Meet Tom
Murphy, IV

EARLY

ADULTHOOD

Finding My Purpose

Before attending college or starting my design and marketing adventures, I embraced my creativity and pursued my goals as an entertainer. In 2012, I won 717 Entertainment’s Inaugural “Best Hip-Hop Performer” Award. Which is pretty cool! But how does it help business?

As a white rapper from the suburbs, I had to navigate and learn how to sell myself to a specific target market, and created a persona/brand that related with this audience. I found this to be quite easy and soon had fans all over the states. I shared my knowledge with others as I gained it and at one point I managed 5 other artists. Booking events, purchasing merchandise, and directing their art, videos, and audio production.

One of the things I loved most about this time was encouraging others to follow their dreams. I started creating music with some fans that never made music before, and placed them on stage with their favorite bands and entertainers. I loved being able to create memories, open doors and make “dreams come true”. This passion of helping others achieve their goals became my career’s mission.

College

years

Expanding My Knowledge

In order to take my skills and knowledge to the next level I would enroll to the International Academy of Design and Technology, later Sanford-Brown College, for their online Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design, with a focus on Web Design. These 4 years would change everything!

I was not a great at drawing or illustration. So, I had to focus extra hard on all the details and lessons, absorbing as much as I could (I still have all my notes, organized by class). School pushed us to find real-world clients. I found the same passion I had with my artists as I did with my early business clients. I could help make “dreams come true” but on a larger scale!

The knowledge I gained from college was immense! I graduated with a 3.7 GPA. The skills I gained through my college years enhanced all my creative abilities too. Audio + Video + Graphics + Web = Multimedia Specialist. The challenge now would be maintaining all of these skills, plus enhancing my sales & marketing skills.

MARKETING

SERVICES

Developing A Brand

Soon after college, I made some drastic changes in life. I left the entertainment industry and my full-time construction career in order to obtain the real-world experience to go with my degree. To supplement my income I would work for various promotion and marketing companies. Tasks would include direct sales, surveying and telemarketing.

My goal here was to learn how to market in all types of ways that might not have been taught through my Fine Arts degree. These jobs taught me tons of useful metrics and tactics such as the Jones Effect, Law of Averages, Overturning, and more.

TMIV DESIGN

Multimedia specialist

I outlined a lot of the skills and trades I picked up along my journey, but this is where it all comes together!

Through TMIV Design I have created many promotional, print and digital design projects. I work closely with each client to determine their goals and needs and how we can match their budget; and I can work with any budget. Ask me about my son’s brand, or both my ventures starting with $0!

Some print projects include custom boxes and signage, product labels, book/layout designs, direct mail campaigns, vendor displays, and printed advertisements. Other multimedia design projects include broadcasted infomercials, digital advertisements, and motion graphics.

• Digital & PPC Ads
• TV Commercials
• Outdoor/Signage
• Direct Mail Services
• In-Store/Point-of-Sale
• Events & Tradeshows

Web Design

& Development

My bread and butter for TMIV Design is Web Design and Development. This was the focus in my Graphic Design courses, and quickly intrigued the logical side of my brain. In school we were taught how to code using HTML, CSS and Javascript. We were then taught WordPress, SEO, and Social Media Management. All of these courses became stepping stones for my career.

My first web projects as a sole-proprietor brought immediate challenges which became standard skills. I had to learn more backend knowledge to handle Server-Side Records, APIs, Webhooks and Automation using Zapier to safely collect, connect and secure sensitive data. Since then I have made websites that can be used for various tasks.

A few website types I have created are:

• Brochure
• E-Commerce
• High-Risk Wholesale Sites
• Paid Membership
• Project Management
• Event/Directories

With the power of AI, APIs, and Plugins we can create, integrate and automate many of your business tasks too!