none. I’ve done everything from an owning a clothing brand, to fashion styling, to photography and video editing. All of which are passions of mine, but not my specific area of focus. I learned a lot about myself and my ability in each role, which helped me to appreciate the role of a Brand Consultant more. All those roads have lead me back to where I started, and I’m excited for the journey.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The type of work I do is Creative Branding Consulting, including creative direction, brand design, and a little bit of content creation here and there. I specialize in having a sophisticated, sleek, yet eclectic visual aesthetic even down to the way I dress and present myself. I believe everything should be done with style, grace, and taste! Although I cater to all audiences, I love celebrating Black culture and women. Representation has always been important to me. I would say I’m known for the way I direct when I’m on set or leading a project. I believe in communicating with all parties involved effectively, making sure the general message of the project is being visually displayed as best as possible. I’m most proud of my ability to create something out of nothing, my growth as a business owner so far, and being a light to the people I work with.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
~The market may be over saturated, but there’s only one of *YOU*.
~ Go with your first mind or what most people call your “gut feeling”. Don’t second guess yourself. But also don’t assume you know everything! There’s always more to learn. Be a sponge and learn as much as you can. Accept critique as refinement, not judgement.
~ Customer service is key! The creative industry, in most cases, is a people focused/service based industry. If you don’t have good customer service or at least good manners people won’t want to work with you. (But that doesn’t mean let people walk all over you though)
~ If your creative skill is more than a hobby, and you want to make money from it then learn about business. Whether it be at work, a mentor… chile YouTube and TikTok are free!
Pricing:
- Creative Direction from $200
- Logos / Visual Branding from $125
- Content Creation from $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://77nine7.my.canva.site/portfolio/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/77nine7__studio
