We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Clark and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jay, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process was pretty simple, I didn’t want to work for someone else. After hopping from job to job and not really knowing what path I would take, once I had the opportunity to work for myself and love what I do, it was a no brainer.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel that what separates me from others is my ability to capture raw human emotions and be able to tell a story. I go to where I am by a combination of advice from mentors, consistency, and keeping the right people in my circle. It definitely wasn’t easy, I had to cut ties with people who weren’t adding value to my life. Also working for yourself it’s very easy to take days off and fall behind. I still do have days were I may not be operating at 100% but I always make up for it another day. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is “know your worth”. In my profession it is very easy to get taken advantage of. It’s important to know where you stand in the market. It means being comfortable with missing out on clients. The ones who respect my craft will pay what I ask for. I’m thankful to live in a time where I can be a filmmaker as a full time career and be able to support my family and myself.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For food we would go to Breakfast Klub, Guss’ fried chicken, or Ritual. For entertainment one of my favorite spots is the Houston Improv. A day in Galveston is always a something fun to do. We can rent an air bnb beach house and just hang out all day and eat good food. Houston also has great Museums. Thats about it! We don’t really go out too much because we are usually filming something which is fun for us.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to give a lot of credit to Bryan Anderson. He is a photographer in Houston who took me under his wing in 2014. He helped me with the business side of what we do and gave me a lot of referrals which kickstarted my growth in Houston. Till this day he still gives me advice and helps me out. I would also like to mention my Partner Frank Hernandez for always sticking with me and having my back throughout my career. He has been by my side since I was working at Walmart.
Website: jayclarkfilms.com
Instagram: jayclarkfilms
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourvideographerhouston
Youtube: JayClark Films