Advertise on podcast: Confessions of a Creative Director

On this episode of Confessions of a Creative Director, we’re getting into how creatives can actually play a role in fighting hate. Design Director Nick Adam’s roots aren’t in design school. They’re in the punk shows, graffiti, and rave culture of ‘90s Chicago, scenes that taught him how visual language shapes belonging, safety, and identity. That lived experience came rushing back during a recent moment in when he saw someone covered in Nazi symbols being treated like it was no big deal. That’s the wake-up call: hate is hiding in plain sight. And if creatives want to do anything about it, we have to know how systems of exclusion and identity really work, not in theory, but on the ground. In this episode, we talk about identity as civic infrastructure. About visibility as protection. And why real belonging isn’t something you declare it’s something you design into lived experience. Because every creative decision either reinforces the world we’ve inherited or helps build the one we actually need. To dive deeper, check out these links mentioned on the show: Help Stop HateSlow & Low 2025  2024 the book

As a creative director, when you’re working on a client project, there’s this a bit of a built-in safety net. You’ve got their goals, their guardrails, their brand voice to guide you as you solve their problem. But what about when the idea, the brand, the product is yours? When you’re the client? Now that’s a whole different story. The vision, the execution, the timeline, the risk—it’s all on your shoulders. It’s equal parts exciting and absolutely terrifying. On this episode we speak with Entrepreneur, Creative Lead and Marketing Consultant, Alejandro Quillici about that moment when you stop thinking about the thing and start doing the thing. We’re talking about what it takes to actually bring your idea to life—with no safety net and no one to blame but yourself if it fails. We’ll get into why inspiration energy is not the same as execution energy, how to build momentum with tiny, no-pressure moves, and why treating your idea like a client project can weirdly help you to actually finish it. For a deeper dive into some of the books and ideas mentioned on the show, check out these links: - The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://theleanstartup.com/ - The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886 - What are KPIs and Metrics? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZlTixh6Bs More on Alejandro: Website: https://www.alejandroquilici.com/- Instagram: @_allezalex- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/allez-alex

On today’s episode we’re thrilled to welcome Edmund Lam, Global Brand and Creative Director at Cozey. Edmund's journey from graphic designer to Global Brand and Creative Director is nothing short of inspiring. With a background that spans across music, fashion, and now furniture, he brings a unique perspective on how brands can and should evolve beyond traditional brand guidelines. Edmund shares his insights on why brand books might be a thing of the past and how embracing principle-driven branding can lead to more authentic and relatable connections with consumers. Edmund's approach to creativity is all about experimentation and pushing boundaries, making this conversation a must-listen for anyone looking to innovate in their work.

On today’s episode we’re hanging with Chief Creative Officer Josh Tierney of BMF, a global integrated creative marketing agency. Josh is not only a CCO but also a conceptual artist who explores the tension between following trends and leading them and he believes Creative Directors need to think and act more like artists. We’ll discuss the new Reality for CDs, The Trend Paradox and much much, more.

Jody Orsborn Medina's career has been a whirlwind that has taken her from LA to London and from owning her own shop to global freelancing. She’s also the founder of the amazing resource Creative Playbook and Recess: Creative Show and Tell which are live talks where designers, strategists, producers and other creative minds share what’s inspiring them right now. We’ll also touch on battling imposter syndrome, the joy of juggling multiple creative passions and her all-female Bruce Springsteen tribute band! You really do have to listen to the whole show.

On today’s episode I’m thrilled to welcome Myron Nilson, CEO of AdPipe Studio in Atlanta and former Executive Creative Director at Hilton. Today he’s going to talk about a difficult time in his personal life, how it wiped out his mental creative hard drive and what he did to comeback stronger than ever. He’ll also share his thought on dyslexia as a superpower and what he’s seeing on the horizon for AI. • Myron on Wipeout: https://youtu.be/iLCL4xVCgiY • AdPipe: https://www.adpipe.com • Modular Event (Oct 22): https://www.adpipe.com/modular-2025

On this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Emily Kurek, Creative Director at Ammunition in Atlanta, Georgia. Emily and I struck up a conversation on LinkedIn and during our exchange she mentioned that when she became a creative director at just under 30 years old, she got a lot of flack from some people that thought she didn’t have enough experience or was too young to be effective. And that got me to thinking….I bet there are a few things a young creative director knows more about or can do better than the older generation CD. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. So if you wanna come after anyone, come after me because I came up with this topic and she bravely stepped up to the plate. Perhaps bravery is one of things a younger CD brings to the table?

