José Suaste

B.F.A., 2000, Communication Design: Graphic Design
Website: fluent360.com
LinkedIn: José Suaste

Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I am currently the chief creative officer at fluent360, a multicultural ad agency based in Chicago.

As a native Texan, my approach to multicultural marketing is fully immersive. My core philosophy of collaboration empowers the creative teams I lead in delivering breakthrough campaigns for clients, such as Nissan North America, TGI Fridays, Kaiser Permanente, and U.S. Army, to name a few.

I'm a seasoned creative with over 20 years of experience leading campaigns targeting the multicultural segment, and I've won over 85 advertising awards. My work portfolio includes McDonald's, Gatorade, Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Frito-Lay, Taco Bell, Southwest Airlines and Tecate, among others.

My team at fluent360 was the recipient of a Mosaic Award and a Shorty Award in 2022. I'm a University of North Texas graduate with a B.F.A. in Communication Design and Creative Writing. I also attended The Art Institute majoring in Web Design & Interactive Media.

I live in Chicago with my wife, and I like to study tequila and build Legos in my spare time

Who or what inspired you to choose an arts- or design-related career?
Growing up, I was always an art kid. I'd draw or paint and then, in high school, graduated to graffiti. I never knew if I could make any money at it. Friends liked my stuff, and I did drawings for party flyers, etc. My goal in my head was to be a fine artist. However, during my senior year, two things happened: 1) my daughter was born, and 2) A commercial illustrator named Phil Boatwright came to visit my art class. The reason those two events are connected is that both made me realize that I needed to do something to make money with my art. Once my daughter was here, my parents made it clear that they'd help me so long as I helped myself, and it was fine that I wanted to do something art-related, but fine arts was out of the question. My mom's words were, "Artists don't make any money till they're dead. You have a baby now. So figure something out." My parents, immigrants to the U.S., had one vision for me...do something stable. They supported my art but weren't going to let me go to college to paint canvases.

So that was on my mind when Phil, a former student of my instructor, came to visit our class. He told us that he was a commercial artist. I had never heard the term. He said he got paid to draw for companies and showed us various illustrations he had done for brands like Chili's and Olive Garden menus. I blurted out: "I can do that." And he responded, "Yeah, you can do that." So in my head, I now knew I could do art, get paid, and care for my family.

Those moments started me down the path I'm still on almost 30 years later — an example of a bit of pressure and some belief.

Can you share the story of when you've had to pivot in your creative journey?
In 2013, I was laid off from what I thought was a very important role with a company. I had worked there for a year and a half and had given everything to that position. It was my first creative director position. I worked weekends, holidays, missed birthday parties, etc. I gave it my all because it was the first time in my career that I believed that if I proved myself, I could be a partner somewhere. I could reach the status that some of my mentors had. That was my motivation.

And when I was let go, I realized for the first time that I could easily be replaced in any of these positions. They weren't MY companies. So I knew I had to build something of my own, somehow. This moment led me to create my own tequila brand. I hadn't worked in spirits from a business standpoint, but I just knew I had to put my skills to use to build a brand for myself. This tequila brand startup was that opportunity, so I took it. There's a long story there, but I can only say that it's been almost eight years, and we're in 16 countries and nearly 25 states.

Is there something you think non-creative people need help understanding about your journey as a creative in an arts- or design-related field?
Well, for the most part, no one really understands what I do. LOL. But what most people who aren't in this field struggle to understand is that we can't do the same thing twice. There's tons of pressure to develop something new for clients every time we get an assignment. We have techniques, processes, etc., but the same idea can only work once. That's a good and bad thing.

What if you hadn't chosen an art- or design-related career? What do you think you might be doing?
I really love cars and motorcycles. My father was a mechanic, so I could have gotten into custom cars, bikes, or Vespas. That's still artistic, but it's more functional and mechanical.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely. I was fortunate enough to discover multicultural marketing early in my career, and that's been my mission ever since. I aim to hire multicultural talent and ensure multicultural audiences are represented positively and properly. I am proud of my culture, and I believe in the power of diversity. That has driven everything I've ever done with my career.

Was there ever a moment in a critique or class that made you think you should just give up your art dreams and, if so, how did you get past that? Did that provide a lesson for your career?
YES. My first portfolio review, I failed. I was told I had the chops, but I had too many absences to go forward. I wasn't serious. I got the news the same day my grandmother passed away, so I thought I was done with the communication design program and the dream of graphic design or art direction. Maybe I wasn't good enough. I took a semester off and tried photography and ceramics, and while they were fun and very interesting, they weren't my passion. I decided to reapply and get back in there to prove to these professors I had the stuff to make it in this program. I got back in, and at the end of my college career, I was nominated for best portfolio in my class.

That moment in time has helped my career immensely. It made me take my work and reputation more seriously and deliver when I say I will. There's no room for excuses. I've taken that with me for the last 25 years.