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Nathan Smith and Charlie Hocking, co-founders of Kiln, met in a shared desk space in Cornwall and started a studio together nine months later. Call it serendipity or call it a risk, it worked. Five years on, with work for BAFTA, ITV and Channel 4 as case studies, they talk honestly about the luck that started it all, the pitch they lost and made them rethink everything, and their shocking lack of business plan. ----- Here's our website: ⁠https://www.itscraft.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft⁠ Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft⁠ Tiktok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft⁠ ----- This episode is sponsored by Superside, the world's leading AI-first creative partner for enterprises. Superside works as an extension of in-house creative teams on ad and social creative, video and presentation design. AI-first, not AI-only. More at ⁠https://www.superside.com⁠.

Roman Stikkelorum, Co-founder and Managing Director of Verve, opens Season Four with a truly honest account of two decades in business. From the name that held them back for years, to rebranding Miro in eight weeks, selling the company and then buying it back, this is a conversation about the bets that paid off - and the ones that didn’t. ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Find us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft And here's our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft ----- This episode is sponsored by Superside, the world's leading AI-first creative partner for enterprises. Superside works as an extension of in-house creative teams on ad and social creative, video and presentation design. AI-first, not AI-only. More at www.superside.com.

Will Richardson and Chris Nott, co-founders of Studio Drama, join us to explore what creative excellence means when you commit fully to one thing. They've built their studio around a single conviction: that custom type is one of the most powerful, and underused, elements of any brand toolkit. We cover the leap it took to niche down, their non-negotiables, what failure taught them both, and what's coming next for Studio Drama. Find out: who's the studio, and who's the drama? ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Kiser Barnes, Partner and CCO at Red Antler, joins us to unpack creative excellence through building brands for the actual future, and the culture you need to make that possible. Red Antler is a global reference for elite branding and advertising. Kiser brings the perspective of someone who has lived across continents, worked across disciplines, and built his career on optimism as an essential creative philosophy. "Singular perspectives don't make creative work great. If you define the process through your ego and your assumptions, it's really narrow.” ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Think you already know the most passionate creative? Think again. We’re joined by Chloe Templeman, Executive Creative Director at Pearlfisher, to explore what it means to care about creative excellence, and build a team that feels the same way. From the "torture" method that shaped her career at Design Bridge, to changing the game of international design awards, Chloe has a hot take on the design industry at every level. ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

We speak with Chris Moody, Global Executive Creative Director at Landor, to explore what creative excellence looks like when you're steering an agency of 1,300 people across 30 locations. With 18 years at Wolff Olins and a stint at McKinsey behind him, Chris brings a seriously informed perspective on team, tension, and what clients actually want (and don’t want). We cover bad timing as a form of failure, why relationships beat transactions, and the role of AI in the future of creativity. "No client will make a big decision unless they believe in you as much as they believe in the work." ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Kapono Chung, Partner at Combo, joins us to explore what it takes to build a truly distinctive creative studio, and to do work that genuinely stands apart. From the founding story of his New York-based agency, to his theory of deep attention, the courage to jump into the unknown (and swim into the abyss!), and why designers are thinkers first, this is a conversation powered by conviction. Essential listening for studio leaders, creatives and anyone who is looking to build their confidence - and also their creative destiny. "If they don't feel uncomfortable by the work that they're creating, they're not there yet." ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Talia Cotton, founder of Cotton, joins us to explore creative excellence through the lens of design technology. From her time at Pentagram to founding a truly innovative studio in 2023, Talia has been leading the way, in lots of ways, for many years. Now, her studio is redefining what it means for technology, expression and joy to create something you’ve never seen before. Talia shares her five-part definition of creative excellence, her take on the real potential of technology in design, and why the joy that goes into a project matters as much as the output. This is a conversation for designers, leaders, and anyone curious about where creativity is going next. "There's something about 'I haven't seen this before, and that's why this stands out to me.’ That's what I consider to be excellent." ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Alex Bec, co-founder of It's Nice That and Creative Lives in Progress, joins us to explore what creative excellence means for the future of the creative industry. From building the most referenced design platform over nearly two decades, to the growing challenge facing emerging creative talent today, Alex shares his perspective on consistency, responsibility, and the power of moving the dial 1% at a time. Do you care about the future of the creative industry? Good - then listen to this. "Excellence is a moving target. It's an oil painting that should be added to and changed all the time." ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Tosh Hall, Global Chief Creative Officer at Jones Knowles Ritchie, joins us to explore what creative excellence really means at the highest level of the industry. From trusting gut instinct over process, to the power of a singular idea that anyone (even your mother!) can understand, Tosh shares hard-won, failure-first lessons from a career shaping iconic global brands such as Walmart, Burger King, Dunkin, Uber, Impossible Foods, and Heinz. We get into spiky skills, the danger of an industry that only looks at itself, and why he believes the average middle is about to disappear -leaving only the excellent. "Stop doing the things that other people are brilliant at and you're okay at. Make your brilliance more brilliant." ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Brave brands change the world. DixonBaxi help create them. Libby Tsoi is Creative Director in their London studio, busy shaping bold, culturally resonant brand identities for global clients. In this conversation, we explore how your own identity forms your design practice, how to bring your best self to work, and what it takes to represent a world-class studio. “I need to put on that cape in order to feel that I can really do my job in a top level way - that’s why I’ve cultivated a personal brand.” ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Rowena Curlewis is CEO and Co-founder of Demonination. They are a global, award-winning drinks design and branding agency with studios in Sydney, London, California and New York. They embody creative excellence with a mindset of Intelligent bravery. Row shares the secret to long-term client relationships lasting over 20 years; her leadership style setting high standards for her global team, and what’s coming next for the drinks industry. “Great brands should stand the test of time. They should be able to withstand the world!” ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Paul and Jan founded Hamburg-based Hyperfocus in 2020, and since then have focused on lean digital branding, and generating their own '24 7 PR machine.’ “When we actually go into the first chemistry call, clients already say we feel like we know you.” Understand the value of treating your own brand like a client, how the messiness of a project can be a measure of greatness, and how we can all benefit from reaching beyond design. ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Creative excellence in a world where no one cares Our guest today is Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, Founder and CEO of Among Equals. With studios in London and Dubai, Among Equals build the fastest growing brands in the world and help ambitious companies punch above their weight. They have a really strong point of view on branding: No one, in the real world, cares about brands. Among Equals help change that. We discuss what true collaboration with clients looks like now, working methods that actually let creativity thrive, and unearth Emily’s real take on the industry. “I am constantly haunted by lost opportunities. Have I squeezed everything that I possibly could out of this project? That is a natural feeling to have as a creative.” ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft

Confronting Creative Change In this episode, Natalie Prout tackles the topic of change through many different lenses. How her measure of success has shifted completely, changing gears from her immense work at JKR to founding her own agency, and how parenthood has made her better at her job. Nat brings all of the qualities of an excellent strategist to this conversation; honesty, cut through, and excellent guidance to follow. “You have to get really comfortable with ambiguity and the fact that this might not be the right decision, but it feels like the right decision for now.” ----- Here's our website: https://www.itscraft.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movewithcraft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/movewithcraft YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@movewithcraft Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movewithcraft