Overview
Every business has a back story and 1707 Creative is no exception. I write this blog to give you a better understanding of who we are and where we come from. My name is Jacob Coates and I am the founder of 1707 Creative. I hope my story will serve as a helpful resource to anyone who’s looking to start their own business, land their dream job, or for anyone trying to uncover what path to take.
Off to College
In 2014, I accepted an offer to the Practical Nursing program at Humber College in Toronto. I didn’t have great marks in high school, so I just barely snuck in with a late admission two weeks before the start of the term. At that point, housing around the school was scarce, so I ended up renting a room in a pretty sketchy house. It was the first time I lived on my own, and the sub par conditions left me homesick pretty quickly. I made the decision that I needed to attend all the frosh events that my school offered so that I could form some relationships early on. I knew building a reliable social network and strong foundation was important for my mental health.
About a month later, I received a late acceptance into the campus residence. The room was offered at a discount because it was a “high traffic area,” with people constantly walking through the hallway outside my room. Rather than complaining about the noise, I used it as an opportunity to continue expanding my social network. I left my door cracked open with music playing most of the time and a surprising amount of people popped their head in to introduce themselves. Living in residence proved to be great for improving my social skills and gaining confidence in my conversational abilities; which are key to success in business.
Changing Fields
Originally I picked nursing simply because I wanted to do something that was meaningful. Nursing was something I thought I could do because I didn’t get grossed out by blood and guts, and I wanted to help people who needed help. I thought by helping people feel better, it would give me a sense of purpose. In the fall of 2015, a few months into my clinical placement at a retirement home, I realized that nursing was not for me. I found myself caring too deeply for my patients and couldn’t stand to see them suffering. Dealing with that on a daily basis was just something I was not capable of mentally. I was dreading going to my placement. I realized I needed to change from searching for a sustainable career, to finding a career that I actually would enjoy. I left the nursing program in Winter 2016.
Finding My Passion
Over the summer, I thought carefully about what I wanted to do. I wanted to do something people oriented. I also wanted something that would allow me to express my creativity. Based on how I enjoyed networking and building relationships with people, I decided the business world was the right place for me. In September of 2016, I started my Marketing Diploma program back at Humber. I was able to transfer some credits and I liked living in Toronto, so it made sense for me to stay. Not to mention that Humber has one of the best business programs in the country.
Immediately, I knew I made the right decision. I fell in love with the Marketing and was doing very well in my courses; which was new for me given my struggles in high school and in nursing. It was apparent that I am the type of person that just needed to find the right lane. I graduated from the Marketing Diploma program in May 2018.
Self Reflection
Upon my graduation, I decided I would spend one more summer working turf maintenance at a golf course. I enjoyed the manual labour and working outside and used my time while working independently for self reflection and to think about what the next steps for me should be. I decided that while I’m young I’d like to travel as much as possible. Knowing that a typical 9 to 5 only gives you about 10 vacation days a year, I decided I wanted something that would give me the flexibility to make my own schedule and work remotely.
I wanted to be my own boss, have full creative control of my business and hire/work with people I know and trust. I realized that the only way to make this happen was to create my own business. I saw an opportunity to provide affordable marketing solutions to small businesses and individuals that could not afford to work with a large agency. I took this opportunity and started 1707 Creative.
Starting 1707 Creative
At first I was hesitant to start my own business, as I faced a lot of doubt from outside people who told me I needed to work a 9 to 5 for a couple years to establish credibility. I decided instead of working a job I didn’t want to work, I would build credibility for myself by creating my own business. I created a business plan, marketing strategy, website and all the business materials for 1707 Creative. My website and marketing materials for 1707 ended up doubling as my creative portfolio that I could present to clients. I had a conversation with a friend of my fathers who has been in the marketing for 30+ years and presented my business plan and website to him. He gave me some amazing advice and reassured me that as long as I was willing to put the work in, this business was going to work. He told me that once I get that first win, things would start rolling.
Less than a week later, I was able to secure my first client, less than 2 days after launching my website. This felt like that first win. I understand that there is still a ton of work ahead of me to get my business to where I want it to be, but securing a large client early has definitely served as confirmation that this is possible. I am prepared to put in hard work and prove myself to my clients, as they have put faith and trust in my abilities; and I am excited to show them what I am capable of.
Constantly Learning
I have already learned so much in such a short period of time and I am excited for what the future holds. One of the biggest things I have learned so far is to invest in yourself. If opportunities are not presenting themselves, seek them out. Create an alternative path that ultimately will lead to your goal. Sometimes the road less traveled will get you to where you need to be more efficiently than the common road. Learn as you go. As long as you are honest with yourself and your clients/employer, you cannot be afraid to fail. Do not lie about your abilities, work hard to improve your skill set and constantly better yourself. Take failures and learn from them.
Make Connections
I also want to stress the importance of building relationships. When you are starting out, seek out people who have experience and ask for advice. You will often gain valuable insights and learn how you can avoid making the mistakes they made. If nothing else, you are at least improving your confidence and social skills by having a conversation. When you are trying to source clients, these relationships prove crucial. You are far more likely to land a client via someones recommendation than through cold calls and emails. People trust their friends, family and associates recommendations. Never be afraid to reach out to someone, you never know what connections they might have.
In Conclusion
I hope that my story, though very far from finished, will help you in some way, shape or form. I will continue to share my experiences as I go through blogs, social media and conversations. As I mentioned, I am constantly trying to build my network and form relationships, so please reach out if you have any questions or just want to chat. Click here to find my contact information.
Thanks for reading and have a great day! 🙂