On episode 83, I speak with Nat Resende, who grew up on a coffee farm in Brazil and has worked her way up to EVP and ECD, leading Creative for Digitas North America. She’s a champion of inclusive representation in the world of advertising and mentors creatives navigating the industry from a minority experience. Today, we’re focusing on the importance of weaving inclusivity into our creative work—especially at a time when DEI is under attack. It’s a timely and hugely important issue.

I’m thrilled to welcome back pitch and presentation expert Ben Levy for his encore appearance on Confessions of a Creative Director. Ben has a new book out called Stop Reading Slides: How to nail creative presentations and sell your best ideas. This book covers everything you need to know about the topic but today we’re going to focus on perhaps the most important part which is overcoming client objections. We've all been there. We present the best work of our lives....and the client just doesn't "get it" or thinks "it won't work."

On this episode, we nerd out with Creative Director Calvin Innes from JVM Nerd London, a full service creative and media agency for Gaming, Nerd-Culture, and Fandom Communities. He’s going to deliver the Pop Culture Trends Creative Directors need to know about including the rise of the Kidults and the influence of gamification on retail and culture.

On this episode I speak to Andrew Carty Head of Strategy and Glen D’Souza Head of Creative respectively for Forsman & Bodenfors Canada about their unique approach to integrating creative and strategy into what they call “The Product”. They’ll also touch on the importance of creative teams being involved early in the process, the tools they use to foster creativity, such as 'what if' statements and their innovative concept of 'flooring' work for peer review, and embracing the messy nature of the process to achieve impactful results for clients.  

On this episode I speak to Creative Strategist and Director David Levine, whose  wide ranging career has taken him from working in the scrappy world of the music business to the burgeoning of experiential marketing to now working alongside scientists and engineers. Listen as we break down David’s concept of using hyphens as a superpower, which emphasizes  the importance of embracing multiple skills and perspectives in the creative process. We’ll also discuss his insights on collaboration, the challenges of ambiguity, and the importance of collecting and connecting weird dots. This is the perfect episode to end the year and get us thinking about how to make the most of 2025.  

On this episode, Nick Sonderup, Co-Chief Creative Director of Strawberry Frog in New York City, shares his incredible journey in the advertising industry, including stints at MTV, Wieden+Kennedy, and BBDO. Then, we’ll dive into an exclusive preview of his forthcoming book, How Not to Hate Advertising, which is, in reality, a love letter to the business. The book emphasizes the importance of mentorship, navigating new technologies, maintaining empathy in client relationships, and finding fulfillment in your work.  

On this episode, I speak to Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, founder of Among Equals in the UK, a brand and campaign agency for people who want to make more than *just* money.   Emily shares her journey from working in large advertising agencies to one day realizing that her fear of not starting her own agency became bigger than her fear of actually doing it. That was the day she handed in her notice and jumped head-first into starting Among Equals during a global pandemic, no less. She discusses the challenges she faced and how she struck gold with her agency’s strategy of “start with no one cares.” If you’ve ever wanted to start your own agency this episode might change your life.

I am thrilled to welcome my friend and former colleague, Creative and Brand Strategist Matt Jones. Matt and I met during his time at Jack Morton where he was Global SVP of Strategy and Creative… and to this day, he is hands down the best, most brilliant, most effective creative strategist I've ever worked with. His career has taken him from the halls of Parliament to the C-Suites of some of the biggest brands in the world, to co-creating a highly successful brand of his own, about which he’s written a new book called “Lessons From Gin.”