Your story is the one you tell yourself
Timothy Morrisette is the founder of OpenBox Branding, a design and branding agency that helps other small businesses succeed. To see more of his work, visit OpenBox Branding on Instagram or check out the OpenBox Branding website.
How it all got started
Frustration is pretty much the worst feeling, but it’s a powerful motivator. Tim took the first step towards creating OpenBox branding when he accepted a promotion at work. “I had always been under the impression that a 9–5 job that paid well was the highest I was going to go, and that’s all I ever wanted to strive for. I was complacent.”
He quickly learned that this “promotion” was to a job he absolutely hated. His new job was to read through hundreds of pages of PDFs and match transactions to records. For a creative people-person like Tim, it was absolutely mind-numbing. “I ended up working on the Court Cost Audit process (sounds fun, right?) and literally no one on my team of 20 talked to each other.”
Because he hated his job, Tim started looking for something else.
I started watching mad amounts of content on YouTube about ways to make money online (we’ve all been there, okay?) and naturally, Gary Vaynerchuck popped up and started yelling at me about how I want to take the easy road and the only road worth taking was the long-term hard road. … I had never heard this idea that you can create your own destiny and your success is 100% based on the effort that you put into getting there.
I started my first business shortly after at the end of 2016, creating fast gaming PCs for enthusiasts and gamers, at cheaper prices than the big box retailers. I launched my store, it was successful right out the gate, and I have been on my entrepreneurial journey ever since.
Becoming OpenBox Branding
Tim still builds computers, but his main business is OpenBox Branding, a design and branding agency.
I got into this business because I was so excited about my gaming PC company and doing the branding and site design for that — I just had to do another one. While I was in the middle of setting up a website for one of my colleagues, it clicked — I enjoy pushing people to do what they want to do and create their own destiny.
OpenBox branding helps other entrepreneurs and small businesses tell their stories through branding, including photography, video, and thoughtfully designed logos and websites. “I love to help people think differently and see something from a new perspective. The world is constantly changing, and if you are not open to change you will inevitably fail.”
Biggest challenge as an entrepreneur
The biggest challenge, Tim says, has been making time. Building a business and learning as you go is hard — and it’s even harder when you’ve got a full-time job and a family with two kids. He gets through it by staying passionate about his business and finding ways to save energy in other areas. For example, remember that job he hated (the one that spurred him into entrepreneurship in the first place)? He quit and found another day job that energized him rather than drained him.
Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
Just do it. If you want something, and you don’t put the time into doing it … you don’t want it that bad.
Why Azlo?
I love technology, and cutting edge-anything is exactly where I want to be. Sometimes I share apps (like Azlo!) with my business friends that had no idea things like that even existed.
