Everyone loves a good behind the scenes story. Especially one where the hero seems to fumble through life until they find their calling. This is the story of how a chance meeting at a jukebox became the start of the greatest web design agency (ok well, someday…)
Jennifer Pike had spent over a decade as a marketing and events manager in Los Angeles before she returned to school to become a web developer. Though the career change was a good one, there was still something missing. So, “eat, pray, love” style, she quit her job and her life in Los Angeles. She sold her car, sublet her apartment, and bought a plane ticket to a city 5000 miles away.
Travel, Pub, Love
Landing in London, Jennifer found a place to stay through Airbnb. She rented a room in East London from an odd girl from New Zealand. A couple of weeks passed and she became friendly with some of the neighbors.
On one of their birthdays, they headed out to celebrate in the trendy Shoreditch, East London. They made their way through a few bars and eventually settled in at a truly authentic English pub. While there, they met a friendly couple who were playing rock music on the pub’s jukebox. The group ended up drinking pints and belting out rock tunes together until the pub closed.
It turned out that the couple owned a pub with a jukebox in East London as well. A few nights later, Jennifer went to visit them. It was at this pub, at another jukebox, that Jennifer met Ben. The two hit it off immediately and as they say, the rest was history. Jennifer and Ben were married just 8 months later.
With geography and love-life settled, it was time for Jennifer to start thinking about her career again.
Under a British Sky (Diane Lane already has Tuscany 😉 )
In late 2014, Ben was handling settlements for a large investment firm while Jennifer was building websites for the online entertainment arm of Sainsbury’s. Disillusioned by working in corporate environments, they dreamed of starting a small business of their own. They hoped to do something more meaningful; something they were passionate about.
At the same time, both had become obsessed with the upcycled furniture, sustainable products, and shopping local revolution. Ben had been making items for their home out of reclaimed wood and had found his passion lied there. So, the pair got to talking. As both were known to take the occasional risk, they decided to leave their respective jobs and form their own home-furnishing company. (What could go wrong?)
The company was called JK Pike and, while it was mostly an online store, it did boast a pop-up shop in Shoreditch. Some products were created in-house, the rest were sourced from local artisans. The artisans were excellent in their craft but had no real knowledge of how to market or sell their products. It was the perfect partnership. In this way, JK Pike connected the local vendors to purchasers through the website and digital marketing. Ben curated the pieces and Jennifer built the eCommerce website from scratch and handled the marketing. The business was a success… for a while.
Ben and Jennifer became part of the London small business community. From accounting to employee relations to postal logistics, they learned the ins and outs of what it takes to run a business. Much of it was good, however, some of it, not so much. In the end, a retail business, even online, meant a lot more sacrifice than the team was willing to make. It was time, again, to make a change.
The Big Pivot
Scrapping the retail side to JK Pike, the duo realized they could still help business owners reach their audience online. With first-hand knowledge of the pains a business goes through they could offer customized solutions. Drawing from their own experiences as business owners, they provide a unique perspective and approach to their clients’ needs.
Like the mythical story of the phoenix, out of the ashes of JK Pike, came Phoenix Road Creative.
Phoenix Road Creative genuinely strives to be the greatest web design agency we can for our clients. Our team is passionate about our work and takes the time to carefully research your business, industry, and target audience. By understanding your brand ethos, vision, mission, and values, we are able to create design solutions that are tailored to your specific needs. You can expect quality work from a team that functions as an extension of your own and creative solutions to every problem.
These days, Jennifer leads the team which is comprised of highly skilled women in tech. However, Ben remains a supportive presence and can often be found making appearances to celebrate successes with a pint of beer at the local pub.
…and if you now have the theme song to The Greatest American Hero ringing in your head, you’re welcome. 😉
