Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Askew and Krista Johnson.
Luminary 2 is led by co-founders Nick Askew and Krista Johnson. Nick and Krista often laugh at the L2 origin story, because it felt somewhat like a totally-platonic-businessy-blind-date.
Nick was working as a Digital Director for a large automotive group, and Krista was working as a Creative Director for an automotive corporation. Nick’s CEO and Krista’s CEO were friends and often mentioned the pair should work together. Finally the meeting was arranged, and Nick and Krista hit it off. In the coming months, they partnered together on a few projects for their employers and realized they each had skill sets and strengths the other didn’t have. Their unique individual experiences added a depth that was invaluable to the partnership. As different as they were, they also seemed to have similarities in areas that mattered most: how they saw the world, how they valued their employees, and how they treated their clients.
Over several months, Nick and Krista had conversations about their individual goals to eventually start their own business. A significant part of those conversations were about the risk involved and how it made them anxious to leave jobs where they were well-compensated and guaranteed future growth. Finally, they both agreed: after years of contributing wholeheartedly to others’ vision and mission, it was time to leverage everything they’d learned and leap. With their leaders’ support, Nick and Krista left their roles to embark on a new journey. And that’s where Luminary 2 began.
Today Luminary 2 is a Dallas-based creative and marketing agency made of bold creatives and innovative strategists. Using a unique approach that blends art and science, Luminary 2 delivers custom strategies and advanced products that lead to powerful and profitable brands.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Remember those differences we mentioned earlier? Anytime you bring two people together with different backgrounds, experiences, skill sets, and strengths…there is going to be conflict. Although conflict is generally viewed as negative, for us it just further reinforces our commitment to company goals. It shows we are passionate about coming up with the best answer or solution.
Leaning into conflict and staying curious has led to positive change and growth for us as individuals, business partners, and for the company. Over the last two years, we’ve learned to stay curious with each other. To ask why the other sees the situation in that way, why the other thinks that is the best plan of action, etc. We have learned to say “I think we see this differently, and that’s okay.”
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Luminary 2 story. Tell us more about the business.
Luminary 2 is a Dallas-based creative and marketing agency. We specialize in helping our clients establish impactful brands, we assist them in strategically applying their brands digitally, and we put their brands to work through innovative and advanced digital marketing products. We use creative thinking and unprecedented processes to solve complex problems for our clients.
With our clients at the center of our universe and a relentless pursuit of growth, we strive to be strategy-shapers, bar-raisers, idea-makers, and world-changers.
We are proud that we had the courage to take the initial risk. We are proud of our continued tenacity and drive to build a corporation that adds real value and will exist for years to come. We are proud of the culture we’ve built.
Our values are alive and thriving, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead a talented and engaged team who is dedicated to exceeding the expectations of our clients.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We feel the same scientific laws that rule the universe rule us as well. Newton’s Third Law says: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. We believe in cause and effect.
We’ve learned in our personal lives and in business, our preparation, commitment, and perseverance have led us here. We take risks, make mistakes, fall down, and get back up. But we put ourselves out there, so maybe that’s what gives us more opportunities for “good luck”.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are excited to continue to innovate by developing deeper solutions for highly competitive verticals. Solutions that push boundaries and help our clients exceed their business goals. Look for a big digital product release early 2020!
Contact Info:
- Address: 7800 N. Stemmons Fwy Suite #1100 Dallas, TX 75247
- Website: www.luminary2.com
- Phone: 833.282.5404
- Email: hello@luminary2.com
- Instagram: theluminary2
- Facebook: theluminary2
Image Credit:
Danni Maibum
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