The Creative Blade

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The Creative Blade We are a fully remote, minority-owned digital media firm without the agency price tag!

We specialize in digital marketing, website creation/management, social media/email marketing campaigns, and graphic design for small and large businesses.

It's rare, but I've fired a client before.Yes, fired. Not "parted ways." Not "transitioned out."Fired.Because they wante...
17/06/2026

It's rare, but I've fired a client before.

Yes, fired. Not "parted ways." Not "transitioned out."

Fired.

Because they wanted everything on demand.

Wanted the moon for a song.

Questioned every decision while having zero expertise.

Years ago, I suffered through it.

"I need the money."

"I can't lose them."

"Maybe it'll get better." (Riiiiiiiiight!)

But here's what experience teaches you...

Bad clients cost more than they pay.

In stress. In quality. In reputation.

Your time is invaluable.

Your peace is non-negotiable.

Choose clients who choose you back.

The right ones are out there.

9:30 PM. Kid's in bed. House is quiet.That's when my second shift starts.Not because I'm a night owl. Heck no.I'd rather...
16/06/2026

9:30 PM. Kid's in bed. House is quiet.

That's when my second shift starts.

Not because I'm a night owl. Heck no.

I'd rather be watching TV with my wife.

But that's when my freelance work happens.

After the emails. After the meetings. After the family time I refuse to sacrifice.

That's when I write. Plan. Build. Design. Schedule.

The stuff nobody sees, but everyone benefits from.

💪🏾 The content drafted while the house sleeps
💪🏾 The client projects moving forward after my 9-5 ends
💪🏾 The freelance business built two hours at a time

Success isn't about being gifted.

It's about what you do when nobody's watching.

When there's no accountability except your promise to yourself.

9:30 to 11 PM without fail.

That's where my side hustle lives.

That's where I thrive.

Hardened by Jaco’s Boxing Gym 🥊Motivated by Michelle Lee Jay Jha and Myzone ❤️Replenished by Siesta Sea Moss & Juices ☺️...
13/06/2026

Hardened by Jaco’s Boxing Gym 🥊

Motivated by Michelle Lee Jay Jha and Myzone ❤️

Replenished by Siesta Sea Moss & Juices ☺️

It’s a great start to the weekend.

My son once yelled at me last year, "Get off technology, dad!" My wife and I were playing a game in his room after a lon...
12/06/2026

My son once yelled at me last year, "Get off technology, dad!"

My wife and I were playing a game in his room after a long work day.

I was on my phone doom scrolling...
..or was it checking work emails...
..or something that completely unnecessary for me to be doing at that time?

I can't even remember.

What was more necessary at that time was my undivided attention to my family.

And I didn't learn my lesson after the first time he said it, honestly.

After several times of my son saying the same thing (and my wife giving me glaring looks), I could see the disappointment in their eyes.

And in this glorious period of my son actually wanting to spend time with me before his hormones get all out of whack with puberty, I refuse to miss the golden hours of his youth.

I resolved to do better.

My solution?

Put my phone away to charge in the other room as soon as 5:30 p.m. hits.

Set my smartwatch down so I don't get alerts.

Focus my energy on spending quality family time.

I try not to pick up my phone or check emails for work until our son goes to bed.

And granted I make the occasional slip-up with this routine, but my son is quick to remind me of the error.

One I'm glad he recognizes and forgives me for.

When you commit to having a work/life balance as a remote professional, you need to realize that your clients can wait.

Your family should never.

How do you separate your work from family time?

The best family businesses have something most companies don't.Trust that's been earned.When you walk into a family-owne...
10/06/2026

The best family businesses have something most companies don't.

Trust that's been earned.

When you walk into a family-owned shop, you feel it. The owner knows your name. They remember your last order. They actually care if you're happy.

That trust isn't scalable in the traditional sense.

But it's POWERFUL.

I try to bring that same energy to my freelance clients:

✅ I remember the details about their families
✅ I follow up even when I don't have to
✅ I see their success as my success

Because here's the thing…

In a world of automated responses and AI chatbots, genuine human attention is rare.

And rare things are valuable.

You don't need a hundred clients.

You need the right clients who trust you completely.

Build that trust. Protect it fiercely.

That's how businesses last.

I've been taking boxing classes for three years now.And no, I'm not training to fight anyone. (Though some days, my inbo...
08/06/2026

I've been taking boxing classes for three years now.

And no, I'm not training to fight anyone. (Though some days, my inbox makes me consider it. 😂)

I started because I needed a physical outlet.

Remote work is great for flexibility. Not so great for releasing stress.

Sitting at a desk all day, staring at screens, dealing with deadlines — that tension builds up. It has to go somewhere.

For me, it goes into the heavy bag.

What I didn't expect was everything else boxing would teach me:

🥊 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. You don't feel like showing up? Show up anyway. Same with content. Same with client work.

