Meet Jon Barnett | Agency Founder, Husband & Dad.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Barnett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea for Jellyfish really was born out of the pandemic. Our lives were turned upside down in so many ways, which kind of exposed traditional business models that prioritized in-person work environments. Plus, having been a part of many agencies over the years, you can’t help but realize that certain inefficiencies impact culture, the work and ultimately the clients. I thought to myself ‘there has to be a better way.’ One that minimizes overhead and maximizes efficiency by working with a trusted network of A+ freelance talent. In doing so, we’re able to prioritize building bespoke teams with specific skillsets and industry experience vs. defaulting based on bandwidth.

The model is suited for today’s marketing landscape too – businesses are prioritizing speed and quality at an affordable price and we’re uniquely positioned to deliver on all three. By building the business in a way that places an emphasis on flexibility we remain competitive and can take on projects other agencies may not be able to because of certain cost, timing or capability reasons.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Jellyfish is really predicated on two things: providing the ultimate value to clients while not sacrificing quality. We are built to deliver a top-tier product but do it in a way that allows us to also prioritize people. In any creative industry, whether an agency or otherwise, talent is paramount. When you lose sight of that, everything suffers. So we built our business differently – tapping into a network of A+ talent who work on a contract basis to deliver whatever a client needs.

By building the business this way we have two real benefits; one is that we are truly full service. When you tap into people based on industry experience and specific skillset, you can do virtually anything (within reason, of course). And the second is that we maintain flexibility and control. Without having to worry about exorbitant overhead costs, or in some cases volume of new clients/projects, we can be a bit more discerning on the business decisions we make and who we work with.

That said, while we’ve seen some success since starting in early 2022, I’m still figuring it out. For example, in looking at the industry landscape, we realized there’s an opportunity to offer white-label services to agencies. Often times, agencies take on work for which they can’t staff; maybe it’s because the work is project-based which is challenging to staff against, or because of bandwidth issues internally. In this case they need support that can come in, help in a pinch but not have any long-term implications. This is our niche and where we’ve seen the most success…as a ‘secret weapon’ of sorts. Plus, we’ve opened up our ‘prospect’ pool to also include agencies. It’s a win for us, win for agencies and a win for the model.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One thing is certain, there’s no shortage of things to do around here. And when someone is coming into town I’d have to ask myself a few things. Things like what does this person like to do? They like the city vibe, or should we go get lost in the woods? Do we want to cross of some staples, like Red Rocks, or should we try and wander off the beaten path?

Personally, I’m more of an off the beaten path type of person, so I’ll start there.

We’re heading to Old Towne Tavern in Littleton for some wings and a couple beers. Shoutout Old Towne – they have some of the best wings around, and their sauces are something else.

I’d make sure to catch a hike somewhere down south, possibly in Sedalia or up near Deckers. As a fisherman Cheeseman Canyon is like sacred ground to me.

Another thing that’s definitely happening is getting out for a night of some good live music. In my younger days I used to hit up the Hi-Dive on Broadway, and still just might. Big fan of the Ogden Theater, and the Bluebird too. Having lived right off Colfax in City park that area is near and dear to my heart.

Finally, I’d make sure to introduce them to some of my closest friends, my family and get some QT at the house. I’m a homebody and love my space so to me that’s a good way to ensure it’s a trip well done.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As cliche as it sounds, I’m truly a product of my experience. Without years across companies, combined with my own personal life experience, I’m not sure I’d be where I am today. So I’ll say that I shoutout experience, whether good or bad, that ultimately shapes us as people.

But, that said, I don’t think that’s what we’re after here. I’ve always been inspired by a book called “How We Decide” by Jonah Lerner. Lerner explores how we make decisions (if there was any question based on the title haha), but more so our cultural focus on making rational decisions. Lerner argues that the best decisions are made from a combination of both the rational and emotional sides of our brain, which has some staying power in terms of how I approach my work.

When I started Jellyfish, I recognized both the rational and emotional stakes of the decision to try something new. Part of me new that rationally, it wasn’t a bad idea, but with two young children and a wife who stayed home there was some risk. For me, speaking only for myself, the emotional side of starting a business – i.e. pride, building something weighed into the move.

Website: www.jellyfishcreates.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbarnett1/