Wesley Barja – An Example Of Home Grown Talent
Wesley Barja would definitely be described by his team members as the oil that keeps the day to day operations at Elite Design Group running silky smooth. Owning the title of Project Coordinator and Client Liaison, Wes is entrusted with the mission of communicating with and understanding the desires of his clients throughout the entire design process. He also takes care of arranging meetings for CEO and lead designer, JJ Barja – his brother.
Starting out at EDG fresh out of high school as an intern one summer, Wes transitioned to working there part time during college, then after securing his associates degree at Central Piedmont Community College Levine Campus in 2015 he decided to make things official at EDG. That’s when he committed to working full time by grabbing the reins with both hands as he rode his metaphoric horse into the sunset without any second thoughts. Wes is particularly fond of the laid back – keep the suits at home – casual vibe his work environment provides. To tell the truth he’d say the reason for this could be chalked up to the fact that everyone genuinely enjoys working together as a team; it’s like working with all your best friends and the cherry on top is definitely being in a space that fosters and appreciates creative energy – and whatever quirks it comes with – because that’s how EDG manages to produce timely, unique and quality work. Needless to say it’s a good vibe for him.
Wes believes in the company’s philosophy – ‘Listening is a greater gift than creativity’. He uses his understanding of this to build trust with his clients and potential clients alike. Very content with the industry he’s chosen to have a career in, Wes believes that art and design transforms on its own. An example of this would be when he first started working at EDG. Most designs seemed to have stone turrets which gave a more traditional castle influenced look compared to now where designs have more of a modern element to them but there is no right or wrong way. All that matters is your preference and what you want to create – then leave the rest up to him and his team. Having had a front row seat to watch how his brother JJ and father John Barja Sr achieved success just by practicing perseverance, dedication and hard work, Wes is no doubt inspired and intends to create as much of a legacy as the phenomenal men he’s had the honor to call family.
In his personal time, Wes’ routine of going to the gym during the week is very important to him and it’s often a nice way to bring closure to a day at the office. On the weekends he enjoys hanging out with his friends and family. He’s a pretty laid back guy so it’s not out of character for him to go with whatever suggestions his friends come up with, whether it’s visiting a local bar or maybe going for a hike. This adds a bit of mystery to his life as he can never really predict what might happen weekend to weekend, fun! If weekend plans fall through with his friends, Wes can always opt to practice a bit of fencing, since he was a nationally ranked fencer and he’s got the gold medal to prove it. According to Wes, “It’s important to keep calm under pressure in fencing, and I bring that kind of mindset to my work here.” Wes truly personifies being the best of both worlds, an easy-going guy who takes what he does seriously. Contact him here today to let him and his creative team show you how they can make your dream home a reality!
