Season 2 · Episode 4

Justine Johnson Of Just Designs

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0:01Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome
0:04to Alienize Photos Industry Talk.
0:08I'm here with a special guest to my right.
0:11I know y'all can't see or see us.
0:13This is straight audio.
0:15But to my right, I have Miss Justine,
0:18an excellent interior designer with Just Designs.
0:22How are you doing today?
0:23I'm good, how are you?
0:25I don't know, I can't complain.
0:27We got started.
0:28We're both introverts, but we're making it happen.
0:30Yes.
0:31So would you like to tell the audience about yourself?
0:34So I am Justine Johnson.
0:36I'm the owner and lead designer of Just Designs.
0:40I'm an interior designer and a resin artist.
0:43So I started my business back in 2020.
0:46I began offering initially resin decor for people spaces.
0:51So the custom resin products, tables,
0:54offering to do floors, refurbishing furniture,
0:58just to offer decor pieces for people spaces.
1:01And now I am offering interior design services,
1:04all-encompassing services
1:05for residential and commercial work.
1:08Wow, that's amazing.
1:10Dang.
1:10We said 2020?
1:122020.
1:13So how was it in 2020 coming up in the game,
1:17I like to call it, versus now, five years later?
1:24So elaborate, I'm sorry, before I answer.
1:27It could be different trends that people utilize
1:30or different designs people had in the early 2000s
1:37or 2020 versus now,
1:39which is more modern or technology-based.
1:42Yes.
1:44So actually, I guess from my business personally,
1:47in 2020, I did a lot more resin work
1:50than I did interior design work.
1:52It took me a little while actually
1:56to start getting clients that weren't family and friends.
1:59I didn't really have a huge portfolio
2:02of work from my business,
2:04which is what people wanna see
2:05before they wanna come trust you
2:07to do work in their space.
2:10So initially it was a lot of getting my name out there,
2:14doing pop-up shops, selling coasters, trays,
2:17little tables, things of that nature,
2:21meeting people, networking.
2:22Whereas now I have more clients
2:25and am doing more of the opposite,
2:28which is where I wanted to go with my business.
2:31I even offered resin dominoes at one point,
2:35and I felt like I became the domino girl
2:38for a little bit.
2:39And while that was nice, I was like, wait, no,
2:42that's not what I was trying to start this to do.
2:46I was trying to be doing interior design services,
2:49so I have gotten away from the domino girl thing.
2:52You bring it back at some point.
2:53I would definitely still make dominoes for people.
2:56I'm not against it.
2:57It's just that at one point that was a lot of my business,
2:59which was great, and I'm not mad about it.
3:02I'm not complaining.
3:03It sustained me for a while, and I loved that,
3:06but I definitely wanted to make sure
3:08that the focus and the heart of what I was doing
3:11was in interior design.
3:13The focus and the heart, wow.
3:16So how important is marketing yourself
3:20and branding yourself as an artist,
3:23or as an entrepreneur?
3:25Very important.
3:27Because that was so much of what I did
3:29and so much of what I was offering at the time,
3:33that's what people saw.
3:35And so a lot of what I had to do was shift
3:39the focus of what I was posting,
3:41how I was marketing myself,
3:43the spaces that I entered,
3:45the people that I networked with.
3:48I'm grateful for everybody that I met
3:50along the way, of course,
3:51but just trying to enter more,
3:53enter into spaces that aligned more
3:55with what it was that I wanted to do.
3:58So marketing is very important.
4:00What you show people is what they're gonna know you for.
4:03That is, that's very true, you know.
4:07Especially in this world of social media now,
4:10people, they go to your Instagram or, you know,
4:13Facebook or whatever versus your website.
4:17So this is, I could speak on it a lot,
4:21but it's a double-edged sword, you know.
4:24It is.
4:25You could get caught up in it and start scrolling
4:27and be like, I'll post what we posting.
4:29So how do you balance that?
4:31That's true.
4:32That's a very good question, too.
4:34How do I balance it?
4:36I actually am going to try a new technique here recently,
4:41or here soon.
4:43My schedule is changing a little bit,
4:45so whereas before I kind of would create content
4:49more so on the fly,
4:50I'm gonna try to do better with scheduling my content.
4:53Okay, and like trying to be,
4:54I know people that are a month ahead, you know,
4:56on their content.
4:57And so if I can at least get two posts a week,
5:01you know, scheduled out for the month,
5:03I wanna try to, you know, use that as my first goal
5:08to stay steady.
5:10It can be hard, you know,
5:11to stay steady with posting and content
5:14and remembering like, oh, I should be recording this.
5:16Oh, I should be getting a picture of this
5:18because you get so caught up in the moment.
5:20Like, I'm really big on, you know,
5:22genuine and organic connections
5:24with people that I work with.
5:26And sometimes you don't remember to take your camera out
5:29to record or to get a picture or something.
5:33There also could be a way we collab, you know,
5:35so I'm in the media space.
5:37That's my specialty,
5:38and I can help with the social media.
5:41I appreciate that, I'm gonna need you.
5:43Oh, thank you, thank you.
5:44We'll talk afterwards.
5:45Yes.
5:46But still being on the lines of all the market
5:49and how do you stay updated with the latest trends?
5:52That's a good question too.
5:54I subscribe to Architectural Digest.
5:57I've been subscribed to the magazine
6:01on and off since I was in college,
6:05reading that, following different pages on social media.
6:09So I'm really particular about my algorithms
6:12on my social media accounts.
6:14All the time, Khadijree,
6:15because I think, oh, that is important, wow.
6:18It is so important what you interact with.
6:20Really, that's what your feed
6:22and your for you will show you more of.
6:24So, you know, of course I have like my personal pages
6:28and then I have my business page.
6:30My business explorer page looks totally different
6:33from my personal page.
6:34My personal page has like a bunch of food
6:36because I love to cook.
6:38What you like to cook?
6:40Anything, I just cook.
6:42Like, if I wanna make it, I gonna make it.
6:43I don't mean to sound like that,
6:45but like that's really me.
6:46Cause I like to cook too.
6:48I mean, I'm not so much on the look,
6:50but I'm more so on the taste and texture.
6:53So I know you as an interior designer,
6:56designer artist, are you more so on the look
7:00when you cook or you focus on the taste?
7:03All of the above.
7:04I think that's one of the nice things
7:06about interior design is it blends a lot of
7:11aspects of art, I guess I can say,
7:13because you can't leave out look.
7:16You can't leave out color.
7:18You can't leave out texture.
7:19Like all of that plays into the space.
7:22You know, do you want to have varying textures?
7:27Again, colors, like my plate,
7:29I try to make it look colorful, you know?
7:31So like, I try not to have two things
7:35that are the same color on the plate.
7:36You know, try to like make it have variety a little bit
7:39and you can do the same thing in spaces.
7:41So it kind of, and I know other artists that are,
7:45you know, and creators that are out there listening
7:46and I'm sure you can too, like art is everywhere.
7:50So it's all in just how you look at things.
7:52Like I used to want to be a hairstylist
7:53when I was a kid.
7:55I looked at, and I still do look at hair as art.
7:58And my mom would just look at me like I was so crazy.
8:00She's in medicine.
8:01And I'd be like, you know, like,
8:03oh, do you like this hairstyle I did
8:04on my breast dog head?
8:05And she'd be like, oh, okay.
8:08I'm like, it's art.
8:09And she's like, okay, you think so?
8:10But like it was to me, like, and you know,
8:14even from a young age, I was able to see art
8:16in a lot of different ways.
8:17So even in food, like, you know,
8:20I feel like they mirror each other a little bit.
8:22That brings up a good thought and question.
8:25Have you ever thought about blending into maybe,
8:28you know, a new real estate agent,
8:31they just got a house and they hired you
8:34to do their interior design
8:35and they have a house woman or open house.
8:40And, you know, you make the palette cooking
8:43almost to match the interior design.
8:46Have you thought about something like that?
8:47I haven't, but I have seen,
8:52like on Facebook, people do kind of,
8:56like there are culinary artists
8:59that pull from architecture and design for their dishes.
9:03And they even create 3D,
9:06when I was doing work in Boston, 23 and 24,
9:10and when I was out there, I think in 23,
9:12there was a restaurant that created 3D printed pastries.
9:18Pastries?
9:18Yeah.
9:21That you can eat?
9:22That you can eat.
9:23I don't know exactly how,
9:25but they said they were 3D printed.
9:26I know how to 3D print.
9:28I learned how to do that in school.
9:29You know, I have a little mini 3D printer,
9:31but I don't know how they work,
9:33but they would create like 3D printed pastries.
9:36And then I've seen culinary chefs
9:37like just create like these forms
9:39that almost look like, what did they used to call them?
9:43Like the prototypes or the models
9:45that we used to create in school
9:47of just like balsa wood or balsa,
9:50is it balsa or balsa?
9:51I can't remember.
9:52It's okay.
9:53But just of like wood and like card stock paper.
9:57Like we would just create like these free form
10:01skeletal models that were like, you know,
10:04to get inspiration or kind of,
10:06could be molded into a building, essentially.
10:09And so they create like these dishes
10:11that almost look like the models
10:13that we created in school.
10:15So people do do that to your point,
10:17but I've never thought about it
10:19in the sense that you just brought it up,
10:21like, you know, in an open house
10:22and drawing inspiration from the space.
10:25Cause I'll beat her.
10:26That's a thought.
10:29Like you really, you got my wheels turning there.
10:31Cause like I said, I do love to cook, so.
10:33Yeah, blend it together.
10:35Yeah, it's like cooking is peaceful to me.
10:37Hmm, cooking is peaceful.
10:41Cooking is, I ain't gonna say chaotic.
10:43It's more creative and like I said, it is peaceful.
10:47Now I think about it, cause I'm honestly in my zone.
10:49I could spend eight hours on a dish.
10:51I know it don't take that long sometimes, but.
10:53Some dishes do.
10:54I take my time, you know.
10:56Like I'll sit there in the kitchen
10:57with that 10,000 bag of shrimp
11:00and literally cut them little shrimp
11:02and make sure it's clean to the.
11:04Well you got to,
11:05cause it be veins all up in the shrimp,
11:06even if it say de-veined, you got to look.
11:10Cause yeah, cooking can be meditative.
11:14It can be like when I would be overwhelmed in school
11:16with projects and deadlines,
11:19sometimes I would just stop and cook
11:21because it took my mind off of work.
11:25And I was able to just kind of like
11:27do something for myself for a couple of hours.
11:30Work for you or work for someone else?
11:32Like when I was in school, both.
11:33So like when I was in school,
11:34like school work and work,
11:37cause I was working in school too.
11:39But like now I work for myself and I work elsewhere.
11:43Okay.
11:43So both.
11:45So more so like an outlet
11:47to where you could kind of shut it off.
11:49But it's still creative.
11:50And it's something that, you know,
11:51like I'm doing it for me and whoever it is that I'm,
11:54cause I love to cook for people too.
11:56Like that's like one of my ways
11:57to show that I care about people.
11:59Like I will cook for you.
12:00And the first time I cook for people,
12:02I'm always nervous cause it's like,
12:03ooh, I hope they like my food.
12:06So like, you know, it's a way to,
12:08like I'm getting something out of it,
12:11whether I'm doing it for somebody else or like,
12:13you know, directly for myself or both.
12:15So it's also like a feel good moment.
12:17Yeah.
12:18I'm still tripping about this pastries, like.
12:21Yeah, I have to show you pictures.
12:24What was the nutritional facts that you know?
12:26No, I didn't get that deep,
12:28but I just was like, okay, cool.
12:32I didn't get that deep with it.
12:33I don't even know if the ladies
12:36that were working at the bakery,
12:37I'm not even sure if they have all those answers,
12:40you know, because there's probably somebody who,
12:44and maybe they did, maybe they did,
12:46but you know, there's probably somebody
12:48that engineered it and you know,
12:50got all the kinks and stuff out
12:51and they just kind of, you know,
12:54trained them on what maybe they felt like they should be.
12:56So I don't even know if they knew all of it.
12:58So technically, it's genetically modified, GMO.
13:02I wouldn't say it was genetic.
13:05I ain't trying to call it a model in there.
13:06I mean, maybe if you look at it that way,
13:09but it was just.
13:10Cause if you do the same thing for like farming,
13:13it would be genetically modified.
13:14It would be modified, yeah.
13:16I'm not really sure the science behind it.
13:19Yeah.
13:19And what made it 3D printed, I'm really not sure,
13:22but that's how it was described.
13:24Might have to go to Boston now.
13:25Yeah, but it's a very cool city.
13:28Okay.
13:31So can you explain a little bit
13:33about your style and process?
13:36Hmm, like my personal design style?
13:38Yes, just designs.
13:41Just designs.
