Meet Carl Jones of Hypestudio11 in Marina Del Rey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Jones.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Carl. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
It all started November 2013, six years ago in Ohio at Cleveland Institute of Art. It was my Junior year of college and I was so tired of working for people and trying to get an internship at a graphic design firm or photography studio was just so much work and no one wanted to hire me. So I decided to create my own business and be my own boss. Best feeling ever and I drove noise first straight in. I have learned first-hand that art must not only be a passion, but a way of life. From a very young age, I’ve always dreamt of the day that I’d be able to share my talent with the world. That dream became possible.

I made the decision to become my own boss and work towards helping others in need of quality graphics, stylish professional photos and video for their brand. Out of this, I was able to found my own company: HYPESTUDIO11.

So after I graduate in 2015, I was trying my best to build my business at home but it wasn’t just working. After trying for 3 years I finally made up my mind and wanted to move.

August 2017, I made the big decision to come to Los Angeles in start over and rebuild my business. It was scary at first because I never left home just to live somewhere else by myself and plus I only came here with $500. But once I stepped off that plane and seen all the sun and palm trees, I instantly got confident and excited for my journey here in LA.

From my first day here to now, I never stopped working. My first few months my roommate that I lived within Marina Del Rey, he let me borrow in bike until I had enough money to buy my own. I needed transportation asap because Uber here is so expensive and I spent all my money on Uber.

When he let me borrow his bike I literally took that bike almost everywhere. I started doing POSTMATES on the bike to try and make money for rent, food, equipment, and more. Then I was riding the bike from Marina to (West Hollywood, Kareatown, Downtown LA, North Hollywood, Studio City and more). No one told me about the train until the last minute. So I also started to take the Santa Monica train with my bike to places that I needed to get to.

I was literally getting tired but I appreciate that bike because not only did it help me get to potential clients, networking events, and postmates orders; It helped me lose a lot of weight. I still ride that bike till this day.

My journey hasn’t stopped and I don’t plan on it to stop. One thing that has helped me to this day is meditation. I wasn’t really that big on it when I first got here but after my father past away last year, I started to do it A LOT MORE. It has helped me with my energy and it has help me get over a lot of humps and bumps I hit.

Now I work at Equinox and this has been my first job here in LA. I’m blessed to have this job and working there has giving me the opportunity to meet and network with some many people and make some good friends. I’m also starting my personal training studies on top of still grinding for my multi-media business HYPESTUDIO11. I’m still here in LA climbing the ladder, hoping someone will see my talent as a multi-media artist and I’m still shoot with the same camera I first got 5 years ago.

I’m still working to get to the top and I will not let anything stop me with my goals on this journey.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No it hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Moving here and not having any transportation. The only transportation I have is still my bicycle. Almost getting kicked out my old apartment because I couldn’t make enough money for rent at the time which forced me to get out there and pass my resume out. That’s how I got the Equinox job.

One time I had my roommates expensive bike, really nice and I was going to buy some interview clothes from a goodwill on Venice, I forgot the bike lock at home, which was totally my fault. But I tried bring the bike in the store, they kept denying me access unless I kept it outside. So I left it outside by a big open window so everyone can see, and not even 5 minutes into being in the store, the bike got stolen. I went everywhere looking for that bike. Everyone in the store acted so dump like they didn’t see anything and like they were lost. I was so upset. To this day I still owe him a bike or money.

My father past away Feb. 2018. So I had to risk losing everything here in LA and go back home. Which that put me through a big depression and anxiety. Today I still have it but not as much. I had to stay home for a month in a half and it was extremely cold and snowing. Not having any money to really pay for his funeral and etc. Plus I’m his only son and he didn’t have a wife. Family tried to help me but I had to do it on my own.

After I came back in the middle of March, my bosses at Equinox let me keep my job, which I appreciate so much and they know I would do anything for them. It was tough coming back and working. I was depressed everyday and stressed because I actually came back with really no money and no transportation.

Then about a month or two later, my roommate that worked for the company that owned our condo got let go. So everyone that lived there had to leave by the next month. So one of my roommates and me tried finding a place together but it wasn’t working. Every place we went to either denied us or never got back to us. So after everyone moved him and I was homeless for at least two weeks or almost two weeks. He use to sleep in the back of his car and I would sneak back into our old condo and sleep on the floor. For those weeks he or I really didn’t get no sleep. It was tough and I really didn’t know what to do anymore. But luckily one of his old co-workers helped us. He introduced us to his landlord who lived at a great house and she let us stay until we got ourselves together. But she offered for us to stay and pay rent. I stayed and my old roommate left.

Now the only bumpy road I’m going down is not having updated equipment and not having the funds to buy and do what I need to do.

Please tell us about HYPESTUDIO11.
At HYPESTUDIO11, I’m the founder and creative director.

HYPESTUDIO11 is a multimedia firm, that focuses on graphic design, retouching, photography, videography, video editing and cinematography. We understand that in an increasingly competitive market, it is important to present a consistent and creative brand or message to promote viability, relevance, exclusivity and distinction.

At HYPESTUDIO11, we strive to establish a deep connection with our clients, through great customer service, helping others in need of quality graphics and video and stylish professional photography for their brand.

I’m most proud of how far we come with photography and videography. Now being in LA, I’m also learning so much more about cinematography that I didn’t learn and know back home in Cleveland.

What sets us apart from others? Having Integrity. Being a person of my word. Having Good Follow-Up Skills. Exhibiting Optimism. Being Kind. Developing a Strong Work Ethic. Having Self-Awarenes and Having Self-Confidence. Add an extra feature to the service that others don’t have. Find ways to personalize clients product or service. Find ways to add more service, or make the product bigger. Improve the quality and make it last longer.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
THIS IS A HARD ONE!!

Um, I can’t really say what my favorite memory is from childhood because I have so many memories of great times during my childhood.

I guess one of my favorite childhood memories would be when my father and I went to Tampa Bay, Florida to Busch Garden Theme Park and went to Disney World also. Then we traveled from there to Georgia for a family reunion. That was a good childhood memory.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hypestudio11.com
• Phone: 216-965-1232
• Email: hypestudio11@gmail.com
• Instagram: hypestudio11
• Facebook: hypestudio11
• Twitter: hypestudio11

Image Credit:
Models: Tyeasha Harris | Jay Simmons | Nikki King | Pierce

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