Meet the Team | Nimbler. Maria Royal
Home to brand designers and strategists, interior consultants and project managers — Nimble. is the studio home of diverse creatives from all walks of life. Today, we’re excited to introduce Nimble.’s Copywriter and Brand Strategist, Maria Royal — a multidisciplinary creative with an eye for potential and a passion for story. Maria recently celebrated her first workiversary with the Nimble. crew.
Get to know her through this 4 min. q&a below.
“Everyone asks about the foam sandwich. It was a thoughtful gift that has remained a permanent fixture on my desk since 2014.”
Maria embracing a Nimble. Elsewhere outing in San Francisco
👋 Maria!
Tell us a little about your role at Nimble.
MR: At Nimble. my goal (and role) is to help clients articulate purpose, develop strategy and discover their unique voice through brand positioning and messaging. I work alongside our team to turn user-driven research and sharp insights into strategies that achieve business impact. I’m mad about helping brands grow by crafting laser-focused answers to very important questions such as — What is our purpose? What makes us different? Who are we talking to? What is our story? What should we say? and many more.
What led you to the creative industry?
I always knew I wanted to help visionary people realize their potential, tell their stories and push out their work. That’s why I went to school for Journalism and Marketing. I’ve spent five years now in the brand marketing world — working with both corporate global and local non-profit brands — and I remain extremely invested in the work. At Nimble. I have the really cool opportunity of helping our clients connect their brands and audiences to place — whether that’s on the CRE-side or the hospitality-side.
What practices help you stay on track and make progress?
MR: I would say I’m a big picture thinker that compensates for Type B tendencies with Type A tactics. I learned at a very young age that making good lists was an anxiety-reducing way to extract the many things running around in my head onto paper. Plus, writing is a passion of mine, so there you have it. I tend to carry around a very large sharpie. That’s for crossing things off the list. It’s a powerful motivator for me.
I also think anyone with a variable schedule needs at least one psychic anchor every 24 hours — so I keep a personal journal in my annual calendar. I have since I was 18. I write every day. Nothing lengthy and sometimes just the exact sequence of my day — where I went, what I did, who I saw, how I felt and any highlights. It’s given me the rare ability to look back at what I did almost a decade ago to the day, and understand how my days have changed. This was unintentional, but a habit that’s payed unexpected dividends to personal growth, professional growth, etc.
Best advice you’ve received?
MR: My dad loves this quote from Ghandi, and used to say it to my brother and I on the way to school as kids. It still resonates today —
“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”
And then we have my mom’s very original piece of advice — “You’ll get it done.”
Who do you most admire and why?
MR: My mom. She grew up in a small olive-farming village in Greece. Her dad passed away when she was eight and shortly afterwards, her mother immigrated to New York to start a new life for their family. My mom was raised by her grandparents and didn’t see her own mother again until she was 14, when she made the move to her new home Rochester. She learned English, became a citizen, started a great career, grew into a new culture and thrived along the way. She is to this day the most resilient person I know and though her delivery methods aren’t always what you would call gentle, she’s is a constant source of optimism and positivity in my life.
What’s your backup career?
MR: Inn keeper and breakfast chef at a BNB that’s stolen my heart.
What’s the one thing the Nimble. community should know about you?
MR: If you and I have the pleasure of meeting one day, no matter the occasion I'll probably ask what you like to do on Saturdays. And if you asked me, I'd tell you lately I'm into keeping live music on my calendar, making space for side projects, seeing the world through BNB’s, making intentional efforts to read more books and brushing up on my Greek year-round so I don’t have to be so bashful about visiting my family every few years.
Maria with her role model and biggest fan, her mom
Thanks for reading the second interview in our Meet the Team series. Next up is Brand Designer, Heather McNamara.
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For questions or to add to the conversation, contact Candice Riley Campbell, candice@nimbledesignco.com | 404.445.3400.