13:44Actually, and I don't know if it'll sound crazy or not
13:48just because I am like, you know, relatively young.
13:51I appreciate traditional design
13:56a lot more than modern design.
13:58For the younger artists, what is a traditional design?
14:02Ornamental design, gilded, like pieces,
14:08things that are timeless,
14:09things that you may see in your grandparents' house,
14:13but like heirloom quality pieces that can be passed down.
14:16So like the timelessness of it is what I appreciate.
14:22And design goes hand in hand with art in which,
14:26what was going on at the time in the world
14:29is reflected in art and design also and architecture.
14:34And so I've done a,
14:36was in like history classes and stuff
14:38and I'm kinda into history a little bit.
14:40I'm not gonna say I'm a buff, but a little bit.
14:43And so I appreciate the history behind certain things
14:48like the art deco movement.
14:50For instance, I believe, don't quote me if I'm wrong.
14:54I'm sorry, y'all, but from what I remember,
14:56it came about around like maybe after the Great Depression,
15:01like after the 20s.
15:03And you know, since people were so deprived
15:06of so much during that time,
15:09there was a lot of excess after that.
15:11So, you know, it was around like that time
15:14where people, lots of gold, lots of patterns,
15:17lots of excess in design.
15:19Like I like rooms to feel full.
15:21I like spaces to feel warm and inviting.
15:26A lot of modern design can feel that way,
15:29but a lot of it is cold and down to the colors.
15:34A lot of people want neutral.
15:37They wanna play it safe.
15:39And that's understandable, you know, but.
15:44So just taking this small area that we're in,
15:47this space, what are some things
15:50that you're gonna be like, huh,
15:51I'll just add this and make it stand out,
15:53or I wanted to see it this color.
15:57This is more so like an audio space,
15:59more of a meeting room.
16:02What are some things you would do to enhance it?
16:04So actually, as far as sound boards and things go,
16:08they have a lot of,
16:10like you have a cool design on yours too,
16:12they're hexagonal,
16:12but there are a lot of different designs and patterns
16:16that you can get on soundproofing boards
16:18and a lot of different colors.
16:20So I would like bring some of that in,
16:21but I would probably pull the colors from your branding
16:25because since it is a business, you know,
16:27you wanna make sure that it's reflecting.
16:30Well, for this black and yellow, bubble bee.
16:34And then maybe pull in,
16:35since it's just black and yellow,
16:36maybe pull in like another accompanying color,
16:41probably maybe more of a little bit of a neutral color
16:43to like throw in there,
16:45depending on what shade of yellow we were working with.
16:49So yeah, definitely start there.
16:51I love rugs and spaces.
16:53I think they make them look very cozy and feel cozy.
16:57I love that you have a sofa in here.
16:59That's very inviting as well.
17:03If I could,
17:04I would get like some really cool lights in here
17:06to help like with mood lighting.
17:08Also, depending on like, you know,
17:09who you were speaking with and what the topic was about,
17:12maybe you would need,
17:14I don't know, you know,
17:15different light brings about different moods.
17:18Yeah, that's actually one of our ideas for this,
17:20bringing RGB lights, what we have.
17:23You know, for this, it's straight audio,
17:25so I didn't do it today.
17:26Yeah.
17:27Yeah, I appreciate that insight.
17:30That's good, and now I've got something
17:31to bring to the table.
17:34Maybe even shelving, like wall shelving,
17:37if you needed to like store certain things
17:41and you kind of want them out the way,
17:42but you didn't want it to take up floor space.
17:45Okay, I'm taking mental notes.
17:49Listen back to this, like, wow,
17:52definitely give you your credit.
17:54Because I'm looking at this,
17:56I don't want to say what percentage is done,
17:59but you know.
17:59Yeah, but you didn't hear.
18:01It's a work in progress.
18:02Yeah.
18:03A lot of different hands touch this, so it's like.
18:06It's a collaborative effort, yeah.
18:08And we're not creative designers, as you can see.
18:11You're creative in the way that you create.
18:16I'll take that.
18:19But tell the tale.
18:19She loved our design.
18:22Absolutely.
18:23Yeah, yeah.
18:24Shout out to my media partners,
18:26Launch Arts Media,
18:27whom we are recording in this space today,
18:30and also my other media partners,
18:33Pull Up Experience, the Pull Up Experience podcast.
18:37We're big on YouTube,
18:37so if you have not checked out an episode,
18:40head over to YouTube and type in the Pull Up Experience.
18:46Yes, yes.
18:48So continuing on the art form,
18:53is there a difference between representational art
18:56and abstract art?
19:01That's a good question.
19:03Yeah, a lot of good questions.
19:06I want to say yes,
19:09but I also want to say no.
19:13There is some representational art
19:18that is, I don't want to say,
19:24more direct in what it's saying.
19:27You know what I mean?
19:28Like you see it, and like any art,
19:31you can ponder on it,
19:33and uncover what it was that you interpret from it,
19:37and what you think the artist wanted you to feel
19:38or get from it.
19:40But I do think that there is a level of abstract art
19:45that does the same thing.
19:46A lot of people look at abstract art,
19:50and they're kind of like, what is this?
19:54I'll give you a great example.
19:56One of my favorite, favorite, favorite,
19:58favorite artists ever, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
20:02When you initially look at Basquiat's work,
20:04I learned about Basquiat my freshman year in college.
20:08And even, I'm gonna be honest with you,
20:10even when I initially looked at it,
20:12I wasn't all the way sure of what I was looking at.
20:14But the more we learned about him and his work,
20:18and I really appreciate how my professor described it,
20:21is as his work, a lot of it was to capture the essence
20:25and the soul of New York, and where it was at the time.
20:29And that, I feel like that line alone
20:32made his work make a lot more sense,
20:34and it made me appreciate it a lot more.
20:36So a lot of what he has done,
20:39you could potentially classify as abstract art.
20:42He worked very closely with Andy Warhol,
20:45who also is known for more pop art or abstract art as well.
20:51So you could classify it as that a little bit,
20:53but it still has a meaning behind it.
20:57Jackson Pollock is a very famous
20:59abstract artist as well.
21:01He's known for those splatter paint paintings.
21:07Some people can look at that,
21:09and they'll say, that's just a bunch of dots and dribbles.
21:13My kid could have done that.
21:14Not one of those.
21:15I love abstract art, but they're bad, yeah.
21:18Yeah, or you can look at it as
21:21there was energy put behind it,
21:23and that energy came from somewhere.
21:25You know what I'm saying?
21:26So if he was really angry,
21:28and there was like, this is representing anger,
21:31or this is representing heartbreak,
21:33depending on how he wanted to manipulate the colors
21:37in that moment, so.
21:39Well, speaking on that,
21:40is there like a certain type of client that you go for?
21:43Like you said, the energy behind it.
21:45So to be positive, to be negative.
21:47Like, you know, me, I elevate positive stories,
21:50and people get positive things.
21:52So is there like a certain demographic
21:54or target client that you reach or try to reach?
21:58So right now I'm working more residentially,
22:02and I did have one commercial project
22:04I finished up earlier this year.
22:06I worked with Bedford High School.
22:08I did their senior lounge,
22:10and I worked with the students there on like repainting,
22:12and they got to give their input and things like that,
22:15which I thought was really cool.
22:17Where I want to go is more so into that,
22:19and like historical preservation.
22:21Cleveland's a very historical city.
22:22I love my city.
22:23I know everybody don't, but I love my city,
22:27and I'm here for the development
22:30and the revamping of the city,
22:31because it's old, you know what I mean?
22:33And everything is in a cycle.
22:35So, you know, we've been in a cycle
22:37where we kind of have a lot of outdated things going on.
22:40It's time to kind of bring it back around.
22:42And I want to help preserve the integrity
22:45of the historicalness of the city,
22:48but also, I hate to say modernize,
22:51because I don't want to make it modern,
22:52but like, you know, bring it a little up to speed
22:54in some ways.
22:57So that's really where I want to go.
22:58I would love to work in schools,
23:00working, you know, I did my senior thesis on the school
23:03and how like the infrastructure of a school
23:07directly affects children's learning.
23:09I love kids.
23:10Let's just put that out there.
23:12How it affects their learning,
23:15their efficiency in school,
23:16and how they feel about themselves, first and foremost.
23:20You know, if you're in an area where you don't,
23:23it doesn't look good,
23:24sometimes you don't really feel good
23:26when you're in that space either.
23:28And, you know, certain areas don't get as many updates
23:32or, you know, the buildings aren't touched on as much
23:36and maybe the kids don't think about it consciously.
23:41But subconsciously, it's like, you know,
23:44nobody comes to check us out
23:46and like, you know, help us update things.
23:47Like, do we really matter?
23:49You know what I mean?
23:49And so like, that's like a subconscious thing
23:52that I know I only design,
23:55but if I can use my expertise to help in that area
23:58as much as possible, like I would love to.
24:00But again, right now, mostly residential,
24:03which I'm okay with that.
24:05It's very personal experiences that you have with people.
24:09I think I'm a people person a little bit.
24:11So I'm open to different styles
24:14and I actually was really excited.
24:16I had a client last year who was going,
24:18who wanted to do a very modern,
24:20sleek, minimalistic bathroom,
24:22but he decided to pause the project
24:24for unforeseen reasons.
24:25I'm not really sure why, but I understand.
24:28But I was so excited
24:30because that was gonna be something totally different
24:32from a lot of the other work that I've done so far.
24:34Challenging.
24:35Yeah, challenging.
24:36So I'm always up for a challenge
24:38and to learn something, though.
24:41That was a long answer, I'm sorry.
24:43Got my head spinning because I took a,
24:45you know, I'm usually driving when I go downtown,
24:48but I see walking the streets downtown
24:51and you see a lot of negative imagery,
24:53even the statues there, you know,
24:55full of war, grief, or sadness, or poorness,
24:58which kind of reflects the city
25:00and why they actually do it.
25:01That's a good point.
25:01I've never even thought about that.
25:03That's a great point.
25:04Oh, yeah.
25:05Even the side of buildings.
25:08I'm like, really?
25:10So, just the energy that's downtown.
25:13I always say, there's something about downtown
25:14that's just different from the rest of the city.
25:17You go down there, you feel...
25:18Heavy.
25:19Negative.
25:20Yeah.
25:21Like, a lot of negative things happen to me downtown.
25:23Like, even, you know, getting my car in town.
25:26Oh, yeah.
25:27You know, it's a lot of things,
25:28I could go down the list,
25:30but I'm not gonna bring that to this part of the space.
25:35So, yeah, we could definitely touch on that
25:37and change the culture, the imagery around the city,
25:40because that's big.
25:42Yeah.
25:43And you said your environment, you know,
25:48having a positive, a colorful, inviting environment.
25:53How big and important is that to one's development,
25:58mainly children?
26:00I think it's super important.
26:02Like I said, it affects their learning.
26:06You know, it's very hard to concentrate
26:10or really care about, you know,
26:13what's going on in the classroom
26:15when the building around you is dark.
26:19You know what I'm saying?
26:19Like, it's cold, the lights are...
26:22These, like, really whacked out fluorescent lights
26:25that are, you know, it's not a lot of...
26:27I'm really big on natural light.
26:29Not a lot of natural light, sidebar,
26:32but I don't know if you know, but like maybe you do.
26:36So if I'm telling you something that you know,
26:37I apologize.
26:38But in Europe, actually,
26:42any building that they design that people work in,
26:45there is a law that you have to be in eye shot
26:50from where you work of a window.
26:53That's intentional.
26:55Because if you're just in a cubicle all day,
26:58like how people here are,
26:59that you're so closed in, that's depressing.
27:02That's so depressing.
27:03Some classrooms, a lot of classrooms
27:06and some schools don't have, you know, windows.
27:08Like, that's not good.
27:11You know, you hone in on the vitamin D
27:15that you get from the sun to, you know,
27:18increase your energy.
27:19And we already only get like 70-something days
27:21of pure sunlight in Cleveland as it is.
27:24So we're already, you know, being worked against
27:27by just geographical location.
27:30But then you go ahead and you put young kids
27:32in a space where they can't even go look outside.
27:36Like they can't even,
27:37and I think that's so interesting that in Europe,
27:40you know, they prioritize that amongst other things
27:42that they prioritize surrounding work that we don't.
27:46Like, you know, going home for lunch
27:48and eating with your children.
27:49And they come home to eat with you too.
27:51Like, they prioritize, you know,
27:53like not having an amount of sick days.
27:56If you're sick, you just call off work.
27:58Like stay home, it's okay.
28:00But neither here nor there.
28:02Gather, Marata. All of those things matter.
28:04You know, the colors that are in a space matter,
28:06especially with kids.
28:08Kids don't want to be in a room that's so drab
28:11and dark and bland.
