Aces of Trades: Creation is at the core of Stephen Patrick's job
CHILLICOTHE – Growing up, he loved sports.
“I dreamed of being a professional baseball player,” recalled Stephen Patrick, “or basketball, or hockey, or tennis – anything would do. But it didn’t take long before I realized that wouldn’t be a possibility, so the next logical step was to take an interest in rap music. As much as I loved doing that, I knew I would eventually need a ‘real’ job.”
“I’ve always enjoyed anything creative,” he added, “and loved to draw as a kid but wasn’t great at it. In high school, I took as many art classes as possible including drawing, photography, and cartooning. I soaked up that experience, but at the time I didn’t think there would be a career path for me in the arts.”
Today, Patrick is the creative director and CEO of Westside Media.
“I love bringing projects from concept to finished product,” he said. “Whether it's a new website, a new logo, or a new print design, I love to create. My favorite part of the job is making connections with other businesses and watching them succeed.”
Now 46, Patrick was born on an American naval base in Rota, Spain and spent his childhood in Minnesota, Saskatchewan (Canada) and Illinois before moving to Beavercreek, Ohio. He graduated from Beavercreek High School and then studied communications/media studies and graphic design at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois.
“At Judson, I met my future wife and Chillicothe native Melissa Dailey,” he noted.
“In college,” he added, “I started down a path that would lead me to a career in sports journalism. But in my senior year, a job opportunity became available as a desktop publisher for a division of Mitsubishi.I was newly engaged and running out of money for college, so I grabbed the opportunity and ran with it. While at that job, I was given opportunities to learn database programming and website development that I’m still very thankful for.”
“The idea for Westside Media,” he continued, “started in the early 2000s when Melissa and I still lived outside of Chicago. As much as I liked my position at Mitsubishi, some friends and I saw a growing need for small businesses to have professional web sites at an affordable price. While we were in the planning stages of this new company, Melissa started feeling homesick. We had a 1-year-old son at the time, so we discussed the idea of moving our family (and the business idea) to Chillicothe.”
They moved in 2002 and started Westside Media in April of 2003.
“Stephen is a true professional and great at what he does!” assessed Ryan Muncy, owner of Old Canal Smoke House.
“The level of service we receive from Stephen is top notch,” agreed James Brown, director of marketing at Petland, Inc. “He is always attentive and suggests new and better ways to accomplish our goals. It’s amazing to see what he’s created. But the one thing I really appreciate is his dedication to the community. He doesn't talk about it much, but it shows in his work and the projects with which he aligns himself and his team.”
“My favorite part of the job,” Patrick responded, “is making connections with other businesses and watching them succeed. I love bringing projects from concept to finished product. Whether it’s a new website, a new logo, or a new print design, I love to create.”
Westside Media is located at 5700 Owl Creek Road in Chillicothe. For more information, log on www.westsidemedia.com.
About the Series
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com or 740-349-1110.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Aces of Trades: Creation is at the core of Stephen Patrick's job
