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

Hi JAROD, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I felt like my employment opportunities were limited and didn’t like the idea of working for someone else. I think that was really the greatest motivation in the beginning. I had lots of ideas and my first venture was PC repair. I found out I enjoyed working on my own devices, but didn’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s.

Beyond this basic desire to control my own destiny, I really had no idea what I was doing. In fact, more than a decade later I still have days where I feel this way. There are days where imposter syndrome kicks in too. I’m not sure that will ever go away. But we’ve grown as a company largely due to the collective experience of our team and evolving as we go. It’s working!

We work with some really small businesses. Some are literally starting from scratch. We don’t initially profit a great deal from a lot of these clients, but it’s honest work. I enjoy being hands on with these clients and learning about their anxieties and frustrations, cheering them on to keep it going, and making sure every dollar they put into their web presence is well spent.

Our larger clients are great too. I get to see a little first hand of how these 100+ employee companies operate. It’s interesting. I think small and large companies face the same anxieties and frustrations in a lot of ways. At the end of the day we are all looking out for our bottom line, but we’re all human. I love the human element.

It doesn’t hurt that a lot of our clients think we’re rockstars at what we do. I figured that out early on. It feels good.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a highschool drop out who struggled with childhood trauma and substance use disorder for most of my life. I’m self taught, self motivated, sober, and very functional today, but this wasn’t always the case for me.

Professionally, I got my start playing with MySpace homepage design in the 2000’s – fun times. I picked up on some basic HTML and CSS. In 2007 I worked for a local company that marketed natural health products online. I filled bottles and worked my way to production manager where I had the opportunity to spend some time doing market research on new products. I had this tiny desk next to the guys who did the website and online marketing. I asked a lot of questions and spent my free time obsessing about how to build a website. One day I cloned the company website on a hostgator shared hosting account. I was so proud of myself. I was later laid off from this job due to circumstances that belong in a sitcom. I have no regrets.

The following year I went into business with a guy as partner building websites and doing SEO. The phone book was still a foot thick and people spent good money on full page ads. We targeted these businesses and did well the first year! As it goes, my partner and I had our differences that led to dissolving our partnership in late 2009. I started my own company early 2010 and I’m still operating under that entitity.

Personally, my childhood caught up to me after my first marriage in 2008. My son was born and we had a nice little house in the suburbs, living the dream. I started having substance use and behavioral issues at home and separated then divorced in 2010. I worked a lot of hours then too. It wasn’t a good situation for anyone.

In 2012 I began drinking on a daily basis and isolating. This was the beginning of a period where I wrecked a few cars, went to jail on several occasions, and ended up being homeless. I also lost custody of my son and became estranged from his mother.

I’m not sure how I managed to keep afloat between 2012 and 2016, but I made it work. I ended up selling the intellectual property and clients of my business in 2016. I went into treatment for substance use and that led to therapy for untreated childhood trauma. My life of sobriety started November 27, 2017.

In 2017 I began working as a baker at DV8 Kitchen in Lexington, Ky. I have known the owners for years and read about their community venture, hiring “second chance” employees. I begged them to let me work and eventually ran their bakery. This was an incredible opportunity for me. During this period I did the sober community living thing and made the most of it. I also did some freelance work related to web dev etc.

Covid hit in 2020 and the sister restaurant to DV8 closed. Tenured management got my management position and I was laid off. I turned my freelance work into full-time and built a team. There was major drama at first. The company that I sold my IP and client list to in 2016 threatened legal action – some of my old clients were not happy with them and heard I was back in business. The other company was practicing very shady tactics to keep these clients paying – this fueled us. But that’s a story for another time!

I also got custody of my oldest son, Judah, and welcomed my second child, Rowan, into the world in 2020. I love being their dad and involved in their life. Judah just turned 13, is a master at redstone in Minecraft, volunteers at DV8 on Saturday mornings, and is taking online courses to learn computer programming. Rowan is 2 and growing way too fast. When I’m not in dad mode or working on this business, I’m outdoors somewhere being connected to mother nature.

The personal parts of my life are something I am very transparent about to all of my staff and clients if and when it comes up. The professional parts are evident. I am passionate about what we do and the team we’re building.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s a finished attic in this historic home I rent an apartment in. It’s treated like a guest space; think AirBNB. I’d put my friend up in that space. The owner of this home, Frank, is a very good friend and the best host I’ve ever met. So dinner in the main space of the home. Frank is a stained glass architect with an amazing story of his own. He has some great artwork and the best backyard in this neighborhood. Some of the best conversations and time I’ve had as an adult have been spent in these spaces. Visit frankclose.com to see some of his work 🙂

Lunch at DV8 on the east side is a must! I’d want to see if I can coordinate a time when Rob or Diane (owners) are available.

I’d take my friend on a road-trip tour of the horse farms that surround Lexington. Lot’s of things to see in the countryside around here.

I’d also like to hike, possibly Red River Gorge if time permits, or Raven Run if not. And IF my friend were able and water levels ideal, put the kayaks in on the Elkhorn out in Frankfort.

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?
Rob and Diane Perez of DV8 Kitchen 🙂

Their mentorship and commitment to our community helped me get through the roughest chapter of my life and make the most of the skills I have. I wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for the work they put in to me.

Website: https://adopttheweb.com

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

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

Other: https://jarodthornton.com

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW 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.