Meet James Harper

We recently connected with James Harper and have shared our conversation below.

Hi James, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I’m a puppet to purpose. I’m not driven by a sole reason I do things, but there is something in me that says I have to make something every day. I don’t care if it’s a breakfast burrito, a tangible thing like a book, a suite of social media designs, or roasting coffee; I have to make something. That being said, once I started getting older and got through a decade and a half of sub-par designs until I found my niche, once I finally found my voice in the design/marketing realm, and people started seeking me out, I felt compelled to help younger creatives whenever I could, because I had so many mentors throughout my life, so I added teaching to the mix.

I think purpose is leaving a mark. Sadly, a large percentage of what we design or come up with is lost in a very short window. That’s why I think my purpose became to pair the job I do with ancillary passion projects that eventually turned into businesses. I got into coffee, which makes me and a lot of people very, very happy and is also a part of their day. I feel compelled to make books, and it’s super hard and super risky, but I love making things that outlive me. I’ve designed a handful of vinyl and that’s the pinnacle of what I love to do. Because someone I’ve never met will find those and hopefully pick them up, look at them, and maybe even buy them, and that just makes my day.

So I’m not sure I’ve found it, but I found what gives it to me.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My rampant ADHD/Short Attention Span doesn’t allow me to have one job or role. Instead, I get energy off of shifting gears over and over, breaking down tasks into blocked time, and tackling those so I get them done and have a list of accomplishments every day. The thing that would improve my life the most would be some kind of helicopter or a way to erase the commute between all of my appointments, but that’s absolutely ridiculous.

My jobs are:
1.) Fractional CMO of Clementine’s Creamery in St. Louis. The best ice cream I’ve ever had, and several of the flavors I literally can’t live without, especially the Vegan Coconut Fudge, which is made with coconut milk, not coconut, and it’s rich, decadent chocolate. Dang! https://www.clementinescreamery.com

2.) Agency Coach. I help a few agencies position themselves and just help be a mediator in that area. I also help expand their portfolio by helping their bus dev teams expand their portfolio so they can get clients in different/new sectors, as well as help organize and improve their creative teams.

3.) Coffee Roaster. Me and my good friend Trevor own a coffee roaster inspired by several Scottish cities called Plaid. Plaid Coffee Roasters sells coffee in our area and will soon be available nation wide. We’re also opening our first cafe in the next few weeks. http://plaidcoffeeroasters.com

4.) Designer. Owner of a boutique design shop called Harper’s Bizarre. https://www.harpersbizarre.com

5.) Publisher. Making the tangible, me and my good friend Chris Ryan of oncefilms.com decided to put out some music and a huge coffee table book that also fits nicely with your vinyl (12×12 format) about the life and work of Tom Huck: The Devil is in the Details, which debuted last year at the Met in NYC, and is available for your collection at https://www.fineprintsmallpress.com

This combo makes me happy, I get to be creative, make and ingest delicious coffee, give people records and books, and interact with other creatives.

So follow me on all of the socials, I know it’s a lot, but I have to.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities are hard to choose, but here goes:

1.) Research tirelessly. You have to see great work and analyze how it was done and the concept behind it, especially in the design world. And balance the research between large companies that test their work and analyze why they did it. Additionally, look at independents who do great work on a local level. You can’t do good design work unless you emulate good work and align your work with really strong design. You cannot design in a bubble. Some designers have their own style and stick with it. I wish I knew how to do that, but I’ve chosen the chameleon approach, where I get to be different people for different clients. I like to be a maximalist on some projects, but then balance that with clean corporate communication for other projects. You have to do research to see what works for some products and what works best for others.

2.) Listen. I’ve seen beautiful work break the heart of a client because the designer or agency didn’t listen to what they were looking for. Many clients come to me and say, “I don’t want to impede your creativity by saying too much,” and I don’t let that stand. I want to know what inspires them, what brands they like, speak to them, and tell me why they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s their dreams you’re working on, whether they are making something or providing a service. After I find out as much as I can about their motivation or their goals, I can bring my expertise to the project. It’s a collaboration, not me just doing my thing.

3.) Don’t burn bridges. I’ve had some clients for decades and the entirety of my career. By being nice and treating as many people I’ve gotten to know in my business with respect and becoming friends, it’s caused an amazing life, and I’m honored to call so many people I’ve gotten to work with my friends. And that makes working with them easier because we’ve known each other for so long. I know what they want, what they expect, and the respect makes the work better. Sure, I’ve come across some ornery folks in this business, and we’ve parted ways, but for the most part, I get to work with friends, and they always recommend me to their friends. And that makes me super happy.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
The most important thing to do when you’re overwhelmed is communicate with your clients to see if there’s any breathing room in the project and ask nicely for a bit more time. Not all projects come naturally. Next, if you can afford it, ask for help. As much as I love doing all of my work, there are technical things that overwhelm me, and I need a pro to be involved. When we were trying to finish the Tom Huck book, we weren’t going to make the deadline to release it at the Met. I brought in a veteran who knows all types of production. He came in, saved the day, and got the book past the finish line so we could make our ship date. I would have completely missed that deadline. The last thing you want is a 300-plus-page book riddled with mistakes and bad images.

I feel overwhelmed a lot, but the pressure sometimes also motivates me to finish things in a way I didn’t think I could.

Also, walking, getting outside, or moving is a surefire way to make your whole day better. Fresh air, movement, and nature are about the best things to motivate you and make everything else the rest of the day seem easier because you accomplished something already before you even sit at the glowing rectangles for the rest of the day.

Lastly, music. If I need energy, use metal. Some Meshuggah or Mastodon move my work faster. I need tricky time signatures, lower tuning, and screaming to get me going with my coffee. Or maybe I need to work on a chill job. Something pretty, then it’s Cocteau Twins or Fleeting Joys do the trick. Have something a bit more steady? Lil Yachty or Run the Jewels. Music always inspires me. Find new music so you’re not stuck in a rut.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Chris Ryan Chris Kessler Jennifer Silverberg Dave Scott

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,