We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jake Matthews. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jake below.

Jake, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Honestly, it’s the project I’m working on right now. I’m currently in the Philippines for over a month documenting their love for the game of basketball. Of all the countries on earth, the Philippines have the most basketball courts per square foot. Here, “ball is life” takes on a whole new meaning. I’m traveling around documenting courts, hoopers, and anything basketball related. I’ll be producing a photography book as well as a documentary from this trip, and it will end up being the biggest personal project I’ve ever taken on. Basketball has always been my first love. My former coach used to say “this game will teach you as much about life as you let it.” I believe basketball is poetry. It’s art. It brings people together. This project is going to allow me to dive into that on an incredibly deep level, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always had an itch for adventure. Growing up however, I wouldn’t say I was artistic on any level. So I always push back when people say “oh you were born a creative.” When I first started photography, I read a quote that has stuck with me ever since. “The eye is just like any other muscle in the body, with practice and training, you can grow and strengthen it.” At age 19, I studied abroad in Europe, and started photography (just on my iPhone) simply as a way to document my adventures. I got addicted to it day one. It’s been 10 years since then, and I’ve never looked back. That’s probably what I’m most proud of. Along the way, I’ve had friends question if I can make a living off of it. I’ve had my grandparents literally sit me down and tell me to get a real job. I ignored them, bet on myself, and it’s paid off tremendously. Nowadays, I spend my time doing mostly commercial and travel work. I’m usually out of the country 6-8 months a year, simply trying to make the most out of this one life I have. What a gift. When I do that, I’m either shooting for brands or working on personal projects. And when I’m home, I do a lot of my commercial work- which honestly I love just as much as the travel stuff. Whether I’m photographing a project or leading it as a director, I love working with advertising because I’m helping someone else’s dream come to life. They had an idea to start a business, to chase after a dream, and I get the responsibility of helping them share their dream with the world. What an honor- a responsibility I do not take lightly.
Growing up in the sports world, I love working as a team. I believe if you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go together. So I’m really focusing on growing my own content agency, J Creative House, where we do photo+video work for brands and businesses all over the world. I plan on simply continuing to grow that, so I can serve more clients and also help more creatives get into the game. On top of that, personally I’m just trying to make the most of this gift of life, see the world, and treasure as many experiences as I can.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Don’t get lost in the sauce. As you get into the business world, honestly seeing those paycheck gets addicting. You start to solely aim for creating and doing things for clients. Soon, everything you’re doing is a means to an end- that paycheck. Greed is sneaky like that. One thing I had to step back and realize was why people were coming to me in the first place- they liked my passion for what I did. They liked that I loved creating for myself. So honestly my biggest paying clients have hired me not because of what I’ve done for other clients, but because of the work I’ve done just for myself. So, if you’re a creative- hustle, grind, get those clients. But don’t forget why you started in the first place. Come back to heart of it all. Real recognizes real. Show people you care. The clients will come.

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

2 pro tips here. Honestly with these 2 tips, you can run an effective business and survive on it full-time. 1.) Use your current clients! Stop doing all this work to find new clients (or at least stop making it your #1 focus). Simply sit down for an hour one day and send a text/email to all your current clients saying something like “Hey I’m looking for some new clients to work with this year. Do you happen to know anyone who would be interested in my services?” Your current clients are already your biggest fans. Tap into that. I guarantee you’ll get at least one new client from that.

2.) On a similar note, we have this mindset that we always need to be getting more and more clients. That’s a lie. Realistically in most businesses, you can make a living from 5 consistent clients. Stop focusing on getting more clients and instead focus on doing more and better work for your current clients. Make sure you communicate efficiently and do a great job, and then follow up frequently asking if they need any updated services. Watch how well it works.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jakesvisuals.net or www.jcreativehouse.com for my agency
• Instagram: @jakesvisuals