Podcasts about global creative

Sign-up to our newsletter for a FREE budget calculator! - https://linktr.ee/lateinvoices?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=9a64906f-ff20-48ce-9bff-07d65f55e14dLouis Browne is on the show! Louis is a Director and photographer whose client list includes Gucci, Dior, Adidas, Nike, Rolling Stone, and more. Known for his choppy, mixed-media style and genre-spanning career—from music to global fashion campaigns—Louis shares his experience navigating the creative industry on both sides of the world from the London to NYC and beyond.We unpack the key differences between the UK and US creative markets, how your creative taste often outpaces your technical skill, and why personal projects still hold the most weight when it comes to growth, fulfilment, and landing meaningful work. Louis also opens up about preparing your shoots properly, and how the person you're shooting might be the world's next superstar as Louis recalls shooting with Billie Eilish before the fame.We also get into Louis transition from photography to directing, what that shift demanded creatively and mentally, and why being crystal clear on your ideas is everything when it comes to pitching to clients. Should you be repped by agencies, or is it more valuable to build your own momentum? From hard-earned lessons on set to treating every shoot like it could lead to the next breakthrough, this conversation is full of honest insights for creatives at any level.00:00 - Living in New York vs. London06:18 - Shooting Stormzy at the Met Gala12:41 - Why move from the UK to the US21:26 - Differences in Photography Markets: US vs. UK24:05 - Balancing Personal Projects and Commercial Work28:43 - What should new Creatives focus on?40:01 - Memorable Shoots: Enjoyment VS Output44:48 - Lessons Learned the Hard Way49:32 - Approach to Directing56:04 - Understanding the Director's Role in Commercials58:00 - Do you need to be repped to land big projects01:03:42 - Creating Natural Interactions with Subjects01:08:15 - Why you should post your work01:12:23 - Finding Creative Space and InspirationListen to 'Late Invoices' on all platforms at the link below, new episodes released every Tuesday!

Welcome to Stories Untold!This season is about pulling back the curtain, on the mess, the moments, and the lessons you don't always hear out loud.In this first episode, we sit down with Xanthe Wells, VP of Global Creative for Pinterest, to talk about what it really takes to grow, as a leader, a creative and a human. From early missteps in management to the reality of building safe spaces for risk, this is a conversation about staying open when everything around you is shifting.Here's what we get into:• Why being promoted is not the same as being prepared• How to protect the space for creativity, risk and realness• The uncomfortable truth about never having the “right” brief, team or budget• Why safety, not polish, is the foundation of creative work• What it means to lead when everything, and nothing, is certainIf you've ever found yourself in the chaos of doing the work and figuring it out as you go, this one's for you. Hit play and exhale.

✨ Nalima Touré, Global Creative Operations @Bobbi Brown Cosmetics☁️ How Nalima pivoted from tech to fashion and beauty ☁️ What it's really like producing campaigns for brands like Vogue and Gucci ☁️ How to break into beauty and creative production without a linear path ☁️ Tips for networking authentically and getting hired through word of mouth ☁️ Why trusting your intuition is the most important career move you can makeJoin the Sky Society Women in Marketing private LinkedIn group.Follow Sky Society on Instagram @skysociety.co and TikTok @skysociety.co

What if social media wasn't really social—but instead, a space for self-discovery?This week, Xanthe Wells, VP of Global Creative at Pinterest, joins me to unpack how Pinterest is redefining the way people interact with content, brands, and their own identities. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest isn't about followers or fleeting trends—it's about inspiration, aspiration, and personal growth.Xanthe shares how Gen Z is using Pinterest differently, why identity-based marketing is the future, and how brands can tap into this shift to create more meaningful connections. We also discuss the evolution of social media, the changing landscape of digital marketing, and what brands need to do to stay relevant in 2025 and beyond.If you're looking to understand where digital marketing is headed and how to align your strategy with the changing behaviors of today's consumers, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.About Xanthe:Xanthe is currently VP of Global Creative for Pinterest and runs the House of Creative under CMO Andréa Mallard.Since arriving at Pinterest in November of 2022, Xanthe has been driving the brand's creative transformation and has been responsible for a major step change in creative output. Her team's work has resulted in unprecedented ROI for each of the major initiatives she has led, most notably the launch of the global creative platform “It's Possible,” the 2024 Pinterest Predicts campaign and report, the record-breaking Cannes Manifestival, Pinterest Presents and the best performing brand campaign in the company's history.Her team's creative output has beat all previous benchmarks and driven increased monthly active users on the platform, surpassing over half a billion MAU in 2024.Connect with Xanthe:https://www.linkedin.com/in/xanthewells/Connect with VeronicaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vromney/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vromney/If you're serious about advancing your career in marketing and you're looking for some personal insights into how then I invite you to schedule a free Pathway to Promotion call with me: https://pathwaycall.com/If you found value in today's episode, I would appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review.

