Jon Michael Perry’s path to founding Imaginary Friends design studios started early, with equal parts curiosity and craft. In high school he was the kid who played computer games, then got curious about what made them work. That curiosity turned into teaching himself HTML through AOL on a 2400 baud modem, long before “learn to code” was a common slogan. At the same time, he was enrolled in CTE programs for drafting, electronics, and radio and television. Even then, the pattern was clear. He gravitated toward the intersection of creativity, communication, and systems.
News.
Kids at Hope Yuma and the Power of Partnership
Every once in a while, a great idea just needs the right partner to help it shine.
For Kids at Hope Yuma, that partner turned out to be Imaginary Friends design studios.
The Cost Of Free and the Power of Believing in Your Brand
Every new year brings a fresh start, and in Yuma, that fresh start looks a little different. It looks like small business owners who have poured their hearts into what they do. It looks like nonprofits who are working hard to lift others up. It looks like people who have proven that passion and persistence can carry you far, even when resources are limited.
The Mourning After; Keeping the Promise
The Mourning After; Keeping the Promise.There are seasons when being a professional and being human pull hard in different directions. This is a story about holding both. My mother lived for years with a rare autoimmune illness that inflames the muscles. Her mind...
We Were So Good We Lost a Client
We Were So Good We Lost a Client.There is a strange kind of pride in telling this story. A few years back, a skilled home health provider here in Yuma sat at the edge of a plateau. Advantage Health had solid clinicians, steady referrals, and a reputation for caring,...
From Apologies to Appreciation: Why Thank You Is Stronger Than I’m Sorry
From Apologies to Appreciation: Why Thank You Is Stronger Than I’m Sorry.There’s a phrase most of us learn early: “I’m sorry.” We’re taught to use it for every bump, delay, or disruption, whether we’re truly at fault or not. It’s polite, after all. Over time, this...
23 Years Later: 22 Years of Failing, One of Success
23 Years Later: 22 Years of Failing, One of Success.When I started Imaginary Friends Design Studios back in 2002, I had a creative itch, a little bit of stubbornness, and a lot of hope that if I just worked hard enough, delivered a great product, people would come and...
Premature Solicitation: How a Hasty Pitch Turned into Years of Creative Collaboration
Premature Solicitation: How a Hasty Pitch Turned into Years of Creative Collaboration. Back in 2006 (or so), I walked into a Yuma BNI breakfast armed with two things: a track record of award-winning mortgage marketing and an oversized dose of confidence. I’d come...
From Tough Love to Bold Design
From Tough Love to Bold Design. At one time when I strolled through a store in Yuma with my mother, I heard it: “Mrs. Perry! You were the toughest teacher I ever had—but what you taught me changed my life.” My mom, a math educator for more than two decades, always...