{"id":1599830,"date":"2020-06-29T10:57:22","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T14:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/?p=1599830"},"modified":"2020-07-01T23:58:54","modified_gmt":"2020-07-02T03:58:54","slug":"womeninspiringwomen-dina-vieira-president-dv-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/divine.ca\/en\/womeninspiringwomen-dina-vieira-president-dv-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"#WomenInspiringWomen: Dina Vieira, President, DV Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dina Vieira is someone who has literally done it all.\u00a0 She is President of DV Communications<\/a>, the boutique agency that she founded in 2006.\u00a0 She is a certified yoga instructor, author and self-described creative.\u00a0 She had an AHA moment in high school that drove her from tech CPG to becoming a product manager and marketing manager, to eventually running her own business.<\/p>\n

She practices everything that she preaches working with brands that she feels passionately about.\u00a0 One of her clients is Catrice Cosmetics<\/a>, a brand led by women that puts a great deal of thought into their clean cosmetic formulations. They also take it a step further empowering women with positive messaging, often seen as inspiring words or quotes embossed into the makeup. \u201cBe Brave\u201d is embossed on their lipsticks, and \u201cRun the World\u201d on the cheek blush.\u00a0 Vieira is definitely brave, definitely savvy and definitely someone to admire which is why she is our latest #WomenInspringWomen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Your AHA moment came as a result of a high school project.\u00a0 How did you know in the moment, that this was the career path for you?<\/h3>\n

I knew and didn\u2019t know at that moment.\u00a0 I think I was lost like everyone else in high school.\u00a0 I was good at the arts and had a passion for painting, drawing and writing.\u00a0 I was into music.\u00a0 I was into theatre, so I always thought that I would be in a creative role in my career. But I also didn\u2019t want to be a starving artist.\u00a0 I was going through an exploration at that time like everybody else, and then my high school announced that they were going to be offering a program where you could take 3-4 business courses in your last two years of school.\u00a0 It would improve your chances of getting accepted into a business school.<\/p>\n

Something inside me said that I should give this a try and I started taking accounting.\u00a0 I learned how to do my own tax return in high school.\u00a0 I took a strategic management course as well. \u00a0Marketing and advertising was the course where I had the AHA moment because we had a project where we had to think about developing a product, the key messages and branding that went into the packaging, and then coming up with an advertisement for the product.\u00a0 That was the first time where I was able to take my creative thinking and love for art and merge it into a whole new world for myself.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I realized that, \u201cMy God, if this is what a marketing career looks like, sign me up.\u201d I pursued that path.<\/p>\n

I did the Marketing diploma program at Sheridan and then upgraded to a Bachelor\u2019s degree, majoring in Marketing, and minoring in Communications at Ryerson.\u00a0 I was chosen to be part of the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC), representing Sheridan in my last year.\u00a0 I also did the co-op program there and that is how I was able to get a job right out of school. The company that I did a co-op with hired me when I graduated.\u00a0 It seemed like everything was working together nicely and I got into a flow, but I was uncertain about my future like everyone else.\u00a0 I took a great leap of faith and I followed my creative hunches and I\u2019ve been doing that ever since.<\/p>\n

Striking out on your own took courage.\u00a0 Why was it important to you to have your own business?\u00a0 When did you realize that you had made it?<\/h3>\n

I always knew that I was going to own my own business.\u00a0 I just didn\u2019t know in what capacity.\u00a0 When I was working in the corporate world, I was so hungry to learn everything.\u00a0 I aligned myself with my mentors, stood up for big projects and I was extremely ambitious.\u00a0 Being in a marketing capacity, I had the opportunity to work with a lot of agencies and I realized that I had these creative ideas.\u00a0 I would often help them with ideation.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know that I was going to own an agency myself.\u00a0 I had to work in an agency to figure that out.<\/p>\n

