Exploring Life & Business with Chea Franz of Indie Creative

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chea Franz. 

Hi Chea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am a former journalist that fumbled my way into public relations. At CU Boulder I studied broadcast news but quickly learned after a few stints reporting the news on our little college TV station that I was not natural in front of the camera. But what did remain was a love of storytelling. 

My first job out of college was working account management at an ad agency in Denver called Juice Communications. At Juice, I started as an account coordinator but because the company was small and nimble, I was able to wear a ton of hats and did everything from media buying to party planning. Looking back, I feel so grateful that my first job out of college was at a creative agency filled with so many wonderful personalities, many of which that I still call my friends and mentors today. It was at Juice where I cultivated an “anything is possible” mentality. Sure, there was plenty of the day-to-day office work, but I also got to judge a hunky Santa contest on the 16th Street Mall (something that I’m still pretty traumatized by) and plan epic themed industry parties, such as the Beer Olympics and Bad Decisions, all of which always centered around a vodka ice luge. 

This non-traditional lifestyle created a career seeking creative, fun, and engaging ways to work. In 2015 I consequently landed a job at Fort Collins Brewery as their brand, marketing, and PR manager. At the time, I really didn’t know what public relations was all about. I did, however, know how to write and I knew how to write in ways that would be interesting to journalists. At FCB, I completely fell in love with the craft beer scene and enjoyed promoting everything about it—the liquid, the process, and mostly, the people. 

After FCB closed in 2017, I decided to continue on the path of PR, freelancing for a number of food and beverage clients across the state. I learned during this time that I really enjoy client-centric work and decided to strike out on my own—with my own PR company. 

And so, in 2020, a month before shutdown, I launched Indie Creative Co., a communications firm focusing on food and lifestyle PR. It has been a wild ride but I couldn’t be happier working for myself, calling all the shots, and having a ton of fun in an industry that I love. I’m proud to report that Indie Creative will celebrate two years in business on February 28. 

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?
2020 was a tough year for obvious reasons. For me, I started a public relations firm right before the pandemic. It was a crazy time to start anything. Small businesses were suffering especially the food and beverage industry. As bars, breweries, and restaurants struggled to stay open, marketing was the last thing on their minds. 

Personally, I was unpacking emotions from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others, as well as the rise of anti-Asian attacks and hate crimes in the U.S. I struggled internally thinking about the times I’ve been complacent, how I could use my privilege to help others, and looked at my own experiences with prejudice being an Asian American. 

I was also dealing with the isolation that comes with working for yourself. As a solo business owner, you make every decision and you don’t have anyone to seek advice from or bounce ideas off of. All the wins, losses, conundrums, head-scratching just swirls around your head in an endless cycle until you hit the pause button out of sheer exhaustion. 

What I learned from all of this, through the social upheaval, isolation, and the pandemic, is that time and space will allow you to grow. During this time, I learned how to trust my gut and follow my instincts. Being an Asian American female in a male-dominated space, I learned how to advocate for myself. I found my voice. In my company of one, I settled into being a founder, though a constant work in progress. 

This past year, I’ve done so many things, such as speaking engagements and sharing vulnerability professionally, that quite frankly scare the shit out of me. I tell myself if it scares you, lean into it. One day it won’t be so scary. And while I don’t always get it right, every misstep and mistake is an opportunity to try again. 

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have over a decade of experience with marketing strategy and content writing and I have spent the bulk of my career helping brands amplify their messaging. 

I chose to focus Indie Creative on the food industry because my parents owned multiple Chinese restaurants across Colorado. This is where I grew up, taking naps in corner booths, packing to-go orders, spending summers gossiping with servers while rolling silverware. The people, the dishes, the food, the drinks, these are the stories I want to tell. 

Indie Creative Co. is an extension of that passion. I proudly rep brands, all of which I lovingly call my friends and partners, such as Adrift Tiki Bar, the Colorado Brewers Guild, LUKI Brewery, Our Mutual Friend Brewing, Team Player Events, Urban Sanctuary, and WeldWerks Brewing. 

I understand that each client has their own unique set of goals. Thus, there is no one size fits all approach for PR. Whether you’re a small taproom brewery or a trade association that represents the entire State of Craft Beer, I customize the PR strategy for each individual client. 

PR can seem a bit daunting. I know that when I first started working in that field, I felt the same way. But my customized approach, meticulous level of detail and organization (gotta give thanks to all that agency training), and friendly and relaxed nature are a big part of how I retain clients. 

When a company, large or small, chooses to work with Indie Creative, they’ll get a fun, working professional who will work tirelessly to earn them media attention. I am consistently providing journalists with compelling trend stories and feature pitches and in turn, have fostered long-standing relationships with some of the best journalists in the country. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I’ll give you two: likability and trust. 

Throughout my career, I often refer to a mantra that a mentor at Juice taught me years and years ago. With client work, make sure that your clients trust you and like you. Part of that trust comes with transparency. I am honest when it comes to projects that I can or cannot do. I’ll be the first one to tell you that if you want a badass social media manager—I am not the one for you but I can help you find one. As a one-woman shop, I also have to be realistic about time and so I will let you know if I don’t have bandwidth. 

Because I truly live and breathe what I do, that passion comes through. During my downtime, you can often find me at a local brewery or restaurant. I’m constantly on the hunt for the newest hop variety, interesting food ingredients, and local causes to support. I enjoy digging in and learning about the inspiration behind a beer or how an individual took the path less traveled to get to their passion. The desire to help brands share their craft through storytelling runs deep in my bones and I hope that my clients see that. 

Contact Info:

• Email: chea@indiecreativeco.com
• Website: www.indiecreativeco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indie_creativeco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indiecreativeco
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/indiecreativeco

Image Credits
Holly Gerard Photography