28:13Even down to the furniture that's used in these spaces.
28:16I think a lot of like,
28:20I'm pretty sure I've read this too,
28:21that statistics show that a lot of, you know,
28:23black and brown kids learn better kinesthetically.
28:27And, you know, more than they do just sitting at a desk
28:31listening to somebody talk at them all day.
28:33They have to do it.
28:34They have to work with people.
28:35They have to learn.
28:36Like, you know, we are very collaborative people
28:41having furniture in the spaces that can be made to,
28:47what's that I'm looking for?
28:49That's conducive to collaborative learning.
28:52I think is very important.
28:53So, you know, like they have those things now
28:55where you can embed for the desk that I put in there.
28:59You can separate them.
29:01You can put them together because the way that they're
29:03shaped, they can all kind of be like,
29:05not put together, like literally,
29:07but brought together to where they,
29:11the shape is the way that it is to invite that more.
29:14So they also had dry erase tops on the desk.
29:18So that if they are in there and they're working
29:19and they're doing like math and everything,
29:22or they're, you know, trying to sound out a word
29:23or whatever, I mean, these were high schoolers.
29:25So they're probably not sounding out words that much,
29:27but you get what I mean.
29:30You know, that they're able to work on those
29:32dry erase desk as well and do their work on there
29:35before they bring it to their homework.
29:38But, you know, of course,
29:39tests are a part of our curriculum.
29:41So you want to be able to pull it apart
29:43for when it's time for that.
29:45But I think even the collaborative furniture
29:49can even open the door for maybe a different way
29:53that we administer tests and that we look at test taking.
29:58Maybe, you know, it's not a piece of paper
30:01where you have to memorize all of these things.
30:03Maybe the teacher comes around to different groups
30:07of students and starts talking to them
30:09and asking questions to see where they are, you know?
30:12Because that's what tests are for,
30:14to see where the children are in their curriculum
30:17and their understanding.
30:19So, I mean, having a conversation with a kid
30:22can also tell you that.
30:24Wow, that's unique and also powerful.
30:28Yeah.
30:28Well, how did that collaboration come about?
30:30How did you get the contract with-
30:33With Befrit?
30:34Yeah.
30:34One of my really good friends from college,
30:37she's from here too.
30:38She went to Shaw.
30:39I went to Euclid,
30:40so we didn't meet until our freshman year.
30:42But, you know, we're really good friends.
30:44She works for College Now.
30:46And it was actually a College Now project,
30:49but for their College Now office at Bedford.
30:52So the senior lounge is connected
30:53to the College Now office there.
30:56So it's really for the, really all students,
31:00but mostly seniors to be able to come in,
31:02to have a space to do their homework,
31:05have the space to fill out college applications,
31:09scholarships, to work with the College Now advisors
31:11there on these scholarships, on their applications,
31:15to come like just relax, different things like that.
31:18So that's what the purpose of the space was.
31:21Have you ever been to Richmond Heights High School?
31:25Yes.
31:26The new remodel?
31:27Not the new one.
31:28Okay.
31:29Yeah, I had a chance to actually work in that space.
31:33It was, it was interesting.
31:37And, you know, you talk about more relaxed spaces
31:39and more, you know, unified spaces,
31:42which is unique and also needed to me
31:46because I'm big on collaboration.
31:48Yeah, everybody can't know everything.
31:51Like I love, I used to love group projects,
31:53still do, you know.
31:55I'll call myself a creative entrepreneur
32:00that is collaborative,
32:02or collaborative creative entrepreneur.
32:05Okay.
32:07So, you know, everything is not about me,
32:10especially with media, me elevating positive stories.
32:15It's not about me, it's a story that's positive
32:18or what I think is positive
32:20and need to be, you know, shown more like.
32:22But what did you think about,
32:24what was interesting about your experience at Richmond?
32:28At Richmond?
32:30Well, just being in the midst of the construction itself.
32:33Oh, okay.
32:33Your whole brand colors, white and blue mostly.
32:37So they brought that out a lot.
32:38Okay.
32:40It really transformed this, you know, to something big
32:44because they had another old building
32:47and then the newer building for the high school students
32:51and also a library.
32:52And it was just to see it all come into fruition.
32:55And, you know, everything they talked about
32:56in a blueprint meetings, it's like, wow, okay.
33:01So just to see the behind the scenes for me
33:03and like, wow, you can have more open spaces.
33:07Because I went to Collingwood and St. Martin
33:09which is more like walking through the hall.
33:12It wasn't no hall or even like you said, art.
33:15Like it was art on the walls.
33:16I'm like, wow.
33:17Yeah.
33:18So.
33:18And that promotes creativity, encouraging.
33:22Yeah.
33:23Imagination.
33:24Imagination, yeah.
33:27So, I mean, just to be in a space
33:30of the whole process was just, you know,
33:33encouraging for me.
33:35That's what's up.
33:36That's what's up.
33:38Shout out to these schools, you know,
33:39actually taking the time to remodel and do those things
33:43because there are a lot of schools, you know,
33:45that have been here as lately and it's needed.
33:48A lot of these schools is oh, oh, oh.
33:53I mean, we got to get you some more schools then.
33:55Yeah, I would love to.
33:56That's definitely a goal.
33:58Yeah.
34:00So how would you internalize abstraction?
34:05Like how do you view abstract art?
34:12I mean, kind of like, kind of what I said.
34:16There are times where I look at abstract art
34:19and I don't all the way get it,
34:21but even if I don't all the way get it
34:24and it just looks like a bunch of colors,
34:27there probably was some thought or feeling
34:30behind those colors coming together the way that they did.
34:33So I just look at it as a different way of expressing.
34:38Different way of expressing.
34:40That's unique.
34:41You say that like as a writer,
34:44you know, as a farmer, poet and musician.
34:47Like a haiku poet is almost like an abstract poem
34:50in a sense.
34:52Yeah, because some people, they write to the,
34:55this is a black gun in a circle.
34:57I'm more so like, you know, you know,
35:02this is a speaking device that comes from,
35:07you know, just bringing the story into it.
35:10But then at the end, you kind of like,
35:12oh, I'm talking about microphone.
35:13Yeah.
35:14Or a pop filter for a microphone.
35:16So that's just me.
35:18Like I'm known for my poem, Frequency,
35:22which I kind of retired on.
35:24I used to perform that poem before,
35:26you know, I took a step back from poetry.
35:29I start off frequency.
35:33Your frequency is what you frequently see.
35:36Vibration all in the universe and also inside of me.
35:39Alien to the world, society.
35:42Shooting stars consciously, righteously.
35:45You know, I could go on, but you know,
35:47I forgot the whole cover was on the microphone
35:49the whole time, but I ended up, you know,
35:52back up audio.
35:54So, you know, just painting that picture.
35:57Yeah.
35:57Versus just, you know, spoon feeding people.
36:07I get you.
36:09I'm especially refreshing that you say that
36:11because a lot of people don't, you know,
36:13appreciate abstract art.
36:14They be like, what is this?
36:16Or I don't get it and they kind of give up on it
36:18or like discard it.
36:20They're like, oh yeah.
36:21Or even like a foreign language, you know,
36:23you ain't gonna know it unless you take time with it
36:26and practice it.
36:27Study it, yeah.
36:29And I think sometimes too, like I said,
36:32I think a lot of artists, specifically abstract artists
36:38create from emotion.
36:42And I think what they're trying to evoke
36:45from other people with their pieces is an emotion.
36:50And sometimes, you know, it's really funny
36:53when you read history books and stuff, you know,
36:57they'll tell you like, oh, this artist,
36:58this is what they meant by this.
37:01You don't know what they meant by that.
37:04That's how somebody interpreted it
37:06unless the artist told you themselves.
37:08That's how like, you know, we're interpreting it today.
37:11But in a hundred years, who's to say
37:13that the textbooks won't say something different
37:15about that same piece
37:16because somebody else interpreted it a whole nother way.
37:21Sometimes there is an intended interpretation.
37:24Sometimes there really is, but sometimes,
37:26and sometimes there is one,
37:28but then there's also an open-endedness to it too.
37:30Like, you know, there's a story there,
37:32but they don't finish it
37:34because they want you to figure out.
37:37I could say I wrote a lot of things like that,
37:41created a lot of things like that,
37:42even stuff that I really didn't finish.
37:45Like, so, you know, years has passed,
37:48so, I mean, it's, you know, open-ended.
37:50Who have hangers?
37:53Universe was town.
37:56But have you ever experienced a design
38:01or any type of art that made you physically
38:05unable to speak?
38:15Yes.
38:20Visiting St. Paul's Cathedral in England
38:25a couple of years ago.
38:28Mm-hmm.
38:28Okay.
38:29Visiting Stonehenge also in England on that same trip.
38:34Mm-hmm.
38:34Um, the castle in Edinburgh, Scotland that we went to.
38:40Mm-hmm.
38:41Like, these are like massive.
38:42I learned about St. Paul's Cathedral in school.
38:46I learned about Stonehenge in school,
38:48so it was kind of like, wow,
38:49like to see these things in person took me aback.
38:53You don't realize how massive things are
38:56until you see them in person
38:57or you've just seen them in pictures.
38:59You don't realize.
39:00Pictures, and I'm kind of into photography too.
39:04I took a few photography classes
39:06and I think I'm like an amateur photographer sometimes.
39:11So, you know, I'm a little bit into that.
39:13And I, pictures don't ever do justice
39:18to what I'm, like to what the eyeball can see.
39:21It does not matter.
39:23Like you can get a very beautiful picture,
39:25but, and it's funny,
39:26like I'll send somebody a picture of like the sunset
39:29like that I took.
39:30And they'll be like, oh, this is a great picture.
39:32And it's like, no, you had to have seen it in person though.
39:35Like, and capturing the moon is one of those things too.
39:38It's so hard to capture it.
39:39So seeing things in person,
39:41being able to see the detail in them,
39:44totally different.
39:46Seeing a Mondrian painting in person for the first time.
39:50Seeing the size of Basquiat's work in person.
39:55They had an exhibit, the, was it the Guggenheim?
39:58Let Us Borrow, or it was, I think it was a Guggenheim.
40:02Let Us Borrow some of his pieces for an exhibit here
40:05back in 2017.
40:07And I went, I didn't realize how big
40:10some of those canvases were
40:12until I had to stand in front of them.
40:14And I was like, whoa, okay.
40:17Oh yeah, I would have seen pictures.
40:18So yeah, this, and listen up.
40:22I wish they bring it back.
40:24Or something, if we can get something
40:26in the Cleveland Museum of Art that's his,
40:28like in like just days, that would be great.
40:32I think they did feature him one year.
40:36Cause I know a lot of people was talking about it
40:38two years ago.
40:41Yeah, they had like his notebooks and everything.
40:43It was cool.
40:45I'm getting this,
40:46I haven't been to a good museum in so long.
40:49Oh, we have such good museums here.
40:51The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of my favorite,
40:53like when I'm like a little down in the dumps,
40:57like that's where I go.
40:59When was the last time you been?
41:01I haven't been this year yet.
41:04So that's a good thing you ever been down in the dumps.
41:06I mean, I go when I'm feeling good too.
41:09But like that's for sure a place that I go
41:11when I just want to like clear my head
41:13or I have a lot on my mind.
41:14But I also go when I'm feeling good
41:16or if there's like a really good exhibit
41:17that I want to go to,
41:19I'm sorry I missed the Picasso on paper.
41:21So I haven't gone this year,
41:23but last time I went was last year.
41:25Okay. Yeah.
41:26I'll say for me last year too,
41:28I do a lot of weddings there.
41:29Everybody want to get married and take pictures there.
41:31I want to get married at the Cleveland Museum of Art too.
41:33So I'm one of them people, I'm corny.
41:37I'm sure you would make it even spectacular
41:40and customized to your wedding.
41:43True.
41:44And if you ever need a wedding photographer,
41:47I am here.
41:47I got you.
41:50So yeah, speaking more on like clients
41:54and more collaborations,
41:55is there a certain artist or entrepreneur
41:58you would like to work with?
42:04Besides me.
42:05Besides you, of course.
42:09I actually am really fairly cool
42:12with the owner of lounges downtown.
42:16Okay.
42:17You know what I'm talking about?
42:20And I would love to do more work with them
42:22and like just more collaborative, yeah, pieces there.
42:26I love Lacey.
42:27Shout out to Lacey.
42:28Everybody in the city knows Lacey.
42:31Yeah, she did my logo.
42:32She's so amazing.
42:34She, I actually was in, in 2021,
42:37she hosted her and another artist
42:40hosted a Cleveland collab art show
42:42and I was a part of her art show.
42:44Then that's how I met her.
42:45Yeah.
42:46Well back in 22, but we started the process in 21.
42:50So she actually needs to be a part of the launch artists team.
