We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful E. Jermaine Hill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with E. Jermaine below.
E. Jermaine, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
As a web and graphic designer, my creativity is challenged on a daily basis. While all my designs are unique, I do draw inspiration from other designers, especially if their designs reflect forward thinking.
Also I subscribe to several online graphic marketplaces like creative https://creativemarket.com/ and https://graphicriver.net/. There’s so much inspiration there and also starting with a template could save time on a time sensitive project.
I like to adopt and learn about new design techniques to stay current as well. For example, I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) more and more in my artwork now. Apps like PicsArt and Photoleap have AI built in for me to explore ideas.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Not sure when my passion for being an entrepreneur started, but as long as I can remember I have been an independent minded person. Telling me that I couldn’t do something made me want to do it even more. So in middle school, I was introduced to an organization called Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). The name spoke for itself and so I was drawn to it. Learned the basics of business, went to FBLA conferences and even became the school FBLA President. Went on to attend the University of Richmond after high school. While there, one of my business class projects was build a website from scratch. Actually liked it and taught myself HTML and ASP. After I graduated, I continued to build sites as a hobby and I got noticed and asked to do them for other people. In January 2011, EJH Consulting LLC was born. Since then it has grown into a successful small business with hundreds of clients across web and graphic design services. We were recently certified by byblack.us as an official Black Owned Business. Having built online stores for several clients, I decided to start EJH Apparel LLC in 2020 and design my own apparel. I also own EJH Music LLC, an artist management and development company having branded multiple Grammy Nominated and Winning artists and learning the ins and outs of artist management.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three things that I feel have been the most impactful is (1) my work ethic, (2) customer centric mentality and (3) self education.
My work ethic is unmatched, well mostly ha. I work long hours supporting my companies and working on projects. Much of the work I do is to support other businesses and organizations and therefore is time sensitive. There are times I have left my office at 2am or 3am in support of meeting my clients deadline.
Customers are what drive our business. It’s very important to me to listen to my customers and understand their needs. There are times I will have to send multiple drafts of my work but as long as the customer is satisfied that’s what matters to me. Ultimately they will reflect on how professional I was and how pleased they were with the process, more than the work itself.
Many of the skills I now use day to day are things I learned through self education. I have spent hours learning Adobe products like Photoshop, Lightroom and Illustrator. I also use several key apps for my work as well.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed there are times I will literally close my laptop and go for a walk. While I do use spreadsheets, calendars and apps to maintain my daily schedule and project deadlines, it can still be overwhelming at times. So I will prioritize alerts and notifications on the most time sensitive projects.
I also take advantage of massages and focus on key pain point areas that may be a result of stress. I get health check ups with my doctor and eat right. It’s so important to stay healthy to maximize how much work can be done for my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.ejh-consulting.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i.am.j.hill/?ref=gosolo.subkit.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ejhconsulting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ejh-consulting-llc/?ref=gosolo.subkit.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/iam_jhill?ref=gosolo.subkit.com
Image Credits
Peculiar Images/RJ Paulk