“Creatives are my people and the fact that there’s such a strong creative entrepreneurial community makes me feel right at home.”
Justine is one of the first people I met after landing in the suburbs and I was immediately struck by her openness, willingness to listen and a natural penchant for dispensing practical advice. Thus I was not shocked when I discovered these skills are also an integral component of her chosen profession as a creative business coach. I’ve worked with and around creatives for years and was curious to chat with Justine about her work with creatives and freelancers and learn a bit more about how she helps her clients tap into their entrepreneurial side and grow their business.
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Name: Justine Clay
Place of birth: Luton, UK
Places lived: London and NYC
Current city: South Orange, NJ
Occupation: Creative Business Coach
Afield: Can you talk a bit about your background and how you ended up in South Orange?
Justine Clay: I’m originally from the UK and prior to living in South Orange, lived and worked in New York for almost 20 years. I LOVED New York - the creativity, people, and overall vibe were so energizing to me. I worked in the creative industry as a rep for independent creatives and that often felt glamorous and fun. My path out to the suburbs is a well-worn one…after four years of valiantly trying to blend parenting with a NYC lifestyle, my husband and I came to the conclusion that schlepping a kid and all their crap all over town and up a four-floor walkup was wearing thin. We decided to move out of the city and South Orange was one of the first towns we visited. We loved it right away.
A: How did your work change when transitioning from New York to the suburbs? What were some of the challenges?
JC: The biggest change was giving up my office on Chrystie Street on the Lower East Side (fun fact: 105 Chrystie Street was featured in the New York Magazine Approval Matrix as the most creative building in NYC!). It was an absolute dump of a building, but was literally chock full of interesting, fun, and friendly creative entrepreneurs. I was in heaven there. I thrive off the energy of other people and was a bit nervous that I’d lose my mojo once confined to a home office in the suburbs, but the timing worked out well. I got pregnant with our second kid a few months after we moved here and the flexibility of working from home while building my business and growing a family really helped me keep all the plates spinning without running myself ragged in the process.
Afield Guide
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Afield Guide 〰️
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Nature, NYC, fashion, people who are doing interesting and creative things, big beautiful books like The Kinfolk Entrepreneur
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Walking with friends, swimming, cooking and eating with friends, being by any large body of water
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Locally, the South Mountain Reservation
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Essentialism by Greg McKeown and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Chani Nicholas astrology app
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Turtleback Zoo and paddle boats/pirate ship park
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Donegal, Northern Ireland
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I love beautiful things but am pretty agnostic about the designer behind them. What brings me joy could just as easily be a handmade ceramic piece or pair of Chloe shoes I know I’ll have forever.
A: I understand a large part of your work as a business coach is to help creatives become more business-minded and therefore more profitable. Who is your typical client?
JC: My clients are established creative entrepreneurs who are either looking to start a creative business or re-position or grow their current business. From branding and design experts, to copywriters and illustrators, what all of them have in common is they’re looking to build a business that is smart, streamlined, profitable, and provides them with the creative freedom and fulfillment they want.
A: How has your work changed since the pandemic with so many reconsidering their careers or working from home?
JC: In some respects, creative freelancers and entrepreneurs are used to uncertainty so I haven’t seen a major change overall. What I did notice was for the first few months of the pandemic people were kind of caught in the headlights and nervous about investing in their businesses when everything felt so unstable. During that time my strategy was to just be there for them and host a whole bunch of free webinars to help people navigate uncertain times. At this point in my own career and business, I’ve ridden out three recessions and have faith everyone will be OK if we just keep our heads. As people started to realize the situation was going to be longer term, they started to appreciate that investing in themselves would not only help in this current situation, but would also provide them with the tools to navigate future challenges. Creatives are a courageous and resilient bunch!
A:What do you love about living in SOMA?
JC: Creatives are my people and the fact that there’s such a strong creative entrepreneurial community makes me feel right at home. I love that so many of them are women too (Amy from Maplewood Mercantile, Mika from A Paper Hat, Marichelle of Meus, Jackie of Jackie & Son, and Blake of Baker Street Yoga to name just a few)
A: And what do you think could be better?
JC: As much as working from home suits this season in my life, I do miss the energy of being around other entrepreneurs and creatives. I’d love a space for all the creators, makers, and entrepreneurs to come together and learn, connect, collaborate, have a coffee or drink, and co-work. In my fantasy world, I would also LOVE a year-round outdoor pool. The community outdoor pool is my happy place for two months of the year – I’d love to extend that bliss to all year.
Justine Clay is a creative business coach and mother of two boys living and working in South Orange, New Jersey.
