Meet Cameron Johnson | Founder & Design Principal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameron, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Studio Dérive was founded during a time when travel to most places was limited. My goal from the beginning was to open up an opportunity where people can travel within their own space and feel something custom and exciting that feels unique to their lifestyle. In thinking about the future, the plans for Studio Dérive are much larger than what we see from the studio now.

I see the studio taking a big role in the expansion of Hospitality projects nationwide and globally, while taking into consideration the environmental and sustainability impacts design and construction projects have. Now that we see businesses moving towards a more flexible work style where you can travel and simultaneously get your job done, we want to embrace the opportunities to learn about other cultures and design spaces that represent those cultures and styles well. Travel is known to bring inspiration and fuel to creators, and here at the studio, we always want to reflect a sense of curiosity.

Design in general, can impact one’s life significantly if you really think about it. It can change someone’s physical, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing and help provide a space for them to grow into their fullest potential. I will always design from a standpoint that values my client’s vision and allows unique expressions of themselves through specialty and custom finishes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well I am definitely the type to plan out a full itinerary for trips, but not in an annoying way where I get mad if things don’t happen when they are scheduled to. So being that I’m based in San Diego, CA, where its almost always sunny and 75, I would make sure my best friend had a well balanced experience here that featured everything from the beaches to the Boujee restaurants and bars.

We would hit some of my favorite hole in the wall restaurants, such as Oscars Taco’s in Pacific Beach and San Diego Blenders juice bar close to the SDSU campus. We would enjoy dinner and drinks at either Monarch or Sky Deck in Del Mar, and watch the sunset at the iconic Sunset Cliffs. If we were looking to get outside or experience some cool, wellness/workout spots, we might camp at South Carlsbad State Beach & enjoy their outdoor concerts by local bands, attend a breathwork and cold plunge class at Breathe Degrees, hike the Torrey Pines trails with views of the ocean, sweat at SALT pilates, or even stroll through the flower fields in Carlsbad depending on the time of year. On Friday nights you may even catch us dancing & listening to Atomic Groove play and perform at Belly Up in Solana Beach.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe my success story to several individuals who have impact my life over the years. Some of these people being, my mom and brother, God, our close family and friends, my fiancé Dylan, and my core friends who are always so supportive, celebrate my wins, big or small, and uplift me on the hardest of days. But one person who I owe a lot of my success to is my father.

My dad and I always had a close relationship and I always found myself as a little girl being intrigued by his entrepreneurial side. He was the owner of his own real estate brokerage and went to law school when I was first born, so he could have the role of being an attorney at law alongside his other titles. He was consistently motivational in his ways and has left a lasting impact on not just my life, but several thousands of lives who were lucky enough to know him.

At the young age of 52, he died of an unexpected heart attack, crushing my family’s hearts to pieces. I think of him everyday and owe the majority of my ambitious attitude to him. There is a lot he taught me about kindness and gratitude, but something that sticks with me when getting through life and running my business is something he wrote in a letter to me, my brother and mom just a few years before he passed. It read, “Dream Magnificent Dreams, but don’t settle for dreaming. Make your dreams come true. Work Hard. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. The hard work is the journey. Embrace the journey and the destination will be everything you dreamed.” – Kirk B Johnson. For me, I view success now as the journey. If I embrace all the little moments, the ups and downs, and all the in between, I know the destination will be everything I’ve been dreaming of for Studio Derive and so much more.

Website: https://www.studioderive.com/

Instagram: @studio_derive and @_beyondthebasics

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-l-johnson/

Youtube: @studioderive

Other: https://beyondthebasics.buzzsprout.com

Image Credits
Outdoor beach branding & action shots by Georgia Flynn – @raebrandingco