42:53So yeah, it's like-
42:54She's amazing.
42:54Wow.
42:55When I first met Lacey, it was like, man,
42:58I'm like, I know we're gonna work together
43:01and she did my logo and you know,
43:05I drew out some sketches, my bad sketches
43:07and she brought it to life.
43:09She blown up.
43:11Yeah, I'm so happy for her.
43:13Yeah.
43:15So happy for her.
43:16You can go.
43:18That's from the old Cleveland, go Lacey.
43:21Yeah.
43:21Even having like, you know,
43:23we used to talk about downtown,
43:24like having her art display downtown.
43:26Yes, yeah.
43:28So, you know, I think we need more of that
43:30and not just something that's, you know,
43:32for a couple of months or a year,
43:34but you know, everlasting.
43:37Lacey, your point about the statues that are downtown
43:39and you mentioned how they are reflective of,
43:42you know, maybe sadder times or war times.
43:45Having installations and sculptures
43:47that are reflective of happiness, of positivity.
43:49And a lot of, shoot, all of her work
43:53pretty much is reflective of that,
43:55which I think was so amazing about her.
43:59One of the things that are so amazing about her
44:01because a lot of the times, you know,
44:03artists are taught or like, you know,
44:06historically create from other feelings.
44:09Like, you know, heartbreak kind of led me here
44:12or like, you know, depression or sadness
44:15or, you know, grief or, you know,
44:17all of these things that are real and true
44:19and deserve to be expressed and shown also.
44:24But what about happy times?
44:26Like, you know, like what about positivity
44:28and wanting to foster more of that?
44:30So I think that's great that that's what a lot
44:33of her works around, is uplifting.
44:35Yeah, I mean, it's about heartbreak
44:37as we, you know, all encountering,
44:39like you said, some downtimes, depression.
44:43So what are some things that kind of get you
44:46out of that mode to create?
44:47Working, yeah.
44:51Like, I just, my locus of control,
44:57which is me and what I can do.
44:59You know, you can't control somebody else.
45:01You can't control how they feel about you.
45:03You can't control what goes on in their life.
45:05You can't control how that, you know,
45:07may make them react or respond or whatever the case.
45:11And I just dive straight into what I can control
45:15and dive more into focusing on what I can,
45:17which is me and my work.
45:20So, you know, it helps you take your mind off of things.
45:24So what helps you get into like your creative space
45:26and mode?
45:28Ironically enough, my space.
45:30Like I have always been like this.
45:33I cannot function in like excessive clutter
45:38and like disarray.
45:41Ooh, I cannot do it.
45:44Like I will like clean things out periodically
45:49because I start to feel, people will come in my house
45:52and be like, what do you mean something is wrong?
45:53And I'm like, no, it's too much stuff in here.
45:55Like it's clutter, like there's too many papers
45:57on my desk or like, not really necessarily.
46:01I guess maybe a little bit.
46:03I guess a little bit, a little bit,
46:08but not necessarily in terms of design, I should say,
46:12because minimalist design is like,
46:15like I said, it can be kind of cold.
46:16Like, you know, I like patterns, I like color,
46:18I like rugs, I like decor, things like that.
46:22But I don't want it to be too much
46:25to where I feel like I'm,
46:27maybe it's more of a claustrophobic thing.
46:29I don't know.
46:31But yeah, so I definitely have to have my space clean.
46:37Like I like to have Sundays off from working,
46:40like, you know, because I like to prep for my week,
46:45sometimes prep food for the week and like, you know,
46:47cook like a couple of meals or whatever, clean my house,
46:50clean my space, write my to-do list out,
46:53figure out what I have to focus on for the week,
46:55clean my working area.
46:59Shoot, clean the whole place actually.
47:01And that helps me to clear my mind
47:04to be able to get a good start
47:07on where I wanna start.
47:08Okay, I broke my checklist down into this client
47:11needs these things done this week,
47:13this client that this is miscellaneous things
47:16that I need to do.
47:17Now I can like prioritize from there and I can sit down.
47:20Like I really like to start my Mondays if I can,
47:23waking up at like the crack of dawn.
47:25So like sometimes like four, 4.30 in the morning,
47:29like getting like a really good night's rest on Sunday,
47:31waking up early on Monday, making tea.
47:35I have this yogi tea that I really like to drink.
47:39It's called positive something,
47:42but it has ashwagandha in it.
47:44And so like, you know,
47:45it really helps with like focusing and good thoughts.
47:49Something I like to light incense sometimes
47:51and just kind of like sit and start to go,
47:54maybe play a little music or a show or a movie
47:56that I've seen a million times in the background,
47:59just background at least.
48:01That kind of, you know,
48:02brings me to a good question as you say,
48:05light incense and music.
48:07What sensory systems do you use?
48:10Like you said, music.
48:11I love music.
48:13Love music.
48:14I played the violin growing up.
48:17So I played from fifth grade to 12th grade.
48:22So I love music.
48:24Like, I don't know.
48:24Like I know so many songs.
48:26I have one of my line sisters nicknamed me Juke
48:29because like I know so many songs.
48:32So who was your favorite artist?
48:33Music artist.
48:35Yeah, that's a great question.
48:38I actually really love Sade.
48:42Very calming music.
48:44Like I've always liked her music even as a kid,
48:47but her music is music that I like to play
48:49when I'm working too.
48:51Because it is,
48:52I actually made a playlist to like of music
48:54that I like to play when I want to feel positive
48:57and get my day started.
48:59Music that's not about like love or, you know,
49:03a heartbreak or a man, or like, you know,
49:06nothing like that.
49:06Like it's just music about life and experiences
49:11and positivity.
49:12So like optimistic by sounds of blackness.
49:14Of course that's in there.
49:16I miss some Sade in there.
49:18Earth, Wind and Fire, like Cleo's Soul.
49:21Cause she has a lot of songs that are about love,
49:24but also a lot of songs that are just about like
49:26overcoming in life and positivity and yeah.
49:31Those types of things.
49:32Give me a nice little snack.
49:35Drink some tea.
49:36Oh, what you cookin' on?
49:37What's your favorite snack?
49:42Maybe yogurt and granola fruit.
49:45I'm just, just helping you out.
49:47So, you know, people listen to you
49:49that want to hire you.
49:50All right, they know what to bring me.
49:52Yeah, and the music to play to get you, you know,
49:55have it all set up for you.
49:56Yeah, but I like all types of music.
49:59So, but that's just what came to mind.
50:02Cleo.
50:03So, I know we, you know, spoke earlier
50:06about being introverted.
50:09So how important is networking and relationship building?
50:12Ooh, so important.
50:16And honestly more important than I wished it was sometimes.
50:20Yeah.
50:22Between me, you and whoever's listening.
50:25More important than I wished it was sometimes.
50:28And it took me,
50:30like when I first started my business in 2020,
50:32I know I wasn't networking as much as I should.
50:35I mean, and for other obvious reasons,
50:37the world was shut down, so to speak.
50:40But like, you know, I would go like in 21
50:42when things are to open back up,
50:44like I would go to pop-up shops and, you know,
50:47things like that and do that for a few hours
50:49and then just be so happy it was over with.
50:51But as far as like going to other events
50:53and, you know, meeting other people,
50:55like I would meet some people there,
50:57but outside of that,
50:59I didn't really do a whole lot of networking.
51:01But it is very important.
51:03It can open up a lot of doors to open up other doors.
51:06It really, you know, it's true when they say
51:11that you should, it's about who you know and not,
51:16it's about who you know.
51:17Because there are, you might think that something is
51:20well above what you can do
51:22and then you realize who's doing it.
51:25And that's like no shame,
51:26but you'd be like, oh.
51:28Like, you know, and it's like, well, if.
51:32Surely I could do that too, because I have,
51:36and you know, sometimes you have more experience
51:38than somebody that's doing it.
51:40You have more knowledge behind something
51:42and you might even have more talent sometimes.
51:45And again, that's no shade, but like, you know,
51:47but they have more goal than you do.
51:50They went after it in a different way than you did.
51:53And so, you know, you can't just sit behind your computer
51:57and try to put out posts here and there
52:00and say like, oh, the clients will come.
52:01Like, no, you have to go after them.
52:04Yeah.
52:05That's true.
52:06So speaking more on, you know, finding your dream client
52:11or even your first client for, you know,
52:13new entrepreneurs or a new interior designer,
52:17would you recommend pop-up shops first
52:19or like just from your experience,
52:21how would you start off?
52:23The pop-up shop scene definitely was cool.
52:26That was when I was doing a lot more
52:28of like my resin work also.
52:32So, you know, but it's all about
52:34how you give your pitch to people too.
52:37So when people will come to my table
52:38instead of just being like, you know,
52:40oh, hey, I do resin art.
52:43Oh, I make coasters.
52:44Like, you know, I can do a resin canvas,
52:46whatever, whatever.
52:47I would also say, hey, like,
52:48I also do interior design services.
52:50So, you know, take my card.
52:52So how would you pitch?
52:53If I came up to you, how are you doing?
52:56Hi, I'm Justine.
52:57This is my company, Just Designs.
53:00So here today, I'm showcasing, you know,
53:02some of my resin products here.
53:03I make resin decor for people's homes,
53:06but I'm also an interior designer.
53:08So I can come into your space.
53:10I can help you renovate it.
53:11And then I can also furnish it
53:14with one of my lovely pieces here
53:16that I have on display and for sale today.
53:18Y'all know something along those lines.
53:20I be top of the dome.
53:21I just be rolling.
53:24I don't know if I'll say I'm a pro.
53:26I think I just kind of like,
53:28go into like a different space.
53:30Like I'd be like, okay, I know I'm here
53:32and I have to do this.
53:33So let me, and then I just,
53:36and sometimes whoever you're talking to,
53:38you can bounce off of them
53:39to things come out in different ways.
53:43So is it like a bandwidth,
53:45maybe like at a networking event?
53:48Like, okay, I got to talk to at least three people
53:50before I leave or I'm gonna get this speaker
53:53or I know this person will be there.
53:55I'm gonna network with them.
53:56Okay, I can leave.
53:58I'm not leaving till these things happen.
54:00Or it's just like the kind of
54:01go with the flow type of thing.
54:07I guess it depends because I don't think
54:10I've ever sat and thought like,
54:12okay, I want to make sure I talk to X amount of people.
54:14That's actually a big strategy to help somebody like me.
54:19I usually do have a reason why I'm going to an event.
54:23Either I want to support whoever's hosting it
54:26or there's something that's really cool about it,
54:29the information that I want to get.
54:31So when it comes to that,
54:32I definitely want to make sure I get the information
54:34or talk to whoever it is that I intended
54:37on talking to for sure.
54:38But I probably should implement more of,
54:41let me make sure that I talk to three
54:43or four other people.
54:46I usually end up talking to other people anyway,
54:49but I never keep like a quantitative track.
54:54So that might be good to do.
54:57What was like the most you ever had?
54:59And I appreciate to support some of my recent events
55:02that I was a part of.
55:04Of course.
55:06I love the creative scene in Cleveland.
55:07I feel like from what I've experienced
55:11is very welcoming.
55:13People are willing to work with other people.
55:15I think that's great.
55:18Well, it grew to that and I'm glad to be,
55:22I'm glad to be part of that change.
55:24Yeah, that's good.
55:25Conscious community.
55:29Oh yeah, it's like a war zone.
55:31Really?
55:31Not just creative community,
55:33but just the city in general or business in general.
55:36Yeah.
55:37I'm glad the culture has changed
55:39and the art scene has changed
55:40and we have some talents of people.
55:41We do.
55:42We do.
55:43Yeah, I've met a lot of talented people over the years.
55:47Definitely.
55:49Yeah, that's always keep a good artist in my back pocket
55:53because we're the real leaders in this community.
56:00We're the first people people see,
56:03like the designs and what people hear from music
56:06and poetry and so on.
56:09We're speaking for the climate of the world
56:12and the culture and society at the time too,
56:15which is really cool.
56:16I'd be interested to see
56:19what the kids are gonna read about
56:21in the books and reference this time.
56:24I'm curious to see,
56:26with everything being so simplistic
56:28and streamlined and modern,
56:30I'm interested to see how they will describe
56:34where we are as a society
56:35and how that was reflected in design.
56:37Because it's kind of void of warmth at times.
56:42And maybe that's reflective of some of the things
56:45that we've been going through in the past few years.
56:49Yeah, I'm very interested with 50 years from now,
56:53even now with robots that's emerged.
56:57Oh God.
56:59Are you a fan of AI?
57:01Huh?
57:03So, a little joke, or maybe not.
57:09My name is AI.
57:12You know, a lot of people know me as Alien Eyes.
57:15Okay, but those are your initials.
