Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Javonte Green. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Javonte, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I ever made as a business owner was in time. Specifically, the time I reclaimed when I left a comfortable part-time job to go all in on my business. It wasn’t an easy decision—I had just enough income from the job to cover my bills, but nothing more. What was originally supposed to be a short-term gig to bridge the slow season turned into a year of working three days a week—three critical business days.
I found myself constantly at odds with management whenever I had to step away for urgent client calls or last-minute business needs. It became clear that I was prioritizing a paycheck over my own potential. The business wasn’t growing the way it could have, and I was stuck in a cycle of playing it safe instead of taking the leap.
Walking away from that job with no guaranteed income, especially when my business was trending downward at the time, was terrifying. But that uncertainty became fuel—I had no choice but to make it work. Betting on myself pushed me to operate with more focus, strategy, and hunger than ever before. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made. That leap of faith forced me to fully commit, and in doing so, I unlocked the real growth I had been holding myself back from.
Lesson learned: Sometimes, the biggest risk isn’t jumping—it’s staying where you are and hoping things will change on their own.
Javonte, 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 started Focus Pocus Productions at just 18 years old with no college education and no clear roadmap for my future. I had been working since I was 13, always independent, always grinding—but stuck in a cycle of dead-end jobs. At one point, I moved 13 hours away from my family, working full-time just to make ends meet. Eventually, I moved back home when my parents offered me a job at their wedding venue, hoping for a fresh start.
That job didn’t pan out the way I had hoped, but my parents suggested I introduce a photo booth to the venue as a way to make money. At first, it sounded lame—totally out of my comfort zone. But after crunching the numbers, I decided to take the leap. With my last $7,000 in savings, I made the investment and launched my business.
I started small—renting photo booths at the venue and even setting up outside Icon Park Orlando, charging for photos until security kicked me out. I quickly realized that if I wanted long-term success, I had to think bigger. My first private event was just $100 for an hour, and I thought I had made it! But after driving an hour there and back, I knew something had to change.
Over the years, Focus Pocus Productions has evolved from hustling for $200 wedding gigs to booking luxury weddings, brand activations and corporate events for $2,000+ per hour. We didn’t get here by sticking to the same cookie-cutter photo booths everyone else was offering. Instead, we pivoted into experiential photo marketing and custom interactive photo and video activations, creating immersive brand experiences that capture attention and drive engagement.
What sets us apart? We don’t just offer photo booths—we create highly customized, data-driven experiences that help brands collect valuable attendee insights (like age, gender, and contact information), increase social media exposure, and enhance brand awareness through interactive, shareable content. Every time a guest posts their branded photo or video online, it extends the event’s reach far beyond the venue.
Today, we work with billion-dollar brands and high-profile clients, proving that creativity, strategy, and innovation can transform your business. What started as a $100 gig is now a premium service that companies trust to elevate their events. And while the journey wasn’t easy, the risk was worth the reward.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing a vision come to life exactly as intended—especially when I’ve personally designed, programmed, and tested every element of a project. There’s nothing like the moment when a client sees the final product, realizes they chose the right company, and knows that every dollar spent was worth it.
Beyond just the execution, the real satisfaction comes from watching guests interact with every branded and custom touchpoint in the way we envisioned. Whether it’s hitting a specific engagement goal, collecting a targeted number of phone numbers, or driving social media shares to a custom hashtag, knowing that every planned aspect of the activation delivered on its purpose is what makes this work so fulfilling.
At the end of the day, it’s about creating experiences that don’t just look great but also achieve real results—and seeing that success play out in real-time is the ultimate reward.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn was the idea that more bookings meant more success. For a long time, I thought that keeping my calendar full—regardless of pricing—was the key to making money and growing my business. I believed that offering lower rates would bring in more clients and ultimately put more money in my pocket. But in reality, I was barely staying afloat.
After years of trial and error, constant haggling with lower-paying clients, and running myself into the ground, I finally made a promise to myself: I would never take a booking that undervalued my work. If I couldn’t charge what we were worth, I wouldn’t take the job—even if it meant going out of business.
That shift in mindset changed everything. The moment we stopped letting clients dictate our worth, our business did a complete 180. It wasn’t immediate, but it was impactful. We went from struggling with budget-conscious clients to attracting premium clients who valued our expertise and innovation. And today, that decision is the only reason we’re still here and thriving.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://focuspocusproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuspocusproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FocusPocusPro/?_rdr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javonte-green/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@focuspocusproductions
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/focus-pocus-productions-orlando
- Other: Hottest Photo Activation Trends for 2025:
https://focuspocusproductions.com/ai-photo-booth/
