Black Cat Strategy & Design
by Jennifer Lloyd (Serafine Sawyer)
Ms. San Diego Leather 2019
So how did San Diego’s 2019 Leather titleholders decide to start an advertising agency? And, how does an ad agency ultimately help out the LGBTQ+ community? It’s been a journey, and we’re both grateful the other has been there through all of it.
When Jody and I became Mr. and Ms. San Diego Leather 2019, we were asked to represent our Leather community to the best of our abilities. It wasn’t long before we both felt lucky that we had each other throughout our title year. We ran up and down the state of California, attending parades and festivals – it was a ton of fun! We were just 48 hours shy of stepping down from our official duties, looking forward to continuing our work within the community and having fun as part of the community. Then, last March, covid-19 derailed those plans, and Jody and I found ourselves on a whole new adventure.
Shortly into the pandemic, that we bother found ourselves unemployed. I worked as a marketing analyst, and Jody had been working in a support position at a law firm. I would show up to Jody’s backyard with Del Taco, and we’d have lunch six feet apart. I can’t tell you how much those lunch hangouts helped me stay sane. During these lunch meetups, we talked about what we might want to do next, and the seeds for Black Cat Strategy and Designs were planted.
During our title year, Jody had the idea to create some fun and innovative posters highlighting the San Diego community. These imitated famous movie posters such as The Addams Family Values and Trainspotting. They were simply brilliant. His skills with photo editing software were simply astonishing. He would individually shoot all the scenic aspects, then compose these aspects, the lighting, and the background to blend seamlessly into a single image. I was floored every month when a new poster would arrive.
I was looking for work and running into walls time and time again. First, I would have to put myself up against a throng of other very viable candidates; then, once I got an interview, I had to deal with hiring-managers who couldn’t understand that the trans-woman sitting before them wasn’t a threat.
Jody and I had always talked about the possibility of starting something when we got done with our title year, and the idea for an LGBTQ+ advertising agency developed. In fact, with the recent trend in corporations vying for the queer dollar, we thought it was only logical that corporations should talk to a queer ad agency first. Also, we wanted to support the continued growth of the LGBTQ+ business by offering a community-based option.
On January 1st, 2021, we started Black Cat Strategy and Design to continue our community service. We recently signed our first client, Ryder-Gear. They produce customized full leather motorcycle suits while also catering to the more niche aspects of the LGBTQ+ community. Other clients are sure to follow, and before long, we hope to support our community and hire from within it.
Jody continues to be a fantastic business partner as we blend my business background with his creative genius to bring out the best in each other and our clients’ business. But, more importantly, Jody has been an unwavering friend as we both work through this pandemic and ultimately emerge stronger, passionately dedicated to this community.
Find Language of Love here:
Blog: https://newhorizonsforfifty.blogspot.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/NewHorizonsForFifty
To receive a free copy of Langauge of Love, email mrlbl2019@yahoo.com
Thank you!
Comments
Post a Comment