57:17Yeah, photography business,
57:18but my actual artist name, Alien Eye Player,
57:23I like iPhone, so AI.
57:26And then also being on the basketball court,
57:28they used to say I used to look like AI.
57:30Oh, really?
57:30Yeah, when I was in there,
57:32because I used to have braids and had the little hair.
57:35And so, but as far as artificial intelligence,
57:44again, it's a double-edged sword.
57:47You know, it's good for certain tasks and automations
57:50and, you know, to maximize your productivity
57:55and also revenue.
57:57But as far as like where it's going,
58:00and like I said, robots, like iRobot,
58:03have anybody seen that movie?
58:05I would say 10 years,
58:07because that's what they want to develop
58:09and kind of turn the world, too, which can be scary.
58:16You know, we just have to embrace it.
58:18And kind of like with music,
58:21you know, a lot of things were like Ed and Flo
58:25and even with how music was recorded
58:29and even released and published,
58:33like we had sometimes 10 minute songs,
58:36five minute songs.
58:37Now TikTok made it, you know, nine seconds.
58:41So even the thought behind it is becoming more simple
58:46and, you know, less work, less talent.
58:48They have mumble rap.
58:49Less thought.
58:54And like you said, yeah, less thought
58:55and even artificial intelligent music.
58:58Like what? Yeah.
59:00They got some apps and websites,
59:02you could just type in a prop and you got a song.
59:06It's taking the human hand out of a lot of things
59:09that the human hand needs to be in, I think.
59:13Do you use AI for it? No.
59:15Okay.
59:16Except for it, okay.
59:17No.
59:18Would you like to, Johnna Ly?
59:20I don't know.
59:22I don't want to be totally negative about it.
59:25I really don't because it is where things are headed.
59:33Or like, okay, let's say if you
59:36have a client on a call with them virtually,
59:40you have a way to kind of put together the room
59:43before you actually put it together.
59:45Yeah, but we have rendering programs for that.
59:48You see what I'm saying?
59:50Like I can, yes, it'll be quicker,
59:53but what I don't like about it
59:55is it can show you anything,
59:57whether it's functional or doable or not.
1:00:05You know, like people, I have had people say like,
1:00:08I just did this on AI really quickly.
1:00:11I have them do my home to make me like,
1:00:13and they'll show it to you.
1:00:15And it's kind of like some of this stuff
1:00:17is not even physically possible.
1:00:20So now it's like you have this idea of what you want,
1:00:23but maybe that's not possible for your space
1:00:26because there are other things that need to be looked at.
1:00:28You don't know if there are studs behind your wall
1:00:31that can support that, or you know what I mean?
1:00:34Like you don't even know if that can be,
1:00:36you don't know if that soffit
1:00:38has plumbing and electrical in it,
1:00:40but this is showing you
1:00:41that you could just get rid of that to do.
1:00:43You can do that technically though.
1:00:45And so that's why you need people.
1:00:47And I feel like we have rendering software
1:00:51that does that.
1:00:52Like that's why you pay an artist.
1:00:54You know what I'm saying?
1:00:55Like I'm into paying people for their craft,
1:00:57not just artists, but mechanics.
1:00:59Like, you know what I mean?
1:01:01Like culinary chefs, bakers, that's your craft.
1:01:04Maybe it's because I have a specialty craft
1:01:07and I have a business,
1:01:08like I understand it from a different level.
1:01:10Right.
1:01:12You put time and energy and money
1:01:17into gaining this knowledge
1:01:19and you're an expert at this
1:01:21in a way that AI, in a sense,
1:01:25in my opinion, can't be.
1:01:26Like you've touched this, you've worked with this.
1:01:30I appreciate that.
1:01:31That's how you keep money flowing.
1:01:35You pay somebody for their specialty,
1:01:37they pay you for yours, you know?
1:01:40Yeah, like you said, like expertise
1:01:43and putting the time in at 10,000 hours,
1:01:45a lot of people say.
1:01:48And AI just popped up on the scene, you know?
1:01:52So I mean, I guess, you know,
1:01:55I'm still trying to figure out how I would use it,
1:01:59I guess is what I'm trying to say.
1:02:00I don't really trust it at this point,
1:02:03at least enough to do like room renderings,
1:02:06but maybe just for inspirational purposes.
1:02:09Maybe it could be useful for, you know,
1:02:11just things like that.
1:02:12Like, you know, hey, show me how you would do this room.
1:02:15Maybe I can get inspiration from that
1:02:17and then like, you know, then continue to create.
1:02:21But I'm trying to figure it out, child, I don't know.
1:02:24I don't wanna be totally against it.
1:02:26I don't wanna be totally negative about it,
1:02:28but I definitely think that there is something to be said
1:02:32about a human brain being behind something.
1:02:36And also, we spoke on earlier the emotion behind it.
1:02:40Exactly.
1:02:41There is no emotional side with these robots
1:02:46that's being built and also the AI.
1:02:50But with humans, like you said,
1:02:51you know, we can feel that.
1:02:53You want that human touch.
1:02:55And it's funny because while there are
1:02:57still a lot of people who like and think that like,
1:03:01you know, they're more robotic or AI operations are cool,
1:03:06there are still a lot of people that will surprise you
1:03:09and say, actually, I would prefer for this
1:03:12to be handmade.
1:03:13You know, there are still people that do prefer that.
1:03:16So it's just all about finding your audience, I guess.
1:03:21Nice, nice, nice.
1:03:25So how would you brace yourself for what's to come?
1:03:30Because like, it's here, I'm still evolving,
1:03:33evolving every day, every week, you know.
1:03:35Right now as we speak.
1:03:38So how would you say you would kinda navigate that space
1:03:43because, you know, they could be like,
1:03:44oh, I may just hire this robot and, you know.
1:03:48How would you navigate things?
1:03:53That's a good question.
1:03:55I mean.
1:03:57Could it be that somebody could make a clone Justine?
1:04:00Oh, God.
1:04:02Like I could just, you know, build a bot.
1:04:05Like if I had to build a bear, build a bot.
1:04:06Build a bot.
1:04:07Lord have mercy.
1:04:09And then this is on recording,
1:04:11somebody gonna make that one.
1:04:13Oh, they're building an AI robot.
1:04:14Dang.
1:04:21It's a loaded question.
1:04:22A robot can't, while it can be efficient,
1:04:26it can be told what to do.
1:04:28But as far as, I don't know though,
1:04:30cause AI does come up with stuff.
1:04:32Cause I was gonna say, as far as coming up with ideas,
1:04:35AI does come up with things, but.
1:04:37We come up with the ideas and then come.
1:04:39And we feed it to AI.
1:04:41That's true.
1:04:42That's true.
1:04:43That's true.
1:04:45So yeah, I mean, going along those lines,
1:04:48you know, there's only one of me,
1:04:50just like there's only one of you.
1:04:52I mean, there are people, you know,
1:04:54who feel like there are certain archetypes of people
1:04:56and maybe there are,
1:04:58but under all of those archetypes are still individual people
1:05:02who have their own thoughts and their own experiences
1:05:05that have shaped who they've become as a person,
1:05:07how they deal with things,
1:05:08how they see things and how they choose to express
1:05:11or showcase those things.
1:05:14And I don't think that's something
1:05:15that can be replicated through any artificial intelligence
1:05:20or, you know, through a robot.
1:05:24I mean, you know, even being able to sit with a client,
1:05:29like I'm very big on client-based design,
1:05:32like so functionality and also aesthetic,
1:05:37aesthetically pleasing, aesthetically functional spaces.
1:05:41I guess you can say, I have a client in Twinsburg.
1:05:44We're on his third full project,
1:05:47technically his like fourth or fifth with me,
1:05:50but like full room project.
1:05:53And-
1:05:53Like a real estate?
1:05:55No, in his home.
1:05:57So like we did his master bedroom suite.
1:05:59We did his hall bath.
1:06:01We did some touches of stuff in his living room.
1:06:06We're now working on his basement bathroom.
1:06:11And I know him because I've worked with him since 23.
1:06:15It's been almost two years now.
1:06:16Oh, we did some lighting fixtures.
1:06:18That was the first project that we did
1:06:19was replacing some lighting fixtures.
1:06:22He was actually my first client
1:06:24that I didn't know personally.
1:06:26He found me on Facebook.
1:06:27I was like, he took a chance on a young girl.
1:06:30I appreciate him more than he know, but I really do.
1:06:35He's a great client, but I use him as an example
1:06:38because I've worked with him for two years now.
1:06:41Like I know him.
1:06:42I know things that I can look at something and say,
1:06:45oh, he probably wouldn't like that.
1:06:47Or I can say, oh no, he would love this.
1:06:49Like, you know, and he'll be like, yeah, you know,
1:06:51I do really like that because we have that relationship
1:06:53where I've gotten to know him.
1:06:55Like, you know, we go to showrooms.
1:06:57We go to different stores.
1:06:58We look at things.
1:06:59We talk about things.
1:07:01I can tell based upon his body language
1:07:04if he really likes something or not.
1:07:06Like, you know, if he pauses and kind of like,
1:07:09you know, turns his head a couple ways, yeah.
1:07:13He doesn't like, he might think it's okay,
1:07:15but he doesn't like it that much.
1:07:16If he likes it, he'll go now.
1:07:18I really like that.
1:07:19And like, you know, his eyes get big.
1:07:21I know that he really likes this.
1:07:24You can't get, like, you can't replace that.
1:07:26Like, I have connections with my clients.
1:07:30I know the things that he needs in his spaces.
1:07:34You know, he's an older gentleman.
1:07:35So like, you know, he, while he's renovating,
1:07:38he also wants to make sure that he's keeping in mind
1:07:40for the future and like accessibility portions also.
1:07:44So there are things that I'm able to think about
1:07:47because I know, you know, these things about him
1:07:49that maybe he won't think about,
1:07:51but we've talked about it.
1:07:53And so, okay, me as the expert and the designer,
1:07:56I'm gonna tell you about these options
1:07:58that you have to help with this.
1:08:01Oh, I'm kind of curious.
1:08:03Like, I wanna kind of hear your thought process
1:08:06on your process.
1:08:08Like, someone's books with just designs
1:08:11kind of walk me through the process.
1:08:13Okay, if somebody reaches out, you know,
1:08:17and they want to see what I'm talking about.
1:08:23I like to start with the consultation.
1:08:25I like to go meet with them in person,
1:08:26even though I really am introverted at heart,
1:08:30I swear I am, like all my life.
1:08:33But I understand the importance of human connection
1:08:35and the importance of meeting with people
1:08:38who want to do business with you
1:08:39and give you their money.
1:08:41I need to meet with you in person.
1:08:42I need to come talk to you
1:08:44because like this is a serious transaction
1:08:45and I don't take that lightly.
1:08:48So I did just have a client.
1:08:50I did just gain a new client recently.
1:08:52I met her at my old part-time job.
1:08:55I gave her one of my cards.
1:08:56She needed help.
1:08:58She finally reached out to me.
1:08:59She called me.
1:09:00We scheduled a consultation.
1:09:02I went over there.
1:09:03I spoke with her and her daughter.
1:09:06We talked about, you know, where she's come,
1:09:09like, you know, with her space,
1:09:11what she wants to see from it.
1:09:13I measured the space.
1:09:14I actually, something new that I developed
1:09:16was a consultation checklist
1:09:17to make sure I don't forget things when I'm there.
1:09:21And then, systems.
1:09:22And then I can check some balances.
1:09:24And then I can like, you know,
1:09:28draft her floor plan, like on that.
1:09:30I made a space to be able to like draft the floor plan
1:09:32on that paper too, so everything is like right there.
1:09:35I take notes from there.
1:09:38I ask whatever questions I have to ask about the space,
1:09:41what they're looking for, what they need,
1:09:43what they like, what their style is.
1:09:45I let them pick my brain about different things.
1:09:48I also, because I am, you know, like relatively new,
1:09:52you know, like on the scene to design,
1:09:55I like to send people my portfolio, my resume.
1:09:59I technically have two resumes,
1:10:00a business one and like a career one
1:10:02for outside of my business.
1:10:05I like to tell them like, you know,
1:10:07just like about my credentials
1:10:08so that they can look at that in their own time.
1:10:10Send them my website.
1:10:13Give them all my contact info and I send them a contract.
1:10:18It has my rate on there.
1:10:20It has like my terms and conditions for myself
1:10:23and to protect the client.
1:10:25And as soon as they sign it, we can get started.
1:10:29So, you know, from there,
1:10:32again, client-based design.
1:10:34I do make sure that I'm still the one driving,
1:10:37but I wanna make sure that we're doing it
1:10:40at the pace that they wanna do it at.
1:10:41Like my Twinsburg client will have a meeting.
1:10:45Okay, this is what we're looking for.
