Jason Postelwait
Sr. Copywriter, Louisville, KY
I grew up on the floor of Graph-X, my parent's design and print shop in Pasadena, CA. Early on, most of my time was spent building forts, airplanes, and other imaginary structures out of the endless boxes our reams of paper came in. But before long, I was helping out and slowly learning the trade: how to shoot and strip negatives, set type on a VariTyper, and run many of the machines including apprenticing on a one-color press alongside my uncle in my late teens. I'm sure we broke several child labor laws, but I was smitten with that entire world. The smell of an inky pressroom still triggers dozens of memories in my brain.
I kept full-page ads of my favorite brands in plastic sheets in my binder through junior high. I cut out car and tire brand logos and glued them to the front of my binders (I've always loved cars). Friends would ask me why I did that, and I didn't have an answer. I just... liked it. Brands captivated me before I even realized what was happening.
Suddenly, I found myself mid-sophomore year at college, struggling to decide what I'd do professionally. After a battery of job placement tests that led me nowhere, I had one of those "holy fetch!" realizations (it was Utah, after all): my life had pretty much prepared me for advertising. Perfect timing, because I was six credit hours away from a BA in Portuguese - and I had no idea what I was going to do with that.
I love collaboration. I strive to be a good human being. I'm easy to work with and passionate about ideas. My ego doesn't need its own parking space. In February I (accidentally) embarked on a personal self realization journey that has changed literally everything for me - how I see the world and reality, what my new personal philosophy entails, and a ceaseless dedication to be more authentic and grateful. I can go on about it for hours, but whoever hires me will be getting a much fuller, complete Jason.
In 20 years, I've grown with the industry and learned to pivot with the blossoming of the internet, social and digital, and now AI. Even though the venues and methods have changed, the opportunities remain the same. If you have something new, I can learn it.
These days I'm your average California-raised, half-Korean, Portuguese-speaking, ex-Mormon misfit, whole-heartedly enjoying Louisville's bourbon and Derby scene. I've had a weird, diverse, and colorful life to draw from. I play sand volleyball in my spare time, build models, and love just hanging out with my family. I'm learning Korean. We love traveling to new places, trying new food, and soaking in life where we can find it.