Creativity and leading should go hand in hand, but some young CEOs struggle with this.

Malachi Fuller, founder and CEO of Hyyer Creative Consulting Agency, shares his insight on how he maintains his creativity while leading a business at a young age. Hyyer Creative is a boutique creative agency that specializes in targeted content development and production, marketing, and strategy for creative entrepreneurs and businesses rooted in urban millennial culture.

The Maryland native graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a degree in criminal justice. Fuller moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduation, where he decided to make a big career change.

“I had a strong background in entrepreneurship and creating content, so LA felt like the best place to grow and do something with that,” Fuller told AfroTech.

Fuller said it took him some time to figure out what he was good at once he got  to the west coast. Hyyer Creative was birthed from Fuller’s niche for photography, graphic design, branding, and marketing. While he began building his venture in 2018, he was also working in finance at REVOLT TV, where he was able to build a strong network of peers and future consulting clients.

Hyyer Creative has four full-time employees and four part-timers, but the agency works with freelancers regularly ranging from videographers to photographers, directors, and more.

A typical work day for Fuller includes answering “tons of emails and pitches,” creating proposals, meeting with new clients, creating content, and strategy building. While he manages these tasks daily, he said things are always changing.

“No day is really the same,” Fuller said. “Some days we’re on set, other days we’re in the field, and some days we’re in the office editing different content and rollouts.”

The Hyyer Creative CEO said his agency has been fortunate enough to get majority of its free promotion from word-of-mouth. Fuller has been able to partner with notable celebrities like Lena Waithe, Yara Shahidi and Kevin Hart.

“A lot of our big client projects rooted from preparation meeting opportunity, and just building a namesake in the LA entertainment community,” Fuller said. “A lot of our opportunities came from my mentors working in this space.”

One aspect that has helped Fuller grow Hyyer Creative’s business is building a strong network. When he first moved to LA, he interned for a DJ, which Fuller said put him in rooms he wouldn’t have otherwise been in.

“Being prepared for those lanes of opportunity allowed me to connect with the right people, showcase my work ethic, and build a strong team around Hyyer Creative that allowed us to get on the map,” Fuller said.

Creating lasting impact is what brings Fuller the most joy when working on projects. One of his favorite projects to work on was creating a campaign for a scholarship giveaway supported by Yara Shahidi and Jesse Williams. He’s also excited about the work Hyyer Creative is doing with Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions.

“We’ve been creating a ton of content that leaves a meaningful impact,” he said.

When it comes to mastering business operations as a creative founder, Fuller said he leans on having fun with his close-knit team. He said when it comes to handing business, a lot of creatives fall short. So he wants those entrepreneurs out there to know that Hyyer Creative is also a channel for creatives to better understand their business.

“Even though we work in entertainment, we get the work done,” Fuller said.

Be on the lookout for a new program coming to Hyyer Creative called Hyyer Education, a pro bono work development course for entrepreneurial creatives seeking to hone in on their crafts.

Editorial Note: This piece has been updated since initially published on 7/21/2021.