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

Jennifer, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Before I became a business owner, I started as a freelancer. In the very beginning, as I continued to search for more and more clients, I recognized that many were hesitant to use my services despite my portfolio. It suddenly hit me that I needed to brand myself and a business name was the first step.

At the time, I was offering video production services with a graphic design element and knew that I needed the word ‘Productions’ in the title. I wanted to start with my initials followed by ‘Productions’ but after a quick search, I found that there was already a business with my exact initials followed by ‘Productions.’ They were pretty well established and despite operating in a different state, I knew I needed to cho0se something else.

I was in a computer lab finishing up my associates degree for TV production when it hit me, or more accurately, showed itself before me. Zero, Nine, Eight, the easiest three numbers on the keyboard!

I did a quick search for businesses named ‘098 Productions’ and found none. Thus 098 Productions was born!

I freelanced a bit longer and honed my service offerings before I organized my business officially. That’s when I ran into a small problem. While there wasn’t a 098 Productions organized in my state, there was a 98 Productions. The business what closed though! But to my dismay, the name of a business that’s shut down can have up to five years to reinstate the name. The business had closed four years prior to my application, the name technically had one more year left before it was open again. With my name already so close to the other’s business’ name, my business attorney friend said that there would be very little chance of obtaining my desired name.

So I had a choice, wait to organize one year later or take my chance and apply now and possibly be denied. It’s funny looking back on it now. There was an option to put an alternative name, should they not want my first choice. The alternative name I chose was ‘098 Productions & Design’ and as predicted, that was the name chosen.

It’s funny how life can set you up. It was only after I organized my business that I shifted gears from mostly production services to branding services. I grew to love my new name as 098 Productions & Design. It captured the two halves that made me whole. My production side and my design side.

I always get excited when someone asks, “Why 098?” Its because my shortened answer is: “Its the easiest three numbers on the keyboard.”

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My path into my current industry is a long and winding one.

I always loved art and drawing since I was in middle school. As I moved through my education, I never once considered art as an actual career. I was always turned away by others who warned me that I would become a ‘starving artist’ despite me taking AP level art classes in high school and college level art courses in the summers in between. Art for me, at that time, was just a passion because I loved designing my own characters and making up stories; but when asked what I wanted to be, I would always shrug my shoulders and say “I don’t know.”

It was in college that I started to consider art as an actual career choice and I graduated with an BFA in illustration. When I moved back into my home state, I struggled to find work and thought “Oh no! I really am going to become a starving artist!” Looking back, this was due to me not understanding how to market myself and throwing my efforts in all the wrong places.

I eventually went back to school in hopes to find more work in intern opportunities and it was there that I found another passion of mine in video production. Specifically the video editing portion of it.

That’s when it hit me that I could create both art and video for businesses that needed it! I enjoyed both and knew that they were services that other’s would need. I started freelancing right away until I eventually organized my business and became a business owner.

I started out as offering primarily video production services, but now I offer that and more. Utilizing my design background and my knowledge of production, I create content for businesses with a focus on Identity Branding. Basically, any visual element that can be seen in a business, digital or print, I help create.

I offer individual services for both video production and graphic design, but my main packages are focused on Identity Branding and either creating a brand from the ground up or re-branding an established one. I help businesses become definable at a glance and to showcase their values and personality through their print and digital assets.

My ultimate goal is to help businesses draw target consumers and set the stage for them to foster brand loyalty and generate repeat business.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?

The greatest reward is seeing my work promoting or helping someone else. That’s why I chose to work in the branding sphere. I use my art to raise and elevate businesses, who in turn raise and solve their client’s needs. As a creative, I pour large amounts of time and thought into what I make. My process is a cycle of drafting, critiquing, then reinventing till I land on the answer. To say, at times, that the work is tedious would be an understatement. But at then end of a project, all that is forgotten when I see my client’s business grow.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think what “non-creatives” fail to realize is that they are creative!

Creativity is a muscle, one that comes very naturally to children. When the children grow older and become an adult, their creative muscle is typically neglected. This is because a lot of our day to day work, like paying bills and driving to work, doesn’t promote the use of our creativity.

As an artist, part of my weekly routine is to be creative. Not always for my clients but also for myself.

Sketching and drawing exercises are thought to be the most common way to exercise creativity. And people are not necessarily wrong! These are valuable tools that help hone skills and explore one’s creativity, but its not really the key to being more creative.

Creativity can be formed in the simple act of creating of really anything. Such as a home cooked meal, day dreaming story ideas, dancing around when no one is looking, and so forth.

The most common problem I see about this topic as a whole, is that people often associate creativity with perfection. “Oh wow, you’re art is so good, you are really creative.” Somewhere along the line, artists have heard this phrase. Yes, creativity does play a part in making good art, but its also understanding the craft, your tools, perspective, color theory, and more.

The important take away to learn from my art journey is that creativity is not perfection, but just the act of creating. “Non-creatives” ARE creative, they just need to exercise that creative muscle more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.098productions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/098prodesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/098Productions/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pradhan-646a0799/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/098_productions

Image Credits
Business Headshot By Armanko Photography