1:10:46I'll go, I'll start looking for everything concurrently,
1:10:51like for the space, like, you know, everything.
1:10:53My new client, she was kind of like,
1:10:55well, let's just start with, you know,
1:10:56just this thing in the space
1:10:58and then we can move from there.
1:11:00Okay, I understand.
1:11:02Some people, you know,
1:11:03like she just wants to go step-by-step with it.
1:11:05So she wants to start, one of the biggest things
1:11:07she wants to look at is her window treatments.
1:11:09So we'll start with the window treatments.
1:11:10And after we figure that out,
1:11:12then we can move on from there.
1:11:13I really like to meet with people in person though.
1:11:16I did have somebody who tried to do more
1:11:18of like the virtual thing.
1:11:20It drew the process out way longer.
1:11:22And he had the nerve to ask me
1:11:23why it was taking so long.
1:11:25I was like, well, I can tell you.
1:11:27Because you don't wanna meet with me in person
1:11:30and go to these showrooms and look at things together.
1:11:32We can quickly make decisions
1:11:35and I can learn you and your style more.
1:11:38You want me to keep finding stuff online,
1:11:41sending it to you, emailing it,
1:11:42then you email me back and tell me
1:11:44what you liked or didn't like.
1:11:45And I didn't care for that as much.
1:11:48I mean, I'm open to it,
1:11:49but I prefer to just get a better sense of my client.
1:11:53So, you know, we go from there.
1:11:54If a contractor has to be brought in,
1:11:57I try to have the plans and everything laid out
1:12:00for the contractor so that way
1:12:02they're literally just coming in and doing.
1:12:05That is not, I try to do it
1:12:06where there's the least amount of decision making
1:12:08that has to be done by them
1:12:10because they really prefer to just come in
1:12:11and knock it out.
1:12:12Like they're not designers and they'll tell you that.
1:12:15Like, hey, I can recommend things that I've seen,
1:12:18but like, I don't really do that.
1:12:20So if a contractor or architect
1:12:23or you know, whoever has to be brought in,
1:12:24I try to do as much of all of that work
1:12:27and get everything on order before they come in
1:12:30so they can just kind of like knock the process out.
1:12:33But I still stay on the project with the client
1:12:36to see it through from beginning to end
1:12:38just in case something comes up
1:12:40because things have where maybe I had a plan
1:12:43for a pattern for something,
1:12:44but the tile wasn't exactly four by 12.
1:12:47It was really three and three eighths by 11 and a half.
1:12:51So the pattern that I created, you know,
1:12:54isn't gonna work with those sizing with that size.
1:12:58So I have to go to the drawing board
1:12:59and create something else.
1:13:01Okay, boom.
1:13:01Then here's a new solution.
1:13:03Like, you know, so we're still problem solving,
1:13:05still helping to troubleshoot.
1:13:07And also people have a lot of interesting interactions
1:13:10with contractors, unfortunately.
1:13:13So I like to be able to be that person,
1:13:16point person there too,
1:13:17to be able to go to bat for the client if necessary.
1:13:21Well, what type of interesting interactions?
1:13:26You know, you hear a lot of horror stories
1:13:28from people and contractors that they've worked with
1:13:30and how they've been flaked on or the contractor,
1:13:33you know, ghosted them or,
1:13:35oh, I gave them half of the money,
1:13:36you know, like just like things like that
1:13:38that are just not great or they cut corners on things.
1:13:42And-
1:13:42Even with a contract in place?
1:13:47Yeah.
1:13:49Yeah, like people will.
1:13:51So like, if it's just a client to contractor,
1:13:54you know, a lot of clients don't necessarily
1:13:57have a lot of trade or industry knowledge.
1:13:59So they might not realize or see that something
1:14:04that you did wasn't done right until well after the fact.
1:14:08But you cut those corners in those ways because,
1:14:11and luckily I have not worked with contractors like that.
1:14:16The contractor that I work with, he is great.
1:14:19Like I recommend him.
1:14:20I would always recommend him.
1:14:22But I've heard of these stories,
1:14:23people having gone through these things
1:14:25and it's because they didn't know any better.
1:14:28And sometimes people are just shady.
1:14:30You don't know any better.
1:14:31And so they'll take you for a little ride.
1:14:34And, you know, cut corners to save time,
1:14:37maybe to save money on material cost from their cut.
1:14:40You know what I mean?
1:14:42So things like that where I can kind of,
1:14:45I don't know everything.
1:14:46I'm never trying to make it seem like I do,
1:14:48but I have enough knowledge to be able to say,
1:14:52that doesn't seem right, you know?
1:14:54Intuition tool.
1:14:55Yeah.
1:14:55And to help hold them accountable.
1:14:57Make sure that what the client needs is what's happening.
1:15:00You know, be like that point of contact too.
1:15:03If anything has to be returned,
1:15:05if anything gets damaged,
1:15:06but you have a warranty on it
1:15:08and we ordered it together.
1:15:09I'll help you with that.
1:15:10Like I've had to do that before too.
1:15:13If you need help decorating,
1:15:15like I can even,
1:15:15I'll help you with those types of things.
1:15:18So yeah.
1:15:19Wow.
1:15:20So you mentioned decorator.
1:15:23So, you know, a lot of people are like,
1:15:24I'm good at decoration or decorating.
1:15:27What's the key differences between a decorator
1:15:30and an interior designer?
1:15:32That's a very good question.
1:15:33And I'm so happy that you asked that.
1:15:36When you say that you're an interior designer,
1:15:39people think interior decorator.
1:15:41A lot of people automatically are like,
1:15:43oh, okay, yeah, I'm into that.
1:15:45And a lot of people are into interior design.
1:15:48Like, you know, we have a whole channel surrounded
1:15:51by interior design.
1:15:54But designers typically are a little more trained.
1:16:00Like I said, I can create a construction document set.
1:16:03Like I've learned how to do those things.
1:16:04I worked a year for Joann Fabric.
1:16:07RIP, so sad.
1:16:09What's going on with the company.
1:16:11But I worked there for a year.
1:16:13I designed stores.
1:16:15I was an assistant store designer.
1:16:17So I helped design different stores
1:16:18around the country at different scope levels.
1:16:20So remodels, new stores,
1:16:22and then at different levels
1:16:23of what that store was getting.
1:16:25You would probably think I was sitting around
1:16:28looking at colors and no, it was all in AutoCAD.
1:16:31It was all technical work,
1:16:34all like construction document sets.
1:16:37Yeah, that was it.
1:16:39So like lighting placement.
1:16:42I can't do anything as far as the exterior
1:16:44of a building,
1:16:45but I can help with remodels and renovations
1:16:48with like a shell of a building.
1:16:51So like, even if we wanted to knock this wall down,
1:16:53I can help create the plans for that.
1:16:55But architects are who do everything exterior.
1:17:00And foundational architects and then engineers,
1:17:03civil engineers, structural engineers.
1:17:09Well, I know on my half,
1:17:12people may hit me up like,
1:17:13yo, how much for a photo shoot or how much for a video?
1:17:16You know, it varies.
1:17:18So have you ever had people or potential clients
1:17:20that reach out to you like that?
1:17:22Like just want a price and not even,
1:17:24like you said, having that consultation and sit down.
1:17:26Well, how much would it cost you to do my kitchen?
1:17:28And it's like, whoa.
1:17:31So in my business,
1:17:33unless it's like a project like that
1:17:35of Bedford High School,
1:17:36where it was kind of like more cut and dry
1:17:39of what they were looking for,
1:17:41I bill hourly.
1:17:42I have a design hour rate because.
1:17:46Well, sure.
1:17:47You don't have to say it if you don't,
1:17:48but give me like a ballpark.
1:17:51Oh, I'm not gonna say my rate, but.
1:17:54Ballpark.
1:17:56But I think it's fair.
1:17:58A lot of people charge way more than what I'm charging.
1:18:02And I'm gonna work my way up to that,
1:18:04but I'm okay with working my way up to that.
1:18:06Because you know, I know that again, relatively,
1:18:09I'm newer to the game and I'm building,
1:18:12I'm still building my portfolio.
1:18:14So I do have a consultation fee.
1:18:17Like I interned in 2018 when I was in college.
1:18:22I interned for a lady.
1:18:23She has her own business, great designer,
1:18:26family-owned business.
1:18:27It was her mom's before it was hers.
1:18:30And whew, but she was charging for a consultation.
1:18:33Like I think at the time,
1:18:35and this is 2018,
1:18:36so I know her prices are higher than this now.
1:18:38I think it was what, 250 for a two-hour consultation.
1:18:42And then it was like maybe 175 a design hour.
1:18:46Like she was charging, you know what I'm saying?
1:18:47I'm not charging anywhere near that yet,
1:18:50but I could get to the point where I could.
1:18:52I wanna get to the point where I do, you know,
1:18:55for like higher-end clients.
1:18:58But I bill hourly because people can take a long time
1:19:03to figure things out.
1:19:04And if you tell somebody,
1:19:05oh, I'll only charge you 10,000 or 5,000
1:19:09or you know, whatever to do your kitchen,
1:19:12like for my work, not including like the materials,
1:19:16because they never take that into account either.
1:19:19Like it depends on like, you know,
1:19:20what your budget is and how custom
1:19:23really you want things to be
1:19:24because the prices do vary.
1:19:26Like I hate to sound like that,
1:19:28but like they just do, it depends on, you know,
1:19:30I can take you the highest of the highs for custom.
1:19:34That's like, you know, anything you want, they can do it.
1:19:37But I can also, you know,
1:19:39keep you more budget-friendly, but still good quality.
1:19:42So it just kind of depends on like where you are.
1:19:44But as far as my services, like if I tell somebody,
1:19:47oh, I'll only charge you whatever, whatever for to do this,
1:19:52then you look up and really you've charged them
1:19:57maybe 2,500 or so for your time
1:20:00because you thought it would only take that long,
1:20:03but they've used $5,000 worth of your time in actuality.
1:20:06And I just don't wanna be caught there, respectfully.
1:20:09Yeah, that sounds like my first wedding that I took on.
1:20:13And you have to learn sometimes, yeah.
1:20:16Way under, like they got a good, good, good price,
1:20:20you know, in a higher staff.
1:20:24So it was like paying them and the editing behind the scenes.
1:20:28Like, and especially with photography, oh my gosh,
1:20:31the editing on one picture alone can take a long time.
1:20:36Like that's your time, yeah.
1:20:39Yes.
1:20:42Then you learn like, okay,
1:20:44I'll edit this many photos for this price.
1:20:48So I actually had to add a clause like that.
1:20:51I just redid my contract where it's like, okay,
1:20:54how many different iterations of a plan and renderings
1:20:59I'll do before I start to say it'll be an additional
1:21:03X amount of money for anything outside of that.
1:21:05Cause I did have a client one time
1:21:08and it was like, every time we picked out one thing,
1:21:12they wanted me to redo every,
1:21:14like to re put it in the plan and show them what it looks.
1:21:17And it's like, well, I have a toilet in there.
1:21:19It's just not this exact one,
1:21:20but they wanted to see that exact one.
1:21:22And it's like, okay, how about we pick out
1:21:25a lot of things and I'll update it all together
1:21:27and show you, but no, they would want like
1:21:29for every piece updated and show it to me.
1:21:33Wow, so it's like, okay, that's a lot of time.
1:21:37When we could do it how I'm saying,
1:21:40which is like, let's pick out a lot of things
1:21:41and then we'll update some of the generic things
1:21:44that I put in there just for, you know,
1:21:46showing spatial planning and everything
1:21:48or whatever ideas, we'll update it
1:21:50with your exact cabinet and like, you know,
1:21:54your exact toilet, your exact shower system.
1:21:57Yeah. Yeah.
1:21:58Which makes more sense for me.
1:22:02True, you know, time is everything.
1:22:05I mean, that's one of our biggest commodities
1:22:07besides energy.
1:22:11So how do you navigate with, you know,
1:22:14difficult clients or like you said,
1:22:16people that want to draw out the process?
1:22:21So luckily I've only really had that issue
1:22:26with maybe one or two clients that I've had.
1:22:29Excuse me.
1:22:30I haven't had that issue, you know,
1:22:33I thank God I haven't, you know, too much.
1:22:36I guess every time I learn something,
1:22:40it's like, okay, I need to apply this in some way.
1:22:43So like, that was why it was time
1:22:45for me to update my contract again.
1:22:47Like I learned a lot in 2024.
1:22:51I had really high highs and I had some lows last year,
1:22:55but I'm at the point, like, you know,
1:22:57I'm not mad about any of them
1:22:59because it taught me a lot
1:23:01and it taught me a lot for the future
1:23:04and things that I'm able to, you know,
1:23:05protect myself and or the client or, you know,
1:23:09my business from in other ways or, you know,
1:23:11my time or my energy, you know, in other ways
1:23:14by implementing certain stipulations.