Jamie Read is the Founder and CEO of BriteBirch Collective, a global integrated marketing and business consultancy established in 2018. With over 17 years of experience, he has built award-winning marketing teams and campaigns across Canada, the Middle East, and Asia. Before founding BriteBirch, Jamie held leadership positions at prominent agencies such as Edelman and Ketchum, working with global clients in the healthcare, technology, and consumer goods sectors. In addition to his role at BriteBirch, he serves as Communications Chair for the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, promoting diversified trade and business opportunities. In this episode… Traditional marketing agencies often rely on rigid structures and outdated processes that limit creativity and flexibility. These models prioritize internal politics and overhead costs over client needs, leading to bloated teams and inconsistent results. How can agencies streamline operations while fostering collaboration and delivering tailored solutions? Jamie Read, a marketing expert, recognized these gaps after years of working in major global agencies and sought to create an agency model that breaks free from conventional barriers. By assembling a curated network of over 300 seasoned marketing experts worldwide, he designed a flexible, project-based collective that matches senior-level talent directly with client needs. His focus on eliminating agency politics, promoting collaboration among freelancers, and using modern tools ensures seamless communication and high-quality results. Jamie also emphasizes the importance of building a strong culture within a decentralized team and has launched a community-driven initiative to mentor the next generation of freelancers and help them thrive in an evolving marketplace. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Jamie Read, Founder and CEO of BriteBirch Collective, about how he's redefining the agency model by blending the freedom of freelancing with the power of collaboration. Jamie shares his journey from working in traditional agencies to building his global collective, explains how he attracts top talent, and discusses how BriteBirch structures client teams to deliver bespoke solutions.

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy (SUNY Press, 2024) by Dr. Waiyee Loh brings together contemporary representations of Victorian Britain to reveal how the nation's imperial past inheres in the ways post-imperial subjects commodify and consume "culture" in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The globalization of English literature, along with British forms of dress, etiquette, and dining, in the nineteenth century presumed and produced the idea that British culture is a universal standard to which everyone should aspire. Examining neo-Victorian texts and practices from Britain, the United States, Japan, and Singapore—from A. S. Byatt's novel Possession and its Hollywood film adaptation to Japanese Lolita fashion and the Lady Victorian manga series—Dr. Loh argues that the British heritage industry thrives on the persistence of this idea. Yet this industry also competes and collaborates with the US and Japanese cultural industries, as they, too, engage with the legacy of British universalism to carve out their own empires in a global creative economy. Unique in its scope, Empire of Culture centers Britain's engagements with the US and East Asia to illuminate fresh axes of influence and appropriation, and further bring Victorian studies into contact with various sites of literary and cultural fandom. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

The Head of Global Creative and Content at Wayfair has a fascinating conversation with Cal about the ever-evolving intersection of humanity, creativity and technology. Sandro has opened the door for Cal to translate the power of questions and storytelling into new areas, and this episode will leave you inspired to embrace the future while staying rooted in who you are.

In a recently released draft strategy, the government wants New Zealand to be a global creative powerhouse, with creatives better able to support themselves financially. Libby Kirkby-McLeod who is also a published author, reports.

In this podcast Duncan Southgate, Senior Director of Global Creative at Kantar, talks to Chris Lindsley, Global Insights and Analytics Director at Reckitt Benckiser, about the role of attention in the creative development process. Hear about Reckitt's communication strategy and the importance of having clear objectives to drive consumer actions. Chris also shares his approach to different attention metrics, the value of facial coding in capturing attention and emotional response, as well as the challenges for marketers going beyond behavioural metrics to identify effective attention.Related content: Attention beyond views for creative effectiveness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital transformation is in Leah Carlson's blood. From the first outside employee at a family-run business, to leading technology and web projects at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, to 6.5 years building out global creative, content, and growth capabilities at McCormick, and now at digital marketing agency Velir, she has created a way of working across global teams to implement technologies and best practices that drive efficiency while still enabling local control. Leah generously joined the podcast to share the most impactful lessons from her journey.

