Today we’d like to introduce you to Jael Harris.
Hi Jael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I usually tell people my story starts with makeup brushes, because that was my first business. I was doing faces in college and hustling on the side in New York, but what I didn’t realize at the time was that I was really training myself to understand branding, client experience, and how presentation can completely shift the way people feel about themselves.
As my business grew, I wanted to look as polished as the brands I admired, but I didn’t have the budget to hire a designer. So I taught myself graphic design to create my own flyers, websites, and packaging. That opened up a whole new world for me, because other people started asking for my help, and I realized design and strategy were just as much my lane as beauty.
Over the years, that creative hustle expanded into MORE Media Co., my creative strategy agency. I’ve had the privilege of helping small business owners, from beauty founders to tech startups, and lifestyle brands, translate their ideas into visuals, campaigns, and experiences that actually connect with their audiences.
When I moved to the DMV, my work deepened. Here, it became less about just building brands and more about building access. I stepped into the cannabis space with Mary & Main, where I focused on community-centered marketing and education for a Black-owned dispensary. I also served on the board of PRocon, supporting the communications and marketing team as they built a national platform for PR, marketing, and creative professionals—especially Black and Brown professionals—to move from influence to impact. And most recently, I’ve been leading experiential branding and design for Wealth Summit Live, which focuses on creating accessible wealth-building experiences for our community.
So today, my story isn’t just about being a “chaotic creative girlie” who loves design and strategy (though that’s still true). It’s about using my creativity to carve out more entry points for people who look like me to thrive in industries that weren’t built with us in mind.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like a lot of self-taught creatives, I had to figure things out the long way. When I first started, I didn’t have investors, mentors, or a roadmap. I just had a vision and a drive to make it work. That meant, and still means, a lot of trial and error, late nights teaching myself new tools in Photoshop or Illustrator, and learning how to balance my creative side with actually running a business.
Another challenge was confidence. When you come into an industry without the “traditional” credentials or backing, it’s easy to feel like you don’t belong in certain rooms. There were times I questioned if my work was good enough or if people would take me seriously. But those moments pushed me to get sharper, invest in my own growth, and trust that my perspective had value.
Pricing has also been a constant challenge. I want to keep my services accessible for the entrepreneurs and small businesses I care most about serving, but I have also had to learn the importance of not underpricing myself to the point of burnout. Finding that balance between fair pricing for my audience and sustainable pricing for myself has been a lesson in boundaries and value.
Building a solid team has been another hurdle, especially in this digital age where everyone has their own ambitions, side hustles, and personal brands. It is not easy to find people who will buy into your vision while also staying true to their own. I’ve learned that the answer is not to fight against that, but to create a space where both can thrive. I am so blessed now to have people like Coral, Jaala, Jada, and Jade by my side (and the list grows rapidly). They believe in what I am building with MORE Media Co. while allowing me to support their individual goals. Helping them fuel their own careers makes the work we do together even stronger.
And of course, there’s the challenge of access itself. As a Black woman and immigrant in spaces like cannabis and marketing, I’ve seen firsthand how resources, networks, and opportunities aren’t always evenly distributed. That is part of why I root my work in the DMV around creating more pathways. Whether it’s making branding feel accessible to small business owners, helping a dispensary connect with its community, or helping design for an event that makes wealth-building feel within reach, I want my work to feel like an entry point.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But the obstacles shaped the kind of creative and strategist I am today. They gave me grit, empathy, and a real commitment to making sure the road is a little smoother for the next person coming up.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
MORE Media Co. is my creative strategy and brand-building agency. We help founders, small businesses, and organizations show up in a way that is polished, professional, and true to their vision. Our services range from brand identity and packaging design to digital strategy and experiential activations, but what makes us different is not just what we do, it is where we are going.
Our larger goal is to build a venture-structured model that helps the creatives behind these projects finally see a road to equity. Too often, designers, strategists, and marketers pour their talent into small businesses without any stake in the long-term outcome. I want to shift that narrative by treating creative services as micro-investments, where the work itself becomes part of the value exchange. Our difference is our destination.
That is why MORE Media Co. exists in the middle space: we serve founders who are overlooked by big agencies while also building systems that make branding and creative strategy more accessible. Whether it’s giving someone an entry point through a workshop, refreshing their visuals for the first time, or producing campaigns that help them scale, we make sure our work unlocks possibility.
What I’m most proud of is that this vision is already coming to life. We’ve had the chance to support beauty, lifestyle, food, and culture brands while simultaneously shaping a model that looks beyond deliverables. We are building toward a future where the creatives who help build brands also build wealth alongside them.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice is to stay visible but remain viable. Focus on upskilling, mastering your craft, and practicing through collaboration. Iron sharpens iron, and being around others who are building sharpens you too.
I found my first mentor, an executive at Ben & Jerry’s at the time, by walking up to her after a fireside chat my 9–5 hosted and simply asking if she would mentor me. That taught me that mentorship often comes from just putting yourself out there, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Networking is the same way. The best thing you can do is be yourself. When I first moved to the DMV, I was coming off months of isolation during COVID and dealing with heavy social anxiety. My husband introduced me to a group of women and described me as “shy,” which I really was at the time. In my nervousness, I blurted out, “Oh, you’re from Baltimore, do people give you a hard time about how you say ‘tew’?” It was stupid and made the conversation awkward, but had I said nothing, I’d still be the version of me who thought that was an icebreaker. Sometimes, you have to break the ice with yourself first before you accidently introduce your anxiety and not your personality.
It is not about being perfect, it is about being present. You try, you learn, you grow.
Pricing:
- Smarten Up Your Social Media Strategy Call – $65 A one-hour session with our Chief Communications Strategist where we audit your current social media and create a roadmap for improving content, engagement, and growth across channels.
- Build-a-Brand Workshop Call – $175 A 60-minute one-on-one session where we review your brand goals, clarify your positioning, audit your digital presence, and create a tailored 90-day action plan.
- For small businesses, our Mini Brand Refresh: starting at $1,500 for light refinements to your existing logo, updated color palette, and refreshed visual identity paired with strategic brand identity calls to co-create with intention.
- Custom Projects (websites, packaging, experiential activations): typically range between $5,000–$25,000+ depending on scope and deliverables.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moremediaco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/moremediaco
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35592904/admin/dashboard/
