We recently had the chance to connect with John Swee and have shared our conversation below.
Hi John, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Over intelligence, energy or anything else really; character and integrity is most important to me every time. It’s hard to choose the “right” thing when no one is watching. It’s hard to sacrifice when you know others are taking shortcuts. I would rather do the hard thing, make the painful choice, go the longer way if it meant I’d do it with integrity. Our culture thrives on taking advantage, finding the angle or doing what’s only in it for us. I want something different for those I come into contact with.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is John Swee and I’m a Commercial Photographer. That just means I specialize in taking photographs and video for advertising, marketing, social media, people, places and products.
I’m the founder and lead behind Dodge Creative. My story isn’t just about photography, it’s about seeing people and brands in a way that helps them feel known and celebrated. I’ve always loved the outdoors, adventure and the kind of stories that connect us as humans, so naturally, my work became about capturing more than just a pretty picture.
What makes Dodge Creative unique is that I approach every project like I’m sitting down with a friend. I want to understand the heart behind the brand, the story they’re trying to tell, and the audience they want to reach. I want to make the ideas they have come to life.
Right now I’m especially excited about helping small and medium-sized businesses create consistent, story-driven visuals that keep their brand alive all year. I’m passionate about the outdoors, health, wellness and fitness brands striving to make the world a little better place.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
A few years ago, I almost died. I fell over two stories from a ladder and landed on a travertine tile floor. I spent 3 days in the ICU, in and out of consciousness and over a week in a hospital bed as some incredible doctors and amazing nurses put me back together.
I was strong and in the best shape of my life before the accident. I’m pretty sure it’s one of the things that saved my life. I carried a lot of pride in my work ethic and my ability to do everything that needed to be done despite the challenges. I was a middle child and grew up relying on my own skills and I always had a tough time asking for help.
After the accident, I was not that person anymore. I had surgeries, broken bones and lasting scars. During the recovery process, I had no choice but to rely on my family and friends for the most basic needs. Every day was a new challenge and hurdle. By the grace of God, I survived.
We were not created to live this life on our own. We were meant to love and care for one another at our most basic, cellular level. It’s hard to be vulnerable and harder still to feel like you’re a burden to others. I learned that my strength will never be enough, but my faith tells me that who I am is more than sufficient. I learned what it means to be truly loved in those moments.
Years later, mended and whole, our time is precious. People and relationships matter so much more than our strivings. I bring those lessons with me everywhere I go.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I think I would tell my younger self, “You’re going to go through some things that will change you, but don’t be afraid of that. God will use every moment, the good and the hard, to shape you into someone who sees life with more gratitude, more purpose, and more heart. Lean in. Trust Him. It will all matter more than you can see right now.”
I think we often want to tell our younger selves to avoid the pain or mistakes, but honestly, those are the things that gave me perspective and helped me discover what really matters in life.
I have a story to tell and live for something greater than myself. I’m able to do that only because of the things I’ve been through and the lessons I’ve learned from them.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
I’d say yes, absolutely, the public version of me is the real me. I don’t post a lot about myself online for that reason. It feels so self-serving and that’s not who I am at my core. I truly love and care about those I come into contact with. It’s not fake or measured. I show up for clients the same way I show up for my friends and family.
That said, I think we all reveal different layers of ourselves depending on the context and how safe we feel. In a professional setting, I might lean more into structure, strategy, and creative direction. At home, it’s faith, family, and just being present. But at the core, it’s all the same person, rooted in the same values, faith and a desire to serve people well.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When have you had to bet the company?
At the height of COVID in 2020, my family and I were called to leave everything we knew and relocate across the country. We had lived in Minnesota for the last 15 years and I had just been named one of the top 10 commercial photographers in the Twin Cities for 2021. I was successful by every metric and had established myself as a trusted industry partner and valuable asset to the creative industry there. My career was set. However, we felt that we were needed elsewhere.
We sold everything we had and moved to Los Angeles for my wife’s work. She was called to the West Coast to work and minister to millennials in the entertainment industry as a life coach and spiritual director. Hollywood is a small community. People come from all over the country to pursue the dream of making it as actors and entertainers. So quickly, they find out that the reality is far different than the dream. Hollywood is filled with so much power, influence and money. So often, it takes advantage of the dreamers and creatives who come looking for success there. They are often alone and struggling. They can’t talk to their friends and families back home because it would signal defeat. They can’t confide in their new community because so often the value placed on those relationships stems from what you can do for others, not on your worth as a person. Her role is to love, counsel and lead without ulterior motives in what can be a very dark place.
My role was to care for and support my family through the move and integration into this new life and only then focus on photography. I was a very small fish in a very large pond. I’ve had to reestablish myself on the West Coast and redefine who I am as a Photographer and what value I can bring to the table. There is so much talent in Los Angeles, but I have to remind myself that there is only one of me. I bring knowledge and experience that can only come from long, hard days on set, difficult circumstances and demanding clients. I know the technical aspects of my craft inside and out. What makes me different is the midwestern values, under-promise and over-deliver. Love people well and treat them how I would want to be treated. I truly value each and every one of my clients. Great images are just icing on the cake.
I had to believe in myself and that I was enough to rise even in a place like Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dodgecreative.com
- Instagram: @Dodge_Creative
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndswee
- Twitter: Dodge_Creative
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dodgecreative
Image Credits
All images are taken by John Swee, Dodge Creative
