Meet Omari Valentine | Chief Web Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Omari Valentine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Omari, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have always been creative and looked for ways to express myself in a variety of ways. As a kid, I was really into creative writing and art. But I also really enjoyed coming up with creative ideas. It wasn’t until working in product development that these passions aligned with web design and marketing.

A good friend I worked with approached me about branching off on our own, and I sort of just took the ball and ran with it. We went on to start Off the Lip Web Design,

As a surfer and surf photographer, I love how expressive that move is, so I thought it’s kind of like how I think about the websites I build. The rest is history.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am always excited to talk about Off the Lip. First, of course, the name is catchy. When people ask about what it means, of course, I’m going to tell them about surfing, (it’s my other passion, after all) but eventually, we will get to the web stuff.

When I got into the business, I saw that there were so many troubled clients who had difficult experiences. And this is not to knock any designers. But lots of us are moonlighting, and there are a lot who are just too big to serve the little guy.

So as I started collecting notes, I realized that there was a real opportunity to help smaller business clients that like the personal touch. They like to jump on the phone and work through their issues. They like the advice and advocacy. So that’s one thing I really like to focus on giving them.

Also, coming from a product background, I focus on the objectives and the branding, which is an area I think a lot of small businesses need assistance with. because at the end of the day, it’s all about achieving results.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In the city, there are so many great places to visit! We can all find somewhere that suits our personality. I’m a beach guy, so I will usually pick the Surf Food Stand at El Porto and The Brig at Abbot Kinney. I could hang out there all day!

Also big shoutout to Surfrider Beach in Malibu and Malibu Seafood for some good chow after feasting on some tasty waves!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to my good friend and former partner AJ, who showed me the ropes and started me on this awesome journey! We all need mentors, and little did I know when our paths first crossed that the journey would lead to a new career and status as a business owner.

Mentorship is so incredibly important. We all need guidance, encouragement, and aspiration, and I’m very grateful to have it, especially as I was just getting started.

Website: https://offthelip.com