Two perspectives. One shared vision.
Every business has a beginning. Sometimes it starts with a carefully considered plan, sometimes with an unexpected opportunity, and sometimes with a simple question: What if we gave it a try?
For us, DBMOTIF began with exactly that question.
I'm Blanca, co-founder of DBMOTIF, a creative and digital marketing studio based in Dublin, Ireland. Alongside Douglas, I'm building a project that began as a shared idea and gradually grew into a dream with a much greater purpose.
Where it all began
Douglas and I met while studying for our Bachelor's degree in Marketing at Independent College Dublin.
As we progressed through our studies, we realised that learning about marketing was only part of what truly excited us. We wanted to go beyond the classroom, put our knowledge into practice and discover how everything we were learning could help real businesses.
In December 2025, we began sharing ideas about what we could build together. We talked about different possibilities, but one idea kept coming back: what if we created our own creative space where we could combine our skills and help small businesses grow?
In 2026, we decided to stop imagining it and start making it happen.
Different talents, one direction
One of the things I value most about DBMOTIF is that Douglas and I have different interests and strengths, yet we share the same vision.
I've always been passionate about art, interior decoration, aesthetics and those small details that can transform something simple into something special. I love how colours, shapes and creativity can communicate emotions and give a brand its own personality.
Douglas, on the other hand, has a strong interest in marketing strategy, understanding how businesses operate and finding new ways to communicate ideas and connect with people. He also has a creative perspective that complements the way I see things.
Over time, we realised that our differences could become one of our greatest strengths.
Because beautiful design needs clear direction, and a strong strategy needs creativity to connect with people.
That became one of the foundations of DBMOTIF: bringing strategy and creativity together to build something with purpose.
The guidance that helped us begin
An important person in our story has been Abraham Licona, my brother.
When we shared our idea with him, we found someone willing to listen, guide us and share his knowledge.
Abraham supported us from the very first steps of DBMOTIF, particularly during the creation of our website. His guidance helped us better understand how to begin turning our ideas into a real project.
Having that support meant a great deal to us, especially as we were entering unfamiliar territory, full of decisions, challenges and opportunities to learn.
His help also strengthened one of our beliefs: good ideas can grow much further when people share their knowledge and support one another.
That same spirit of collaboration is something we want to bring into everything we do at DBMOTIF.
The meaning behind DBMOTIF
From the beginning, we wanted our project to have a meaningful name. Something that represented who we are, but also what we hope to build.
The letters D and B represent our names: Douglas and Blanca.
The word motif, often used in art and design, refers to a distinctive element, symbol, pattern or recurring idea within a creative work that helps give it identity.
That meaning immediately caught our attention.
Just as different elements can come together to create something with its own personality, we believe strategy, ideas and creativity can work together to build an authentic and recognisable brand.
For us, DBMOTIF represents exactly that connection.
Two people, different talents and one shared vision: helping businesses discover their own identity and explore new opportunities for growth.
More than another marketing agency
From the beginning, we knew we didn't want to create just another marketing agency.
Of course, we're passionate about design, brand identity, websites and digital communication. But our vision goes much further than simply offering these services.
We want to build a space where people feel heard, where their ideas matter and where they can find guidance, useful knowledge and fresh perspectives for their businesses.
We believe that behind every small business there is a story, a great deal of effort and, very often, a dream that someone is working hard to make real.
That's why we don't want our involvement to end the moment a project is delivered.
Our intention is to get to know the people behind each business, understand their goals and work together to explore creative solutions that suit their needs.
We also want DBMOTIF to become a place where we share valuable information, practical advice and ideas that can inspire other entrepreneurs to improve, learn and keep moving forward.
Because we believe knowledge becomes even more valuable when it's shared.
A small beginning, a bigger vision
Today, we're still university students. We're still learning, exploring new ideas and building DBMOTIF one step at a time.
And rather than seeing that as a limitation, we see it as part of our story.
We don't pretend to have every answer or know everything. We understand that we still have a great deal to learn and that building a business of our own requires dedication, patience, discipline and perseverance.
But we also believe that great projects can begin with small decisions.
Our dream is for DBMOTIF to grow from Dublin and, over time, connect with entrepreneurs, businesses and people across Europe and around the world.
We want to continue developing our talents, gaining experience and turning our knowledge into something that makes a positive difference to the businesses we work with.
Beyond building a company, we want to build relationships, share ideas and play a part in helping other people grow.
Dare to begin
If there's one thing we've learnt throughout this journey, it's that we won't always have all the answers before taking the first step.
Sometimes we wait for the perfect moment, tell ourselves we need more experience or believe we're not quite ready.
But life is full of opportunities we might never discover unless we're willing to try.
Whether your idea is just beginning, you're running a small business or you've been thinking about starting something of your own for years, your journey can begin with a single step.
There's always an opportunity to learn something new, improve and build a different path.
Our story is only just beginning, and we still have a long way to go.
But if there's one message we'd like to share with you, it's this: believe in your ideas, trust your talents and don't let the fear of starting stop you from discovering how far you can go.
Because, in the end, there's one phrase that perfectly captures the way we choose to see life:
IF YOU NEVER TRY, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW.
— Blanca, Co-Founder of DBMOTIF
