For the past twenty years, I’ve devoted my career to leveraging brand strategy and technology to unlock market opportunities for ambitious individuals and organizations. My mission is to create pathways for them to grow, scale, and gain recognition—all while staying true to their authentic identities.
My approach centers on curating strategies tailored to entrepreneurs’ and organizations’ unique goals. By helping entities understand and refine their brand behaviors, I amplify the qualities that make them stand out while holding them accountable to end what holds them back. I’m committed to driving success for every client, no matter their size. Together, we’ll push your understanding of success and unlock your full potential.
Fake it till you make it is BS. Learn it till you earn it. Integrity leads to longevity and discipline beats ruthlessness every time. Be the one who does the work, not the one who cuts corners to win.
Your brand isn’t your logo—it’s your actions. How you treat people, how you deliver on promises, that’s a Brand. Say what you mean, mean what you say, and back it up with integrity. Everything from how you look to what you say is just a bookmark reminding people of how you’ve treated them.
Aim to be undeniable. How do you get there? Fill the gaps in your skills, behavior, and branding with authenticity, purpose, and education. When you’re real with yourself, the world can’t help but recognize your impact—so start by assessing your gaps and filling them with grace, clarity, and action.
I’m so over pretty things that make no sense and have no substance. Sexy designs are cool, but clarity is king. Miscommunication breaks deals and relationships. Nail your message first; then you can make it look good. Substance over sparkle every time.
Too often, our personal limits are based on someone else’s lies. Stop carrying those weights. Redefine what “best” means for you and aim higher. Success is rewriting the narrative that held you back and owning your potential.
In the church I grew up in it’s called discernment. In the corporate world it’s called sense-making. At the end of the day I’ve been figuring things out, bridging gaps, and making things clear since I was a small child.
The first instance that I can remember was when after a few days in kindergarten I tried to bridge a gap communication gap between a classmate and my teacher.“Miss Bailey,” I said “James is saying [this]” and James, “Ms Bailey is saying this.”
The earliest example of visual discernment I can recall is going to church and noticing that the ‘E’ and ‘X’ in EXIT signs looked like a house. No one else seemed to see it. They also had a hard time answering the questions the pastor asked about scriptures. They always made sense to me so I’d answer my hand to answer and was right.I thought I was hot stuff.
I was a troubled, angry, and measured to be a “mentally gifted” kid. Add puberty to that equation and the product equals a lot of unrealized potential and unfocused passion. My algebra teacher at the time used to take 10-points off of the end of the week tests if you didn’t do the homework. I got 60’s on every test. I believe in hard work not busy work. Maybe that karma will come due when I’m a parent but the then 8th grade and now 39-year-old version of me SAID WHAT WE SAID! I failed the his class and my Mom didn’t let me attend 8th grade graduation. No regrets.
In high school, the subject of physics didn’t come naturally like most things did for me. After asking for help my teacher said, “You’re a gifted kid, aren’t you?” Smugly, I replied, “Yes.” He smiled and said, “I can always tell the gifted kids—they think they don’t have to do the work.”It was the first time I’d been called out like that—sharp, kind, and precise, like a fresh X-Acto blade. I’ll never forget it. After that, I stopped buying into being gifted and started doing the work.
As a freshman in college, an RA gave me a bootleg copy of Photoshop 7. Like every kid with a cool new toy I became curious and obsessed. I had no idea that small, and highly illegal gesture of generosity would chart the course for the rest of my life.
My suitemate, a drummer in a punk band called ‘Amora,’ asked me to design his album cover. After joining him at practices and being a bouncer for a few of his shows, I created the piece and explained my vision. He told me, “J, you should do this for the rest of your life.” Coming from a family of engineers and currently studying IT, I ran it by my mom. Thankfully, she said yes. Switching to Penn State’s graphic design (a term I had NEVER heard of before) program added two years to school.No regrets.
I was one of just twelve admitted to PSU’s design program that year. It was tough—I struggled the whole time. Honestly, I think I wanted it too much. And let’s keep it real: navigating “cultural differences” in a predominantly white, Pennsylvania design school added a whole other layer of challenges.I literally shed blood, tears, and once or twice almost physically fought my way through it. But we got it done with a couple awards and a feature on a book cover under our belt.#ImMaryDowdsGrandson, sucka!
