Welcome
Before you experience my work, I would like to provide a layer of context about how I create, my perspective on the business of creative, and what I bring to the table. My work speaks for itself, but it is good to understand the why.
What I Bring to the Table
In essence, my craft isn't just about having great ideas. It's about having the imagination, curiosity, and strategic thinking to translate those ideas into reality and bring about positive change. Here's a breakdown of the four items that make me an invaluable asset to any team:
In essence, my craft isn't just about having great ideas. It's about having the imagination, curiosity, and strategic thinking to translate those ideas into reality and bring about positive change. Here's a breakdown of the four items that make me an invaluable asset to any team:
Creative Vision:
My role involves shaping a brand's image and storytelling through my creative vision and ability to think objectively to help develop compelling campaigns that resonate with the target audience. This craft in wonder leads to increased brand awareness, engagement, and, ultimately, sales.
Strategic Mindset:
A creative leader needs a strategic mindset to drive the brand's marketing efforts. My ability to identify opportunities, set clear objectives, and develop effective marketing plans contributes to the overall success. Strategic thinking helps align creative initiatives with the brand's goals and ensure a cohesive and impactful marketing strategy.
Purpose-Driven Leadership:
Purposeful leaders have three characteristics: They are clear about the mission (what they say), align their actions accordingly and act consistently (what they do), and finally, they are authentic (what they embody). Easier said than done. I consistently challenge myself to bridge individual and organizational purposes when they differ.
Extensive Marketing Experience:
I bring a wealth of marketing experience to the table. With a track record of success, I have developed a deep understanding of consumer behavior, market trends, and effective marketing strategies. This expertise can be invaluable in driving a brand's growth and positioning it effectively in a competitive landscape.
How I Create
I possess a unique blend of thought processes based on my various experiences that allow me to see the world differently and translate that vision into groundbreaking ideas. Here's a breakdown of my thought patterns:
I possess a unique blend of thought processes based on my various experiences that allow me to see the world differently and translate that vision into groundbreaking ideas. Here's a breakdown of my thought patterns:
Unbound Imagination:
Visualizing possibilities: I possess a vivid and expansive imagination breaking free from the constraints of the present to envision alternative realities, products, or solutions.
There is no box: I constantly challenge the status quo. I am not afraid to ask "what if" questions and explore unconventional approaches.
Deep Curiosity and Observation:
Keen observer: I actively observe the world around me, not just at face value. I pay close attention to user behaviors, societal trends, and emerging technologies.
Asking the right questions: I delve deeper by constantly questioning how things work, why they are the way they are, and how they could be improved. I prefer to use a null hypothesis when brainstorming solutions.
Embracing Connections and Synthesis:
Identifying patterns and relationships: I excel at connecting seemingly disparate ideas, trends, or technologies seeing how seemingly unrelated concepts can be combined to form novel solutions.
Drawing inspiration from diverse sources: I actively seek inspiration from various fields like art, science, history, or even nature, finding new ways to apply knowledge from different domains.
Long-term Perspective:
Adaptability and resilience: I am prepared for setbacks and roadblocks possessing the resilience to adapt my approach and learn from failures.
Strategic planning: I translate my vision into actionable plans, considering the resources, challenges, and potential roadblocks that lie ahead.
Strategic planning: I translate my vision into actionable plans, considering the resources, challenges, and potential roadblocks that lie ahead.
Embracing uncertainty: I understand that innovation often requires venturing into uncharted territory. I am known to take calculated risks and experiment with new ideas.
My Perspective on the Business of Creative
My vision for the creative teams and projects I lead culminate into one phrase: "Creative Excellence." Here's a breakdown of the foundations I believe build creative excellence:
Speed Up the creative process, advance your craft, and pursue passions:
Be intentional in everything you do: Be intentional about applications of your product in photo, video, design, and copy. There are two primary goals of marketing content: 1. provide customers/consumers a better understanding of the product’s benefits and makeup, and 2. Inspire customers/consumers to use/buy your products (aspirational design ideas).
Govern your work approvals: Tiers of work should be tied to stakeholder involvement. For example, Tier 1 would have the most stakeholders since it is the most complex and has the largest impact. Tiers 2 and 3 are meant to move faster and provide instant incremental impact so decisions have to be made and trusted by senior leaders.
Stay energized: Keep in touch with the latest trends and stay energized by your craft. This will keep you happy and focused while demonstrating your potential and entrepreneurial flair.
