Meet Josh Wilhelm

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josh Wilhelm a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I grew up in a very small, rural town in southeast Wyoming. My parents both worked modest blue collar jobs, and I started working with our neighbor on his farm/ranch as early as 11 years old. I didn’t have to get a job or start working, but I wanted to. In that community there was nothing given to you, you had to work hard to earn what you needed and wanted.

My dad is, and always will be, one of the hardest working people I know. He didn’t have a college education, but he was never afraid to do whatever was needed to support our family. He wasn’t a workaholic type dad that was never there, he was at all of our sports events, and also found time to volunteer with the local volunteer fire department. I saw him work hard and provide for us, but also prioritize the things in his life that were important to him.

The other area of my life that formed my work ethic was my involvement in team sports. I was a wrestler, and I know you are probably thinking that’s not a team sport but- it 100% is. There is a brotherhood that you have to have as a team, because those guys that you train with every day are who’s making you better as an individual and vice-versa. I’m glad that I had coaches that helped me see that the principles I learned on the mat also transferred into everyday life.

I definitely learn by doing, so I did what I saw the important people in my life do. I learned the value of work from an early age, did what I needed to get where I wanted to go, and I’ve tried to find ways to help others along the way.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Josh, and I’m the owner/principle designer of JW Creates. I help people/bands/businesses create their visual identities and help them tell their stories through great graphic design. I know there are a lot of graphic design options out there, but I feel like some of them are very impersonal. It’s just a transaction of money for a design, and I wanted to change that. I want to get to know my customers, and their projects, to make sure we are creating something that is authentically them. My main goal is to make my customers look the best they can, because I know at the end of the day that is how I make myself look good.

One of the exciting projects I am currently focused on is my podcast, Judged by the Cover. Album cover design was one of the driving forces behind me starting this business. In my podcast I am taking people on a journey of discovering iconic, and some unknown but great, album covers. I have been amazed at how much I have learned in a short time doing this podcast about the bands and designers behind some of the most iconic album covers. I’m also trying to use this platform to educate bands and musicians on how they can improve their own album covers, by explaining some of the design elements I see in these other successful covers. Another avenue that is starting to open up with the podcast is being able to interview musicians and other designers to help them promote their craft. You can find the Judged by the Cover podcast on all your favorite podcast apps, or at jwcreates.com/judgedbythecover.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first quality that I would tell people is to just do it! I can be the king of over thinkers myself, but there is never going to be a perfect time or situation to start. I think we get caught in this trap of comparing ourselves to where other people are who have been doing the thing we want to do for 2,3, or 10 years longer than us. You have to compare yourself to who you were yesterday, and focusing on how you take that next step towards your goals. I started by taking on projects on the side and used those to learn what my process needed to look like. There were some very early mornings and very late nights working on projects around my 9-5 job, but the extra time spent got me to where I am today.

The second quality is to chase your curiosity. I think as we get older and become adults, we lose our sense of curiosity. You may not know exactly what you want to do, or how to do it, but try it. I’m a musician and I wanted to share my musical ideas on the internet, and needed cover art to go along with it. I wasn’t formally educated in graphic design, but I was curious and felt like I had the eye for it. I chased that curiosity and found the resources and people to teach me what I needed to know along the way.

Lastly, I would say to take a real interest in helping other people. The old saying goes- “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. – Maya Angelou.” If you want to make a lasting impact on people with your ideas, product, or business- make them feel like you prioritized them over everyone else. Go that extra mile when they don’t ask for it, and don’t do it for any other reason than to create an amazing experience for them. You never know when that one simple thing you did for someone will turn into an amazing opportunity in the future.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for bands, musicians, solo-entrepenuaers, small business owners, and anyone that needs help in creating visual identity pieces for their brand. That can look like a logo for a small business, an album cover for a new artist releasing their first record, or a website for someone starting a non-profit. If you want a designer that is invested in you and your project, then I would love to hear how I can bring your project to life.

I am looking for bands, musicians, photographers and other album cover designers that love the art and design of album covers to be guests on my Judged by the Cover podcast. You can email me at info@jwcreates.com, reach out to me on instagram or facebook @jdubcreates, or use the contact form at the bottom of the page on my website www.jwcreates.com.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos by Jenny with JW Photography

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.
Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Where does your generosity come from?

Over the years, we have consistently been blown away by the examples of generosity we’ve

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your