1:23:16And it's not because I ever want to
1:23:19make things difficult for anybody,
1:23:20but I want to make sure that we are clear on things.
1:23:22And the clearer that you are in the beginning,
1:23:26usually the less issues that you have down the line
1:23:29because when you signed this contract
1:23:31that said all of these things,
1:23:33like you read this and even if you didn't read it,
1:23:36you said you did, so, and it's in there.
1:23:40I mean, it's the same thing when we agree to these terms
1:23:43and conditions for everything.
1:23:45Even if we don't read them, we said we did.
1:23:48Right, yeah.
1:23:48And so you're on the hook for that, unfortunately.
1:23:52Yeah.
1:23:53Unfortunately and fortunately
1:23:54because it's something to refer back to
1:23:56when things get muddy.
1:23:58True.
1:24:00So, well, first off,
1:24:03how often do you update your contracts?
1:24:05Is it yearly?
1:24:07I'll probably start doing it yearly.
1:24:09Like this year I updated it.
1:24:12I think the last time I updated it before that
1:24:15was maybe 23.
1:24:17And the last time before that was maybe 21.
1:24:21Or maybe 20 or 21.
1:24:23So I don't really have a cadence,
1:24:26but I felt like I had learned enough last year
1:24:30that it was like, okay.
1:24:31It's still more so experience-based.
1:24:34Got you.
1:24:34Need-based.
1:24:38And how important,
1:24:40especially for newer creative entrepreneurs
1:24:44or entrepreneurs in general,
1:24:46how important are contracts?
1:24:49They're so important.
1:24:51I mean, especially for creatives,
1:24:53like we're,
1:24:55I had a professor in college who used to say,
1:24:58like, you know, it's funny.
1:24:59People say, oh, I don't pay you to think
1:25:02to some people.
1:25:03And he's like, but actually as creatives and designers,
1:25:06like we are getting paid to think.
1:25:08So like, you know, your knowledge is everything.
1:25:11Like your ideas are very important
1:25:15and you have to find ways to,
1:25:20A, protect that,
1:25:21but also like just keep things clear
1:25:24about what the process will be.
1:25:26You know, I think contracts are very important
1:25:29to keep things more cut and dry
1:25:31where sometimes things can get muddy
1:25:34or like, you know, that gray area comes in.
1:25:36Like our intellectual,
1:25:39what do they call it?
1:25:40Property.
1:25:41There we go.
1:25:44Our intellectual property is what we have.
1:25:48And everybody unfortunately, you know,
1:25:52isn't going to value that.
1:25:53Just like in life in general,
1:25:55you have to teach people how to treat you.
1:25:58Even if people don't do what intent,
1:25:59I don't think everybody sets out
1:26:01to intentionally hurt people.
1:26:03Like I'm not from that mindset.
1:26:06Maybe it's because I'm not like that.
1:26:08Self-help is the best law.
1:26:10Yeah, like, you know, I think that you view people
1:26:12from where you coming from a lot of the times.
1:26:15So I don't like to just default
1:26:17to thinking people are like that.
1:26:19I think that a lot of the times
1:26:20it's a lot of misunderstandings
1:26:23and people don't intentionally, you know, misuse you.
1:26:27It's just that you're not standing on what you have enough
1:26:32to make somebody think about it
1:26:35or think twice about what they're doing.
1:26:38They're not necessarily always trying to get over on you,
1:26:41but because you are so easygoing
1:26:43and you're so, you know, go with the flow
1:26:45and laid back, you know, how a lot of artists are.
1:26:48Like, you know, we're very like, you know,
1:26:50chill, open people, open to a lot of different things,
1:26:53which is great.
1:26:54Never lose that,
1:26:56but never let somebody play with you either.
1:27:00Yeah.
1:27:01Wow, I got a special question I know.
1:27:06Okay, let me kind of process this one.
1:27:08Yeah, I'm scared.
1:27:11So with visual stimuli,
1:27:14is there a certain object or decorations
1:27:16you correlate with other objects or shapes?
1:27:20You know, like a banana is yellow,
1:27:22egg is white, egg white,
1:27:24but someone's head may also be shaped like an egg
1:27:28or a banana, you know,
1:27:30mainly because the angle you see it in or perspective.
1:27:34Do you compartmentalize anything of such?
1:27:43Man, this is a stumper.
1:27:47And I honestly feel like this is one of those questions
1:27:51that even after I answer it here today,
1:27:54I'm gonna continue to ponder on
1:27:56and I try to pride myself on being self-aware,
1:28:00but we can all only be so self-aware.
1:28:04So, you know, it'll start to make me really look at
1:28:08myself as a designer in a way that I don't know
1:28:11that I have really sat and thought about.
1:28:19I definitely like to look at things as shapes.
1:28:27So I don't know if I really have a one way
1:28:32that I like to do things or I correlate things,
1:28:36but it's more of a project-based thing.
1:28:40Like I working in furniture sales
1:28:43and like, you know,
1:28:45helping people with layouts of their rooms.
1:28:48I can kind of like sometimes break furniture down
1:28:50into shapes and like movement.
1:28:52So it was kind of like, okay.
1:28:54And sometimes like my mind will just like move
1:28:56and I'll say, oh no, do this.
1:28:57And then that and da da da put that there
1:28:59and put this here because for whatever reason in my mind,
1:29:03like that makes the most sense aesthetically.
1:29:06And I'll try to like describe it to the customer
1:29:09and like they'll like it and they'll be like, oh yeah.
1:29:12But I'm trying to like describe how I got there.
1:29:14Like, you know, because you have these hard lines here.
1:29:17You want to kind of soften that a little more
1:29:19with some curvature here or, you know,
1:29:23you have this L shape here.
1:29:25So let's put something over here on the other side
1:29:27in this corner that's smaller.
1:29:29Like, you know, you need something to balance this side.
1:29:31Like I'm really, I like balance,
1:29:33but I also think that sometimes imbalance is balance.
1:29:37Like, if I have like, as far as decorating,
1:29:41if there's like a small cluster of like three things
1:29:44of something that's either skinny or small.
1:29:47And then there's something like on a mantle.
1:29:49People asked about help with their mantle all the time
1:29:52when I worked at my old job and like decorating it
1:29:55and wanting to balance it, but wanting to like shake it up.
1:29:58Okay, well, you can do a small group
1:30:00of three of this over here.
1:30:01And then one big thing over here.
1:30:03To me, that's still balance.
1:30:04Even though it's not the same exact object
1:30:08on either side is balance and weight, I guess.
1:30:12Contrast.
1:30:13Yeah, but I, and I'm really big on contrast.
1:30:16Like I love the concept of contrast.
1:30:19I love color theory.
1:30:21I'm reading a color theory book right now
1:30:23that I got from the Museum of Art in DC,
1:30:28the National Gallery of Art last year.
1:30:30I bought this book on color theory
1:30:31and I've been reading it just like about color
1:30:34over the years.
1:30:38I love complimentary colors.
1:30:40So if I can like pop in, like, even if it's not,
1:30:43like, you know, blue and orange
1:30:46is probably my favorite complimentary color set.
1:30:48But even if it's blue and like yellow,
1:30:57or like, you know, like, I understand the color wheel too.
1:31:01And like, you know, how anagolis colors
1:31:03can also be kind of pulled, like, you know,
1:31:06in ways to make the, it doesn't have to be exactly
1:31:09across on the color wheel, but if it's like,
1:31:12you know, in that range, like it can work.
1:31:14And like, yeah, that's like my thing.
1:31:19Yeah, so I don't know if that answered that question,
1:31:25but there are things where I'll say like,
1:31:28okay, I think I kind of, like, if you have
1:31:30like certain textures, like, you know, I don't,
1:31:34you just want to like have enough of,
1:31:36I don't know, I don't know.
1:31:38You was trying to have everything
1:31:39promised in your, your mind.
1:31:41Yeah, it makes sense to me.
1:31:45True, okay.
1:31:46So I like to ask a lot of artists this question,
1:31:51but you're a unique artist and also entrepreneur.
1:31:54So it may be a little different for you,
1:31:56but you know, we live in Cleveland, you know,
1:31:59there's days we may experience the rain,
1:32:02the sunshine, snows, warm, cold all in one day.
1:32:08So taking that in mind,
1:32:10how would you explain your creative process
1:32:14if it was a weathercast, forecast?
1:32:19Like if it was one of those days, you know?
1:32:22Well, just your creative mindset, a process.
1:32:27Like for mine, it's like gentle rain,
1:32:31like a drizzle on a warm sunny day to like refresh you.
1:32:35And you know, I'm always in motion.
1:32:36So the rain is always in motion.
1:32:38And the thing about the puddles is collaborating
1:32:41and building and building and growing and growing.
1:32:43So that's how I explain my creative process.
1:32:48Oh, I see what you're saying.
1:32:51Okay, okay, okay, okay.
1:32:54What weather forecast would I give?
1:33:03Partially sunny.
1:33:05Partially sunny, so cloudy or sunny?
1:33:08Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
1:33:09Because I think like there's balance there.
1:33:14Like, you know, it's not complete sunshine,
1:33:16but it's not complete overcast either.
1:33:18And so there's that contrast, you go with contrast.
1:33:23There's that contrast of those two things
1:33:25that are kind of opposite, but working together.
1:33:28So kind of like bringing,
1:33:31and like, you know, a lot of the times aesthetic
1:33:33and aesthetically pleasing things or spaces
1:33:37and functionality, sometimes they don't always
1:33:40go hand in hand.
1:33:41Something can look really cool and look really good,
1:33:44but it's not functional,
1:33:47or it's not really able to be done or built.
1:33:55So I don't-
1:33:56That's what you mean by functional?
1:33:58Yeah.
1:33:58Like it's not structurally sound.
1:34:02Like it's not something that can actually be done
1:34:04because of all of these other things that may,
1:34:08it can be anything.
1:34:09Like, you know, something is behind that wall,
1:34:11or, you know, this is rotted out,
1:34:13or that's not gonna be stable.
1:34:15It'll cancel either.
1:34:16Like, you know, we can't do that.
1:34:18Or, you know, you won't have enough space
1:34:20to operate around.
1:34:22Like, you know, when you have an island,
1:34:23you're supposed to have 36 inches
1:34:25around the island of nothing.
1:34:26So that people can move about
1:34:28around the island in the kitchen.
1:34:30Yeah.
1:34:31And everybody doesn't know that, you know,
1:34:33understandably so.
1:34:34So, you know, you can't get that size island in here
1:34:38because it's not gonna work.
1:34:39It might look good, but it won't work.
1:34:43So it's like-
1:34:46Sunshine, in the sense of, you know,
1:34:50it's bright, it's cheery, it's what you wanna do.
1:34:53And then, you know, clouds are usually associated
1:34:55with like more drab feelings.
1:34:57I'm like, you know, sunshine is more like, you know,
1:34:59good days, happiness, whatever.
1:35:01That's like your creativity at its peak
1:35:03with your dream, whatever.
1:35:05And then, you know, clouds are, you know,
1:35:08a lot of the times often looked at
1:35:09as like not a great thing.
1:35:11Oh, it's cloudy, it's drab today, you know, whatever.
1:35:13But they're realistic because they have to come.
1:35:17Like the rain has to come.
1:35:19You know, sometimes the sun can't shine that way,
1:35:23you know, the same, the way that it did
1:35:25a couple of days ago today because of whatever reason.
1:35:29Like the grass needs this water.
1:35:31You know, the trees need it, the animals need it.
1:35:34And if we don't have the grass,
1:35:36then, you know, cows can't eat.
1:35:37And, you know, it's a trickle effect.
1:35:39So like, you know, there's all of these things that,
1:35:41so that's kind of more of like the realism,
1:35:45I guess, I would say.
1:35:47And it's me bringing both of those together.
1:35:49Partially simo.
1:35:5136 inches, okay.
1:35:52So that's and neurology, that's the divine nine.
1:35:56So, oh, completion, wait for that.
1:36:00Is that okay?
1:36:02So kind of wrapping up the interview.
1:36:06How would you say, you know, me being the media,
1:36:10you know, I'm big on a lot of things
1:36:14that's being shown and seen.
1:36:16Mm-hmm.
1:36:17You know, also having a marketing background.
1:36:20But how important is media influence
1:36:25for interior designers?
1:36:30Like you said, you know,
1:36:31you may forget to set up a camera or take pictures
1:36:33because you'd be in the process.
1:36:35But how important is it?
1:36:37It's very important.
1:36:38You have to show people what you can do.
1:36:40And rightfully so.
1:36:41That's why I'm so big on sending my clients
1:36:45all of my deliverables so that they can see.
1:36:48I want people to feel comfortable coming to me.
