Table of Contents
What inspired you to start a business together?
Jordon:
When I first met Brianne, the first thing I said to her on our very first date was that I have to be a stay-at-home parent. I said this to her before we got married, before we got engaged, around the time we realized we liked each other. Our very first (unofficial) date was at a breakfast spot called Sunshine Grill in Ajax, Ontario.
I told her that I had to become a stay-at-home dad and that it was non-negotiable for me. I want to invest the most amount of time possible into the life of my child(ren). For this reason, I already knew that I had to be a business owner. I kind of had an idea that we would end up in web design and marketing because it just made sense for us.
More recently, we recorded some video content for our brand story campaign. Right before the time of filming, we were on a video call with one of our clients (Karen from Hello Awesome). During the conversation, she introduced me to her husband Jeff and I felt led to ask them – “what advice would you give to a newer couple?”. Jeff gave us a Hallmark card response that I love so much and believe represents the relationship that Brianne and I have today.
Jeff said “When you laugh, laugh together. When you cry, cry together. When you dream, dream together. And when you fight, make sure you’re fighting to stay together.” In Perfect Blend, Brianne and I get to do all those things. Sometimes we can be foolish and goofy because we need to express ourselves, which gives us space to laugh together. Late nights, deadlines, and stress (in life and business) provide us the space to cry together. Seeing our way forward in life and business, through prayer, gave us space to dream together. Finally, we are both very intentional in love and business together. We take nothing for granted and work hard to build upon our strong foundation.
Brianne:
We’re blessed to be able to say that we enjoy a very cool, calm, and collected relationship.
Where did the name "Perfect Blend" come from?
Jordon:
We were in Jamaica on our honeymoon when we were thinking about potential names for our business. We can’t seem to remember the options we were considering at the time, but Perfect Blend wasn’t even on our list. As far as we can remember, the top two names on our list were good options, but they didn’t ‘hit’ like Perfect Blend.
It was when we went to eat breakfast together one morning (good things happen when we go for breakfast). We had a beautiful coastal view from our breakfast table at the resort, and it came to us unexpectedly. One of us said “Perfect Blend” out loud, and immediately we forgot every other name and were in full agreement.
Brianne:
Jordon comes from a marketing and sales background. I come from a graphic and web design background. The combination of the two goes hand in hand. Hence, we became the Perfect Blend.
Jordon, how did you get into sales?
Jordon:
I’m excited to answer this question! I actually got my start in sales. Now I don’t want to toot my own horn, but it may happen naturally and I promise it’s from a humble place.
The sales industry is ideal for anyone whose primary goal is to make money. Ironically, this isn’t the reason I decided to go into sales. I went into sales because I didn’t see post-secondary education as an option for myself. I grew up as the eldest male in a single-parent household (me, my mom, and my four siblings). We were always in financial hardship, so the cost of education felt too expensive for me to even consider. Plus, we needed money right away and I felt a responsibility to help my family in any way I could.
Around that time, I remember hearing a few celebrities make a statement that stuck with me. They said knocking on doors for 2 years provides the equivalent of a 4.5-year communication degree from a community college. This felt much less daunting to me at the time. It also meant I could earn money, while I acquired my education in communication.
Fortunately for me, I was earning very good money in sales right away. I came to realize that once you get good at sales, there was no limit on your earning potential. More important than the money I was making, I was becoming a better conversationalist. This was the reason I was eventually promoted to the role of sales manager, and then office manager. Only once I started training other sales reps did I have my major epiphany. No matter how great you were yesterday, you have to bring your A-game again today. In sales, if for any reason you’re not able to be great again, today, yesterday’s results don’t matter. That’s when I realized, I needed to find a way to ensure my efforts today would continue speaking for me tomorrow. That’s what led me into marketing, but branding more specifically. I would come to learn that marketing, branding, and advertising aren’t the same things. My history in sales made me a prolific student of all 3, individually and collectively. That’s why I’m so passionate about teaching this information in High-Performance Branding!
I share deep insights into how the marketplace works. The marketplace is not a friendly environment. If you’re going to succeed in the market, there are unwritten rules you must abide by. There are certain things you can do to cause the marketplace to favour you, but that requires a strong brand. Even now, I think I’m one of the best salespeople I know. I also believe that doesn’t mean much if I am not well-branded. I share all the best marketplace insights inside of High-Performance Branding!
Jordon, how did you develop your love for marketing?
Jordon:
It’s hard to nail down one thing as the primary reason for my love of marketing. I don’t care to be the best marketing/branding specialist in the world, I only care to be the best marketing/branding specialist that I can be. I don’t even believe in competition the way that other people do. I believe the marketplace entrusts customers into your care, according to what you’ve demonstrated the ability to manage. I want everyone to do well and believe that the marketplace is big enough for this to be true. I know what it takes to be great at a high level. I say more power to the people who are able to maintain quality service at the top of the market.
