Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Halley.
Hi Jonathan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story begins as a self-starting entrepreneur at the age of 16. I’ve always had my hands in technology, marketing, and volunteer work from a young age, and after dropping out of college in my early twenties to pursue a tech start-up with five friends, I knew my path was not going to be conventional. The start-up didn’t pan out like we had all hoped, but shew, did I learn a lot. I left that experience knowing I wanted to do my own thing and create work that would inspire my staff and my clients.
While working at a web development company in 2015, I bought a drone and decided to start a side hustle making videos and taking photos for local businesses (and mostly just for fun). After a few viral videos put me on the map, I decided to take the leap and create Big Slate Media. Since 2017, we’ve been growing at an exponential rate year over year. Today, we have a team of 11 full-timers shooting, editing, and managing content for dozens of brands of all sizes including some major players like ESPN, RedBull, and HGTV.
I’ve been honored to serve on the board for the American Marketing Association, as founder and Executive Director of KnoxMedia, and on committees for the McNabb Center and Knoxville Chamber. In 2021, I was inducted into the Knox.Biz “40 Under 40” class which was an amazing honor. Myself and my team have been honored to win a dozen awards or more from the American Advertising Federation and were the 2021 recipient of the Knoxville Chamber Pinnacle Award for Small Business Excellence.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely, the biggest struggle I faced early on centered around industry knowledge. Being entirely self-taught, I had to work twice as hard as anyone else to not only land the job but figure out how to do it! Youtube, Google, and Reddit were my textbooks along with a generous network of industry professionals.
The funny thing – this really hasn’t changed in the 6 years we’ve been in business. I still have to constantly learn and find resources to grow. Fortunately, my amazing team around me is able to all learn from each other and push the limits of creativity and technical capabilities.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Big Slate Media is a Knoxville-based content creation agency specializing in video production. Founded in 2015, we help our partners create “content that doesn’t suck” by developing authentic, versatile, and forward-thinking visual stories.
The term “content creation agency” is kinda a made-up thing – but what it essentially means is that we boast all the capabilities of a full-service, high-end production house along with agency capabilities to help our clients place the content we are creating on social media and other digital platforms. We work with some big brands like ESPN, HGTV, RedBull Media House, and Bell, but the majority of our work is for local businesses and community-based organizations.
We’re proud to support brands like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chamber, Visit Knoxville, Blount Partnership, McNabb Center, Denso, KUB, 21st Mortgage Corporation, and Arconic, to name a few. This broad range of clients allows us to work in a variety of industries and help our clients craft brand messages, internal communications, digital ads, and content that exudes ARTISTRY, INGENUITY, AUTHENTICITY which ultimately, create relationships that transcend transactions.
Personally, I’m really proud of the team we have here at Big Slate. Each person is incredibly talented, multifaceted, and has a strong character. And the cherry on top? They’re just fun to hang out with. The vast majority of our clients continue to work with us for years and years because we do great work and help them meet their goals, but at the end of the day, we’re human and have fun together.
In addition to content creation services, we’ve rolled out a software platform called B-Roll Bank which provides searchable, remote access for our clients to access their raw footage, download it and organize it like never before. This revolutionary product gives our clients access to the footage they would have never seen and provides them an organized and easily accessible platform for managing it. This service is something we’re proud to offer and demonstrates our philosophies of truly partnering with our clients to get them the content they need.
What does success mean to you?
To me, being successful means I’ve built a team of creatives that love each other well, enjoy what they do and care for our clients, our community and each other. If I can do that, I know that I’ll have a business that does the same. For me, it’s all about my team – being there for them and providing them with all the tools they need to succeed. The trickle down from that is that our clients get our best, most creative and impactful work and we ultimately, we help them achieve their goals.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@bigslatemedia.com
- Website: www.bigslatemedia.com
- Instagram: @bigslatemedia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigslatemedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxG0Y-OHRdKF7eGl0c8sH6A
Image Credits
Big Slate Media
