The hustle rewards risk takers.

Successful freelancers give ULTRA insider tips on perfecting

the hunt.

The competitive landscape, the economic uncertainty… in this

field, you don’t climb the ladder - you build it. A companion
piece of ULTRA’s digital freelancing guide THE HUNT, Hustle
Diaries is a conversation series with a range of professionals
at the top of their game. These five entrepreneurs and disrup-
tors walk us through their wins and losses, each providing a
self-contained oral history for how to make it on your own
terms.

No matter your gig, you should take notes.

 THEOPHILOS
CONSTANINOU

Publisher
For Theophilos, artistic and professional
agency is everything. Above all else, he
values freedom. Born in Ohio to Cypriot
and Greek parents, he did perhaps the
most terrifying thing you can do as a
child of immigrants: turn down a job on
Wall Street to become an artist. It was a
decision, he tells us, on which his
humanity hinged.

Photographer
While many freelancers anxiously anticipate the day they’ll land major
clients and finally get healthcare, Theo’s travelled a different route.
He’s ditched corporate approval to maintain the rarest of creative
commodities: authenticity. And he’ll gladly work menial jobs to protect
it. It’s about respect: for himself and his output. While other freelancers
never say no, Theo makes a point of it. He’ll source income elsewhere
to preserve the integrity of his work.

Ten years ago, he founded Paradigm Publishing - which produces

books, vinyls and clothing. A connector of Downtown artists, Para-
digm is ubiquitous below 14th street. “WHEN I [STARTED], PEOPLE
TOLD ME PRINT WAS DEAD,” he recalls. That didn’t stop him. Theo
understands that opportunity is not bestowed but fought for. Being an
original has always interested him. While other industry players caved
in to the pressure to digitize, Paradigm has remained a distinctly phys-
ical entity. “RISK, MAN... I LOVE THE IDEA OF WHAT OPENS UP TO
YOU WHEN YOU’RE IN THAT SPACE.”

Theo is living proof of what an alternative creative career can look like,
and how it can be equally as rewardly (if not more) than a mainstream
one. Or as he puts it, in Beatnik poetics, “A CALM SEA DOESN’T
MAKE A GOOD SAILOR.” His father is from Cyprus - an ancient island
nation - so he would know.

Listen to the full interview with Theo for pointers on how to build a career of your own design.
PHOTOGRAPHER, DIRECTOR, OPTIMIST
Anthonio
One day, YAVEZ ANTHONIO decided to quit his
day job. He’d gone to school for graphic design
so the agency route seemed like a logical
choice, the easy one. But comfort comes with
a creative cost, and once Yavez got his hands
on a camera — the rules changed.
“I LOOKED AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR AND SAID, I
DON’T WANT TO HAVE SOME 9 TO 5 TYPE SHIT,” the
Amsterdam-native remembers. He gave
himself an ultimatum: he would move to
London and work as an artist for one year — if
he didn’t produce anything he was proud of,
he’d pack it up and go back to his day job.
Over the next eleven months, he navigated the
city’s music scene, creating visuals for some of
the UK’s most exciting artists, building a
portfolio and establishing street credibility. But
he still felt unsatisfied.“I DIDN’T MAKE WHAT I
WANTED TO MAKE.” he says. So he bought a
ticket to NEW YORK CITY.
Across the Atlantic, he learned how cultural
capital could be leveraged into actual capital.
“THE FIRST TIME I DID A PHOTOSHOOT AND
EARNED $500 OFF OF IT, I WAS LIKE, WOW, $500 TO
DO SOMETHING I LIKE?” Soon his asking price
quadrupled, and suddenly Yavez saw his
passion turn into a tangible career. The clients
got bigger and bigger - today NIKE, GAP and
nearly every urban magazine worth reading are
on his resume. His nostalgic nods to visual
tropes of the past mix seamlessly with his
modern understanding of color, making him the
ideal pick for a legend like COMMON and next
generation of talent including RIMON and JOYCE
WRICE.
“BUT TALENT JUST AIN’T ENOUGH SOME TIMES,”
he admits, “YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO LOSE
IT ALL.” Yavez Anthonio’s success is a culmina-
tion of hard work and calculated risk-taking. He
emphasizes the importance of saving money
as a creative to grant yourself the financial
flexibility to accept gigs you're genuinely
passionate about. If you only produce commer-
cial work, you’ll only get commercial clients.
Which is something Yavez is trying to steer
away from in the future. He emphasizes the
importance of saying no and retaining enough
time to cultivate your private artistry.
So what’s next for Yavez Anthonio? “I’M AT THIS
POINT IN MY CAREER WHERE I WANT TO PURSUE
MORE OF THE STORIES I WANT TO TELL,” he says,
“CAPTURING REAL PEOPLE TELLING REAL STORIES.”
HIT THE ICON TO LISTEN TO YAVEZ’S ADVICE IN FULL.
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Pharrell and Nigo 2012

