My name is Daniela Velasco and I am the Founder and Creative Director of Drift, a coffee and travel magazine, as well as Ambrosia, a food and travel magazine. I am also the co-founder of Demasa, a new brand of high-end utility leather goods for the modern woman that I started with my sister, Andrea.

I was born and raised in San José del Cabo, México, went to high school in Florida to play tennis at Bollettieri, and later moved to New York to study Strategic Design and Management at Parsons.

I love dogs, natural wine, good design, and nice dinners. Hate plastic, sugar, and being woken up from a nap.

You’ll usually find me with my wonderful husband, traveling for work, FaceTiming with my family, at the gym, or taking photos of beautiful things, including our puppy Mica.

First question: Do you consider yourself a freelancer or a founder?

I would say that I am both. However, as the brands I've founded grow and develop, I spend more and more time working for them than doing freelance photography or design for other clients, even though I still enjoy it very much.

What was the inspiration behind starting you own magazines: Drift and Ambrosia?

We first began with Drift and the idea came from traveling and getting to know a city through the lens of coffee. We noticed that when traveling, we would make a list of coffee shops we wanted to visit, and from there, we would talk to baristas or locals in the shop who are usually very tuned in to the local culture. They would often recommend cool restaurants, other coffee shops, boutique stores, and exhibitions. We were getting to know a city in an unconventional way.

Coffee is one of those things that permeates so many aspects of our lives and we wanted to use it as a tool to navigate cities all over the world and tell all types of stories.

Creating your own publication is no easy feat. What was your biggest challenge when you were just getting started?

When we started with our first issue, we had to learn a lot. Everything from printing, to color proofing, to actually selling the magazine. Offset printing is very expensive and we had no idea how many to print, so we started with just enough to break even. We had a great response and were able to print more for our second issue and subsequently.

You also co-created a brand with your sister, Demasa. Tell us more!

My sister and I always wanted to start something together, and last year, we decided to solve one of our mutual wants and needs: how could we carry a reusable water bottle in an environmentally conscious, convenient, and chic way?

We both drink a lot of water during the day and hate using plastic, so for our debut collection, we decided to create a handbag with a carved-out pocket on the back to accommodate a reusable water bottle.

Our goal with our Demasa bag is to make it easy and chic to carry a reusable water bottle everywhere and to disincentivize the use of single-use plastic bottles and coffee cups.

We are hoping to slowly grow our brand and create different products.

Your aesthetic – from your publications to your photography – is so beautiful and unique. How did you discover your personal style?

I love using natural light and when editing I try to keep it as real as possible. I love simplicity, clean lines, and a focus on details.

When you're constantly creating, how do you stay inspired and motivated?

It is easy to get uninspired and confused, but finding things that make me feel better is always key. For me, something as simple as exercising gets me into a better mood and mental state, so I try to do it every day or 4-5 times a week. I also love hearing or learning from other creative people, and traveling, even if it's to a different neighborhood in your same city.

What had been you biggest career accomplishment to date?

Creating a coffee magazine that is available in over 1,000 retail locations worldwide and constantly receiving emails or notes about how much someone enjoys reading our publications is always very rewarding.

What advice do you have for creative people who want to pursue their passion as a career?

It is hard to take the initial leap but start doing that thing you love on the side and during your free time. It usually never happens from one day to the next but if you are consistent and dedicate enough time the pieces will slowly fall into place—do not rush into it.

What's next for you?

We want to continue expanding our publications and I will be spending a lot of time growing our new brand Demasa. This is the first time I've been involved in the fashion/accessories industry and it is requiring a lot of learning.