Today we’d like to introduce you to AbbyRae Orchard.
Hi AbbyRae, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi I’m AbbyRae, I am 24 years old living in Downtown Salt Lake City, UT. I am an Entrepreneur, I founded Rae Creative Media & am the Creative Director. I always knew that I would work in the Creative Industry – I had several hobbies growing up that indicated that. Everyone in my family knew that I couldn’t keep my hands off the art. From 1st-12th grade I participated in the school orchestra, violin, got submitted by my teacher to the art show, won several photography awards from my intro photography class senior year & was also filming weddings and doing family photos on the side.
I was addicted to Creativity & Entrepreneurship, so much so that when it came to graduation my parents recommended I attend Business School at the University of Utah, I was also lucky enough to receive an academic scholarship – however I will say, I don’t necessarily think I was the best student, I was just really good at finalizing things at the very last minute & somehow getting a good grade on it. I didn’t think that made me smart, I just think it made me resourceful & continued to prove my creativity.
After a year at the University of Utah – Covid hit & heavily effected schools. Online education was a big challenge for many of us and it was a natural time to re-think my life direction. I launched my very first photography & videography website in 2020, called Rae Film & Photo – which shortly after I changed to Foto Co. As soon a Quarantine was over, I ended up actually applying to UVU film school – got accepted & spent a semester and a half in Orem learning Cinema. I loved it! During that time, I was still freelancing Photo & Video, I got several amazing gigs that were great for my portfolio. Oddly enough however, I was asked if I knew how to produce podcasts – that was random. But no one could have prepared me for the trajectory I was about to be set on.
In 2021-2022, I said “Yes, I can produce podcasts. No problem.” (Then stayed up all night watching Youtube videos on what equipment I would need & how to make this happen) and of course I got help from my Professors at UVU. Ended up getting referred to client after client who wanted to start Podcasts. Eventually dropped out of school & opened up a Podcast/Content Studio in Lindon where I was producing about 12 different shows at the time. I was slammed for work, learning business the “baptism by fire” method. I learned a lot. Made more mistakes than I could even count, was “faking it till I made it” when it came to Business negotiations let alone Client Experience & Management.
In the Summer of 2022, I was looking for a way out. I was 3 months past burn-out & desperately searching for a safety net. I bit off more than I could chew with little to no experience other than just “figuring it out one step at a time.” One day – out of the blue, I was approached by a friend I had made in the industry who worked for a Local production company. He happened to know that the owners were looking to hire another person to help them develop the podcasting side of their business. After some careful thought & consideration, I ended up saying goodbye to the Podcast/Content studio and said hello to this new opportunity. It was one of the best & hardest experiences i’ve ever been through mentally, it was a very complicated process that took several self-reflection moments and really hard conversations.
Working at the Production Company was a dream, I was able to really dive into my creative strengths & have the freedom to experiment with little to no risk associated. I was producing podcasts, getting into Graphic Design, collaborating on several different types of media – I couldn’t believe how different it felt to actually be able to hone my skill in a safe environment rather than operating from a space of true survival. However – my time there was cut short due to some misalignment issues that I sensed. I peacefully stepped away and was actually able to go back to Full-time freelance! Which was a miracle to find clients after not taking on a single “outside project” during my time at the production company.
2024-Present
July of 2024 was when I officially signed my first Client Contract again after almost 2 years away from the “Contractor” lifestyle. Working & developing at the Production Company taught me so much & was exactly the kind of experience I needed to be able to take on my own Business Venture again. Very quickly, I was able to increase my clients 5x in 3 months. It was the most growth i’ve ever experienced from a Business POV. Since then – I’ve had the opportunity to hire a Creative Team to help me further develop and actually go the Creative Agency route, now that I found myself offering all kinds of Media Assets. (Podcasts, Graphic Design, Web, Photo/Video, Content & Marketing Strategy). I changed the Business name once again to Rae Creative Media, knowing that there was much more under the umbrella than just photo & video.
I am now currently working with several businesses throughout the state and country, big & small! Helping them to accomplish their Digital Media Marketing goals by providing Creative Assets & Strategy to help them tell their most authentic story to their future consumers. It absolutely love what I do and am so excited to take this next step into the Agency world, so grateful for every opportunity that led me to this point.
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?
I wish I could say it was haha!
Yes – I think due to my age and ultimately the path i’ve taken, i’ve encountered some pretty unique challenges. Mainly due to just not knowing what I was doing, developing skills, learning as I go, overpromising and underdelivering, OVER-delivering for clients (which is never good haha), or having big new ideas flop really bad. But everything has taught me so much over the years & I believe in “failing forward,” being resilient & embracing the failures.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My family & friends have always described me as the “Jack of All Trades, Master of None.” Over the years i’ve taken up too many hobbies to even remember. Violin, Painting, Drawing, Crochet, Video Editing, Photography, Graphic Design, Coding, Web Design, Podcasting, even designed custom apparel and sold those for 6 months! No one can keep up with me and I can barley keep up with myself…however – I think that’s my greatest skill and what my clients would say I’m best at. I’m pretty good at almost everything and have a multi-faceted creative approach. I am intuitively creative & specialize in being able to see the whole vision from start to finish. This is what I think makes me a valuable asset for Brands because I can handle everything when it comes to building brand presence, brand identity, visual story-telling, & overall asset creation. (Logos, Billboards, Web, Social Media, Podcasts Etc.) I believe in building cohesiveness within Brands and i’ve been able to accomplish that as a Multi-Passionate Creative Director. My Creative Team is also amazing and so talented, we are able to execute high-level visions & birth new realities within Brands that they didn’t believe was possible before. It is so fulfilling to spread these messages & SEE the results as the right consumers are being magnetized to where they need to be/the product/community they are looking for.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My step-dad has been my mentor. As a successful business-man himself, he’s been able to keep me “logistically” on track where I can naturally stay “creatively” on track. I’ve also been extremely lucky to be surrounded by extremely supportive & caring friends who offer me the tough love when I need it.
I would say if you are looking for the right mentor, the first step is to recognize your weaknesses/strengths. Then in the seeking out process, identify yourself with those traits so you can find someone to compensate for where you may lack.
Systems & organization has ever been my strong suit, so I always look for that “analytic” brain in my mentors & at networking events or social gatherings.
And ultimately – just make as many friends as you can along the way. The truth is – you’re not meant to go through life or business alone. As an Independent thinker, it can be hard for me to ask for help sometimes – and yet when I have, I’ve been able to do SO MUCH MORE. Collaboration is key, and don’t be afraid to seek spaces where you know you’re the weakest link. Others will build you up & fill gaps, just like you will in other spaces.
Pricing:
- 25% Off New Clients – any service for the month of July
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raecreativemedia/
