Life at Near: Arielle’s Strategy for Storytelling that Sticks

Some people fall into strategy by accident. 

For Arielle Pizarro, it was more of a quiet nudge from being a copywriter at Near–one that started with a love for playing with ideas and slowly grew into a career centered around shaping stories that land. Today, she’s now our Creative Associate, creating concepts and copy that help brands stand out while staying true to who they are.

Though she had no prior experience pitching or presenting to clients before joining Near, she’s now found herself right in the thick of brand strategy and creative development. With the support of her managers and teammates, she’s learned how to turn raw ideas into full-blown campaigns and how to make those campaigns resonate with the audiences they’re built for.

This is her Life at Near.

Being a Creative in Collaboration

What excites Arielle most about her work isn’t just coming up with a good tagline or writing a strong deck, it’s the conversations that shape those ideas. For her, the creative process is made better by collaboration. She thrives in rooms where ideas bounce around, build on each other, and evolve through shared thinking.

Arielle’s creative journey is really meaningful because of how it started. She first joined Near as a copywriter, unsure of how her skills would translate beyond words on a page. But over time, and through encouragement from the people around her, she discovered a knack for big-picture thinking. Now as a Creative Associate, she’s found her rhythm in strategy, concept development, and campaign storytelling.

Her experience is a testament to one of Near’s strengths: giving people the space to grow into roles that bring out their best. Shifting paths here isn’t a detour, but something we champion. Whether it’s stepping up for a pitch or stepping into a whole new role, Near supports its people in exploring what they’re truly built for.

That’s what made projects like AquaFlask’s Back-to-School campaign particularly fulfilling. At first, the challenge felt daunting. With so many brands already tapping into the back-to-school space, how could Near bring something distinct to the table? But once strategy kicked in, Arielle saw the creative direction shift into something more exciting. From there, it became her favorite part of the process: ideating with the team, crafting the campaign handle, and watching the concept gain traction internally.

What made the campaign even more rewarding was the client’s response. After rollout, AquaFlask shared that the campaign hit the mark and translated meaningfully on social media. For Arielle, it was a moment of clarity: when great strategy and honest storytelling align, it makes an impact.

Asking, Learning, and Letting Go

Arielle’s approach to creative work is rooted in humility. She sees questions not as a sign of weakness but as a bridge to better ideas. Whether she’s asking a designer about timeline feasibility or checking in with a teammate to see if a tagline sparks anything, she knows that asking often unlocks the next best version of a concept.

And when it comes to feedback, she reminds herself this:

The work is not a reflection of her worth. It’s a product–something to refine, rebuild, or sometimes scrap entirely.

This mindset has helped her stay open to growth, even when things don’t go as planned.

She also credits Near with helping her develop a healthier relationship with setting expectations and building a more balanced mindset toward responsibility and growth. Over time, she’s learned that no single campaign’s success or failure rests on one person. It’s a shared outcome, a sum of everyone’s efforts. That perspective shift, she says, helps her sleep better at night (and pitch bolder ideas by day).

A Culture that Trusts and Challenges

One thing that stands out for Arielle is how Near nurtures potential. She recalls how the team pointed out strengths she didn’t yet see in herself, especially her knack for creative thinking and problem-solving. That validation gave her the confidence to lean further into her role and explore the kind of strategist she wanted to become. She also values the company’s collaborative, trust-driven culture. At Near, everyone brings something to the table, and that mutual respect shows up in both big pitches and small daily exchanges. There’s always room to contribute, and even more room to grow.

Arielle’s advice for those seeking a job? Start with what comes naturally. Knowing what you enjoy or at least what sparks your curiosity, makes it easier to find a role you’re willing to work hard at. She doesn’t believe your job always has to be your passion, but understanding your own interests can help you carve a path that feels more intentional and rewarding.

If she had to sum up her life at Near in one phrase, it would be: a pinch of courage. The courage to pitch, to ask, to rest, to start again. And every time she shows up with that courage, she gets a little clearer on the future she wants to build.

With every new idea, every unfamiliar challenge, and every collaboration, Arielle moves a step nearer to understanding her strengths, her story, and the life she wants to create.

Work where your ideas and your growth matter. Explore our open roles and discover your next step: nearcreative.co/careers