We were lucky to catch up with Justin Willet recently and have shared our conversation below.
Justin, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I started freelancing in 2007 as a photographer and graphic designer and then later started offering web design as well. When I first started pursing this full time I would go work all day with my cousin doing home improvement work and then come back at night and design websites, t-shirts, edit photos, etc. This allowed me to have the flexibility to accept projects as they came but also make some consistent income while growing my business. For me it was important to be able to say yes as opportunities came up. After a couple of years I was able to continue dedicating more and more time to my business and rely less and less on having to pursue outside work. As my company began to grow I started hiring subcontractors and other freelancers to help fill the gaps in some of the work that needed to be done. This proved to be extremely helpful and gave me an understanding of what it would be like to manage a team. Working with freelancers did present some unique challenges though. I would accept a job with the hopes that I would be able to find someone to help with the project but at any time the other freelancers could turn it down and then it was fully on me to meet the deadlines in time. This ultimately lead me to pursue hiring part time employees and then later a full time employee.
Originally I just operated under my name which is pretty common for photographers. As our company added additional services we quickly realized the need to rebrand. In 2020 we rebranded the company as GLBAL media with a goal of adding to our team and becoming a full service creative agency. This change helped clients understand that I wasn’t the one doing every aspect of the project any more. This team mentality helped our company grow and accept larger projects because of having more people available to complete the work.
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?
Touring in an independent rock band for 10 years, I learned firsthand the ins-and-outs of marketing and the role of good design. From day one I built my business on offering quick turnarounds and the ability to help clients clarify their messaging. This has lead to opportunities to travel the world with nonprofits, photograph Grammy award winning artists and manage social media accounts for White House officials. Our company offers Digital Media, Graphic Design, Web Design, Photography, Videography, Aerial Photo/Video, and SEO. Our team has a combined experience of over 40 years and is comprised of creatives, designers, storytellers, photographers, videographers, musicians, and travelers. I currently live in Westminster, MD with my wife and three children.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Creatives are historically bad at bookkeeping, organization and planning. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get these things in order early on. If you don’t know where you’re spending your money or how much money you’re making you will not be able to make informed decisions when it comes to growing your business. In order to purchase new equipment, add employees or if your charging enough it’s crucial to understand where your money comes from and how it’s being spent.
Everyone should find a system that works well for them and is easy to maintain. For us we’ve created custom spreadsheets to track income/expenses and set budgets. These are updated on an on going basis to make sure we hit budget each month and track our spending.
We also utilize tools like dropbox for file management (in addition to a NAS), Asana for project planning and daily to-dos, and Harvest for time tracking to make sure we’re billing appropriately.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
GLBAL media is a story first creative agency. We are passionate about helping tell stories from all over the world to help raise awareness about humanitarian crisis, inspire people, and shape their worldview. Our most rewarding work is when we get to help nonprofits develop campaigns to provide life saving resources for a community in need.
One of my favorite things we’ve done as a company is establish the “GLBAL good”. Each year as a company we designate a percentage of our profits to fund various projects/causes that we believe align with our vision to bring the world together. So far we’ve funded a well in Mozambique, Africa and provided funds for cancer patient treatments.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.glbalmedia.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glbalmedia/
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/glbalmedia
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/glbal-media/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glbalmedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@glbalmedia
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/glbal-media-westminster
Image Credits
Jenna Shriver