Gem City Style: 40 Under 40 Catch-up

Jessica Hunter

Husband and wife team Jessica Yochim Taylor and Nick Taylor were featured in subsequent classes of Erie's 40 Under 40 (Jessica in 2017, Nick in 2018). Jessica Hunter catches up with them to see how their business, MenajErie Studio, as well as their lives, have changed.

The husband-and-wife team of Nick Taylor and Jessica Yochim Taylor has made a business of portraying Erie in its most flattering light, from sweeping natural panoramas to getting up close and personal with the grit of its industry. The pair's photography and videography studio, MenajErie, has become one of the most well-regarded in the region, garnering 40 Under 40 recognitions for each of its co-founders among other awards. Let's see what they've been up to!

Jessica Hunter (JH): You were each part of the 2017 and 2018 class. Catch us up! What's new? Can you share a recent project or two that you're particularly proud of? How did this project innovate within your industry, or the Erie community?

Jessica Yochim Taylor/Nick Taylor (JYT/NT): A lot has changed for us at MenajErie and we've grown as entrepreneurs. Since 2016, MenajErie braved the pandemic era shutdowns, moved into a larger office and studio space, evolved into a hybrid work environment, and expanded our skillset into the emerging tech of virtual production. The latter development allowed us to produce blended reality cutscenes for a video game publisher — a project we are particularly proud of as it provided a new challenge to our seasoned team of filmmakers.

Beyond MenajErie, we have started two new businesses since 2016. The first endeavor was a real estate investment firm that rehabilitates homes in the city and turns them into a mix of short and long term rentals. The second, more recent venture, is an immersive art installation design firm called Liquid Light Factory (LLF). LLF's work has been featured at FEED Media Art Center, and our first large-scale public art piece will be a permanent installation at the future Iron Works Square site on West 12th Street.

JH: How has your leadership style evolved since being featured in your respective 40 Under 40 issues? Can you pinpoint any specific experiences or events that have influenced this evolution?

JYT/NT: I think most business owners who made it through the pandemic were forced to undergo some significant changes to their leadership style. Leading a team of creatives virtually presented some logistical problems, especially in our industry where we need to share access to very large media files. But we all adapted and never really looked back. We realized the freedom and flexibility that remote and hybrid work offered our employees, and in turn, we changed our relationship with work for the better.

Although we enjoy engaging in new entrepreneurial pursuits, the biggest lesson we have learned is the value of time spent away from work. The question we ask ourselves now is not how can we maximize growth, but rather how can we maximize our unobligated time. We've realized the importance of time and space for new people, experiences, and opportunities to find their way into our lives.

JH: AI seems to be making massive headway in the video production industry. In what ways has technology shaped your work since your recognition? What is MenajErie doing to distinguish itself?

JYT/NT: Much like the technology behind virtual production, we view artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance our workflow. Where artificial intelligence really shines in the video production world is in the iterative creative process. Using it, we are able to quickly brainstorm and workshop new ideas — it can essentially be a virtual writers room.

The challenge with AI in the creative fields is the question of intellectual property rights. What we consider "AI" are really enhanced search engines that are only as good as the dataset they are based on — other people's work. However, I think the reality is that most works of art are already derivative by nature — it's your personal lens through which you filter the world that adds something new. Copying and pasting from ChatGPT is not going to replace true human interpretation of the world.

MenajErie Studio, the business and brainchild of Jessica Yochim-Taylor and Nick Taylor, is a video production company housed in Erie's Little Italy, which utilizes the couple's filmmaking backgrounds to produce high-quality visual content. (Jessica Hunter)

JH: MenajErie has been in business for more than 10 years now. It's not easy to be successful for such a long time. What are your top 3 secrets to success?

JYT/NT: 1. Never stop learning. We think having a curious mind is not just essential to starting a business, but to living a good life. It's okay to not have all the answers or to not understand something. The important part is to not stop there and learn something new.

2. People before profit. You can certainly make money while exploiting people — but not forever. The churn and burn business strategy leaves the landscape barren. If you invest in relationships and build a good reputation, success will find its way to you, and the community as a whole will be better off.

3. Be a good boss to yourself too! There is a toxic "grind" culture that permeates the entrepreneurial world. Especially for new solopreneurs, it's important to ask yourself how you would want a boss to treat you, and then model that for managing yourself. Working 70 hours a week? Taking calls at all hours of the day? Prioritizing work over personal life? If you wouldn't tolerate it from anyone else, then don't do it to yourself.

JH: Beyond professional life, what causes are you most passionate about, and how do you envision leaving a lasting impact on Erie?

JYT/NT: It's difficult for us to narrow our passions to specific causes, but we both are bullish on Erie as a whole. We both volunteer our time on nonprofit boards that are shaping the future of Erie through community building, thoughtful development, and the enrichment of life in Erie through arts and culture. We think Erie is a hidden gem. We truly believe you'll never meet more resilient people in a town endowed with such amazing potential.

When it comes to our personal passions, we both enjoy creating things. Nick is a musician, and plays in a band called Fox Grotto. He and his bandmates recently finished recording a full-length album that is slated to be released this year. You can also catch them live this year at Celebrate Erie. Jess has developed a passion for stained glass and has created several pieces including windows for our 100-year-old home in the West Bayfront neighborhood. She enjoys the change of pace working with the physical as opposed to the digital.

JH: You're married. What are some of the highs and lows of working with your spouse? If you could describe each other as a cartoon icon, who would it be and why?

JYT/NT: Pros: We get to spend a lot of time together. Cons: We get to spend a lot of time together. In all seriousness, neither of us can imagine living life any other way. We are so in tune with each other that we can basically hear what the other is thinking before they say it. Working so intuitively with a partner provides a sense of confidence that is hard to replicate.

That being said, we are very different people, and sometimes being so connected can cause one another to assume wants and needs rather than asking about them. You can start to view your spouse as an extension of yourself and therefore subject to your own priorities and expectations. The solution of course is communication. Being able to communicate honestly and respectfully to one another can navigate you through even the most difficult times. If we had to personify ourselves as cartoon characters: We are like Boo and Sully from Monsters Inc. Jess is like Boo because she is fearless and has a boundless excitement for making new friends. Nick is like Sully because he is good-natured but stubborn. Boo is the perfect foil to Sully, and ultimately makes him a better person in the end. And, of course, they become best friends until the end!

More information about MenajErie Studio can be found at menajeriestudio.com

Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com