John C. Williams’ Baton Rouge marketing agency sees client success as their success.

I love meeting people in different industries, learning about their unique gifts and challenges, and bringing my company’s skill set and experience to their team,” says JCW Creative CEO and Strategist John C. Williams. “Everyone has a story, and finding a way to tell those stories in a compelling way to help clients meet their goals is really satisfying.”

JCW Creative is a ten-year-old, full-service marketing agency based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The agency serves small and medium-sized businesses who need outside strategic marketing expertise to reach their goals.

Williams says that he’s been creating content and helping others with marketing needs since he was 13 years old, when friends, family, local businesses, and even the school he attended in his hometown of Memphis, Tenn. noticed his talent for film, photography, and web design. “I started getting asked by my school to film sports games and create highlight videos, and I even created a capital campaign video.”

People around him continued to notice Williams’ talent for creative work when he moved down to Baton Rouge, La. to attend LSU and serve as a student videographer for the LSU football team. “I started getting asked by different people through the football team to produce content, and people talked, and the referrals just kept coming in,” explains Williams. “I had so many projects that I decided to start JCW Creative during my sophomore year at LSU. I bought my first building for the company while I was still in college, and we have grown from there.” Ten years later, JCW Creative has 22 employees and recently tripled its original office space by moving into a 6,300 square foot building.

Williams says that a growth mindset is built into JCW Creative’s company culture. “We know that in our business, we have to constantly learn, pursue personal and professional growth, and keep up with current solutions for our clients. We are a growth mindset company in everything we do because that’s what needs to be in place so that we can do what we say we’re going to do, follow the plan, and execute.” Williams says that growth has been a major goal, achievement, and challenge for his company over the years. “Managing growth wisely and balancing new business with the growth of my team is always my priority,” he explained.

While encouraging growth as a team is important at JCW Creative, so is making sure they put a little fun and friendly competition on the company calendar. “Every couple of weeks we have team lunches, and every four to six weeks we try to sit back, see each other as human beings, and go do something fun together. We will plan things like a Field Day with winning teams getting a day of paid time off.”

Williams says that annual retreats to places like Destin and Chattanooga are also established traditions at JCW Creative. In 2021, the agency was named one of the top five “Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge” by the Baton Rouge Business Report.

Williams says that he has worked with LUBA from the early days of JCW Creative, when his insurance agent recommended LUBA as a workers’ comp provider whose values and service would align well with what he needed. “LUBA wasn’t about checking a box. It was about a company that would actually be hands-on and help us be the best we could be.”

“The safety, security and health of our team is of utmost importance. I want to make sure that I have all the tools needed in order to make sure my team is safe, and that we’re protected if something happens. Working with LUBA has been a great experience from Day 1.”

LUBA has helped JCW Creative with everything from auditing their safety manual to handling individual use cases for drone pilots and photographers going out to various locations for clients. “They make sure that we are thinking about what we need to think about to keep people safe,” says Williams.

“The neat thing for me as a marketer is that the people I work with have their own talents and gifts, and I have my own set of talents and gifts that I bring to their team to help them be successful. I see LUBA as a valuable part of my own company’s team, just like I hope I am for my clients. In the end, we win together and are successful together.”