We had the good fortune of connecting with Cody Half-Moon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cody, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have been marketing businesses since the third grade, when I drew flyers and made business cards for pretend businesses for fellow classmates. Art, expression, and a passion for storytelling has always been a big part of my life, and I honestly didn’t even connect the dots and involve those skill sets into my career for many years. Throughout college, I did PR and marketing as a sort of hobby, volunteering at local museums and for small organizations to help them get radio slots, plan events, and create new marketing materials. In my career, I remember once I even re-designed a menu for the restaurant where I was a waitress. In my career, once I graduated, I went into editorial writing and magazine management. It wasn’t until I realized that every job I had turned toward the creative and marketing side that I finally started to seek contracts that included a creative element. After 10 years in corporate industries, I branched out on my own and focused in graphic design and consulting. The creative side of my life was always there in the background, and now it has a chance to really flourish and help other businesses.

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?
Half-Moon Media is a boutique agency, with an all-female Development Team. We provide marketing consultation, graphic design, branding, social media management, analytics management, and web design. Our small team has won 11 national awards in marketing and public relations. We work independently from our remote offices and collaborate as needed for projects, leaning on one another for our strengths. Because we operate both independently and as a collaborative team, we are able to provide pricing that best suits the budgets of small businesses, but provide a product that competes with the “big guys.” Our clientele is hand-selected, and we love partnering with like-minded entrepreneurs who have a vision for their small business and a great story to tell. Half-Moon Media excel in custom-branded work, so we never use a template for our custom websites or logos. Everything is hand sketched into a unique conception just for our clients. Our biggest challenge was selecting new team members who fit our passion for creative perfection–especially as we grew quickly and our calendars began to fill. Luckily we found incredible partners who add exceptional services to our portfolio that fit in with our model of custom work and personal connections. Now we are able too accept new clientele on a frequent basis and our workflow as a team is seamless!

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Houston is such a beautiful, vibrant city. We would first take them over to Taco Nazo, a favorite taco truck off of Fulton, and haul our delicious lunch to Re:HAB (Houston Avenue Bar) for drinks on their incredible bayou-facing patio — where we love to visit with their pet duck, “Duck Norris.” Then, we would do a tour of our favorite street artists through the Heights, heading down White Oak toward 19th Street. We would wander up and down 19th Street, sure to stop by Casa Ramirez for their incredible Mexican-made goods, and Vinal Edge for some records. Antiquing is also a blast on 19th! We’d stop by Circa Real Estate for a free Karbach Beer, then jump on the B-Cycle bikes there on the street and spin up and down the Hike & Bike trails there for beautiful views of downtown. For dinner, we’d grab some greasy SomeBurger before heading out for drinks. Personally, we’d start with a tour of our favorite historic bars in Houston’s downtown: whiskey cocktail at Houston Watch Co. (an old watch company), walk across the street to Public Service (an 1884 Cotton Exchange building), grab some wine at La Carafe (and ask the bartender about any recent hauntings), and end our drink tour at OKRA Charity Saloon. If all that walking worked up an appetite, we’d snatch up some pizza at Frank’s Pizza before heading out of downtown. If the night wasn’t over yet, we’d head to Sassafras and sit outside under the twinkle lights, enjoying their incredible wine list (very impressive for a dive bar)! The next morning, when coffee is needed, we would definitely head to Slowpokes Cafe for their coffee brews and flatbreads. The truth is, we’d spend the entire trip eating and drinking! Houston has the most incredible and historic spots to enjoy cocktails and good food. These are just some of our favorites, though we’d definitely spend a few days exploring the museums, art galleries, and China Town!

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 love to recognize my creative partner, Lauren Olvera-Garcia. When I first started my business, Lauren and I partnered together in creative projects — she took the environmental and branded photography for my clients and I used that photography in marketing materials and websites. As our partnership grew, we started what we called a Creative Collaborative, and we now do branding sessions together. Her art, dedication to our creative vision, and support have been instrumental in my success. Our branding projects have won over 11 national awards, which is huge for a small agency like mine. I am so lucky to have her as a branding partner and highly recommend her photography skills. She is now accepting projects from big corporate names such as La Madeline, Burger King, and Popeyes, and it’s incredible to see her photography business grow in Houston. www.stillsbygarcia.com.

Website: https://www.halfmoon-media.com
Instagram: @halfmoon.media
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/halfmoonmedia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/codyhalfmoon
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/half-moon-media-houston-3
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZApgfJxh6fL9INZbWjtXqQ?

Image Credits
Lauren Olvera-Garcia of Stills By Garcia