I was like everybody else, dreaming of finding a big business idea where you think that you are going to find a gap in the marketplace or in your own industry and fill that need really well.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t always happen like that and I didn\u2019t know all of the details or see a clear path, but I knew that I was creating something.\u00a0 I had to believe in my ability to consistently come up with ideas, conceptualize and to solve issues.\u00a0 It was ultimately when I came back from the agency side that I realized that\u2019s what I was meant to do.\u00a0 I want to help small to medium sized brands come up with creative solutions.<\/p>\n

What advice do you have for people who want to take the leap from their secure jobs to running their own business?<\/h3>\n

Believing in yourself is the first step.\u00a0 You need to have a great idea and you need to be really passionate about it.\u00a0 Think about it every single day and feel confident that this is what you want to do.\u00a0 It\u2019s that belief in yourself and determination that has so much magic and power.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never forget this piece of advice that someone had given to me.\u00a0 It is related to the Japanese proverb about the two hares.\u00a0 You could be chasing two hares and not catch one of them, but the minute you start focusing on chasing one (starting a business in my case), is when you will actually catch it.\u00a0 That was so pivotal for me as a business owner to realize; that I had to go in 100% and believe in myself.\u00a0 That is when things started to grow and take shape.<\/p>\n

What have you learned from your own mentors that has made you an effective mentor?<\/h3>\n

One thing that I learned from my mentors, especially from women in business, at least the ones that I have worked with, is that they have always used their voice.\u00a0 They have always been diplomatic, but have never really shied away from what they believe in.\u00a0 That was very important for me to learn as a young woman and for me to teach other young women as well, especially in this business of communication.\u00a0 If you aren\u2019t comfortable with your own voice and using it, then you have some work to do.\u00a0 We all need to believe in our voice and use it for the greater good.<\/p>\n

Winning the IABC Boutique Agency of the Year in 2016 must have been a huge honour.\u00a0 What pressures come with being an award winner?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It really is about the pressure that I inflict upon myself being a creative.\u00a0 I compete with and challenge myself all the time. There\u2019s no doubt that when you do start winning the awards, and the industry starts looking, there is a pressure to continuously create great ideas.\u00a0 I thrive on dealing with the unknown and discovering new ways of doing something bigger and better.\u00a0 It\u2019s how I continue to evolve and grow.<\/p>\n

\"Marketing:<\/p>\n

In addition to running your own PR agency, you are a certified yoga instructor and you have even written a book, \u201cFit & Fab Over 40\u201d.\u00a0 How do you make the time for your other interests and yourself as a business owner?<\/h3>\n

Over the years, I became a big journal writer.\u00a0 I\u2019m constantly writing, \u00a0creating, getting new ideas and writing them down.\u00a0 I don\u2019t get a lot of satisfaction in life if I don\u2019t invest myself into personal pursuits that interest me.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I\u2019ve made the time for my creative interests and hobbies outside of work.\u00a0 I took a yoga course that was a 250-hour certificate program on weekends.\u00a0 I wrote my book on evenings and weekends where I would find some time, go to a coffee shop and just let the ideas flow out of me.\u00a0 I invest in myself by finding space to dream and create.\u00a0 I feel like I need to do that for myself first before I do it for others\u2013 it\u2019s a form of self-care for me.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing that when I invest in my hobbies like writing a book, doing yoga, cooking, gardening, traveling or painting, it takes me out of the mundane and it gives me an opportunity to create in other ways that I don\u2019t get to do at work.\u00a0 What I do at work is a very different type of ideation and creation that is always tied into goals and objectives.\u00a0 When I take the time for myself, it opens up more space within myself to create more \u2013 it\u2019s all interconnected.\u00a0 When I expand and create on a personal level, I find that it mirrors its way back into my work life.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it feels in business that women over 40 are in a void.\u00a0 There is so much attention on millennials and Gen Z.\u00a0 Do you think that that brands are overlooking women in that age group?<\/h3>\n

