Alumni Spotlight DeAnna Denis

CEO & Designer at Pingtech International

#AlumniSpotlight The Creative Circus graduates the most sought after creatives in the industry. Take a moment to read about the lives, careers & personal stories of some of our fantastic alumni.

DeAnna Denis – CEO & Designer at Pingtech International
Creative Circus Alumna – Design (2008)

Advice to the Graduating Class:

I believe that most people looking for a job, approach the process backwards. They go to school and then try to find a job that fits within the parameters of their training. My method was the reverse of that and had to be fool proof. I was the oldest student attending the school and I was the sole supporter of kids who were tweens and teenagers. Before I chose to attend The Circus, I envisioned what I thought would be the perfect company to work for. I then emailed the PR people, CEOs and Managers of those companies and asked them where they found their new hires and what I needed to do in order to work for them. Of course, most of them recommended The Circus and a kick butt portfolio!

I then applied this same process in order to find a job. Observe your lifestyle, your schedule and your family situation when selecting a company, because it is all important and has to work together. All of these parameters will determine your success in your new job. My perfect end result was to work for myself. Although this was more difficult, it was the only way to make my life work well.

Fast forward to today … starting a business has enabled me and my husband to travel around the world and move to Thailand permanently. We have ditched the “normal”, expensive, credit based, ownership based, how much stuff can I fit in my house, lifestyle and simplified. As a Creative Circus grad, you know how to be NOT predictable and cliche’. Carry this skill into your lifestyle and job selection process as well.

The 2nd most important thing in finding the ultimate work situation is to make a job out of finding a job. You worked so hard building your portfolio, so don’t lose that momentum!

Advice to the Incoming Class:

The most difficult things you will experience are:

1.  More work than you ever imagined with tight deadlines. When you are on that 200th thumbnail sketch is when the magic happens and your mind opens.
2.  The critique. Try to keep the mindset that critique happens FOR you and not against you!
3. Just accept the fact that you will most likely cry more than once. It’s ok! It just means that you are growing but your mind is resisting.

What do you wish you knew while in school?:

I wish I had known how to manage my time better. Time management is so incredibly important and I pretty much sucked at it.

What does The Circus mean to you?:

I attended The Circus during one of the most difficult periods of my life. It was a huge catalyst in proving to myself just how limitless my personal strength is.

Describe a monumental, light bulb moment for yourself while you were at The Circus:

Favorite project you’ve worked on.