One day, Leif Steiner, owner of Moxie Sozo in Boulder, Colorado, spoke to my class. While everyone else dressed to impress and stayed quiet, I showed up in my Kinkos uniform and asked a ton of questions. I figured, why hold back? I’d probably never see him again, so I made it count. He offered me an internship that day. I worked as a creative at Moxie Sozo for over five years and live in Colorado to this day.
I realized successful design relies on solid strategy and planning, yet real business decisions happen far before design is considered. To create impactful work, I needed to be part of those early conversations—so I shifted my focus towards brand strategy.
I and worked lived (don’t ask) at Moxie Sozo for years, fully immersed in the craft but struggling to land my first client. Late nights were spent wrestling with critiques and missed marks. Frustrated after years of tough reviews, I broke down my creative director’s desires into five key things and applied them to my next project. He loved it. The client loved it. That moment sparked a streak of wins, built on mastering visual deconstruction and strategy. Today, I teach young designers those same skills, helping them find success faster.
Eventually, it was time to leave Moxie Sozo and test my mettle on my own. I put miles on my soul and skills freelancing across the country and internationally, gaining experience and perspective. Along the way, I met a man who noticed my passion for diving deep into strategy documents. After some convincing, I became his Chief Creative Officer at a small agency called Zeitsight. There, I learned how programmatic marketing and empathetic branding, can open global markets, and generate tens of millions in revenue with remarkable ROI percentages.
Due to Brexit’s impact, Zeitsight closed after a few short years. However, towards the end, we were developing Zefyr, a cannabis marketing platform intended to be the “Nielsen of cannabis.” This period taught me how to develop products, secure investments, and what PR really meant. It also forced me to confront doubts about navigating predominantly white spaces and what was necessary to thrive while staying true to myself.
I don’t think I’m legally allowed to say why Zefyr ended, but the process made me sick once big numbers and big players got involved. I loathe “the boys club.” Not on some high and mighty BS. I’m no saint. But the boys’ club is just lame and sad and insecure and unethical and gross as f*ck. I was told it was what it took to succeed. It never sat right with me, and though I never played along, I stayed alone for far too long. To me, that’s just as bad.It took me a couple years, a new network of amazing clients and collaborators that you don’t need the boys club to win big.
The deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others during the pandemic deeply affected me. In culturally isolated Colorado, grappling with the fallout of a failed startup, I felt the weight of prioritizing safety over authenticity. One rare public dinner as restrictions eased, it hit me—I’d been compromising who I was just to navigate the world. It made me sick. I decided to build a future where neither I nor others had to compromise their values or accept failure as inevitable.
In 2021, I founded Studio J Lorne, acquired a consumer goods company, and expanded into creative ventures, from product development and type foundries to AI tools. My mission is to partner with organizations and communities to build ecosystems of success that are both ethical and financially sound at the intersection of social impact, cultural identity, and innovation.Strategy drives our work, discernment steers it, and beauty makes it sing. My team and my clients swing for the fences every time, striving to show up as our best selves and leave the world better than we found it.
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I envision a future where bold, intentional branding reshapes systems to unlock agency, equity, and joy. It’s about building sustainable communities where people feel seen, tech serves humanity, and creativity drives lasting change. Thriving isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable when we do the work right.
Nothing is off limits, let’s get creative.
Click for a final piece of advice from J →
Last updated: December 6, 2024
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In the church I grew up in it’s called discernment. In the corporate world it’s called sense-making. At the end of the day I’ve been figuring things out, bridging gaps, and making things clear since I was a small child.
The first instance that I can remember was when after a few days in kindergarten I tried to bridge a gap communication gap between a classmate and my teacher.
“Miss Bailey,” I said “James is saying [this]” and James, “Ms Bailey is saying this.”
The earliest example of visual discernment I can recall is going to church and noticing that the ‘E’ and ‘X’ in EXIT signs looked like a house. No one else seemed to see it. They also had a hard time answering the questions the pastor asked about scriptures. They always made sense to me so I’d answer my hand to answer and was right.
I thought I was hot stuff.
I was a troubled, angry, and measured to be a “mentally gifted” kid. Add puberty to that equation and the product equals a lot of unrealized potential and unfocused passion. My algebra teacher at the time used to take 10-points off of the end of the week tests if you didn’t do the homework. I got 60’s on every test. I believe in hard work not busy work. Maybe that karma will come due when I’m a parent but the then 8th grade and now 39-year-old version of me SAID WHAT WE SAID!
I failed the his class and my Mom didn’t let me attend 8th grade graduation.
No regrets.
