We are excited to bring you another Meet The Crew blog on fellow entrepreneur, Jesse Beam. Jesse is owner of J Beam Designs, where he works “as a freelance graphic artist, builds signage, creates logos, and brings his client’s ideas to life through a number of different avenues and medias.” We are stoked Jesse has a space in our shop and his talents are so close. In every job that we do we utilize Jesse’s skills to bring our ideas to life, he is an imperative part of our team. Take a read below to learn more about the legend, Jesse Beam.
I’m a husband, father, and dad of 2 beautiful girls ages 7 and 3. I’m a skateboarder at heart, I love to build and create tangible stuff. I mountain bike whenever I can. We travel and camp a lot as a family. Family is a a big part of our life so whatever we are able to do together we try and make that happen. Long Beach, NY I call my second home so that culture and place has had a big influence on my life as well as some of my family lives there.
How did J Beam Designs get started?
The plan for J Beam Design & Craft was not really thought out. I was working at a larger format print house here in Portland for about a year and although I met some great people and connections there I really wasn’t that happy. My wife is flexible with her job so we were able to start small and slowly build business while raising our girls. I never thought I’d like to own my own business but right now I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
How did you begin to collaborate with SHELTER?
I met Todd when he was a student at Oregon State University and I was working there at the in-house sign shop on campus. We worked on a couple projects together and have stayed in touch ever since. I feel like we both kind of started our own thing at about the same time. Now we’re here together under the same roof. Love how stuff like that works out!
Where does your inspiration develop from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from skateboarding and a lot falls under that umbrella. When I was a kid skateboarding we were on the street a lot videoing, taking photos, listening to music, building ramps and stuff to skate on. We were around a lot of street art and were inspired by our natural environment and the architecture we skated on. Me and my friends shared so many of these experiences together traveling to different places and skating, so community is a big inspiration as well. Skating, music, architecture, street art, travel, community. Those things inspire me.
I love that Shelter combines so many of the aspects the keep me inspired. Community, hard work, surfing, skating. It’s been such a smooth transition, like coming home.
Hopefully the current style of hip hop. I love hip hop but this new stuff’s got to go!
Spain and Italy for me and my wife’s 10th anniversary, and a 3 day bike packing trip I did with some friends this summer. 90 miles, 8000 ft elevation gain, one of the most physically demanding things I’ve ever done. I think I slept for 2 solid days when we got back.
I say 2 because they were 2 very different trips, one relaxing, one not at all, both killer times.
If you were arrested without any explanation what would your family and friends think you had done?
I mostly make signage for my job, when people get a new sign, 99% of the time they’re really happy. I get to make stuff people are happy about and serves a purpose and I’m always meeting new people. I get to build stuff for a living, it’s rad. I’m very thankful to be in the place I am.