Today, we’d like to introduce you to Arold Jacques.
Hi Arold, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My digital career began at L3 Communications in early 2005 after relocating from Palm Beach, Florida, to the D.C. Metro area. Building Flash user interfaces and training materials for the government sector. That experience soon evolved into other marketing opportunities that influenced my life even today. In 2007, I had the unique opportunity to work for RTC Agency, now Wunderman DC.
I learned to combine technology and diverse perspectives to ignite brands and customer experiences there. I worked on brands like Abilify, Sunovion, AARP, and Pfizer. With so much to learn, I can boldly admit I was settled in this field of digital media. Not knowing a great recession loomed in the background that would later disrupt and awaken my entrepreneurial skills that were being sharpened by what I learned from life and work experiences.
This is where Jax Media started. Like most co-workers, I joined a massive list of unemployed digital creatives. 2009 I was unemployed, with a new home in Washington, DC, and married for less than a year. I suddenly found myself pinned to an invisible wall of confusion and fear.
A switch was turned on in my head, “START A BUSINESS.” I convinced myself that I could sell my service directly to people looking for the same services I rendered daily. So, Jax Media Design Group LLC was formed in the District of Columbia.
A few weeks later, I started bootstrapping in a new role at Discover Channel as a Flash Developer/Designer managing Unicast and Eye Wonder Media platform and producing interactive and rich media esthetics for network shows like TLC, River Monster, Cake Boss, and American Chopper. I soon continued my digital experience at TV One, furthering my contracting and bootstrapping career into 2012. Boosted with confidence and a few clients, I told my wife I was going all in. Little did she know that was inclusive of her copywriting skills.
We had a growing family; she was working full-time and we wanted to care for our children so we initiated a partnership. Our goal then, was to build a company that is proactive, profitable, and reflects our values. Going all-in also prompted me to be an expert in my field, which led me to Miami International School of Arts and Design to pursue my Master’s in Design & Media Management.
The struggle got real. Finding new clients post-recession was a drag. I contracted with top talent agencies to supplement my income. I also established strategic agency partnerships that allowed us to be fully integrated, providing clients with flexible sizing and a wider pool of digital skills. Another strategy that allowed me to scale was through customer referrals. The simple act of word-of-mouth marketing paved the way for the Jax Media you see today, creating meaningful customer experiences through resiliency, trust, and credibility.
Fast forward to 2021 and 2022, during the peak of the pandemic, an increase in global disruption felt familiar. Zero clients and the need for reskilling and upskilling became the focus to stay competitive. With businesses shut down and limited human interactions.
We launched Waldorf Live, a microlocal news site, as a business strategy to strengthen our future competitiveness. We partnered with the Charles County Chambers of Commerce and Charles County Economic Development to engage with small businesses on a micro level to help them with marketing and business exposure.
Today! I sit on the board of directors for the Charles County Chambers of Commerce in MD while continuing to contribute to the community through education, philanthropy, and business growth.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road.
A few struggles included finding clients, building a business while caring for and spending time with my children, collecting payment from clients on time, charging competitively, and going three months without any work.
What were you like growing up?
My personality is expressive, gregarious, informal, loud, and responsive. I always love being where the action is and solving problems.
Many people may wonder where Arold is from. Well, I was born in Great Abaco, in the Bahamas, to Haitian parents. There, I learned unique trades like selling newspapers, cleaning sailboats, selling conch shells to tourists, and managing my godmother’s property and assets before I was ten years old.
When I came to the U.S., I was more than hungry for new things; I was excited about learning. Just before graduating high school at Forest Hill Community High School in Palm Beach, FL, I was awarded a full suite of Autodesk 3ds Max software from an art showcase. This led me to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where I graduated with a bachelor’s in Media Arts and Animation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jax-media.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaxmediadesigngroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaxMediaDesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jaxmediadg/