🥊 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. My boxing crew has become one of my closest circles. We push each other. We celebrate wins. We show up even when it's hard. That's rare.

🥊 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁. The bag and your coaches don't lie. Neither does your work. You either put in the reps or you don't.

🥊 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Rest days aren't laziness. They're how you come back stronger. Same goes for stepping away from work to recharge.

I'm known as the remote digital marketer around the gym.

But this unexpected hobby has become essential to how I show up — for my clients, my family, and myself.

Find your outlet.

Protect your mental health.

And if punching things helps? Even better. 💪🏾

To some, they’re a cool pair of shoes.To me, they’re a permanent memory.My brothers and I began the process of cleaning ...
05/06/2026

To some, they’re a cool pair of shoes.

To me, they’re a permanent memory.

My brothers and I began the process of cleaning up my dad’s home in Virginia shortly after he passed in April.

I didn’t take much of his belongings, but I wanted to keep at least something tangible of his.

Enter the Under Armour Curry x Bruce Lee Basketball Shoes. 🐉

My brothers and I bought these shoes for him a few years ago for his birthday.

Seeing as our dad was a fan of basketball, Bruce Lee, and physical fitness, getting these for him was a no-brainer.

And yet, when he got them, he immediately called me and said, “How much did you spend for these?!?”

I told him.

He choked over the phone and chastised me, “Why are you spending so much money?!?”

A week later, I received a check, reimbursing me for the shoes that I gave him for his birthday. 😂

I told him he didn’t have to do that, but he insisted and said I should save that money for my family.

That’s the kind of guy he was - humble and always thinking of the family first before his own needs.

I wear these now in his honor.

They’re one of the few physical pieces of my dad I will treasure and keep.

If you ever see me wearing these, know I do so to honor him and his legacy.

If you see them, remember to honor those you love and put them first. Always.

They’re the ones who will have your back and are comfortable enough to let you shine.

Rest in peace, dad.

I've worked remotely for almost six years now, three of which at Sentara.And I've built some of the strongest profession...
05/06/2026

I've worked remotely for almost six years now, three of which at Sentara.

And I've built some of the strongest professional relationships of my career without ever meeting people in person.

How?

Intentionality.

When you're in an office, connection happens by accident. The hallway chat. The lunch run. The random conversation by the coffee machine.

Remote work doesn't have that luxury.

So you have to CREATE those moments:

✅ Start meetings with actual conversation, not just agendas (as my supervisor does without fail)
✅ Remember details about people's lives and follow up
✅ Reach out when you DON'T need something (I found out one of my workmates is a film and anime buff like me and I'll ping him once in a while to chat about what's new)

The people I work with at Sentara feel like teammates, not strangers on a screen.

That didn't happen by accident.

It happened because we made it a priority.

Remote work can be isolating.

Or it can be deeply connected.

The difference is you.

[ Check out my professional headshot taken by the expert photo/video team when I was actually in the Virginia Beach office two years ago ]

One of the best business lessons I've learned didn't come from a book.They came from my family.From my wife: Partnership...
03/06/2026

One of the best business lessons I've learned didn't come from a book.

They came from my family.

From my wife: Partnership means showing up even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.

From my son: Patience isn't optional. Growth takes time. Celebrate the small wins. (And don't forget to have fun in the process!)

From watching my parents: Hard work matters, but so does knowing when to rest.

Running a side hustle while raising a family forces you to get clear on what matters.

You can't do everything.

You can't be everywhere.

You have to choose.

And your choices reveal your real priorities.

I choose to be present for my kid's activities. (My son will remind me sometimes "Get off technology, dad!")

I choose to protect my family time (i.e., no phones or emails during 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.)

I choose to build something that serves my life, not the other way around.

Business advice is everywhere. Take it all in with a grain of salt.

But wisdom? That comes from the people closest to you.

Prioritize them.

Remote work gave me freedom.It also gave me loneliness.Rarely does anyone talk about that part.When I first started work...
02/06/2026

Remote work gave me freedom.

It also gave me loneliness.

Rarely does anyone talk about that part.

When I first started working from home full-time, I loved it.

No commute.

Flexible schedule.

More time with my family.

But somewhere along the way, I realized I hadn't talked to another adult outside my household in days.

The isolation crept in slowly.

Here's what helped me break out of it:

🧡 Scheduled virtual quarterly meetups with colleagues
🧡 Joining communities outside of my job (like my amazing boxing peeps pictured here)
🧡 Getting out of the house, even just to work from a coffee shop
🧡 Finding hobbies like obstacle course racing (OCR) training for future events

Remote work is great power.

But like the Spider-Man saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility."

You have a responsibility to protect your mental health.

You have a responsibility to seek connection.

You have a responsibility to be intentional.

The freedom isn't worth it if you're miserable.

Take care of yourself.

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