We were lucky to catch up with Chris Peter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I started learning video and design at a young age making cheesy videos and learning the basics of photoshop in high school. After high school and being a Marine Infantryman I was able to begin my professional studies at the University of the Incarnate Word as a communication arts major. Since then, being a creative has been a lifestyle. To have a successful career as a creative it is a must to continuously finetune and build your skills inside and outside of work. The creative industry is very competitive and unless you are constantly improving your skills, working on side projects, and have great content to show it can be very difficult to have a good income. Making websites, demo reels, and good-looking resumes is hard work but the extra work shows commitment and the ability to go above and beyond.

To speed up my skills I would have started listening to educational books while being stuck in traffic sooner, create content for passion projects, and put myself out in the world more offering freelance work. Surrounding yourself with other creatives and entrepreneurs is also key to speeding up your professional goals. Having the technical skill to use editing programs and media platforms is important but the most important skill of all is to be able to effectively tell a story. One of the biggest obstacles for me was my mental health and prioritizing education over leisure. My career and knowledge took off after I quit drinking, focused on healthy living, and giving up playing video games for hours on end. I try to plan my leisure time now and it is more rewarding than ever.

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

Believe it or not I started my professional journey as an Infantry Marine! I got a jump start on life and all its possibilities, having the opportunity to travel around the world and most importantly gaining perspective, humility, and extreme perseverance. After my adventures in the military, I started to dive into scholastics and learn a new shooting tool, the digital camera! Taking a plunge into media studies it opened my eyes to the world of creative marketing needs that help business thrive. There are so many ways to help people and businesses being a creative nowadays.

Today I am a father, veteran, and all-around creative and help small businesses build their online presence with services such as branding, graphic design, websites, and marketing. After working in the marketing industry for 10 years I noticed the need for a more personalized approach when working with clients and working with someone on their online business goals as if they were my own. I work as if I was a partner in the business.

Large agencies or multiple freelancers tend to get expensive very quickly and people don’t always get a good return on investment. I believe in narrowing down a client’s ultimate goals for their online presence and focus on getting clients a good return on investment. While working with my clients I believe in offering my knowledge and tools so that if they choose to, they can implement on their own so that they can sustain their online needs and succeed in their business ventures.

What do you find most rewarding about being creative?

The most rewarding part of being a creative is not only getting to create something from nothing but the ability to create something that helps others achieve their goals. Seeing something go from just an idea into a successful money-making piece of content or business is incredible. Creatives are all about making the world a better place and paving the way for the future. Creative work brings people together and breeds success. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to help others through knowledge and implementing those creative skills.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Continuously learning and consuming knowledge is essential for succeeding as a creative. Living in a busy city with lots of time in traffic has given me the opportunity to listen to many audiobooks. The most impactful books I’ve listened to are;
“Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too” By: Gary Vaynerchuk,
“The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit” By: Michael Goldsby , The Great Courses
“The Seven Figure Agency Roadmap: How to Build a Million Dollar Digital Marketing Agency” By: Josh Nelson

Contact Info:

• Website: chrispetermedia.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisPeterMedia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispetermedia/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNt07Y7DFs_cbwSMQKX3jvw