Julian Knight, our Creative Director, tragically passed away on December 22nd, 2022.
On the week of the one year anniversary of his death, our team honors his life and legacy, by launching this website, his last passion project. Julian was a leader our agency and helped build this agency to where we are today. We would like to honor him and the incredible work that he did for Oh Hello. Here are some kind words from our CEO and close friend of Julian, Natalie Micale.
About 3 years ago, I met Julian Knight after scouring the internet for a new Creative Director I could bring on to help grow the agency. I’ll never forget his first interview because it was, well, unforgettable, much like him. He told me he’d worked in agencies his entire life, and that being a bit older in his 50’s, he was ready for a new challenge. He wanted to build his own department and take a crack at building up a startup agency into a bigger one. I interviewed him for about 30 minutes (his portfolio was amazing) and before he let me get off the phone, I’ll never forget what he said,
Stop interviewing other people and just hire me now and let’s try it out. I can do sales, I’ve got the creative chops and I’m the right man for the job.”
I stopped interviewing other people and I offered Julian the job the very next day. I was so overjoyed I found an expert who seemed damn excited about teaching someone half his age how to truly build amazing brands. I had this feeling that he and I – both passionate storytellers -would do a lot together. I was right. We didOver the next 3 years, Julian helped grow the agency year over year (bringing with him an incredible designer who is now our Art Director). Not only did he help our firm productize all of our branding services, but he identified what we were missing to truly serve our clients. He could do it all: sales, copywriting, creative direction. He was the unsung hero of our agency, taking on everyone’s problems as his own. He was the first to remind me that maybe that designer did deserve a raise or share that I was too hard on someone in a meeting and give me the real feedback I needed to grow as a leader. Julian was the advocate everyone loved – not just for those who worked with him but even our clients. His #1 goal at the start of a client project was to earn a clients trust so that they would go with us on the journey and accept and say yes to the playful branding experience he led them through.
Playful is one of the best words I would use to describe Julian. He had a knack for making people laugh and could shake off the little things. I think Julian was one of the happiest people I know. He never really cared what people thought too much (which could at times drive me crazy hahah). Whether that’s talking to his baby kittens he fostered and forgetting to mute his Zoom on a client call or reminding a client that we had their best interest at heart and they should “relax, sit back and let the process take over.” Julian made things fun and light. It was one of his most endearing qualities.
I have no doubt that Julian lived his last day like it was his last, because that’s how he LIVED HIS LIFE. He never hesitated to remind me to do the same - and he was like a cool uncle to me.
Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never forget anything that makes you smile.
Julian was a dedicated designer, son, partner, and friend. He will be greatly missed here at Oh Hello and we will continue our work with his vision in mind. Julian left a legacy in our agency and hearts that will not be forgotten. We honor him and his work every day.
