Meet Jonathan Dillon | Chief Creative Officer at One5 Creative

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

Hi Jonathan, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In Januaray of this year, the entire in-house ad agency was dissolved from Nestlé. We had SO many talented people and were creating such amazing work that I didn’t want that to go to waste. So, I decided to leverage the connections we had made over the years and the award-winning work and start a new agency, free of the corporate structure. The goal has been to attract new brands and companies while leveraging the enormous talent we had at Nestlé and build something new. It has been a lot of work to get up and going but I’m excited about the potential it brings and the opportunities to continue working with so many talented people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve had a diverse range of experiences, but I always knew I wanted to craft stories that inspire people worldwide. I grew up in Overland Park, Kansas (a suburb outside of KC), and started making videos with my friends in high school. This was pre-youtube and TikTok, so not many people saw them, but we had a blast doing it. I then went to college at USC’s film school (after three years of applying) and moved to LA to pursue filmmaking. One of my most significant accomplishments early on was taking a risk on myself and producing and directing my first feature at age 23. I learned SO much from that experience, even more on the side of starting a business and raising money and everything that goes into the near-impossible feat of shooting a feature. From prep to selling the film, it took over three years. I went on to win some awards and got a decent distribution deal, but then that was it.
I then did various jobs in production and post-production while out in LA. Everything from being a production assistant to directing commercial work to editing low-budget indies. I’ve gotten to work with some pretty big-name talent and even alongside an Oscar-nominated editor. LA is a hustle, always searching for that next job, but it also makes you very resilient and understand that things don’t happen overnight. Anyone that thinks you wake up one day and you’ve suddenly made it, you’re going to be disappointed.
I had the dad of a close friend of mine who once said, “Success takes seven years.” I would add, “… or longer.” From various ventures I’ve tried to get off the ground to ups and downs in my own career, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that determination and consistency are a hard combo to beat.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh, great question. There are so many different and exciting places in the greater Cleveland area that I constantly have friends who still introduce me to new spots all the time. Some must-visit places for me are Tremont, get some sushi at Ginkos, and maybe hop around to a few different bars/nightlife places. Hit downtown for a Monster’s hockey game (if they are in season), possibly check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which everyone should experience at least once, and check out the beach at Edgewater.
Also, I’m a big fan of Ohio City and its different game places, such as Forest City Shuffleboard and Tabletop Cafe. Plus, you are right by Market Garden Brewery for a beer!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
They say that many opportunities come from people you know and the connections you make. So, I have to start there.

First and foremost, to those who gave me the opportunity at Nestlé with a team starting at the ground level. I learned so much and grew tremendously under them and literally wouldn’t be here right now without them.

Secondly, to the team I had the opportunity to lead for nearly 5 years. If it wasn’t for their incredible talents and even more so, being genuinely kind and enjoyable people to work with, I wouldn’t have been as driven and passionate about starting this business. And also specifically to a few of the team members who helped get One5 launched. They helped with the site, our logo, design, reel, and many other pieces to launch the company.

Also, to my business partner Chris Wedding whom I have known for over 20 years now. He comes with the background of running a commercial agency in LA and has pushed to elevate the company in a variety of ways I hadn’t thought of before.

Website: https://www.one5creative.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one5creative/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/one5creative

Image Credits
Chris Wedding, Amber Wilburn, Jonathan Dillon