Meet Danielle Johnson | Founder & Lead Designer at House of MKTG

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

Hi Danielle, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk can seem scary at first, but it’s necessary for growth. Feeling comfortable or safe isn’t something you can chase, it’s something you have to create for yourself. As humans, we take risks all the time, but we have to trust in ourselves to handle whatever difficulties we may face. Fear creeps in from the pressure and desire to be in control, but control doesn’t just come in being proactive, it’s also in how we choose to react.

When I decided to transition from freelancing to launching a marketing agency, I was taking a huge risk in my professional, educational, and personal life. At the time, I was a full-time college student, part-time caregiver, and part-time campus employee. It was the first month of my Senior year, I had a family emergency that required me to quit my part-time job, and two months later, the world shut down. There were many moments when I had to fight through burnout and exhaustion, and I was fortunate that everything did work out for me, but I would suggest not to sacrifice too much for the sake of “success”. Understanding your limits is something you have to learn from experience, but in order to do that, you do have to take some level of risk.

After I took the initial jump of launching the company, the second biggest risk was when my husband quit his 9-5 and joined the team full-time just ten months later. This choice was much riskier, but we also felt much more comfortable, because we had validated the business and continued to see growth. We had our backup plan in place, and our goals all laid out. Now a year and a half later, we have a team of 6 and work with clients all across America, but as fortunate as we are, it’s not as easy as it seems! If you’re in a position where you’re looking to take a big risk in life, I would suggest testing your idea as best as you can to validate your goals, develop a realistic backup plan, and give yourself time to figure things out. I also wouldn’t suggest risking more than you can recover from. You’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to learn from them, but that is all a part of the growth!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

House of MKTG is a human-first marketing agency that develops growth-driven websites, media, brands, & strategies. Whether you’re a newly-launched small business or a 7-figure brand, our team is here to help you maximize your impact and reach through strategic design and creative marketing.

House of MKTG is owned by Danielle and Tae Johnson – creative business owners, best friends, and oh yeah – we’re married too! We strive to re-write the [code] for how marketing agencies behave and operate because, in all honesty, the marketing industry is saturated with agencies using cookie-cutter solutions and convincing people it’s worth the premium investment. We are a small, but mighty team of strategists, designers, and developers, and we started House of MKTG because we couldn’t imagine ourselves working for an agency that required us to act against our moral compass.

The idea of making a positive impact with every project we work on is what drives our team. That’s why we love working with businesses that promote strong values, inclusivity, and social responsibility. We focus on building meaningful connections and recognizing individual strengths in the pursuit of our collective goals, and we are welcoming of all genders, races, countries of origin, sexual orientations, religions, and abilities!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you have a sweet tooth, I would highly recommend checking out the desserts at Cafe Intermezzo in Midtown! A few years ago, my husband, and I tried the creme brulee cheesecake, and we were instantly hooked. We’re also fans of the tiramisù cheesecake and hazelnut chocolate cheesecake!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When I first launched my business, I was surrounded by people that supported me – from family to friends to clients, and even strangers on social media! I’m very fortunate, and it played a large role in my motivation to keep going. There as so many people that I could mention, but one person, in particular, is my husband, Tae, for supporting me both in my personal and professional life. He cooked for me when I didn’t want to get out of bed, and he imported hundreds of e-commerce products for our clients when my brain just couldn’t handle it. He has been with me through all the ups and downs, and I couldn’t have done it without him!

Website: https://www.houseofmktg.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseofmktg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HouseofMKTG/