A Message from Our President & Chief Creative Officer: On this day, 6 years ago, I left a corporate life and a false sense of security; I left grey cubicle walls and micromanagement. While I do not take for granted the lessons I learned and skills I acquired, creatively I felt stifled and I longed for something more. I kept telling myself, this can’t be it, there has to be more to this life. I want the more…
I wanted to have a more direct connection with the clients I worked with; I wanted to help build amazing products and services. I wanted to reestablish the bond between creative studio and client, to be partners in new ideas and success.
It took months to work up the courage to step off, to jump ship, to sink or swim. It also took the support and advisory of some very good people. I can tell you first hand, that I would not be here today, with this amazing life, had I not worked to push past the fear and go after the desires of my heart, embracing the vivid dreams that kept me up at night.
It has not always been easy, but it has always been worth it. I have run my business from several cities, hotel rooms, and from my car. I have worked in Paris while enjoying wine and fresh macaroons (life goal accomplished). I have met some of the most beautiful, passionate, and driven people I’ve ever come to know. I love seeing them grow and thrive, building what was not there before and letting the waves ripple out. I’m now in Seattle, after an amazing retreat in Brazil, working on a memoir and continuing to grow my company.
Most of what I have done, seen and experienced since then is a direct result of the choice I made to go my own way. It was the scariest decision in the world for me at that time, and yet looking back I wouldn’t change a thing.
To all my teachers, friends, clients, supporters, advisors, and spiritual guides, thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Because of you, even when I’m thousands of miles away, I will never walk alone. You are a part of my journey and my success.
6 years strong, with many more to go. Happy Birthday to my baby, JWatson Creative (they grow up so fast!!!).
A Brief Look at Our History:
2010
Jessica leaves corporate life for the dream of JWatson Creative
Jessica starts to manage B’More Creatives
Jessica starts to volunteer with Tyanna Foundation
Jessica heads up A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference
2011
JWatson Creative celebrates 1 year (yay! we survived!)
Year 2 of A Day in the Life Baltimore Design Conference
Jessica becomes a cofounder of Sizeable Spaces Coworking Office
Jessica received Spirited Woman Rising of Baltimore Award
A nice feature on Fox 45 Morning News for Spirited Woman Rising Award
2012
JWatson Creative celebrates 2 years (oh snap!)
The Baltimore Business Journal tells the story of how we got started
Jessica is on the Women in Leadership Panel at McDaniel College
Jessica works on planning committee for 2012 Spirited Woman Awards
Jessica featured as brand expert on MyCity4Her Media Blog Talk Radio
2013
JWatson Creative celebrates 3 years (it just keeps getting better!)
Jessica works remotely in 10 US Cities, for a month at a time
Baltimore Sun names Jessica one of 10 To Follow Under 30
Jessica featured in News@McDaniel as an alumna to watch
Baltimore Magazine names Jessica as one of the city’s 40 Under 40
2014
We’re excited to celebrate 4 years (WHOO HOOO!)
We’ve been working with our core team for almost 2 years.
We created A Global Campaign for Kindness, as featured in The Baltimore Sun
Jessica rocks the stage at Ignite Baltimore
Life goal achieved: Working remotely in Paris while eating fresh macaroons
2015
We’re excited to celebrate 5 years (AWWW YEAH!)
Jessica rocks the stage at Ignite SXSW in Austin, topic: 28 Days to Save the World
2 new service projects launched: Gift Cards for the Homeless and the Have A Nice Day Project
New out of the box event created: RAVE Cocktail Demo Party (first of it’s kind in Baltimore)
The desire to write a travel memoir about the 2013 road trip sends Jessica to Seattle for 9 months
2016
We’re excited to celebrate 6 years (this is so much fun!)
28 Days of Kindness is now 3 years running, with kindness ambassadors (Day Makers) in 12 countries
Jessica sets foot in another country (life goal accomplished), Brazil, for some magic and R&R
….and just you wait and see what we have on the horizon
Jess Watson is the CEO & Creative Director of Points North Studio. She's the co-organizer of Baltimore Womxn in Tech, a big believer in Baltimore city, and a pioneer of working remotely while traveling the globe.
