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

Hi Justin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
In 2006, I left the Environmental Graphics Industry (that’s a fancy way of saying architectural signage) to work in the non-profit world. It was very fulfilling getting to serve others and ultimately what brought me to Atlanta. I was always using my design skills, and marketing acumen to help lead whatever non-profit I was involved in since I loved getting a chance to utilize my creativity skills. As someone who cares deeply for my city and neighborhood, I would also volunteer my design and marketing skills to help local organizations. I volunteered as the Communications Director for the Martin Luther King Jr. Project when I first lived in Decatur after moving from Seattle, and then after moving to Kirkwood, helped to start Kirkwood Cares which is a committee of the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization that provides critical repairs to low-income neighbors’ homes. I also served as the Communications Director for the Drew Charter School PTA. Soon the small business owners in the area began to ask me if they could hire me to do the same social media, web design, and branding work I was doing for Kirkwood Cares and the Drew PTA for their businesses! It was so exciting and fulfilling leaning fully back into my creative background and I found a great deal of success in my work as business owners began to refer me to their friends, neighbors and associates. I decided to start Bullseye Creative Agency on the side in late 2019, but was doing it full time by the middle of 2020. I was fortunate to be allowed to join StartME: Atlanta’s business accelerator program through the Goizueta Business School at Emory in early 2020 which was also a great help as a new entrepreneur!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I’ve always been deeply attracted to the marriage of form and function. As a teenager, I really wanted to be an industrial designer/product designer. However, the circumstance of my life led me to a BFA degree from the University of Washington with a focus on oil painting. I got married toward the end of my time at UW and while painting in my senior studio one day, got a call from my new wife that we were pregnant! I remember sitting on the curb of the art building waiting for her to come pick me up and looking at the UW Business School (which was right next door) and thinking I was such an idiot for getting an art degree! How was I going to provide for a kid?! Anyways…I took a lot of jobs in project management, operations, volunteer management, etc…over the years trying to provide for my growing family (we have 3 boys today – 18, 16, & 12), but I’d ALWAYS try to be working my creativity into all those jobs to keep my design skills, brand-thinking, and copy-writing skills fresh. Because my professional experience wasn’t “technically” in design, web design, or marketing, the prospect of getting hired to do that sort of work was not likely, so I continued on in the non-profit world for years. Once I’d proven to myself that I could make high-caliber work that businesses wanted, it was still scary jumping off and starting my own business. However, I’ve found that if I’m honest about what I do or do not bring to the table, work hard in good faith, and continue to deliver great looking and effective branding and marketing services…that my clients love it, refer me to others, and my business grows. Now days I wouldn’t trade my experience balancing budgets, hiring & firing, developing volunteers, etc…for anything, because I find my mixture of operational know-how, deep and genuine curiosity, and love for aesthetic excellence combines to make me an excellent guide for small businesses looking to differentiate themselves and grow.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love Atlanta so much and love to show it off to visitors. We love to walk with our visitors. We walk all over Kirkwood, Oakhurst, & Lake Claire (Kirkwood Urban Forest, The Frazier Center, & Deepdeene Park are all walkable from our house and AWESOME). Of course we’d walk along the Beltline; Eastside Trail, we’d grab a King of Pops at Ponce City Market – or maybe stop for Ramen at Ton-Ton, Westside Trail, we’d walk over the breweries and grab a pint or maybe some gelato at Honeysuckle. We’d definitely want to show them the Westside Reservoir Park as well! While up by the Westside Reservoir Park we might want to take them to Ginya Izakaya on Northside Drive for ramen(we’re crazy ramen-heads) or Cooks & Soldiers for tapas. Ooh! Or maybe to Star Provisions for a shrimp po’ boy. We wouldn’t let them leave without trying the breakfast sandwiches at Perc in Eastlake (maybe more than once)…and speaking of 2nd and Hosea, we’d DEFINITELY take them to our #1 go-to restaurant & bar, Poor Hendrix for their super creative small plates and perfect cocktails. Speaking of great cocktails and food, we’d also want to take them to the Kimball House, White Bull, Banshee, & Amano cuz we LOVE those places. Gaja in EAV might have to be on the menu as well if we were feeling like some awesome Korean food or Soba if it was cold and we felt like Pho! We also like driving out-of-towners around and just telling them the stories and history of the neighborhoods and city. If we wanted some time out of the city, we’d take them to Arabia Mountain or Panola Mountain State Park for a hike or maybe walk some of the quiet trails around Stone Mountain. We’d definitely make sure to take them to Homegrown for a Comfy Chicken Biscuit before they left!

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?
Oh boy! I’m such a stitched up Frankenstien of experience and guidance, I don’t know how to shoutout those who have helped to shape me along the way! My experience at the University of Washington getting a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Oil Painting really shaped my understanding of aesthetics and love for creativity. The brand guidelines that I had to work under and the honest, simple approach to branding that Jesse Bryan took as he oversaw communications at the non-profit I was at in Seattle really shaped my understanding of how the brand of a company or organization should shape everything they do (He now operates Belief Agency in Seattle…and I still hang on every word he puts out there regarding branding). I love Donald Miller’s book “Building a Story Brand” and certainly consider myself a disciple of his Story Brand framework for building a brand. The person, I think I’m most thankful to of all though is Stan Sugarman. He is a founding partner at Stryant Construction and a neighbor of mine who reached out to ask if I’d manage their social media back in 2019. His belief in me got the ball rolling for what is now the exciting, rewarding and fulfilling venture of owning an operating my own creative agency!

Website: bullseyeatl.com

Instagram: instagram.com/bullseyeatl

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bullseye-creative-agency

Facebook: facebook.com/bullseyeatl

Other: instagram.com/kirkwoodcares facebook.com/kirkwoodcares kirkwoodcares.org

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.