Build your passion for the consumer: Seek enduring and passionate shared-interest connections. Don’t ask yourself, “How can we differentiate from our competitors?” but rather, “What common ground/shared interests exist between what matters in our business partner’s lives/consumer’s lives and what can we solve for as a company?” to create powerful connections and brand loyalty. Companies compete with content. Consumers spend 8.8 hours a day engaging with digital content. Think of your content as a product that serves your community of customers. You want it to be as innovative and valuable as your product. We must switch our thinking from a 1:Many to a 1:1 mindset. Instead of creating assets or experiences for a channel, we should be creating for the type of consumer that comes into that channel. What are their motivations? What keeps them up at night? How can we help with that? Replace reach and frequency with reach and empathy. The objective is to create powerful content and experiences that people go out of their way to participate in and then share with others.
Govern your work approvals: Tiers of work should be tied to stakeholder involvement. For example, Tier 1 would have the most stakeholders since it is the most complex and has the largest impact. Tiers 2 and 3 are meant to move faster and provide instant incremental impact so decisions have to be made and trusted by senior leaders.
Stay energized: Keep in touch with the latest trends and stay energized by your craft. This will keep you happy and focused while demonstrating your potential and entrepreneurial flair.
Build your passion for the consumer: Seek enduring and passionate shared-interest connections. Don’t ask yourself, “How can we differentiate from our competitors?” but rather, “What common ground/shared interests exist between what matters in our business partner’s lives/consumer’s lives and what can we solve for as a company?” to create powerful connections and brand loyalty. Companies compete with content. Consumers spend 8.8 hours a day engaging with digital content. Think of your content as a product that serves your community of customers. You want it to be as innovative and valuable as your product. We must switch our thinking from a 1:Many to a 1:1 mindset. Instead of creating assets or experiences for a channel, we should be creating for the type of consumer that comes into that channel. What are their motivations? What keeps them up at night? How can we help with that? Replace reach and frequency with reach and empathy. The objective is to create powerful content and experiences that people go out of their way to participate in and then share with others.
Build in time for discovery, inspiration, and strategy:
Planning is time-consuming: Understand and empathize with the teams supplying info/resources as well as the teams receiving your info/resources. Create your project plans in 5 steps; 1. Empathize, 2. Define problem, 3. Ideate, 4. Prototype, 5. Test/Share (This leads to more successful creative). Continue to execute what is needed today, while engaging new markets and audiences. These three rules should be built into any project timeline, not just the time it takes to compile assets, understand the brief, and create. The intersection of business priorities, new technologies, and customer insights plus the combination of a desirable product, a great story, high-quality assets, and data-driven distribution equals success.
Reimagine empathy for an interconnected world: Throughout your tech stack and consumer touchpoints, see yourself as a steward of an interconnected community. This new context requires confidence, understanding, and critical thinking. The intent is to project feelings into an otherwise inanimate experience. When successful, we will surround our audience with brand experiences that they feel completely involved in. Identify opportunities for engagement in your designs, photos, videos, and digital activities that evoke empathy in the consumer. Focus more on intent (What’s happening outside your control that is driving engagement?) rather than engagement itself which only tells us how people are consuming our content, not the why. Knowing and/or predicting intent allows us to provide an inclusive experience, not just an easy-to-use interface and beautiful content. The cadence of providing an activity and measuring engagement through the eyes of intent can begin at any point of the funnel, from awareness to loyalty.
Reimagine empathy for an interconnected world: Throughout your tech stack and consumer touchpoints, see yourself as a steward of an interconnected community. This new context requires confidence, understanding, and critical thinking. The intent is to project feelings into an otherwise inanimate experience. When successful, we will surround our audience with brand experiences that they feel completely involved in. Identify opportunities for engagement in your designs, photos, videos, and digital activities that evoke empathy in the consumer. Focus more on intent (What’s happening outside your control that is driving engagement?) rather than engagement itself which only tells us how people are consuming our content, not the why. Knowing and/or predicting intent allows us to provide an inclusive experience, not just an easy-to-use interface and beautiful content. The cadence of providing an activity and measuring engagement through the eyes of intent can begin at any point of the funnel, from awareness to loyalty.
Use automation and design systems to accelerate innovation:
Using technology and process to provide capacity to elevate creative outputs: Building better experiences means modernizing how you manage creative content. When you streamline content operations, you make every piece of content work harder for your brand. The goal is to provide a unified voice that conveys a clear brand identity through industry-leading creative and memorable digital experiences that convert customers.
