Jay Brackett, owner of Brackett Media & Event Services, knew as a college student that he wanted to own his own business some day. The 35-year-old moved to Des Moines from Webster City as a toddler. He graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in 1986, and spent some time studying graphic arts at Des Moines Area Community College. He then enrolled at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, where he received his degree in 1992.
"I've been gainfully employed ever since," Brackett said.
Though he enjoyed Denver, he immediately returned to Iowa, where he found a job with the Younkers Video Production Network. He stayed with the company until it was sold a year and a half later, then worked for a few video production companies in Greater Des Moines.
"I knew I needed to gain experience working for others in the business," he said. "I needed to learn what to do, and more important, how not to do certain things. I had thought about going out on my own several times over the years. It never felt quite right. In 2001, I thought, 'I'm ready.'"
He founded Brackett Media & Event Services, which has two main parts. The media side includes video production, complete with shooting, editing and special effects; creating CD ROMs and DVDs; and producing television commercials and educational, sales and marketing materials. The events services side includes coordinating the audio-visual side of corporate events, scripting and stage design.
"The toughest aspect of the job, I guess, is always trying to out-do yourself," Brackett said of IPLS. "What is cool or effective today may not be cool or effective tomorrow. You have to keep setting your own bar higher and higher."
Among his clients are Holmes Automotive Group, Mediacom and the Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary.
"It's an awesome project," Brackett said. His company has created a half-hour program called "IPLS: Experience a New Reality," which airs on the Des Moines cable channel. It alerts viewers to the progress of the project.
"We've been working to prove ourselves since Day One," he said. "Everything we do is kind of an accomplishment, and work is really flowing because of those accomplishments."
