When I met Justin Parrish, my first impression was that he was a tall, pleasant, unassuming guy who possessed quiet confidence and listened more than he talked. We were discussing website issues which he wanted to help resolve for me. Shortly after our meeting, he sent me a proposal that literally saved our two-week-old budding Scenic98Coastal newsletter.
Justin owns Influx Creative in Pensacola. A graphic designer by education, he designs logos and websites, does branding, and hosts and maintains websites for small businesses all over the Southeast. He also updates and changes content depending on the client's needs. His list of clients is impressive. I couldn’t be more pleased with his work.
The back story of Justin and his wife, Brooks, grows more interesting as each layer is peeled. Born in Greenville, NC, he always enjoyed drawing. When it was time to decide where to go to college, he was inspired to draw album covers and chose Appalachian State in Boone, NC to study art. There he met Brooks McGowin, who is from Greenville, AL. Their relationship must have been meant to be.
After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design, Justin moved to Charlotte and began working with Glenn Boothe, who owned Web Station and taught Justin how to apply his talent in designing and building websites. “Glenn was a mentor, and we continue to stay in touch,” says Justin. He was in Charlotte for three years before he decided he wanted an adventure.
Justin and Brooks had vacationed for a week in Belize and fell in love with the country, the fishing, the beaches, the jungle, the barrier reef, and the total natural aspect of the area. They decided to move there permanently in 2009. Web Station agreed to allow Justin to work remotely. “It was challenging to say the least,” he says. “Internet speed was like “dial-up,” it was awful.” He often had to go outside and point his dish to capture a signal. “We were 100% dependent on solar panel energy with two batteries to run everything.”
It was a bohemian lifestyle for which they were both well suited. They lived in the jungle in a Palapa that was under construction when they took it as their residence and finished the construction themselves. They lived in the jungle for seven years while Justin continued to do graphic design and web building for Web Station. Web Station was sold, and he continued working with the same clients for three more years. Then he says, “I became restless and wanted to get from behind the computer.”
For the last three years in Belize, Justin and Brooks worked for a hospitality and tourism company, and Justin opened a fly fishing business on the side. The company owned multiple resort properties, a fly fishing guide service, and two dive shops. “My first job was to manage an island resort nine miles off the coast on the Belize Barrier Reef.”
Their first daughter was born in the jungle on the floor of the palapa. Their second daughter was born at home as well, but by this time they were living “in a real house with T.V. and AC,” he says. “Managing an island resort with a 6-month child is challenging.” Justin spent the next three years running the fly fishing operation while managing a fleet of 18 boats including supply boats, flats boats, dive boats, and a sportfishing yacht.
After ten years in Belize, Brooks and Justin moved to Greenville, Al temporarily and started looking at Pensacola for a permanent home. They landed in the East Hill area and Justin began designing and building websites again for Web Station. The name had changed to Influx Marketing by then. Justin later took over Influx Marketing with Glenn’s blessings and changed the name to Influx Creative.
Justin still designs logos and websites, primarily for small businesses. All his previous clients stayed with Influx Creative. He says he’s transitioned from thinking every website must be built from scratch to utilizing the platforms that are available to meet each client’s specific needs. “One size does not fit all,” he says. “I try to take as much off the business owner’s plate as possible. The business owner understands their business best and needs to provide the content for their webpage.” After that, Justin does the rest.
Justin says the value of a business having a webpage is important to consider. “I find lots of small business owners are intimidated by the undertaking of creating a website,” He says that it doesn’t have to be a massive, expensive project. “It’s so simple to have a strong online presence that creates better access to company information and a much better experience for their customers.”
Justin tries to build and maintain his client’s websites without a lot of effort and expense. “This is an important distinction because websites should function for you and enhance your client’s experiences,” he says. “I see lots of static websites,” he says. “Business owners have so much going on, it’s easy to put off improving your online presence, but it's vitally important in these days and times. This is where I can help. I try to ease the effort, time, and inconvenience for the business owner.”
Whether you are creating a new web presence or redesigning your website, Justin can help. He starts by understanding your business, identifying your real needs, and enhancing your web presence. “As businesses grow, their needs change. Simple is better but it doesn’t have to mean you have to sacrifice quality.”
Understanding what platforms to use for future needs as you grow is where Justin excels. He is a terrific graphic designer and has created some powerful logos as well as entertaining websites that attract positive attention and credibility.
Justin is so easy to work with and the quality of his work is outstanding. If you think your online presence isn't doing everything you want it to do, Influx Creative is the place to call.
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