Technology is great until...: Keeping a current tech stack diagram that consolidates and centralizes current tools to align with enterprise solutions is important. Then, eliminate overlapping technology and fill gaps with new tools not available at an enterprise level or needed for new capabilities. Employees who execute outside of the approved tech stack waste a lot of time. Keep your determination to be an expert in the tools available.
Single source of truth: In order to automate and utilize AI effectively, consolidated data and centralized assets are critical to success. It pays to invest in these two functions rather than trying to compile from disparate systems and technologies.
Immersive experiences: The goal is to have customers/consumers participate in the journey all the way to purchase. We have to be intentional about our storytelling, design, and visual assets (i.e., Immersive Experiences) and not show all of our cards at every stage but make the participant want to know more, engage more, and feel a part of the brand experience.
Technology is great until...: Keeping a current tech stack diagram that consolidates and centralizes current tools to align with enterprise solutions is important. Then, eliminate overlapping technology and fill gaps with new tools not available at an enterprise level or needed for new capabilities. Employees who execute outside of the approved tech stack waste a lot of time. Keep your determination to be an expert in the tools available.
Single source of truth: In order to automate and utilize AI effectively, consolidated data and centralized assets are critical to success. It pays to invest in these two functions rather than trying to compile from disparate systems and technologies.
Immersive experiences: The goal is to have customers/consumers participate in the journey all the way to purchase. We have to be intentional about our storytelling, design, and visual assets (i.e., Immersive Experiences) and not show all of our cards at every stage but make the participant want to know more, engage more, and feel a part of the brand experience.
Provide paths for individual and team growth:
Shared leadership through building on differences and individual ownership: Assume leadership roles depending on the task at hand and the needs of the group. The formal leader serves as a coach and mentor to the team. Plan appropriately but share responsibility and encourage creativity, innovation, and risk-taking. Optimize your team members' and business partners' skills, knowledge, and personal strengths. Seek out different points of view and make use of outsiders.
Keep developing: When you invest in yourself, others are also more inclined to invest in you. Be comfortable with change and develop transferable skills; these will equip you to evolve and grow in your career.
Detail. Consistency. Imagination: Keep your focus on excelling at these 3 things, and you will stay ahead of your peers.
Be a professional creative: Being creative is the easy part; being a professional creative is really hard work. The things that make you a professional aren’t glamorous or artistic. Make smart decisions based on limited information, and cut your losses when they fail. Learn and re-engage with the opportunity until you succeed. Don’t let indecisiveness prohibit progress. Express your thoughts and feelings openly so conflict is surfaced and resolved routinely. Also, listen attentively and engage in dialogue. Value and support each other through truth and honest caring feedback.
Work together, serve together, celebrate together: Too often, we only focus on work and occasionally celebrate our success. Let’s make an effort to serve together in communities where we can make an impact and learn more about each other in the process.
Keep developing: When you invest in yourself, others are also more inclined to invest in you. Be comfortable with change and develop transferable skills; these will equip you to evolve and grow in your career.
Detail. Consistency. Imagination: Keep your focus on excelling at these 3 things, and you will stay ahead of your peers.
Be a professional creative: Being creative is the easy part; being a professional creative is really hard work. The things that make you a professional aren’t glamorous or artistic. Make smart decisions based on limited information, and cut your losses when they fail. Learn and re-engage with the opportunity until you succeed. Don’t let indecisiveness prohibit progress. Express your thoughts and feelings openly so conflict is surfaced and resolved routinely. Also, listen attentively and engage in dialogue. Value and support each other through truth and honest caring feedback.
Work together, serve together, celebrate together: Too often, we only focus on work and occasionally celebrate our success. Let’s make an effort to serve together in communities where we can make an impact and learn more about each other in the process.
Measure for continuous improvement:
From team performance to asset performance: It is important to not only focus on team performance KPIs such as; estimated vs. actual budget, business partner satisfaction survey, employee satisfaction survey, decreased amount of time on rework, and reduction in lead time per project. Measuring asset performance KPIs is just as important. These include; utilizing the “Creative Commitment Tool”(spend vs duration vs # channels), cross-campaign performance(overperforming vs. underperforming assets), performance distribution (audience vs. channel vs. asset type), and content mix by channel and brand.
(If you read all of this, I commend you, and you must be ready to have a conversation, so go ahead and contact me.)
(If you read all of this, I commend you, and you must be ready to have a conversation, so go ahead and contact me.)
