Meet Justin Willet

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

Hi Justin, 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?
In 2007 I travelled overseas for the first time to visit the country of Ethiopia. Following this trip I had the realization that there were so many amazing stories to be shared but they were just lacking the opportunity to be told. We created GLBAL media to be a part of sharing these stories and hopefully lead to additional support for developing nations and specifically the people working hard to survive in unimaginable situations.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the founder of GLBAL media, a creative agency based in Westminster, MD that serves nonprofits, churches, and entertainment companies. GLBAL media specializes in Video Production, Website Design, Graphic Design, Photography and Aerial Photo/Video.

I started my career touring in an independent rock band with my 2 brothers for 15 years and started learning HTML in the height of the Myspace days. I have extensive international travel experience working with nonprofits as a filmmaker and photographer; visiting over 20 different countries and 48 states. This unique experience working with both the music industry and nonprofits eventually lead to starting GLBAL media as a full-service media company to develop creative campaigns for nonprofits, bands and churches.

I was born and raised in Westminster, MD and have been married to my wife Nicole for over 10 years. We currently have 3 children and are in the process of adopting our 4th. When at home I can often be found playing outside with my family or remodeling the 1950’s home that my grandfather built, located on about 200 acres of farm land that has been in the family for over 4 generations. I currently serve as a trustee for Hey Westminster! and enjoy giving back and volunteering in the community.

What started out of a passion to share stories of hope from around the world has now grown into a full-service creative agency serving Grammy award-winning artists, White House Officials, and some of the largest nonprofits in the world.

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?
Be honest – Things happen (personally and professionally) and the best thing you can do is own your mistakes and be honest about what happened. There will be times that it’s something out of your control and other times just an error you made. Do your best to admit fault and do whatever you can to correct it.

Never settle – In our line of work we hear so many people say “well that’s good enough” or “that’ll work for now.” We are constantly trying to push ourselves to deliver the best result or experience for our clients. Sometimes that results in pulling an all nighter to fix a bug on a website or making a last minute trip to film a missing shot in a film but every time it’s proved worth it.

Over deliver – Contracts, MOU’s and deliverables are all very helpful when outlining a project however find a way for your company, position or task to go above and beyond. Over time this will pay off and ultimately result in more clients, work, raises, etc.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie was an inspirational book early on in my career. Not only does it offer insight in to entrepreneurship and running a business but the idea of giving back as a core part of your business model was very intriguing to us. If you’re a long time fan of TOM’S shoes or looking for a quick educational read I definitely recommend it.

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