We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mikey J De Guzman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mikey J, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I believe that in the current popular media landscape, there’s roughly two ways companies and brands go about their media presence: they either follow whatever’s trending, whether its a soundbite, a new way to edit, or a transition; or they rely on influencers and personalities to generate buzz.

Something I’ve done differently with my work and clients is I focus more on the audience. Often, I take on clients with pre-existing social presence and content. So when developing content banks and media for them, I have to find to ebb this flow between my creative vision and their brand identity. By using and focusing on the audience and what they like to see, what they interact with, it makes creating client content and media stronger, more uniform. I think the new way to developing brand presence and content is a mix of authentic in-house content with audience-generated content.
In that way, the dialogue is double-sided.
We are heard and seen, they are acknowledged and valued.

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

I’m a multidisciplinary media creative. I’d always had a knack for media and when I went to the University of Oklahoma, my college helped me develop this childhood passion and creativity into a fulfilling career.

So, often the first half of this confuses people, so let me explain.
Throughout my career, I had started growing a variety of skills, from film photography, to video editing to content development to copywriting. With that, I also started working in a variety of industries like hospitality, fashion, advertising for a multitude of clients and partners. By being this jack-of-all-trades professional, I see having this range and variety to be a strong asset. Reason being, when I enter a project or see a client’s objectives and demands, I am able to easily breakdown how to approach it. I am better able to develop a project, build a creative team and meet client goals because I have insight on what can be done and what would succeed.
As such I offer services in content planning and production, photo & video, copywriting, digital design and creative team management and direction, wardrobe styling, model sourcing & posing.

I think I’m most proud of what I’ve accomplished with my career at such a young age. With my work, I have been able to see creative visions through whilst also building creative community relationships and networks.
What I want my clients and followers to know is that if you have a dream or a vision, we can make it happen. Where there is passion, hard-work and a fair budget, things can happen.
As for my work, my desire is to create. To connect. To tell stories that aren’t often told or need to be told louder.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Have a common goal and know what motivates your team. You may known your team member’s for their talent and their work
but do you know why they show up?
Do you know what motivates them individually?

If you don’t, then your “high” morale is a projection and you will be managing a team, instead of building one.

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

I think there needs to be baseline conversations between non-creative professionals and creatives.

Throughout my career, I’ve heard so many of my colleagues stress about the lack of empathy for their creative work when dealing with clients or brands. One of the biggest stressors is budget and belittling.
We’ve all heard it, “That’s too much money”
“I know someone that can do that this only this much”

Creativity is not a just a trait. It’s a service of services and knowledge. Just like any other field, it takes years of growth, knowledge, failed projects, equipment. What you may think you’re paying for is only a media asset, but that asset comes with much much more than that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mikeyjdeguzman.wixsite.com/home
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yo.mikey.j/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-de-guzman

Image Credits
The Female Gaze Project, shot by Jewel Thompson