Orlando Voyager Magazine Feature: Meet Julie Kostic
This article original appeared in OrlandoVoyager and be found HERE.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Kostic.
Hi Julie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My career began by spending several years in creative roles at both advertising agencies as well as a couple in-house experiences with brands such as Under Armour. I had always had an entrepreneurial spirit but I had also worried about going out on my own “too soon” before I had soaked up what I could in the 9-5 world. After I had acquired experience as a manager, which taught me leadership skills, project management, financial skills, etc. I felt the time was right to try freelancing.
In 2016, I founded JK Creative and spread the word to my network that I was available for contract design and consulting opportunities. It has been quite the journey of growing as a business owner while wearing many hats, trying things and messing them up, and getting some amazing opportunities. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with a wide range of clients and project types, and I love the diversity of styles we produce. I enjoy mentoring team members and collaborating with others to create effective and great-looking results. Every brand has a story to tell and our goal is to provide branding and collateral that is high-quality and unique to each client.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everyone had always told me that running a business has ups and downs. For the first couple years, things only seemed to go up for me, and I ended up with a false sense of security that I was immune to the dips. But low points can happen to anyone and eventually, that happened to me. There came a time where a couple of regular clients took work in-house, proposals were all coming back as “no’s,” new business efforts seemed too little too late. I ended up having to let a designer go and felt like a failure. It took a little bit to turn things around, but I’ve since learned that failure truly is an opportunity to learn and I did. I now know that no matter how busy I am, new business development should always be a top priority. The beginning of the pandemic was another time period of struggle with about six months of no projects. But I didn’t give up and set my sights on focusing on what I could do to grow, such as internal marketing efforts, applying for grants, etc. All the effort has paid off as 2021 is on a very good upswing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When I was in college, I studied both Graphic Design and Advertising as I didn’t want to just make things look pretty, but really wanted to think about the business “why” behind a project. People have described my personal style colorful and dynamic, but throughout my career, I have truly tried to flex my skills to accommodate clients with varying styles and needs. At JK Creative, we provide all sorts of creative solutions, whether logos/branding, print, digital, social media, signage, packaging, or strategy; at the end of the day, we want to make sure our client’s needs are being met and different collateral is cohesive. In today’s world of DIY design and templates, we still focus on custom solutions for clients that set them apart from the crowd. Throughout my career, I have won some awards and been published and last year I was very proud to be the recipient of an Innovation Award too.
What matters most to you?
Being creative and connecting with people. I feel fortunate that I have been able to achieve both of these throughout my career and with my business. Developing relationships with clients and seeing their brand come to life is always so satisfying. I also have loved seeing my creative skills used for projects that create change. We love working with Non-Profits and have made impactful solutions for Women’s issues, the environment, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Contact Info:
Email: julie@jkcreative.design
Website: http://jkcreative.design
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jkcreative.design/