Ever wondered who the heck those people are behind a brand? Well, come meet us! This post is about our professional preferences, our creative drives, and what it's like when you join the penguins. But stay tuned and we'll give you the real deal in our next post where we tell you a bit more about who we are.
What’s your favourite colour?
Lesley: Yellow!! It makes me ridiculously happy to be surrounded by yellow things!
Alisha: Green, because there are so many shades and options, it’s fresh and always matches my red hair.
Sid: Today you mean? Then an aqua blue.
What’s your personal motto?
Lesley: Opportunity is everywhere.
Alisha: Let your freak flag fly.
Sid: Ignorance is NOT bliss.
What’s your favourite real world brand?
Lesley: This is such a hard question! I gotta say, I really like CBC. It’s such a huge, dynamic brand that’s consistently high-quality, and approachable.
Alisha: Starbucks, they’ve created an empire based on such a simple product.
Sid: Any brand that can make me laugh or make me think usually stands out. A few years ago Volkswagen was doing this perfectly. I am an Apple fanboy for the most part though and love the brand, but I do find they take themselves a little too seriously, granted that's what they want. CD Project Red is another, they have weird name, but they're one of the most open and customer focused brands out there.
What’s your favourite local business?
Lesley: There are so many incredible NL businesses that I could name about 50 that I admire! Today, I’m going to go with Piatto Pizzeria and Enoteca. They’re an incredible success story. Delicious food, enjoyable atmosphere, and reasonable prices. Plus, in just a few years, they’ve expanded throughout Atlantic Canada! So impressive.
Alisha: Model Citizens. So true to their brand and really passionate about clothes and their customers.
Sid: Jack Axes is probably one of the freshest and interesting businesses in St. John's. I'll be interested to see if they can keep the momentum going or if it's just the unique concept that is doing the work for them currently.
"Website content brings me joy. I love to tie in the science and the art of it."
What’s your favourite type of work to do?
Lesley: Social media. I love it! The strategy, the execution, the research. Bring it on!
Alisha: Website content brings me joy. I love to tie in the science and the art of it.
Sid: I love bringing a brand to life, from the ground up, or bringing the life back into an old brand. I've also found a second love in illustration and art directing video and photo shoots.
What’s your dream project?
Lesley: I love all things travel, so a startup in the Newfoundland tourism industry would be really exciting for me. I’d love to be a part of their team from start to finish to create their brand, website, social media presence and everything in between!
Alisha: I’m working on it now! Rogue Penguin is the ideal mix of marketing, consulting, and building up businesses, which is my passion.
Sid: I'd love to be the team that brought a AAA movie or video game to market. Just working with the high-end assets alone would be amazing. More realistically, I love each and every time we get to help other entrepreneurs make their business stand out.
"We're a kick ass bunch of ass kickers; we know how to make sure a brand can … well, kick ass."
Why do you love Rogue Penguin?
Lesley: It’s such a fun and talented team to be a part of! I was a solopreneur for two years and found it really difficult. Now, I’m part of a team that has complementary skill sets and likes/dislikes and we work well together to meet our goals. Plus, I’m so proud of the work we do!
Alisha: Because it equals freedom and limitless opportunity.
Sid: Other than the fact we're a kick ass bunch of ass kickers; we know how to make sure a brand can… Well, kick ass.
Who should I follow on Instagram?
Lesley:
@celestebarber for a laugh
@hannahgreendale if you like to read
@mr.pokee & @juniperfoxxx for cuteness @letterfolk for an amusing and pretty feed @refreshprojectretreats obviously...
Alisha: If you have a potty mouth and dark sense of humour, my cousin Denise got you covered. If you don’t, follow InstaHedgies.
Sid: Ten Tree have beautiful nature shots, The Onion because it's the Onion, Yehuda DeVir is the creator of One Of Those Days and it's amazing, or ASAP science for a daily dose of fun facts!
"I love social media and have made an abundance of valuable connections by using it. It offers so many opportunities and can cause businesses to boom overnight!"
What’s the most effective marketing tool?
Lesley: I love social media and have made an abundance of valuable connections by using it. It offers so many opportunities and can cause businesses to boom overnight!
Alisha: Blogging - hands down. Whether video or written format, it'll elevate you to thought-leader and you can't beat that for telling your brand story.
Sid: I think the best tool is your own brain and knowing your brand well enough to market it properly. It's one of the main reasons small businesses fail, they have a great product or service, but they don't know their brand well enough to sell it. All the social media in the world can't help you if you don't know the fundamentals.
What’s your side hustle?
Lesley: The Refresh Project, a super-fun business I started with one of my best friends who is my former business coach. We saw a need for business retreats for entrepreneurs because business gets tough ... we give business owners a chance to step away, recharge and find space to work ON their business instead of just in it.
Alisha: White Space Art Co. and teaching art.
Sid: I manage and run the Bread and Cheese Inn in Bay Bulls with my family.
Nice to meetcha!
So that's who we are ... professionally anyway. Stay tuned for a bit more of a personal look into our lives.