Rising Stars: Meet Maryann Sperry of Longmont

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maryann Sperry

Hi Maryann, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our trip-of-a-lifetime to Egypt, scheduled March 2020, was cancelled due to the coronavirus issue. But we were determined to have a great time in spite of the global quarantine. We used our intended itinerary for the guided trip and created day-by-day Facebook posts during our FAUX trip! We used images of the places in Egypt that we WERE supposed to be visiting on that particular day and Photoshopped our pictures into them! We hung a sheet from the ceiling in the living room for a backdrop, and used our camera with a timer to take photos of ourselves in various positions. I am a graphic designer and spent a couple of hours each on Photoshop to take our photos and insert them into humorous or interesting positions in photos of Egypt. My husband researched on the internet the places we would have been and created a make-believe story of what we did and saw each day. We had a blast with this project and had bunches of fun interactions on Facebook as our friends enjoyed seeing the pictures and anticipated each following day’s “adventures.” All the photos can now be seen at http://creativemarketingcafe.com/category/egypt-faux-trip/

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We had saved up for this trip and paid the full amount to the tour organization in advance, and waited months to go, and were very disappointed the trip was indefinitely postponed. Plus, we were very worried about losing our money if the tour company folded during this shutdown. Isolating because of Covid was hard for everyone. Luckily, I work from home as a graphic designer so I was still employed. Not surprisingly, the volume of incoming projects dropped drastically, so I had extra time to create this “faux vacation.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I opened my business Creative Marketing Cafe LLC in 2006 offering online and print marketing materials. My background as a graphic designer, social media early adopter, and webmaster allowed a large range of services to offer. I have created websites, newsletters, book interiors and covers, social media and marketing materials such as business cards and brochures, and once even designed a 10′ x 10′ screen for a tradeshow booth along with matching table cloths. Over the years I have fine-tuned my services and currently focus mainly on book covers and interiors.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband Paul Sperry, the co-creator of this project!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://creativemarketingcafe.com/category/egypt-faux-trip/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannsperrycolorado/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryannsperry123
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/maryannsperry
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoLzzFYWIx4xlOrrTByuwGw
• Other: http://paulsperryboulder.com/