Finally Starting Over
How I Got Here
Since 2019, STATICC has mostly existed as a company in name only. That’s a hard admission to make out loud since I have built so much over the years with the brand. I have been able to do some things over the last couple of years - Kipper Jones’ “Wishing on a Star” single, for which I served as co-Executive Producer and Paris Crayton III’s “Something Sweet” Plays for which I served as Producer. (Go check out both those immediately please. :-)) Outside of those two things though, not that much on the STATICC front. Yes, I launched Black Music Mixtape, but hell even that was a false start, because I need to get back to filming that. So, the truth, STATICC has absolutely been an aspiration more than a functioning company since late-2019.
So what’s up with that? A lot.
So here’s the pulling back of the veil of it all. STATICC has always been a small operation. My life has been able to be maintained by my work with CNP. For years CNP was my largest client. I did the consulting thing that we advise folks to not do, I had one big client, that if all things went south, I’d be toast. It was a gamble that worked for me, and frankly for my artistic endeavors. Having one big client I could sink into gave me room to create without some other stresses that come with being a working artist.
Pro-tip: If you’re a working artist who craves stability, take the skills in your toolbox that you do really well, and package that up for a client. Market that, and I promise it makes life a lot easier to land something consistent.
Oh, and at the end of 2020, I decided to come on board as an official employee with CNP. Like W-2s, Benefits and 401Ks employee. It wasn’t a hard decision. My life at this moment needs the stability that a full-time job provides. With all the things happening with my family, any sense of normal helps mentally.
That sense of normal has also helped me remember who I am, and why I started STATICC in the first place. It’s in that spirit that I am starting over. Some things will remain the same including my work with Kipper Jones and the apparel part of the business, but I have chosen to pivot to podcast strategy and production and arts project management as primary focuses.
So, Johnnie what about photography? Yes, photography will always show up, but it’ll be exclusively for my own creations, not necessarily a service. And, frankly, my photography is a whole other blog post.
How Do I Plan To Rebuild
I feel like the way I need to rebuild things is to start with the basics.
Start - That’s right, starting. I relaunched a new version of staticc.com with an updated store with some new products. Even though sales are slow now, it gives me somewhere to start from and grow into.
Network - I moved back home, remember. With Chester as my homebase now, I need to establish some relationships to help me build. I have a good foundation, but it’s very Atlanta-focused. I need to build some of that here and in Philly.
Be Visible - I often hide y’all. I am not the only one. I hide for a lot of reasons, but part of it has to do with self-worth. In the rebuilding phase I can’t hide from others, or me.
Execute - Listen, I have to get things done. I say that meaning get them done within reason. I am caregiving and working full time. There’s a lot on my plate. At the same time, I must get things done, and frankly better than I have gotten them done before. There’s a lot of start/stops on my journey. I have to make some better decisions.
That said, we have a whole new community that you can join right now - Dream Catcher. We are cultivating a community of spiritually conscious entrepreneurs. If you’re thinking of building something, you need to be with us too.