Meadia Agency: A Journey of Entrepreneurship, Resilience, and Advocacy for Creatives

His journey, marked by resilience, adaptability, and a strong sense of purpose, serves as a blueprint for many young professionals striving to make their mark in the creative industry.

Mead's entrepreneurial spirit was nurtured early on. Raised by a family of business owners, with his mother and uncle serving as role models, he always envisioned himself as a company owner. Even during college, Joshua was laying the groundwork for his future by working on internships and starting a small PR agency by himself.

However, like many graduates of the class of 2020, Joshua’s plans were thrown off course by the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 400 job applications and barely a couple of interviews to show for it, Joshua faced a decision. Instead of waiting for an opportunity, he took control of his future, co-founding an agency with two college friends, Elevate X Media Group.

Although the agency dissolved after a year when his partners moved on to full-time jobs, Joshua didn’t quit. This period of reassessment led him to launch his own marketing communications agency in 2022—a venture deeply tied to his personal experiences and values.

At its core, Meadia Agency is more than just a business; it’s a platform for creatives, particularly Black and Brown artists, to tell their stories and showcase their talents. His approach is not about tokenism or jumping on a trend but stems from his upbringing in a diverse community in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he was often the minority in school settings.

His agency's work reflects this commitment. Almost all of his clients are creatives, and the focus remains on empowering these individuals and helping them secure collaborations and deals with major brands. Whether through marketing strategies or public relations campaigns, Joshua’s work is a direct response to the racial inequities that persist in many creative industries.

Meadia Agency has managed to break into multiple industries, from music and fashion to cannabis, working with notable clients such as Rich the Kid and Victoria Monet. Each industry brings its own set of challenges and demands, but Joshua emphasizes that the core principles of marketing—understanding the audience, the brand, and the goals—remain the same.

For him, staying ahead of the trends is about being tapped into the culture and building strong relationships with trendsetters and creatives within his network. Instead of waiting for mainstream media to dictate trends, Joshua seeks insights directly from those shaping them.

One of the biggest lessons Joshua has learned in his journey is patience. As someone who naturally wants things to happen quickly, he has had to teach himself to trust the process. He advises young creatives to stay dedicated to their craft, even when progress seems slow. Drawing from his own experience, he reflects on how not getting the full-time job he initially wanted led to a more fulfilling path—one that allowed him to create a positive impact on the industry.

Joshua’s advice to young creatives trying to break into the industry is simple: be patient. Success doesn’t always come in the form or timing that you expect, but with perseverance and a clear sense of purpose, opportunities will arise.

His story serves as a reminder that sometimes, the obstacles we face are not setbacks but rather redirections to something even greater.

As Joshua’s agency continues to grow, he remains committed to pushing boundaries and being innovative for his clients. He recognizes that staying ahead of trends is critical, but innovation also comes from collaboration. By constantly brainstorming and exchanging ideas with his network of creatives, he ensures that his agency remains fresh, forward-thinking, and relevant.

Through collaborations, creative campaigns, and a dedication to his mission, he is helping to shape the future of marketing and communication for marginalized voices.

In Joshua Mead’s journey, entrepreneurship is not just about making money—it’s about making a difference. Through his agency, he’s doing just that, one project at a time.