As soon as Renata Amaral, CEO and founder of the creative studio EAT,
earned her bachelor’s degree in Brazil, she bought a one-way ticket to
Los Angeles and enrolled in UCLA to work on a master’s degree in public
relations and entertainment publicity. She hoped to land a job or
internship at a local creative firm but no one would hire her so she
ended up cobbling together a bunch of part-time, minimum wage jobs.
Eventually Amaral got so fed up with working at fast food restaurants
and delivering pizza, she decided to put all her energy into creating
her own firm. “If those dozens of companies weren’t interested in giving
me a chance at their companies, I would create my own opportunity,” she
says.
In 2009, Amaral opened EAT with her brother Eduardo Amaral and good
friend Gabriel Seibel. Today EAT has grown to a team of 12 with offices
in the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and
Portugal. The firm works with major brands including Red Bull, Disney,
EA Games, NBC Universal, Warner Brother Records, Tumblr, Samsung,
Doritos and Hershey’s.
Rather than waiting for someone to give her an opportunity, Amaral
decided to create her own opportunity to succeed. Whether it’s starting
your own business, asking for a promotion or learning a new skill,
creating your own opportunity can be scary. Amaral offers advice for
Millennial and Gen Z employees on how to build your own opportunities
for success.
Be optimistic
Finding your passion can take time. If you focus on the negative and
your doubts, it will be difficult to move forward, Amaral says. Instead,
focus on your skills and your talent.
Find good people
Look for coworkers and friends who are on the same path and can help inspire and motivate you to do your best.
"Pairing with my brother and friend to complete the ideation of our
business reignited the fire in me to bring EAT to success and persevere
in a hard-to-break-into industry of design,” Amaral says.
Build your own doors
Amaral came to the United States hoping to get a foot in the door at a
creative firm but she kept getting turned away. “I felt more
discrimination being foreign born than being a woman,” she says. When
doors weren’t opening, Amaral decided to build her own. The best way to
do that is to meet as many people as you can, she says. Take classes out
of your comfort zone, attend networking events and lectures, and
surround yourself with experts.
Over deliver
Don’t underestimate the power of over delivering on your tasks and
finishing your work ahead of schedule, especially with a new boss or
client. Word will spread about your dedication and work ethic, which
will lead to more referrals down the road, Amaral says.
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