True Tribe

True Tribe Turns Ten with Clarissa and Tim

Hey! Clarissa and Tim here. True Tribe turned ten recently. After a decade of grinding it's nice to stand back and feel a huge sense of pride towards what we've achieved. We thought we'd share what's kept us going all these years. If we were interviewing ourselves, here's what we'd ask. Happy scrolling.

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LET'S REWIND BACK TO 2015. HOW DID TRUE TRIBE START?

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We were documenting our neighbourhood, the ever-changing Fitzroy, at the time through an online zine. Lots of new street art murals were going up, new boutique shops and cafes were opening and free events were happening at least twice a week somewhere around northside. The way we were writing and shooting gained some traction and small businesses started asking for us to do the same for them. We quit our jobs and made things more formal under the name of True Tribe.‍

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YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST AGENCIES OF YOUR TIME. HOW DID THAT FEEL?

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It happened organically and faster than we could have imagined. One moment we were dreaming of what our own agency could look like. The next moment we were representing close to 30 businesses at a time and pulling in our friends to help us out.

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WHAT'S IT LIKE WORKING TOGETHER?

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It’s great. It took a few years for us to find our groove and who was taking on what roles. But once that was sorted we were really able to find a good work life balance which helped us live a lifestyle which was more family-focused and leave room to take on other creative projects.

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WHAT'S YOUR VIEW ON THE ONLINE SPACE? IS INVESTING IN DIGITAL A MUST FOR EVERY BRAND?

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A lot of people are online, a lot of the time. Posting online is like have a free billboard. Not all billboards are great, but the opportunity is there if you approach the creative the right way. Equally as important is investing in your brand experience offline. How do people interact with your brand irl? What's your physical stamp in the world?

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WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED AFTER 10 YEARS IN THE GAME?

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Stay true to your values and the clients you’re meant to serve will seek you out. We’ve always been fans first before anything has ever evolved with our clients, and I think that shows. And second to that, sometimes the most rewarding jobs aren’t the huge ones. And passion is like the flu, spend 20 minutes in a room with someone who has it and you’ll both be having fever dreams of endless possibilities.

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ARE THERE ANY NOTES YOU'D GIVE TO BUDDING CREATIVES EITHER IN THE INDUSTRY OR WANTING TO BREAK INTO IT?

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There’s no better mentor than stepping out and trying something you were unsure you could do in the first place. Be generous with your creativity and ideas. You’ll quickly find yourself articulating what people need, rather than guessing what they want. I think it’s more appropriate to say you grow into the creative industry rather than break into it. Do something long enough and you’ll even surprise yourself where it can take you. Lastly, be original. Listen to your gut. Being human has never been more important.