Here’s how it all began.

Hey You Media is owned and operated by me, Nicholas Johnson - a lot of my friends call me Nick and have for decades but over the last few years I’ve tried to encourage “Nicholas.” Why? Well, it used to be that the only time I heard “Nicholas” was when I was in trouble - so my logic is if I encourage people to call me "Nicholas" in general, I'll remove that shifling fear that often hits me when I hear it. Well, and it'll make my parents happy. 

In 2008 I was let go from a boutique ad agency in Victoria. I was dressed up like a chipmunk at the time (don’t be too perplexed, it was a Wednesday after all... and Halloween). The agency shuttered, along with a lot of other companies during that fiscally frustrating time period.

I knew that I could still do what I was good at, and succeed: deliver design and multimedia skills to help businesses, non-profits and people get the attention they deserved. I wanted to keep helping others tell their story.

So, a few months later I officially launched Hey You Media.

Initially it was just me, a computer, and a camera, but along the way I have partnered with a lot of great companies, freelancers, and creative people to get the job done.

Through my graphic design and digital media work I’ve been able to work with companies all around the world - from radio stations to governments and from homeless outreach programs to tech startups. It’s also been a pleasure to work on personal projects for people: from graphic design for wedding invitations to application booklets for prospective adopting parents. I've loved supporting other creatives share their work too: album art for musicians (including a piece that won an award for best album art in Canada!) and book covers for authors.

My video work took me to Uganda, Kenya, Haiti and Mexico as I worked with a number of NGOs promoting their work around clean water projects. While I’ve hung up my camera, I still collaborate with local shooters to get jobs done for clients - as I very much still love the editing chair and telling a story in the video medium.

It’s been over a decade but I’m still enjoying every second of helping people get the attention they deserve through creative and strategic graphic design and marketing work.

Got a question? Connect with me here and find out how I can help you tell your story.