1:36:50I don't want them to be like,
1:36:51ooh, I'm taking my chance on this girl.
1:36:53And baby, I don't know what she about to do in here.
1:36:56I don't want them to be like on edge or not sure.
1:37:01I wanna build my portfolio and continue to do that
1:37:05so that I can build my clientele
1:37:08and showcase what I can do off of integrity,
1:37:12off of what I've actually done,
1:37:13off of what I actually can do, off of the truth.
1:37:16Like that's very important to me.
1:37:19Like I have a conscience, I swear.
1:37:21Like I know some people go,
1:37:23oh Lord, no, mine will beat me up.
1:37:27So like, you know, it's very important
1:37:29to be able to honestly show what it is
1:37:31that you can do for people
1:37:32to be able to wanna come to you.
1:37:34That's art.
1:37:35You know, people are drawn to you
1:37:36based upon what you can show them,
1:37:38what you can see, what they can see,
1:37:40how you can use your expertise
1:37:44to create something that they wouldn't have thought of.
1:37:49Something I never even thought of.
1:37:53Not to reflect on that myself,
1:37:56just as a creative artist and entrepreneur.
1:38:00Yes, yes.
1:38:01But if we had to sum this interview up
1:38:03with three to five key takeaways,
1:38:07maybe it's something you mentioned we spoke about
1:38:10or something that you, you know, didn't get to say
1:38:13or something that's on your mind,
1:38:16but you want someone to take away from this interview.
1:38:19Maybe they listened to it
1:38:20or they're about to listen to it
1:38:22and kind of heard this.
1:38:24What are three to five key takeaways you'd say?
1:38:29I would say,
1:38:32so I'm gonna start with like my entrepreneurs
1:38:33and my fellow creatives.
1:38:36I think it's very important to always remember
1:38:39that there's something that you can learn.
1:38:43Stay open to learning always.
1:38:46I know a lot of the times, like, you know,
1:38:48especially when you get to like a quote unquote
1:38:50expert level of something,
1:38:52you might start to feel like you,
1:38:54can't nobody tell me nothing.
1:38:57I'd be a liar if I said that I've never had moments
1:39:00where I felt like that.
1:39:01Like, you know, you can't, you know, whatever,
1:39:03but that's about, you know, whatever the case is,
1:39:06but you can always learn something.
1:39:08There's always a different perspective
1:39:10that you can get from somebody.
1:39:11I think it's very important to either apprentice
1:39:15or intern under people.
1:39:17So that's like one of my biggest takeaways
1:39:19that I always try to leave interviews
1:39:21or like talks or whatever with
1:39:23is like how important it is to apprentice under
1:39:26and learn from somebody that does what you're doing.
1:39:29I, in my four and a half years in college,
1:39:34I was most grateful for my internship.
1:39:37I learned, I went back to school after that summer
1:39:40and I literally told my professor,
1:39:43like the last thing y'all should have did
1:39:44was have me get an internship
1:39:46because I feel like I learned more there
1:39:47than I've been learning here in the past few years.
1:39:50Oh, cool.
1:39:52And, you know, not for not, like, you know,
1:39:54I learned a lot in school too,
1:39:55but it was, I was able to apply a lot more
1:39:58when I was working under somebody like that.
1:40:00She was able to show me the ropes in a lot of ways.
1:40:03Never be too big to ask for help.
1:40:06I think it's great, like, you know,
1:40:08you said that we're in an environment in Cleveland here
1:40:11with creatives where we are more collaborative.
1:40:13I hate to hear that it wasn't like that,
1:40:14but I'm happy to hear that it's grown to that
1:40:17because you learn so much even just from your peers,
1:40:20or even if you guys are learning together,
1:40:23you know, like how they may decide to decode something
1:40:27and you decide to do it are two different ways
1:40:29and you learn different things
1:40:30because you decided to decode it in different ways
1:40:32or approach it in different ways.
1:40:38Something else to leave people with.
1:40:41Figure out your why I think is really important,
1:40:44like what drives you because like I,
1:40:48people always ask like, oh, what have you been up to?
1:40:50And I'm like working and they're like,
1:40:53you know, what else have you been doing?
1:40:54Like, and I'll do fun things here and there too.
1:40:56I've grown to learn,
1:40:58I guess I could say as a takeaway too,
1:41:00if you are a workaholic like me,
1:41:02definitely make sure that you're taking care of yourself
1:41:04and doing things for yourself that are also fun
1:41:06and having a sort of a social life.
1:41:09But I really do enjoy working on my business.
1:41:13Like I just, I enjoy it.
1:41:14Like it's days that I get up
1:41:15and I'll forget to even eat
1:41:17because I just, I'm ready to hop up
1:41:19and just start working.
1:41:20Like that's when you have a why and a purpose
1:41:23and a passion behind what you're doing,
1:41:25it sounds so cliche,
1:41:26but it's really not work.
1:41:28It's just like, you're just doing.
1:41:31Like I don't know how to describe it.
1:41:34It doesn't feel like work.
1:41:35It just feels like you're doing,
1:41:38I guess like your life's mission in a sense.
1:41:41Like this is what I do.
1:41:42Like this is what makes me feel these ways.
1:41:45Like this is what makes me feel happy.
1:41:49Stay organized.
1:41:50It can be a lot to be an entrepreneur,
1:41:53especially starting out if you're on your own.
1:41:54So figure out how you got to organize
1:41:56and stay organized and to-do list all your friend.
1:42:02I'm glad you mentioned that too
1:42:03because like I've definitely had days
1:42:06where I haven't eaten, did anything,
1:42:10but what I was focused on,
1:42:13I know there was a few writers,
1:42:15famous writers that had that same kind of mindset
1:42:18or routine where they wasn't getting up
1:42:21from their desk sitting there
1:42:22and then 18 hours straight until they finished
1:42:24that chapter or whatever they was working on for that day.
1:42:29And since I was done,
1:42:31they wasn't getting up or whatever.
1:42:33And like I've definitely had days like that
1:42:35where it's been almost 24 hours,
1:42:39like even no sleep, nothing to eat.
1:42:42You're just focused.
1:42:43I was even like that as a kid though.
1:42:45My grandma used to hate it
1:42:47because I would come in from school
1:42:49and be at my grandma's house
1:42:51and I would try to get all my homework done
1:42:53before I did anything.
1:42:54Now I was allowed to watch TV while I did homework
1:42:57because I still got everything done.
1:42:58So I mean, I had a little bit of outlet,
1:43:00but like I would just sit down
1:43:02and she'd be like, do you want a snack?
1:43:03Do you want to eat?
1:43:04And I'd be like, nope, not until I'm done.
1:43:06Like I want to finish this first one I'm done.
1:43:08Then I'll sit and I'll eat a snack.
1:43:10But you got to give me a minute.
1:43:11She'll be like, she hated it.
1:43:16Yeah, okay, okay, okay.
1:43:18Definitely appreciate it and always like to ask
1:43:25something that's motivating and encouraging for the audience.
1:43:29It could be a quote that you heard
1:43:31or maybe even some of your personal words.
1:43:34What would you give an inspiring and new entrepreneur?
1:43:41The saying about things being brick by brick
1:43:45and not focusing on each brick
1:43:47and laying that properly and not the whole wall at once.
1:43:55Because once the wall is built,
1:43:58you can tell what had a good foundation and what didn't.
1:44:01You can tell where time was spent and where it wasn't
1:44:05and where detail was placed and where it wasn't.
1:44:08The other thing about that too is
1:44:11it can be overwhelming looking at the bigger picture
1:44:14and you don't know where to start.
1:44:16So, that's why it's really good to sit down
1:44:18and strategize and think about the bigger picture
1:44:22and then go backwards.
1:44:23And then, okay, how do I get to that?
1:44:25Okay, well, how do I do that?
1:44:26Well, how do I do that?
1:44:27Until you get to that first step, that first brick.
1:44:30And it's just about little deposits every day.
1:44:35And every day your deposits won't look the same.
1:44:38Some days you'll deposit 100%,
1:44:39some days you'll deposit 10.
1:44:41But that 10% works towards the bigger picture.
1:44:44Even if you just lay one brick that day
1:44:46as opposed to laying 100 like you did a couple days ago,
1:44:51that's still a part of your journey and enjoy the journey.
1:44:54Yeah, it's still progress.
1:44:58And I think Steve Jobs' quote,
1:45:03like you gotta connect the dots backwards.
1:45:05For success, you gotta connect the dots backwards
1:45:07and go backwards to move forward.
1:45:10I mean, sometimes it can be scary
1:45:12and I used to write like that,
1:45:15like kind of write the end in first
1:45:16and then kind of wrap it around
1:45:18towards the middle and beginning like, okay,
1:45:20once I got the end or how I want it to end,
1:45:23I could tell the story better
1:45:25and craft the story better,
1:45:27whether it's as fictional or non-fiction.
1:45:32I always tell people to plan
1:45:34and map out what they wanna do and put it on paper.
1:45:37Yeah, people come in with so many ideas.
1:45:39I have so many ideas.
1:45:41I tell them.
1:45:41All right, write it down, write it down.
1:45:43They even think I'm joking or I'm serious.
1:45:46Write it down, get it out your head,
1:45:49make it come to life because you're really doing that
1:45:51when you write it down and you journal
1:45:53and you self-reflect and really, you're like, okay.
1:45:57It's a step forward to what you really wanna do.
1:46:01Like I always like to say,
1:46:03done is better than perfect
1:46:04and as an artist and being a perfectionist,
1:46:08it can be hard sometimes,
1:46:09but you gotta get out your head
1:46:11and you gotta complete.
1:46:13You gotta start somewhere.
1:46:14You gotta be smarter.
1:46:15So.
1:46:17And you learn as you go.
1:46:18Yes, yes, yes.
1:46:20And we're telling the audience
1:46:21and everybody listening in,
1:46:24find you if they wanna book you,
1:46:26look you up, contact you, all that good stuff.
1:46:29Yes, so on my social media accounts,
1:46:32my Instagram is at JustDesigns underscore LLC.
1:46:37Facebook is JustDesigns LLC.
1:46:40You can also go on www.JustDesigns.net and find me
1:46:45and then on there, you'll be able to see
1:46:48all of my contact information like my email,
1:46:50Justine at JustDesigns.net or my phone number
1:46:54so you can contact me that way.
1:46:57Okay, okay.
1:46:58And I will have everything in the show notes.
1:47:00So if you're driving, cooking with Justine
1:47:04or you know, doing something
1:47:06but you have this in the background,
1:47:08you're not able to write it down or find her on social,
1:47:13it will be in the show notes for you to reference.
1:47:16And as we wrap this up,
1:47:19remember this is Alienize Photos Industry Talk,
1:47:23the podcast for creative entrepreneurs.
1:47:27I am the founder and director of Alienize Photos,
1:47:31Mr. Photographer Jackson, Steve Jackson
1:47:34or most people know me as Alien.
1:47:38And you know, you can book me for event photography,
1:47:43media coaching, you know, strategy if you want to,
1:47:47idea, I call it ideology, not aliology,
1:47:53but I'm tug-twisted right now.
1:47:56Ideation sessions, you know, bouncing off ideas
1:47:59and you know, having strategy behind it all
1:48:04and all my social media contacts
1:48:06will also be in the show notes.
1:48:08But if you want to take it down now,
1:48:10you can follow me at Alienize Photos
1:48:13and find me and book me for more information.
1:48:18Visit alienizephotos.com
1:48:21as Alienize with a Z, Photos with a S.com.
1:48:26And if you haven't downloaded the social media app,
1:48:30fan base, oh, this is strictly for creators
1:48:34and to help you get monetized with everything you do.
1:48:38So go to your media store.
1:48:40If you got Apple, Android, go to your app store
1:48:43and download fan base.
1:48:45And I had a good time, you know,
1:48:48meeting a good brother, Isaac Hayes,
1:48:50who is the founder of fan base over in Atlanta.
1:48:55And yeah, I actually have some equity in that.
1:48:58So, you know, help us both out and download it.
1:49:01Give us some feedback.
1:49:02Tell us how you like it and enjoy it.
1:49:05I'm not sure if I'm missing anything,
1:49:07but I definitely want to shout out my media partners again,
1:49:10Launch Arts Media,
1:49:13who are recording this podcast episode here today,
1:49:17and also The Pull Up Experience.
1:49:19Yes, the top elevation entrepreneur group
1:49:23in Cleveland, Ohio.
1:49:25And yeah, I'm your host, photographer Jackson.
1:49:28This has been a great interview.
1:49:29I agree.
1:49:31Shout out Alien Eyes, shout out Just Designs.
1:49:34Yes, yes, yes.
1:49:35And until next time, I'll talk to you soon.
1:49:38Peace, love, and blessings.