We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kojo Dadzie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kojo, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

The legacy I hope to build holds enough weight for my kids, and their kids, to stand on and walk with. I want to be remembered as an individual who was influential in every field that I played in, and I want people to understand that I was selfless more than I was anything else. Being someone who is a man of service, I spend a lot of my time putting people first, and that takes a lot of patience and mental strength. I want to be known as a person who led with loyalty and left with it too.

Kojo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kojo Dadzie, and I am a Creative Director, Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Talent Manager from Brooklyn, NY. Along with many other talents, I like to be considered a multi-faceted creative who cannot be boxed in. I started graphic design as a hobby and started taking it seriously in 2013. Around late-2014, I started seeing the monetary value in designing, and from there, I set out a plan to make graphic design one of my income streams. Throughout my graphic design journey as a freelance designer, I was able to learn so much about the craft and build connections and a network that allowed me to grow into more than just a graphic designer.

I learned a lot of lessons along the way, being that every client you meet is not going to be anything like the one prior. Understanding how to run a business, set boundaries, make money and not lose the enjoyment of what you do was definitely a challenge, but I remained persistent to this day.

Although I love art, my first loves were definitely sports and music, and because of that, I have found multiple ways to intertwine all my loves into what I do on a daily basis. My design work and connections allowed me to become the Creative Direction & Community Manager of Dyckman Basketball, one of the most prestigious Pro-Am Basketball tournaments in the country. That was one way I was able to fuse two things I love while making a mark.

A lot of my design work was always rooted in music. A lot of my early designs were cover art for local rap artists. I was heavily inspired by Kanye West and his design style. I always saw and understood the importance of what cover art did for music and musicians, and I wanted to find a way to leave my mark in some way. I started to create a niche by creating and directing beautiful cover art (as well as other designs) that landed me at Asylum Records as the Head of Creative Services for two years where I was able to build my reputation and clientele even more.

As I transitioned and added talent management to the list of things I did, it was important to me to learn exactly what that title entailed and how I could be effective within this lane. I sought out advice and help from many people I knew who had already had their time in that field and they reassured me that I was making a natural pivot into it and that my consistency, knowledge and passion was going to continue to drive me.

Any advice for managing a team?

The advice that I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is simply to treat everyone as humans more than anything. I think it’s super important to build respectable and strong relationships with the people that you are working with, because not only are you spending lots of time with each other, but if your focus is money, you’ll probably make more together if you want to see each other win just as much as you, the individual, wants to. Communication is always extremely important when it comes to team management. The more you communicate, the less confusion there is (and no, it doesn’t rid of all confusion). Learn how to communicate with the people around you and understand what’s effective for them. Some members of your team might be receptive to a certain kind of language, while others are not. Understanding that will take you far.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is truly the finished product and the joy that radiates from the client. In the service industry, you want the people you’re working for to feel like they got their money’s worth and that they’d come back to you, every time, with no hesitation. For me, when people that I work with feel satisfied with their product, I win.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kojodadzie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jo_gotgame
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kojo-dadzie-366163123/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jo_gotgame
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KojoDadzie