We were lucky to catch up with Johnnie Butler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Johnnie, appreciate you joining us today. Often the greatest growth and the biggest wins come right after a defeat. Other times the failure serves as a lesson that’s helpful later in your journey. We’d appreciate if you could open up about a time you’ve failed.

I just experienced my first successful/profitable year in 2022. I have been freelancing full-time since 2015 and have since experienced a range of valleys and peaks when it comes to being self-employed. I believe that developing a forward-thinking approach is key. I didn’t have that when I started and simply survived off the motivation of keeping the lights on, which isn’t a sustainable solution. I ultimately found myself struggling to handle work loads at the time and in turn lost valuable clientele along the way.

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

I started with marginal talent, no experience, and little direction. As a creative coming from a disadvantaged community there was no direction when I was transitioning out of high school. I had no idea how to make a career out of my creative talents. I had never heard of graphic design, marketing or anything related to my field and figuring it out was a long road full of bumps and bruises along the way. I attended Community College where I stumbled upon introductory photoshop courses during the middle of my second year. There were no degrees for graphic arts or design so everything fell under General Arts which is why counselors were virtually useless in the matter. A year later I would be forced to put a hold on my education to join the workforce in which I held a few odd-jobs to get by. Overwhelmed by the disturbing loss of purpose doing meaningless labor, I decided to look into internships by calling “design studios” in the yellow pages. Options where few coming from a small town in Ohio but eventually, I would secure my first “entry-level position” with a young freelancer named Chris, working in a small office downtown.

Though my “entry-level position was short lived. I learned a lot from Chris and shortly moved to Columbus, Ohio for better opportunities. I managed to build up my portfolio working for Chris and attempted to apply for other entry-level positions for a few design firms. I spent months applying for positions to no avail. I would eventually begin working temp jobs while attempting to freelance part-time. Not knowing how to run a business, communicate professionally and manage money was the caused unspeakable grief through the process. I would fall into whatever job I was working at the time, neglecting my craft just to make money. Not thinking about how I could and should invest it into my business. The cycle would continue until I just couldn’t stand it anymore. Around 2013 I quit my last job in a most unprofessional manner (stopped showing up). I was literally on my way to work and just kept driving, never got off the exit. At that moment I decided I would never work outside of my craft or industry again.

Even with having some freelance experience, getting started full-time wasn’t a picnic. I worked small odd projects for a couples years, with no consistency until I landed my first substantial client in 2016. The workload was substantial enough for me to pretty much neglect marketing and generating leads. I got comfortable until 2020 when Covid hit and unimaginably ended up being the best thing for my business. I delved into the management administration aspect of my business (the stuff I hated). I stopped being afraid to invest money to make my life easier and begin to see substantial growth into 2021. My clientele grew 200% and ended securing some of the biggest long-term contracts I ever had.

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

My mother was a career woman with an entrepreneurial spirit. I watched her develop multiple side-hustles throughout my youth in which she would tend to plateau and burn-out at some point. I never saw her pour back into it, once it didn’t work or she hit a snag there was always the 9 to 5 to fall back on. I had to learn that your business is an investment that requires much to produce more. Therefore my overall relationship and view of money has been broadened in this process. I come from humble beginnings and for the most part, grew up with unhealthy financial practices I’m learning to shake.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Sometime ago it was made clear that adding value to the client would ensure lasting business relationships. I became diligent in communicating effectively with clients and even educating them in the process of launching their business and brand. I have found this to be a very unique approach in the market I serve, so many of my clients find comfort in that. Also, knowing when you are taking more than you can handle has led to me outsourcing certain skills and services. These things allow me to laser focus on priorities and keeps clients from feeling neglected.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jb2creative.com
• Instagram: @2creative.media
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/2creativemedia/