My only goal is to be the best that I can be. Since I’m not in competition with anyone but myself, it’s easier to love the art of marketing. If I don’t achieve a goal I’ve set for myself, I begin to investigate what went wrong. My response to falling short of my goal is “how do I do better the next time”. On the flip side, whenever I far exceed my goals I document what I did and talk about it more often. Also, because I know that marketing is a very lucrative art when done correctly, it’s easier to love it. Making a lot of money doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll love the work you do, but it helps when you’re already interested in the work you’re doing. For me, it’s a blend of all the above that makes me love branding and marketing.
Brianne, tell us about your journey in becoming a graphic designer.
Brianne:
Design is something that you can learn on your own. You don’t have to go to an institution to learn. For me, it ended up being a natural progression in life. In the year 2012, YouTube courses and online learning were not as big as they are now. Going to school for design was the proper approach to entering this industry. I went to Durham College for advertising and marketing.
The course I took taught the whole industry. It included graphic and web design, but it also had sales courses geared toward selling ad space. I also learned about marketing and copywriting in my course. This course gave me a good overview of the industry. It allowed me to narrow down my interests and move on to specialize in whatever I wanted to specialize in. Through this course, I fell in love with the design process, so I stuck with design. I also took a grade 11 marketing course and a grade 12 web design course in high school. I’ve made a full circle as I’m not doing web design again. It’s definitely my passion, for sure.
Jordon:
So your journey started in web design and then transitioned into graphic design? Clearly, you became proficient in graphic design, but before us, did you see web design in your future?
Brianne:
Yes, of course. I was actually freelancing for a couple of years and made a few websites during that time.
Jordon:
Yes, I do recall that you made a couple of Wix websites for people.
Brianne:
Yes, I did. So web design was always a part of me. It doesn’t matter what medium it’s on, my passion is design in general.
What's your favourite part about working together?
Brianne:
My favourite part of working together is getting to see each other every day. I love that we get to work so closely together.
Jordon:
Aww, that’s such a swoon-worthy moment.
Brianne:
We do everything together. I enjoy his presence so for me, that’s the best part of working together. Plus we’re on the same schedule so we get to do more things together.
Jordon:
I completely agree, that’s a big part of my answer too. Another piece that I really enjoy about working with Brianne is getting to build from the ground up. In our 3 (going on 4) years of marriage, we’ve seen a lot of hardship and difficult times, but God has been faithful to us. We aren’t seeing as many difficult times anymore, but we are certainly still in the building phase.
What do you enjoy doing on your downtime?
Brianne:
I love to watch Korean dramas, I’ve definitely fallen in love with them!
Jordon:
Yes, she does love her Korean dramas. Let me also add this in – Daniel Moore, my brother whom I love, YOU are responsible for this in my life. Brianne never cared for Korean dramas until you introduced them to her. Now, our entire Netflix account highlights Korean dramas.
Brianne:
Yes, Korean dramas are the best. I’m also into Chinese dramas as well. Anything surrounding the Asian culture, I’m 100% in. I also love watching gymnastics on YouTube to take my mind off of work.
Jordon:
Yes, in case you were ever wondering, Brianne absolutely loves Korean dramas and gymnastics! If ever she’s watching something, there’s an extremely high likelihood it’s one of those two things.
Why does Perfect Blend only design websites in WordPress?
Jordon:
I know a lot of people use Wix, Squarespace, and other do-it-yourself options. I don’t have any problem with people using these platforms. My issue is that these are closed platforms, meaning they do not allow you to plug 3rd party tools in. They limit your design capability to what their page builder provides you with. In their defense, they do provide valuable tools. If you’re just getting started and want to build something on your own, these platforms offer great templates and a simple user interface.
For Brianne and I, there’s a level of creativity and expertise that we’ve developed using specific tools. I love the example of a master mechanic. Without his tools, he knows what needs to be done and how to do the job, but he won’t be as effective as he’s capable of being. WordPress powers over 60% of the entire internet at the moment. We love it because not only is it the leader in the space, but it’s also open source. We can plug any tools we need into any project we’re working on. We’ve invested in tools that make our job easier and our work stand out. Our creativity is no longer limited. Plus, with WordPress, you own and control all your data. No hassle, no red tape. Shoutout to WordPress!
Also, I will be releasing more WordPress tutorials for our clients. We recognize that once we deliver a website, one of the first questions we get is “how can I go in and make some changes”. Some people prefer us to manage everything for them. Other people want to log in and make updates on their own. There are also people right in the middle. These people want to make changes, but they also want to lean on us for things that are out of their scope. I’m looking forward to creating and sharing more of those tutorials with you shortly, so look out for that!
What role does your faith play in your life and business?
Brianne:
So, at the bottom of every website we design, we add a line that says “Powered by Perfect Blend”. In the same way, as a couple and as a business, we are powered by Jesus Christ.
