Meet Josh Kruger | Creative Director / Founder – Blk. Valley

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

Hi Josh, what principle do you value most?
Tenacity. If you don’t quit then you can’t fail (broadly speaking). Set backs are inevitable. Losses are absolutely going to happen. If you keep moving forward, with lessons learned, then you’re always making progress. It’s the one trait, regardless of profession, that every single successful person I’ve met shares. There’s a myth that most people who achieve ‘big things’ are exceptional. They aren’t. They just don’t quit.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
“Your work sucks.” It was the shortest critique of my life. I’d spent months, before finishing my undergrad, ‘shopping my book around’ – industry speak for showing your portfolio of spec ads to Creative Directors – trying to get an internship. Out of the 200 plus Creative Directors I reached out to, only one agreed to see me. Our meeting lasted about 45 seconds. Looking back, he was right. My work did suck. “You need to go to a portfolio school” he said bluntly. I didn’t even know those were a thing. There’s a deep irony to advertising. A lot of very talented people spend a lot of time creating something most people try and avoid. There’s also an irony to how hard it is to break into the industry. A week after graduation; me, my wife, and our daughter moved into a tiny apartment in NYC. I mean tiny. Like 240 sq. feet. You could touch the stove while sitting on the toilet. To pay for the move we sold everything we owned, car included. A week after that, I was attending portfolio school. Class in the morning. Bartending at night. It was a grind. But I was there. Learning how to push past first ideas and one offs. Learning how to build strategies and brand positions. Being taught what separates good work from great work, by some of the minds that put Nike and Old Spice on the map. Fast forward a decade and I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the biggest brands in the world. After moving to Cleveland, I even got to take my family back to NYC to check out a campaign running in Times Square. With a swell of pride, I pointed to the giant video boards running my creative. I looked at my daughter and said “I did that. What do you think?” She quickly glanced up, then back down and said “Cool. Do you think the Hello Kitty store’s still open?” The irony never ends.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Let me just say, as a transplant to CLE, I love this town. Easily one of the most underrated cities in the country. I’ve convinced a ton of friends and family to visit. University Circle is a must do. Hit up the art museum, check out the country pavilions on MLK, and grab some noodles at Otani. If you can find parking, Little Italy is a blast. Grab some cheap drinks at the Tavern (of Little Italy), get a slice at Mamma Santa’s, and finish it off with some gelato at Rosso’s. Tremont’s my spot for seriously good eats and cocktails. Corner 11, Dante, and Le Petit Triangle for the eats. Literary Tavern, Prosperity, and Cloak & Dagger for the drinks. During hockey season it’s a pregame on 4th, anywhere is good, and post-game with a pile of wings at Harry Buffalo. Gotta have wings. If it’s summertime you can’t beat a drive through Rocky River Reservation. Close out the day with a pizza from Angelo’s in Lakewood. And obviously Melt for some Hangover fries. Nuff said.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
McDonald ‘Mac’ Predelus. He was a one of my first instructors at MAS. A true mentor and a friend for the last decade. He always helped me push my work further.

Website: https://blkvlly.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-kruger-21050234/