Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Kennedy.
Hi Josh, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I really appreciate this question, I’m not always as good as I could be about reflection.
When I was around 10 or 11, my pops started taking me to the theater to watch Marvel movies. I’d always liked comic books and manga, and I think he saw it as an opportunity for us to connect and bond. Those films always fascinated me, primarily because if I didn’t know any better, I could have been fooled into thinking that what I was seeing on the screen was real, and had actually happened.
Everyone always stays after the “credits” of Marvel movies to see the secret cutscene, but I stayed longer to see who was responsible for creating such believable and realistic effects. I started researching these people, studying their expertise and projects, and discovering the various tools they used to create this magic.
That’s how I became aware of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, After Effects in particular. I created a whole Prezi to present to my mom and convince her to pay the subscription for me. I agreed to do a variety of house chores in exchange (honestly I offered a lot, pretty sure I got the short end of the stick in this agreement) and she agreed.
My nights became my study blocks, times in which I’d watch dozens of tutorials and breakdowns to build my understanding and capabilities. I look back at my old projects now and laugh, but at the time I felt like I was really getting a grip on the software and fundamentals.
I quickly realized I would need to get more footage to play with, so I begged my parents incessantly for a few years and they eventually bought me a starter camera. The few months that followed really allowed me to develop and improve upon my fundamental understandings, and shortly after that I started doing freelance work online. It was small stuff for barely any pay: Logo animations, grunt work, things of that nature. Those experiences really helped me build my confidence and improve my craft.
I took TV production all through school starting in middle school. In my freshman year of high school, my teacher actually gave me an A in his class for the year in exchange for teaching him After Effects for 1 hour a week every week. It was in that class that I met Tyler, a junior who was really just in that class for an easy A. We began to develop a relationship predicated primarily on the fact that without me, he definitely would have failed Spanish 1 class we shared the period after TV production (you’re welcome, Ty).
After my freshman year, I left that school, and Tyler and I didn’t talk all that much for a few years. One day he reached out and let me know he had been approached to shoot some content for a fitness trainer, and asked if I would join him as he wasn’t too comfortable shooting at the time. I agreed, and while we didn’t know it at the time, that shoot would be the beginning of a long friendship.
After that shoot, we were approached by other trainers, and then businesses, and it seemed natural to make a go of things and just start an agency… so that’s what we did in mid-2019. I’d like to say that for a decent part of that business, things were an absolute mess. With that being said, I wouldn’t change it for the world. We got to learn so much about ourselves, connect with so many incredible people, and gain the perspective and experience that comes with owning a business.
Towards the end of 2021, we decided to dissolve the agency. We both had grown so much since we’d started it, and we wanted the opportunity to explore our newfound values and worldviews without putting our livelihoods at risk. When you’re building a brand, you’re kind of constrained to it. At our ages, we decided it was best to allow each other the freedom to explore other routes.
Since then I’ve moved into private practice, working as a consultant and creative director for service providers and businesses interested in utilizing content to grow their business and relationships. It’s been an adjustment, but I truly believe that decision was the best thing for us both, and even when the future is unclear I’m very happy with where I currently find myself.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has absolutely NOT been smooth. People have a ridiculously glamorized idea of “entrepreneurship”.
Set your own hours, be your own boss, blah blah blah. I really wish folks could understand how emotionally gut-wrenching this road can be. I’m confident in saying that you could not put yourself in any other position that could make you feel as lonely, misunderstood, invalid, foolish, and insecure as entrepreneurship can. There were definitely feast-or-famine cycles, sleepless nights, strained relationships, and self doubts that all developed through this journey.
I’ve made mistakes, I’ve let people down, I’ve shown up in ways the person I am today never would. I choose to believe that the bright side of all that pain is the opportunity they present… the opportunity to truly see yourself as you are, for better or worse, and make adjustments in the areas that make you the most uncomfortable.
I’ve heard it said that entrepreneurship is really just personal development in disguise, and I absolutely subscribe to that perspective.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an absolute nerd, self admittedly. I have an obsession with systems, processes, and frameworks, and I now work with service providers to put these things in place to make their content creation and businesses more efficient and effective.
My personal specialty is in Visual Effects and Motion Design, so I love finding ways to play with perception. It’s incredible how pouring intention in the right places can absolutely change the way you, your business, and your content are received. It’s like magic, and I hope to connect professionals and creatives with that process. Right now, most of them feel encumbered by it.
I’m most proud of my dedication to the best interest of my clients and prospects. One thing I hated about working as an agency was having to work on projects that I didn’t think our prospect or client needed. Talk to almost anyone in the agency space and they’ll tell you if your client wants the house painted pink, and they can pay you, to paint the damn house. It’s always been important to me to ensure the work I do will help achieve a goal, produce progress, and produce a starting point for a deepening relationship, as opposed to simply cashing a check handed over to me by some sucker.
Folks call me “The Media Mogul”, and it’s a name I’ve leaned into and claimed. It has nothing to do with being the best in my industry; I’m far from that, and I don’t mean to say otherwise. For me, media is the outlet I’ve found my self-respect through. These mediums I play and work with brought me out of myself and into the world and helped me see that I have to give everything I’ve got because there are some moments where that’s exactly what someone needs to feel inspired, understood, or supported.
I learned how to claim the power I have over myself and my business through media, and I hope to help others do the same in every way I can.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I hear a lot of my clients and prospects say that they fear that nobody cares about their story, their business, their life.
I’m here to tell you that this isn’t true. Everybody has a seat at the table, and you’re always invited to show up. If you sit at the table and feel rejected, it’s not because you shouldn’t be there… you might just need to show up in a different way. Be willing to compromise on how you show up. Refuse to compromise on whether or not you do.
Share what makes you glow, I promise… the world needs it!
Pricing:
- $200/hr for Content, Business, or Personal Development Consultations
- $2k-4k/month for DFY content creation system
- Available for workshops and speaking engagements beginning at $1,000!
Contact Info:
- Email: Joshk@mogulshq.com
- Website: https://mmsocial.mogulshq.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravagethegame/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYY6aEQIfUrTQZVoFnyfEDQ?sub_confirmation=1