Jordon:
That’s a mic drop! I agree 100% and I love how short, sweet, and concise Brianne’s answer was. It’s a very accurate description of us. We are unapologetic about our deep and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Priority number one in our lives is our secret place with the most high God, whose name is Jesus Christ.
There was a time when we were full-time in the business and had no clients. We couldn’t even be sure how the smallest of our bills would get paid. There were no deadlines and no demands on our time. Back then, all we had was Jesus Christ and our faith in Him. Fast forward to now (going on four years in business), we’ve not advertised at all to attract any clients to us. Our faith in Jesus encouraged us through difficult times. Every client came to us as a result of word-of-mouth, or seeing “Powered by Perfect Blend” on a website we designed. There were even times when we wanted new business but God said we couldn’t handle any new business. He would point out the way we were using our time and our lack of discipline to us. He forced us to learn systems, infrastructure, and business management. We didn’t go to school for it, the Holy Spirit taught us in real-time. He really has been our guide, our provision and our support.
Our relationship with the Lord is not limited to a church group, our entire business is built upon Him. Deuteronomy 8:18 says “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth…” I believe we are living that scripture verse out right now.
Was there ever a time when you wanted to give up on the business?
Brianne:
The Lord has been faithful in this journey. There were so many times that I wanted to quit. I didn’t feel like I had the willpower to weather the storms. We’ve been through real storms. Throughout the building process of the business, there were many times we were living in lack. I was not used to this sort of lifestyle and had a difficult time. There came a time when I became too overwhelmed with it all and wanted to throw in the towel. I opted for us to go back to work and get a normal job, which my husband did for me. Through it all, the Lord stood by me, even through all my complaints.
I remember going to a certain place called the Prayer Shift. I have to shout out Natania Mason because she will be holding this event annually. She followed the leading of the Lord and created a space for women to gather and pray. The Lord truly met me there and He changed my disposition and my mind about Perfect Blend. He gave me the confidence I needed to go back into business full-time and believe that we could do it. Ever since then, we’ve been in unity and one accord and the Lord has opened up the floodgates. Now I see nothing but growth and potential for Perfect Blend and I’m glad that you guys are on this journey with us!
How would you encourage other Christian couples in business?
Jordon:
To the young women who are out there following a young man with a vision from the Lord, it’s not easy. To the young men out there who have a young woman following them as they’re following the Lord, it’s not easy. There are several things that I have tripped and fallen over (flat onto my face I might add), that if I share, I believe they will help you navigate your journey. Those conversations have to happen and we will make sure they do. But I also feel it will just be good for you to know that you’re not alone. If you’re in the entrepreneurial space, going through trials and tribulations, we have definitely felt your pain. Brianne can tell many stories about not feeling totally bought into our vision.
Brianne:
Definitely. I don’t have all the words to articulate the feeling, but I can recall when I was just going with the flow.
Jordon:
It’s real. It’s like you’re showing up physically, but mentally, physically, and emotionally you’re checked out. We ran for almost three years like that. I always had an idea that Brianne felt this way, but I didn’t know to what extent. The conversations, emotional relations, and financial hardships from those times, all have a story of their own.
Brianne:
Also the idea of leaving and cleaving. Things like learning your partner in the midst of what’s going on, and learning how to work with each other. It’s been challenging, but it’s also been very rewarding.
Closing Remarks
Brianne:
Perfect Blend is the truth, no lie! So come on over and we’ll take great care of you. We love to amplify your brand through graphic & web design, branding, and marketing. We want you to succeed because you are serving people in the marketplace, and we love to see you do that. Let’s work together.
Jordon:
Absolutely. Brianne has invited you to work with us, and if you choose to do so that’s fantastic. But even if you only come to learn from High-Performance branding, you’ll be better off for it. It’s absolutely free and you will never have to pay for it. On top of that, I’m going to put my heart and soul into it. I want you to be better equipped for being in the marketplace. I highly encourage you to make time to go through that content as I’m sure it will be a blessing to you. If you haven’t already, make sure to hop on our email list. Also, make sure you download the free downloadables and watch the videos as they come out.
I honestly don’t know where else you may be able to go for this information the way we’ve packaged it. There are a lot of different people I’ve learned from, each of them teaching different things. I feel like I’ve been able to bring it all together in a very unique way. I’d like to help you understand the 7 laws of the marketplace and how to work in unison with them. There are several other core concepts we’ll be looking at as well that you won’t want to miss. I’m really excited about that!
Whatever value you get from Perfect Blend, even if it’s just watching our content, we love and appreciate you. Thanks for watching and reading our brand story!
Bloopers!
Capturing the video content for our brand story happened in the most authentic way possible. If for any reason we ever had to re-capture our story, we’re certain it wouldn’t happen the same way. We’re very pleased to acknowledge Elevated Studios for their tremendous work and irreplaceable efforts in helping us bring our story to life. In case you’re looking for any video-related services, you can visit their website here.