There are a number of things happening.\u00a0 As women get older, they are busier with their careers and families and they aren\u2019t posting on social channels as much as younger women are. It\u2019s easier for a marketer to target a millennial or Gen Z because they are really engaged, especially on social media. That is likely where the disparity seemingly happens.<\/p>\n

Millennials are making first-time big purchases and Gen-Z is developing brand preferences, so there is a keen interest in shaping and influencing these targets. Whereas my cohort knows what she wants, has the propensity to spend, and is in a stage of life where she is upgrading and enjoying life. It would be wise for marketers to take interest in all segments.<\/p>\n

That is not to say that women in my age category are being overlooked.\u00a0 There is an opportunity from a marketing standpoint. Many of the brands I work with, do look at different demographics and opportunities in the marketplace, and with all the technological tools and information at our disposal, targeting the right audience is a lot easier these days. However, when one cohort is more active on social platforms for instance, it may seem like they are getting all the attention.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 will impact the relationship between brands and consumers like never before.\u00a0 What changes do you predict will come from the pandemic?<\/h3>\n

From a communication standpoint, it has forced us to think critically and communicate with a more compassionate and inclusive perspective.\u00a0 This is because people are going through many different emotions at the present moment, and you have to be mindful of this collective experience. \u00a0Technology has certainly been the glue in keeping us informed, and connected like never before and I foresee greater technological advancements, especially in how we work. There will be a greater need for more genuine and direct communication from the C-suite and government leaders, to consumers and constituents.<\/p>\n

There is no question that there will be more changes that we cannot fully see yet.\u00a0 I\u2019m an optimist, so I think there is good change brewing.\u00a0 Change is the new norm and we are all becoming change agents. It\u2019s not just the entrepreneurs anymore.<\/p>\n

There has been so much change and adaptation in a short period of time with the social distancing rules. I am amazed how so many businesses like grocery stores for example, were quick and nimble to adopt new protocols to keep people safe, and we all have adapted well.\u00a0 I\u2019m also amazed at all the support and compassion for front-line workers.\u00a0 Companies that have feared change are not only being forced to look at new ways of doing business, but they may have to continue do so for quite some time.<\/p>\n

This is an opportunity for all of us to think of better ways of doing things, to think of how we can collaborate, communicate and work with each other more effectively.\u00a0 For me, personally, I\u2019ve been thinking about streamlining my own business and life.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been reflecting on how I can be a better person. Can I consume less?\u00a0 What do I really need to be happy? How can I support others? How can I support the environment? If we experience another pandemic in 5 years, where do I want to be and what can I do differently and improve for next time?<\/p>\n

You have inspired many women.\u00a0 Who inspires you?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve worked with a lot of great women in business and some that were absolutely horrible.\u00a0 All of these people taught me how to be and how not to be.\u00a0 One woman that I have relied on over and over again, who\u2019s been there for me and who\u2019s been a rock in my life has been my mother.\u00a0 She has been so inspiring to me because she was an immigrant.\u00a0 She was pregnant with me when she and my dad decided to move from Portugal to Canada to create a better life for themselves and their new family.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t know the language, the culture or the country.<\/p>\n

Looking at my mother, I realize how excited and to a certain degree, how fearful she must have been, but she took a risk and believed in herself.\u00a0 She took a huge leap of faith along with my dad.\u00a0 I watched them work so hard throughout my whole life.\u00a0 I was not entitled or given everything that I wanted; I was given everything that I needed.\u00a0 If there was one thing that they taught me, it was to persevere and continue in the face of adversity.\u00a0 Things will get better \u2013 they always do.\u00a0 But, that sense of optimistic risk taking and determination was in my DNA and led me into a career as a marketer, and eventually an entrepreneur.<\/p>\n

Final Thought:<\/strong> The great artist Henri Matisse once said \u201cIt takes great courage to be creative\u201d. \u00a0Story of my life!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dina Vieira is someone who has literally done it all.\u00a0 She is President of DV Communications, the boutique agency that she founded in 2006.\u00a0 She is a certified yoga instructor,…<\/div>\n
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