Dominique Fraenkelamarilla

I attribute my success to passion and honesty. Passion is what drives me to continuously improve, push creative boundaries, and stay committed even when the work becomes demanding. In a fast-paced agency environment, genuine love for what I do makes the challenges worthwhile. It motivates me to keep learning, refining my craft, and showing up fully for every project.

Honesty has been equally important. Being transparent with clients, colleagues, and myself builds trust and accountability. It allows me to communicate clearly, manage expectations effectively, and maintain strong professional relationships. At the same time, being honest with myself—about my strengths, areas for growth, and personal limits—has helped me evolve with confidence and integrity.

Together, passion and honesty have grounded my career. They keep me focused, resilient, and aligned with the kind of professional and person I aspire to be.

The best career advice I’ve ever received was to stay true to myself. In a fast-paced agency environment, it’s easy to feel pulled in a hundred different directions at once. There are constant deadlines, shifting priorities, and competing perspectives. I’ve learned that it’s essential to pause, reflect, and make sure I’m still grounded in who I am—both creatively and personally. Staying self-aware helps me maintain clarity and confidence, even when the pace feels overwhelming.

Another important part of that advice is learning not to take feedback personally. In design, you’re presenting work that feels personal because it’s your ideas, your creativity, and your execution. But at the end of the day, design is subjective. A client’s reaction isn’t a reflection of my worth or talent—it’s simply their perspective. Sometimes feedback can be direct or even harsh, but I’ve learned to approach it objectively. It’s their brand and their investment, so they’re entitled to their opinion.

Keeping an open mind has been crucial to my growth. When I separate myself emotionally from the work, I’m able to listen more carefully, adapt strategically, and ultimately create stronger outcomes. Staying true to myself while remaining flexible and receptive has allowed me to grow not only as a designer, but as a professional.

If I could offer advice to young women entering this industry, it would be to not take things personally. Creative fields—especially agency environments—are fast-paced, highly collaborative, and often filled with strong opinions. Feedback can be direct, and at times intense, but it’s important to remember that it’s about the work, not about you as a person. Separating your identity from your output allows you to grow, refine your skills, and build resilience without losing confidence.

I would also encourage women to stay true to themselves. It can be easy to adapt to external pressures or try to fit a certain mold, but your unique perspective is your strength. The way you think, your background, your voice—those are assets. Holding onto that sense of self, even in challenging moments, will help you build a career that feels authentic and fulfilling.

Finally, push yourself—but also learn when to pause. Agency life can be demanding, and growth often happens when you step outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself, take on opportunities that stretch you, and embrace the intensity. At the same time, recognize when you need to reset and gather your energy. That balance between ambition and self-awareness is what sustains you long term—and it’s what makes the journey not only successful, but genuinely enjoyable.

One of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—in our field right now is the rapid rise of AI. There are constantly new tools emerging, and it can feel overwhelming trying to keep up. At times, it’s even difficult to distinguish what’s real and what’s AI-generated. That uncertainty can be intimidating, especially in a creative industry where originality and authorship matter deeply.

That said, I don’t believe AI will replace designers. I see it as a powerful tool rather than a threat. While AI can generate visuals, automate edits, and dramatically speed up production—especially in areas like photo editing—it cannot think critically, reason strategically, or bring lived human experience into the creative process. Design is rooted in empathy, storytelling, and cultural awareness. Those are inherently human qualities. AI can assist, but it cannot replace the insight and intentionality behind strong creative work.

For me, the key is staying open-minded and committed to continuous learning. Instead of fearing AI, I believe we should explore it, experiment with it, and understand how to use it responsibly and effectively. When leveraged thoughtfully, it allows us to be more efficient and focus our energy on higher-level strategy and concept development. The opportunity lies in embracing these tools, not resisting them—because designers who evolve alongside technology will ultimately lead the industry forward.

Honesty is one of the most important values in both my professional and personal life. In a fast-paced agency environment, transparency is essential—whether it’s about timelines, expectations, creative direction, or challenges within a project. When you’re managing multiple clients and multiple deliverables at once, clarity builds trust. Being upfront about where a project stands and where it’s headed ensures alignment and strengthens both internal collaboration and client relationships.

Clear communication goes hand in hand with honesty. Because I often work across several brands and campaigns simultaneously, organization and open dialogue are critical. Miscommunication can easily happen when juggling so many moving parts, so I prioritize being proactive, direct, and solution-oriented. Strong communication keeps teams cohesive, projects efficient, and outcomes successful.

On a personal level, I deeply value passion and kindness. I believe in staying genuinely connected to the work I do—when you care about what you create, it shows. At the same time, I try to approach others with empathy and understanding. Everyone is carrying their own responsibilities and challenges, even if we can’t see them. Leading with kindness, patience, and respect creates a healthier work environment and a more meaningful life overall.