We've been featured in SHOUTOUT LA!

Meet Jordan Proietti | President and CEO of Mantis Media September 5, 2023

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Proietti and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, what role has risk played in your life or career? I personally think choosing to take risks is the hardest and most important thing you can do in life. The way you view risks shows how much potential you have to be a success. I think risks and decision making go hand. I’m not saying a was a dare-devil or risky guy growing up. I was and am mostly the guy playing it safe. What I mean is, understanding what you want, waiting for the right time and weighing out the consequences/reward. Three important steps to take to always win: 1.) Learn as much as you can before you take a risk 2.) Don’t overthink! Take the leap before you convince yourself not to. 3.) Stick with It, Even If You’re Faking It: Seriously, keep at it and act confident, even if you’re not 100% sure.

Making the decision to start my own business felt like a huge risk for me at the time. I had just finished college and got a job where I had interned during my last semester. It was a job in my field and I had left my college job to be there. I had always wanted to be self employed and there was no doubt in my mind it is the best way to live. The people around me whose opinions I respected wanted me to take a few years to learn the professional world before going off on my own. I was only about 22 or 23 years old in the competitive field of photography and design. I decided to take the leap and it has been a success. Fast forward five years, and here I am, running a business that I’m loving every minute of – well, almost every minute. And you know what’s even crazier? I’m in the process of buying another business too. Turns out, the more risks you take and actually follow through on, the more you start believing in yourself and making even bigger moves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more? My first love was in photography. I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was young and only thought about making it into a career late into high school (I originally wanted to be a biologist.) Once I realized being in a lab all day wasn’t for me, I turned my commercial photography business into a boutique marketing agency called Mantis Media. I work with clients large and small and offer white label services for other agencies as well. I’m happy to be at a place where I know what services I’m comfortable offering and don’t have to take jobs I don’t want. In the creative field, I think what I love the most is how different each day is. I get to meet so many different people and learn about all kinds of businesses and the variety keeps me interested. One day I might be planning a styled fashion shoot and the next I might be driving across states to a manufacturing plant. The biggest thing I learned to be successful is to just be easy to work with. Communicate very well and be confident. Make things fun and easy for your clients; don’t just wait for them to tell you what they want. They’re not hiring a robot. In the next few years I’m excited to grow and see what Mantis Media becomes as we take on more clients and grow the team! Above all, I strive to be more and more creative each year and produce work for both the business as well as my personal brand.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to? I always choose my favorite spots based on if it’s photo worthy. I would highly recommend the Venice Canals vs the beach. It’s less crowded, there might be some vintage looking trucks parked by the sidewalk and you’re not far from Abbott Kinney Blvd to grab some coffee at Alfred’s or lunch at Lemonade Restuarant. It’s hard to pick a favorite spot because it depends on what you’re in the mood for but if it was up to me we’d grab an old fashioned at Whiskey Red’s in Marina Del Rey, get some fettuccini at La Dolce Vita in La Jolla, visit El Matador beach and finally eat leftovers while watching the sunset at Broad Beach in Malibu.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout? I have so many people to thank and shout out to for helping me become who I am today and for helping me reach my goals so far. However, I would like to give a special shoutout to my parents for always being there when I needed them and for being a part of this journey with me.

Website: http://mantismediarochester.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanproietti/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanproietti/ Twitter: @jordanproietti Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mantismediarochester/ Youtube: @jordanproietti Image Credits All images taken by Jordan Proietti. Models as follows: Christina Mathew Andrew Stepien Rebecca Lee Manon Mathews Ryan Winn Tammy Kayly Anna Kostakis Nandi Summers