Ambar Januel helps companies create marketing for community development
I work as a consultant for tech companies and non-profits in creative marketing for community development. A few years ago I started a creative agency in LA, I left it in 2017 to pursue my own work as a consultant - I wanted to be able to put more focus into diversity and to work with organizations that are making the world a better place. I recently started Notably Wild (www.notablywild.com), a monthly newsletter that offers opportunities to be involved in social movements, I created this site because I know so many people want to be involved and do more to make a difference, but don’t know how - and I think us educating ourselves (and each other) is the first step.
I stay motivated by… surrounding myself with incredible pioneers and creative minds that push me to be better, think harder, and innovate further every single day.
Three adjectives that describe me are… curious, optimistic, and bold.
If I could have dinner with one person (dead or alive) it would be… Rosa Parks because as a kid I was obsessed with her largely because we have the same birthday - she was the first example I remember being taught in school where a woman of color would not obey the discriminative expectations of others.
The most exciting innovation to me is… ai because it’s both frightening and exciting and we all know it’s going to change the world. Probably for the better and the worse.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur? Is having your own business something you always wanted?
I’ve always had a very entrepreneurial mindset. Even when I find myself working on a consistent project, I’m very imaginative and am always coming up with ideas. Sometimes I actually need to quiet my mind down. It was really fascinating to me after starting my first business that I actually felt a little isolated. To a certain extent, I left the advertising world because I felt like it wasn’t the right match to me. As a founder of an agency, there was a lot of negativity and superficiality (especially in LA), I learned so much from this career move, but I did realize that I wanted to run a business in a different and more organic manner.
What were you doing before this? How did it prepare you for the entrepreneurial life?
I had a very unorthodox upbringing and early career. While at times it felt impossible, I realize now that it’s allowed me to work outside of the box much more naturally than it feels for many others. I don’t have to struggle with wondering if I’m making the right decision or if I’m being silly by taking chances - testing and trying are the only ways I know how to succeed.
What are some pros and cons of having (or not having) entrepreneurial parents?
I have parents that are neither entrepreneurs nor traditional. They didn’t tell me to get a well-paying job or study a specific topic, but they also didn’t show me a level of success on any level that I could work towards. In fact, all of my understanding of the professional world I had to build for myself (obviously with the help of many others). I feel two ways about this, the pro, is that I had no previous conception as to what success looks or feels like and therefore I’ve been able to build that off of my own intentions, the con, is that I literally started from nothing, and if something ever happens, I’m fully accountable for it and any financial liabilities.
How far are you willing to go to succeed?
I’m a self-proclaimed workaholic (and I’m a very happy person - this doesn’t come from a negative space) so I have no issues working until I can’t any longer. But my authenticity and genuine love for what I do is really important to me and the success that I have found, I would never jeopardize that for a certain level of success.