Black History Month: Curator of The Week - Justin Barnette

23 Feb 2022

This week, we are joined by Justin Barnette, Strategist for TBWA/CHIAT/DAY and host/producer of the ADcademics Podcast. His experience navigating different avenues has led him to his amazing journey from being an independent artist to podcast host.

How did you get started in advertising? What's been your career road map?
My “professional” career started in 2019 with an internship at RPA. But, I was working in advertising long before I even knew what advertising work was. Early on in my career, I spent years as an independent artist in the music industry. As an independent artist, you’re kinda forced to be resourceful, and that means wearing many hats. So in addition to creating the music, I was also spearheading 360 campaigns around albums and singles in both the digital and physical spaces.

I left music to start my own business in the fashion industry. I was able to take all of those branding and marketing lessons I learned in music, and build on those while operating a small business, which I feel like has ultimately given me a unique perspective that has been really beneficial in my advertising career so far.
What has been an important, perhaps the most important, lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
Coming from an entrepreneurial background, I love being as efficient as possible with my time. So the most important lesson I’ve learned is to always have a goal in mind and a roadmap in place for how to reach that destination. It helps you tune out the noise, distractions, and confusion of navigating situations and ultimately helps you achieve your goal sooner.
What inspires your creativity? What is your creative process like?
I’ve always been full of curiosity. I love being exposed to new things like traveling, facing fears, meeting new people, watching things that I don’t think I’d be interested in, and just always looking to learn and grow. I feel like creative ideas usually come from building on an already existing idea, or combining two or more separate ideas into one. So, the more you’re exposed to in life, the more creative inspiration you have to draw from.
If you could go back in time, what would you have told your younger self?
First, I would say “BUY LOTS OF BITCOIN!” Second, I would make sure to encourage my younger self to understand that my journey is not everyone else’s. When I decided to pursue corporate advertising I struggled a lot with imposter syndrome and just feeling like an outsider. That caused me to code switch a lot and also affected my confidence in my perspectives. But what I’ve come to realize is my unique and non-traditional background are actually my super powers, so I would encourage my younger self to see that and actually lean more into being my true self in uncomfortable situations.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve read or seen this week?
My wife and I just binge watched “Roman Empire: Reign of Blood” on Netflix. It’s very interesting noticing the parallels between Ancient Roman History and U.S. History. Lots of things that I thought were unique to the United States are actually political, economic, and societal philosophies and tactics that the Romans used to rule their powerful empire many many years ago. It seems like the U.S. has been built on the Roman Empire playbook in lots of ways.
Any closing thoughts you want to share with the ThinkLA Members?
Yes! I host and produce a podcast called ADcademics, which aims to help students, BIPOC, and entry-level talent navigate their career in the advertising, marketing, and public relations fields. Guests include professionals from all over the industries discussing their backgrounds and careers, while also offering useful advice to listeners. You can check it out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or SoundCloud. I’m always looking for guests, so if you’re invested please reach out.

Want to know where you can follow Justin on social media?

IG: @justnbarnette
Twitter: @justnbarnette