Mistaken Identity

Funny story actually, I received an email from SD Voyager Magazine, well I sort of received an email:
Hi Danielle,
I'm on the editorial team of SDVoyager Magazine and we're interviewing local entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders for our Inspiring Stories series.

I received an email meant for Danielle about doing an interview for their magazine. My reply:
Hi there, 
My name is Daniel. Just wondering where you got my contact details?
I'm interested in doing the interview but curious why me and wondering if you're actually looking for Danielle and not myself. 
Thanks!
Dan

They just replied with a “Thanks Dan” and then I went ahead and did Danielle’s interview and received all her glory.

*Side note: There was one other mistaken identity scenario in my life. About 15 years ago, I was in the midst of contacting beer companies and distributors trying to get some free beer for my first exhibition. My phone rings. It’s a lady from Little Creatures (a semi fancy Australian beer brand) looking for someone who wasn’t me, she’d just hit 1 wrong number when dialling and ended up calling moi. I said “Oh wow, that’s so crazy, I was just about to email you guys about our exhibition.” - I lied.
”Gosh, that’s so crazy you accidentally called me! This is fate wouldn’t you agree??”
And she did! She asked for our prop and then she sent over about 20 cases of beer, might’ve even been 30 cases I can’t remember.
Best wrong number call I’ve ever received!

I’ve copy and pasted the whole interview below, I hammed up the “Aussieness” for shits and giggles.

—

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Farrell

Daniel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m going to answer the questions in rap lyrics — It was all a dream, I used to read Word Up magazine…
Just kidding, that would be a punish.

I’ve been skateboarding since about ’94. For me, skateboarding and creativity have always been connected. From making custom grip tape art and t-shirts to taking pictures and making skate videos with my friends, it’s the foundation of where I am today.

My professional creative career began in Sydney, Australia, around 2011 when I exhibited my photographs for the first time and then opened an art gallery (kind of — gallery) in the same space, in the same month. From that, I got a few photographic jobs, but at the time, I got really into curating and production. Curating my own gallery didn’t leave much time for my personal creative work, but it taught me a lot and I made a lot of great connections and friends.

In 2014, I opened my skate shop, U.P.S. Skate Shop, which was my next big creative venture. I was able to bring along all my gallerist skills and apply them to the shop. My role at the shop, amongst the day-to-days, revolved around all the creative aspects — photography and content creation, product development, brand collaborations, website management — you wear a lot of hats when owning a small business.

In 2020, while visiting my best mate in San Diego, I met my future wife. Late in 2020, we had our son — you do the math. We did a lot of trans-Pacific, Australia—USA—Australia—USA commuting throughout the pandemic with special permission from the Australian government while we waited and waited for my visa. FINALLY, in 2022, the visa came through, and within a week, we were all in San Diego, living together permanently.

Currently, I’m taking pictures for SM∆LL B∆TCH in La Mesa and for a footwear brand, WAR SAW, in North County. I’m also taking pictures and working on creative projects with Overload Skate Shop in North Park. All these jobs are super fun, but I’m always on the lookout for more creative projects!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth… at all… at times it’s been like chasing a fart in a cyclone or fighting a kangaroo with one hand tied behind your back — but it’s all been worth it to end up in San Diego with my family!

Some of the things I’ve been through along the way:
– In the beginning, the biggest struggles were having to learn on the job while not making much money. But honestly, those were some of the best times of my life. Being broke, working on creative projects and meeting cool people was so fun, I was eating it up. Plus the struggles just make you tougher and more prepared for the future.
– Moving away from friends and family in 2022 was tough. Saying goodbye to Australia was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
– In 2024, we made the difficult decision to close U.P.S. Skate Shop. The skateboarding industry is at a low point right now, and with the financial challenges and me living in a different country from where the store was located, it just wasn’t viable to keep it running.
– Currently, building a new network of creative partners to work with and friends has felt like a slow process. In reality, it probably hasn’t been that slow, but coming from a small pond where I was a relatively big fish, to a much bigger pond where I feel like a tiny fish, it’s been a challenge to stay patient and trust the process.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialise in what I’d call all-around retail photography—shooting products and models for socials and web stores. With a background in retail, I have 10 years of experience doing just that for my own business, which was very successful for many years. If I had to pick a specialty, that would be it. However, I’m also skilled at social media management, creating videos from start to finish, creative direction, and event production. I can manage Shopify websites, create products with release strategies, and I can do tré flips—maybe not as well or as frequently these days, but I still got them.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
It’s always good to have some savings for when S#%T hits the fan—easier said than done, I know. Thankfully, my business was in retail, and with people shopping online like crazy at the time, I was okay. Actually, if you’re in retail, having a strong website is crucial. That’s some very I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T advice. Our site was always dialed, and when the time came, we reaped the benefits of all those countless pre-COVID hours we put into it.