Hello and Welcome to Sage Creative!
Let me introduce myself. My name is Malik Sharp, CEO of Sage Creative, LLC., and I have been in the industry for a little over 8 years now. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN. I married my high school sweetheart, Ashley, in December 2020; we, along with our 2 dogs, Piper and Memphis, reside in Collierville, TN. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time on the golf course, friends, family, and LOVE the Apple Store.
Before moving into the marketing world, I started my own wedding photography and videography company, Malik Sharp Photography & Film, at the age of 15. Shortly after launch, people thought that because I was so young when launching my first business, things have always been handed to me; little do they know, I started in my bedroom with a laptop and a dinky camera…
Growing up, I lived a financially unstable life (not that I am ungrateful for everything that my mother and family provided and sacrificed for me), so I saw first-hand just how hard owning your own business can be. My step-father owned his own company. When things were going well, we were living an extravagant lifestyle, and in a blink of an eye we could be sleeping in a hotel or even our cars. I knew from those experiences that I wanted to change the trajectory for my own life, and I let that drive me. I knew growing up that I had to love the Lord, work hard, and do what’s good by people.
Being 15 and starting my own company was a very daunting task that has proven itself to be so fruitful. Malik Sharp Photography & Film was rebranded to Feather Stone Weddings, LLC. in 2018. I, alongside my team, captured about 50-60 weddings per year in various locations ranging from Florida to Pittsburg and many more in between that year.
During the time of photographing weddings, I began to notice a trend- my clients and their families would ask me for tips and tricks on how to market themselves and their businesses on platforms across the internet. Along with these questions, I also had several people outside of the wedding world reaching out and asking for advice to increase brand awareness for their company. So, in 2019, I launched Feather Stone Projects, LLC.
If you would’ve asked me in 2015 if I thought I’d be where I am now, my answer probably would have been no, but I am so thankful for those that have helped me and believed in me. I am truly fortunate to wake up everyday and do what I love. I can honestly say that I strive to make those around me happy each and every day.
While owning my own businesses hasn’t always been rainbows and sunshine, being able to look back on how far I’ve come from when I started to now makes it all worth it.
My ultimate goal is to be a trusted brand to other brands, business-to-business. I think if we can come into a company and help them market themselves in a different and more effective way then we will have achieved both of those goals. This goal of mine is what led me to rebrand Feather Stone Projects into Sage Creative.
Two questions that I find myself being asked the most are “Why did you choose the name Sage Creative?” and “What exactly does Sage Creative do?”. So let’s get straight to the point!
When thinking about rebranding from Feather Stone Projects to Sage Creative, I wanted to make sure our new name truly embodied what we, as a company, stand for. I began brainstorming and finally settled upon “Sage”. Sage was not only short and easy to remember, but it also means to be a wise man having, showing, or indicating profound wisdom. My hope for Sage Creative is for it to grow into a worthy of its name.
So the question of “What exactly does Sage Creative do?” happens to be one of my favorites. It gives me a chance to brag on the expertise of my employees and reminds me just how far I, and my company, have come since the beginning. Sage Creative is a full digital marketing agency that offers a wide variety of services ranging from brand development, to design, to content creation. We, as a company, work alongside our clients, to help them find their voice in a predominantly digital world.
But there are a lot of other great digital marketing agencies, so what makes us stand out from the rest? The answer to that is simple -- my team. One of the best things about owning my own business currently is that I have like-minded and passionate employees that are on the same page about the future for Sage. We are a team and each of my employees bring different strengths and expertises to the table.
Because of our cohesiveness in the office, we are able to extend that same feel to our clients. One of our top priorities at Sage Creative is to not only aid our clients, but to also build long-lasting relationships. This relationship starts from day 1! When I meet with any new client, my inclination is to listen. At Sage Creative, the client is in the driver’s seat! My team and I are here to help bring your vision to life and if our clients are looking for Sage to direct them, then that’s what we do.
The key to any great relationship starts with communication. We listen to what your vision and needs are and help create great content that portrays just that. Being in the business for 8 years, we have learned what content performs well and what content doesn’t.
{To put in very simple terms: We listen, we communicate, and we execute.}
Communication is not only important with our clients, but also within our office. In the office, we foster a sense of community and creative expression. To me, a really important aspect of our workplace is creating a positive atmosphere. Obviously we all have bad days, but I think that positivity can make or break a workplace, and working in a toxic environment is not ideal for any employee or successful business. We, as a team, all have the same goal: better ourselves while also bettering each other.
In order for us to achieve our goals, we have to support each other in and out of the workplace. I want to be an integral part of my teams’ lives celebrating their successes and supporting their struggles.
The most important core value in our office is: Be the Hustle You Hunger. My team and I are ready to take on more and go above and beyond what is expected of us!
When I picture where Sage Creative is 3 years from now, I have 4 specific goals in mind: to be recognized and represented nationally, to have a medium size team that is full-time employees with benefits and salaries starting at $40,000+, to have yearly revenue of $2-5 million, and to outgrow our current office space and build an HQ for Sage.
We work with businesses and organizations of any size, background, or location. Some of our current clients include Buff City Soap, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), the Meat District, Rockmere Vineyard, Roadshow BMW, and the Memphis in May International Festival.
I am very excited about this opportunity to rebrand into Sage Creative and see big things coming in the near future!
{Wanna be a part of them? Click the link below!}