Building a Creative Organization

The Challenge

Primacy had outgrown its identity.

Although the agency had the talent and ambition to compete with larger firms, its brand, organizational structure, creative capabilities, and internal processes still reflected its beginnings as a small regional digital agency.

To reach the next stage of growth, we needed more than stronger creative work.

We needed to rethink how the agency positioned itself, how multidisciplinary teams collaborated, how talent developed, and how creativity could scale alongside the business.

My Role

As Vice President, Creative Director, I partnered closely with the CEO and executive leadership team to help shape the agency's future.

My responsibilities included:

• Leading the Creative Department across UX, visual design, copywriting, front-end development, motion graphics, video production, and creative technologies.

• Managing a core organization of approximately 30–40 creative professionals, including three Associate Creative Directors and multiple multidisciplinary teams.

• Recruiting, mentoring, and developing creative talent.

• Defining competencies, career paths, and leadership opportunities.

• Building collaborative processes across disciplines.

• Creating new creative capabilities and service offerings.

• Helping shape the agency's strategic direction, positioning, and organizational growth.

Repositioning the Agency

Designing the Creative Organization

As the agency expanded, my focus shifted from managing creative work to designing the organization capable of producing it.

I restructured the department around clearly defined disciplines while creating career paths, leadership opportunities, and stronger collaboration across teams.

Key initiatives included:

• Defining competencies and career progression across creative disciplines.

• Identifying capability gaps and recruiting specialized talent.

• Creating dedicated video production and motion capabilities.

• Investing in modern creative technologies and high-performance workstations.

• Designing and building an in-house recording studio and audio booth.

• Establishing collaborative workflows across UX, design, copywriting, development, and video production.

• Mentoring emerging leaders and creating opportunities for advancement.

Building a Creative Culture

From my second week at Primacy, I made it a priority to create a culture where learning and creative curiosity became part of how we worked—not something reserved for conferences or occasional training.

I launched what became a long-running Visiting Artist & Creative Speaker Series, inviting accomplished designers, filmmakers, photographers, illustrators, writers, architects, musicians, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, and other creative professionals to share their work and creative process with our department. Many of these speakers came from my own professional network, while others were introduced through relationships we built over time.

The objective was never simply to showcase great work. It was to expose our team to different ways of thinking and demonstrate how ideas from one discipline could inspire another.

One memorable session featured professional dancers discussing how they interpreted not only the obvious beats in music, but also the subtle rhythms and transitions between them. We used that conversation to rethink our own approach to video editing—encouraging editors to create emotional pacing rather than simply cutting on predictable beats. Sessions like these reinforced the belief that creativity isn't confined to one discipline; the best ideas often emerge by connecting seemingly unrelated experiences.

The speaker series quickly became part of our department's identity and continued for years. It fostered a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning while encouraging the team to explore inspiration well beyond the boundaries of advertising and digital design.

Just as importantly, it extended our creative culture beyond the agency's walls. The program strengthened relationships with the broader creative community and led to ongoing engagement with organizations such as AIGA, CADC, the Ad Club of Connecticut, local universities, and other creative organizations. It created opportunities for collaboration, expanded our professional network, and helped position Primacy as an active contributor to the regional creative community.

Developing Future Leaders

One of my core responsibilities was building leaders—not simply managing designers.

I believed that sustainable organizations are measured by the people they develop.

Throughout my time at Primacy, I invested heavily in mentoring designers, writers, and creative leaders by giving them opportunities to lead projects, present to clients, expand their responsibilities, and grow beyond what they believed they were capable of.

I advocated for promotions, helped define career paths, and worked closely with emerging leaders to prepare them for larger roles.

One of the leaders I mentored ultimately succeeded me as head of the department after my departure—a transition that remains one of the accomplishments I'm most proud of.

Leadership Philosophy

I've always believed that a creative leader's greatest responsibility isn't to have all the answers—it's to create the conditions where great work can consistently happen.

Leadership trusted me because I could simplify complex problems, assemble the right multidisciplinary teams, and remain resourceful regardless of the challenge. Whether it meant defining a new organizational structure, helping shape the agency's strategic direction, or literally climbing into a dumpster during a client photo shoot to capture the right image, I was committed to doing whatever was necessary to help the team succeed.

More importantly, I cared deeply about the people around me.

I was invested not only in the quality of the work, but in the growth of the individuals creating it. That trust, combined with high expectations and genuine support, helped create a department where people felt empowered to take risks, grow as leaders, and pursue opportunities they once thought were beyond their reach.

Business Impact

During my tenure, Primacy experienced significant growth.

While the agency's success was the result of many talented people working toward a shared vision, I was proud to play a meaningful leadership role in that transformation.

Reflection

Looking back, I'm proud of the work we created—but even more proud of the organization we built.

The experience reinforced a lesson that has shaped every leadership role I've held since:

Exceptional creative work is the byproduct of an intentionally designed organization.

When talented people are supported by a strong culture, clear expectations, thoughtful leadership, and opportunities to grow, they become capable of achieving far more than they ever imagined.

That belief continues to guide my work today—whether I'm building design systems, leading global product teams, or helping organizations transform how they design, collaborate, and innovate.