Read the original story in SD Voyager.
Today we’d like to introduce you to John Compton.
Hi John, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My entire professional career has been centered around media. Shortly after graduating from MIZZOU (University of Missouri-Columbia) with a bachelor’s in English / Art History, I became the first web manager for St. Louis Music, Inc., an international musical instruments manufacturer. A few years later, I moved to San Diego and began working as a recording studio engineer, working with some local bands, some local filmmakers, and some local celebrities doing voice-overs and ADR for TV & film. All the while, I was continuing to write, record, and perform my own music around San Diego. The recording studio job lead to me becoming a field sound engineer (the sound guy), mostly for TV shows like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, Forensic Files, and even National Geographic. I spent five days aboard the USS Nimitz filming for National Geographic. We flew out from Coronado and did an arrested landing on the deck of the ship – very intense! The Nimitz was in Cortez Banks and experiencing 70 ft waves. Later, I ‘retired’ from being a sound man and started Suntouch Design, LLC, a boutique digital agency. We had a tough run, but it was an incredible learning experience and set me on my current path of web and graphic design. After Suntouch, I became Lead Designer for DiscoverSD, a lifestyle magazine in Gaslamp and shortly after was hired as Creative Director of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Marketing and Circulation department. I was with the U-T for a little over four years, then left to start my own one-man-shop, appropriately titled John Wolfe Compton. Since 2016 I have been focused on creating marketing materials for small to medium sized clients in So-Cal. Logos, styles (type and colors), websites, brochures, cards, presentations, advertising – all the stuff a growing business needs to succeed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m not sure if anyone’s journey is necessarily ‘smooth,’ but I can’t complain. There were some very lean years, where it was very difficult to find clients, pay the rent, bills, eat, etc. I feel lucky that I persevered and eventually found success – meaning I was able to find clients, pay the rent, bills and eat.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Founded in 2016, John Wolfe Compton is a one-man digital agency specializing in logos, branding, websites, SEO, creative services, media planning, and social media campaigns. Basically, I am in the marketing department for small to medium-sized businesses.
When onboarding a new client, I often meet with the client to explore their unique perspective, business model competitive advantages, and corporate culture. I help define the styles (type and colors), imagery (photography), logo, and presentation of their product or service and create a customized ‘look’ or brand style that can be applied to all of their marketing materials, i.e., website, brochures, business cards, advertising, and social media.
I would say I am most proud of the positive feedback I have received from my clients. My goal, really, is to help them succeed and create work that represents their unique and authentic business – in an engaging way.
My competitive advantage? My experience, my skill, my creativity, my prices, and my dedication to my client’s success.
I would also like to add that I take advantage of any and all emerging technology to help create content for my clients, including AI services like Grok, ChatGPT, and especially Midjourney for images.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Almost all of my clients have been word-of-mouth referrals. Do a great job, and the rest will take care of itself.
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johnwolfecompton.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnwolfecompton/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwolfecompton/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnwcompton
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCne7y_o0ewhqpDkGw9Fovvg/videos
- Other: https://clutch.co/profile/john-wolfe-compton#highlights