stussy JANUARY 2012 BERLIN WALL 2013

GIL SCOTT HERON

 ADVERTISER, STRATEGIST, CULTURE MAKER

YOU CAN T RUN FROM DIFFICULT TASKS, OUTLOOK IS EVERYTHING:

YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMS YOUR TASTE LEVEL - YOUR ROOTS ARE ALWAYS AN ASSET, NO
MATTER WHAT BRANDS MIGHT LEAD YOU TO BELIEVE. NO ONE EVER MADE IT BY TURNING THEIR
BACK ON WHERE THEY CAME FROM.

IM COMING FROM THE MUD, SO LIKE IM

NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY OF THIS SH*T FOR GRANTED.

OUTSIDE, I HAD TALENT

THE ONLY THING I WAS MISSING WAS A NETWORK.

THE RULES OF YESTERDAY ARE CRUMBLING, AND NOBODY

KNOWS WHAT THE NEW RULES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE, IM ALWAYS A STUDENT.

DIARIES
DO YOU WANT TO LOOK BACK ON YOUR
LAST YEAR AND REALIZE LIKE,
WOW, SHIT’S EXACTLY HE SAME...

OR DO YOU WANT TO LOOK BACK

AT YOUR LAST YEAR AND SAY, I
REALLY TOOK THINGS UP TO
THE NEXT LEVEL.
 BARBER
KARHO LEUNG ENTREPRENEUR
COMMUNITY MEMBER

Nestled in the heart of Chinatown, 12 Pell is a business that resists definition. While it
functions primarily as a barbershop, owner Karho Leung has created an experience that
reaches beyond the chair. “IT WAS ABOUT COMMUNITY FROM THE START,” he tells ULTRA,
“IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.”

Founded only three years ago, 12 Pell has already become a leader in the lifestyle
industry, offering a range of personal care products and services. This is no small feat,
especially when you consider how many barbershops crowd Downtown. But unlike other
trendy business owners, Karho understands the history of the block. When 12 Pell first
opened, the staff made a real effort to connect with the existing community. They befriended
the industry elders of the neighborhood, and both parties soon learned they were not in
competition; they serve totally different clientele. 12 Pell, which has ring-lights fashioned in
front of its barber stations, caters specifically to Gen Z. The word barbershop brings to mind
tradition and colored stripes, but 12 Pell offers a more modern vibe, thereby posing little
threat to the established local barbers. There’s enough success to go around.

A key ingredient to 12 Pell and Karho’s success is staying ahead of the curve. Which can only
be done, he says, by studying consumer behavior. After the lifestyle market, especially
among men, exploded over the past few years, new opportunities presented themselves
to young entrepreneurs who understand the power of branding. 12Pell also sells
merchandise and candles, taking the concept of grooming a step further into the larger
(and more profitable) realm of self-care. Karho, who was a corporate accountant in another
life, is somewhat spiritual about his success - though he may deny such labeling. He often
evokes the power of manifesta-tion. “MOST PEOPLE DON’T REFLECT ENOUGH - I DO IT
DAILY.” What is he mediating on? Something someone said, the new ways young people
are utilizing technology, the shifts in culture… Karho is methodical about remaining tapped
into the Downtown pulse.

Listen to the full interview to learn more about how Karho built not only a successful business,
but also a thriving community.
 Jt.JN w�� �
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ultranyc.com

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a division of SQUIRE

Creative Director & Interviewer:

Produced By: MADELINE
Words By:
Graphics By: CHRISTIAN BERM