Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Warren. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Alright, let’s take a stroll on memory lane, back to when you were an apprentice or intern. What’s a memorable story from that time that you can share with us?

From May 2004 to January 2005, I was afforded an opportunity to enroll in the College Program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I worked in the Magic Kingdom in Adventureland. Before starting work, I went through a retail training class the Disney company called Merchantainment. In this class I learned the psychological aspects of how to sell to your customer. I also learned the relationship of entertaining your customer while simultaneously selling your product/service to them as well. I walked away with a wealth of knowledge that I still use today in my businesses.

Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a native of Charleston, South Carolina. I graduated from Garrett Academy of Technology in 2001 with my high school diploma and my certified draftsman certificate. I continued my education at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, South Carolina where I obtained my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Technology in 2006.

I paired my skills and experiences from high school and college with my talent and passion for the arts. This is where the creation and honing of my craft of graphic design began. I started designing out of a small 2 bedroom single-wide trailer while living off-campus as a student at SC State. These early designs were loved by peers so much to where they wanted to wear them, thus, giving me the idea to sell my designs on apparel.

Fast forward to today, and I am owner of Kreative Jooce Art & Design LLC and the Pragmadik Brand. The core foundation relationship that they share were set many years ago and are still in practice daily.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In this fast-paced technological world of today, I still find that the old-fashioned methods are still more effective. Word-of-mouth is by far the best way to grow in your market. Prepare a budget to suit the marketing/advertising of your business. For me, I still use branded marketing materials such as business cards, flyers, shirts, vehicle decals, etc. I have digital versions of branded material as well. The goal is simple: where ever you go, you should have something with your business name and a contact info of some kind at the ready. You never know who you may encounter on any given day. It doesn’t present a good look to standing in front of your potential next customer who could change your life and you don’t have anything tangible to give them to do business with you and/or to pass along to someone in their circles as a referral.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

In my opinion, not having enough capital is the main reason why small businesses aren’t don’t get started. What most don’t know is that there is a budget to fit every kind of business at every stage of the business. I initially did go to banks and ask for small business loans. I did not get approved because, at the time, my credit was not great and I did not have collateral property. So, I figured a way in my personal budget to finance my company. In order for this to work, you must have a well disciplined mind to stay focus on the sacrifice. At the time, I liked going out every Friday night. I would set aside about $200 every week to support my habit. I told myself that I would sacrifice going out and use that $200 to fund my business. On average, that was $800 a month going straight towards my business. For a year that was $9,600 that was going straight towards my business. I still found time to go out when I could, but I understood that I had to keep my sacrificial goal intact. And as I earned more money from the job, I was able to put more towards my business. I soon realized that I was my own “bank” financing my own company.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kreativejooce.com / www.pragmadikbrand.com
• Instagram: kreative_jooce / pragmadikbrand
• Facebook: Kreative Jooce / Pragmadik Brand