In high school, the subject of physics didn’t come naturally like most things did for me. After asking for help my teacher said, “You’re a gifted kid, aren’t you?” Smugly, I replied, “Yes.” He smiled and said, “I can always tell the gifted kids—they think they don’t have to do the work.”It was the first time I’d been called out like that—sharp, kind, and precise, like a fresh X-Acto blade. I’ll never forget it. After that, I stopped buying into being gifted and started doing the work.
As a freshman in college, an RA gave me a bootleg copy of Photoshop 7. Like every kid with a cool new toy I became curious and obsessed. I had no idea that small, and highly illegal gesture of generosity would chart the course for the rest of my life.
My suitemate, a drummer in a punk band called ‘Amora,’ asked me to design his album cover. After joining him at practices and being a bouncer for a few of his shows, I created the piece and explained my vision. He told me, “J, you should do this for the rest of your life.” Coming from a family of engineers and currently studying IT, I ran it by my mom. Thankfully, she said yes. Switching to Penn State’s graphic design (a term I had NEVER heard of before) program added two years to school.
No regrets.
I was one of just twelve admitted to PSU’s design program that year. It was tough—I struggled the whole time. Honestly, I think I wanted it too much. And let’s keep it real: navigating “cultural differences” in a predominantly white, Pennsylvania design school added a whole other layer of challenges.
I literally shed blood, tears, and once or twice almost physically fought my way through it. But we got it done with a couple awards and a feature on a book cover under our belt.
#ImMaryDowdsGrandson, sucka!
One day, Leif Steiner, owner of Moxie Sozo in Boulder, Colorado, spoke to my class. While everyone else dressed to impress and stayed quiet, I showed up in my Kinkos uniform and asked a ton of questions. I figured, why hold back? I’d probably never see him again, so I made it count. He offered me an internship that day. I worked as a creative at Moxie Sozo for over five years and live in Colorado to this day.
I realized successful design relies on solid strategy and planning, yet real business decisions happen far before design is considered. To create impactful work, I needed to be part of those early conversations—so I shifted my focus towards brand strategy.
I and worked lived (don’t ask) at Moxie Sozo for years, fully immersed in the craft but struggling to land my first client. Late nights were spent wrestling with critiques and missed marks. Frustrated after years of tough reviews, I broke down my creative director’s desires into five key things and applied them to my next project. He loved it. The client loved it. That moment sparked a streak of wins, built on mastering visual deconstruction and strategy. Today, I teach young designers those same skills, helping them find success faster.
Eventually, it was time to leave Moxie Sozo and test my mettle on my own. I put miles on my soul and skills freelancing across the country and internationally, gaining experience and perspective. Along the way, I met a man who noticed my passion for diving deep into strategy documents. After some convincing, I became his Chief Creative Officer at a small agency called Zeitsight. There, I learned how programmatic marketing and empathetic branding, can open global markets, and generate tens of millions in revenue with remarkable ROI percentages.
Due to Brexit’s impact, Zeitsight closed after a few short years. However, towards the end, we were developing Zefyr, a cannabis marketing platform intended to be the “Nielsen of cannabis.” This period taught me how to develop products, secure investments, and what PR really meant. It also forced me to confront doubts about navigating predominantly white spaces and what was necessary to thrive while staying true to myself.
I don’t think I’m legally allowed to say why Zefyr ended, but the process made me sick once big numbers and big players got involved. I loathe “the boys club.” Not on some high and mighty BS. I’m no saint. But the boys’ club is just lame and sad and insecure and unethical and gross as f*ck. I was told it was what it took to succeed. It never sat right with me, and though I never played along, I stayed alone for far too long. To me, that’s just as bad.
It took me a couple years, a new network of amazing clients and collaborators that you don’t need the boys club to win big.
The deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many others during the pandemic deeply affected me. In culturally isolated Colorado, grappling with the fallout of a failed startup, I felt the weight of prioritizing safety over authenticity. One rare public dinner as restrictions eased, it hit me—I’d been compromising who I was just to navigate the world. It made me sick. I decided to build a future where neither I nor others had to compromise their values or accept failure as inevitable.
In 2021, I founded Studio J Lorne, acquired a consumer goods company, and expanded into creative ventures, from product development and type foundries to AI tools. My mission is to partner with organizations and communities to build ecosystems of success that are both ethical and financially sound at the intersection of social impact, cultural identity, and innovation.Strategy drives our work, discernment steers it, and beauty makes it sing. My team and my clients swing for the fences every time, striving to show up as our best selves and leave the world better than we found it.