✨  Brenna McDuffie, Copy Manager, Global Creative at Clinique☁️  What you didn't know about naming products☁️  Breaking down the creative process of copywriting☁️  Future of AI in copywriting☁️  Tips for strengthening your copywriting skillsJoin the Sky Society Women in Marketing private LinkedIn group.Follow Sky Society on Instagram @skysociety.co and TikTok @skysociety.co

VP, Global Creative for Atlassian leading a multi-disciplined team of Creative, Brand, Design, Ops and Production. Previously, he was Global Chief Creative Officer for Reality Labs at Meta.

Jayanta Jenkins is a forward-thinking creative and marketing executive with 20+ years' experience crafting culture-defining messaging for some of the world's most esteemed brands. Jayanta prides himself in leading and inspiring multidisciplinary teams by fostering collaboration, fun and bringing out the best in each team member. His ability to blend strategic thinking with creative vision has resulted in timeless storytelling, pushing the boundaries of how brands engage with global audiences. His dedication to delivering results has garnered industry recognition from every major marketing and advertising awards organization. Noteworthy is that his work has won multiple Cannes Lions, One Show, Clios, D&AD, and Promax awards. In 2017, Jayanta and his creative team at Twitter received a Cannes Lion Grand Prix, which is one of the most coveted and globally recognized awards in the marketing industry. In 2020, Jayanta was named one of Adweek's Creative 100 top agency leaders. In 2022, Jayanta received further recognition from Cablefax as one of the top marketers of the year. Presently, Jayanta serves as the Vice President of Creative at Starbucks, he oversees the global brand and creative strategy, ensuring that the company's purpose and values are communicated effectively and authentically to millions of customers and partners. In his prior duty, at The Walt Disney Company, Jenkins was Head of Content Marketing for Disney Branded Television and National Geographic. He led a centralized award-winning team responsible for all creative marketing, strategy, digital, publicity, media planning, events, talent relations and award strategies for all content created for promotion on Disney+ and the Disney and National Geographic linear networks. Jenkins has held top global creative roles at Virgin Galactic, Samsung's in-house agency, Cheil Worldwide in Seoul, Korea,  Apple's Beats by Dre and Twitter, where he was the social media company's first global head of creative. Jenkins began his career in the agency world, working on Gatorade at TBWAChiat Day, Nike at Wieden+Kennedy and The Martin Agency. In 2016, Jayanta co-founded SATURDAY MORNING, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and shifts perceptions on racial bias and injustice by partnering with Fortune 500 companies such as Proctor & Gamble, Spotify, and IBM to launch initiatives to create meaningful conversations for the collective benefit of all. Outside of his profession life, Jayanta enjoys spending time with his son, visiting museums around the world, DJ'ing and listening to as much of Prince's music as possible.

(Season 8 is in partnership with ADCOLOR. ADCOLOR champions diversity and inclusion in creative industries) Nicole Godreau approaches her corporate and community-driven work through the lens of inclusion and empowerment to shift culture. As a Global Creative Strategist at Spotify, Nicole develops ideas worth talking about for brands by uncovering human truths through cultural insights. Recently, she was named one of “The Top 50 Black Marketers To Watch” by the African American Marketing Association, as well as recognized as one of the Hispanic Executive's NextGen Collective 2023 30 Under 30 award recipients.Nicole serves on the ADCOLOR Advisory Board and is honored to be a Cannes Young Lion Academy Alum, Ad Club of NY Fellowship recipient, ADCOLOR Future Alum, AAF Most Promising Multicultural Student, and Emma Bowen Foundation Alum. Her work has been featured in AdWeek, and she has moderated panels at industry events such as “Where Are All the Black People”. She holds a B.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Ithaca College.

In this clip with Jean Batthany, former VP of Global Creative at Walt Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products, the discussion centers around the intrinsic value of nostalgia in storytelling and creativity. Jean shares insights from her Disney experience, highlighting the need for a balance between left-brain and right-brain thinking, where creativity is not only an artistic pursuit but also a strategic driver for business results. She emphasizes the emotional connection in storytelling, how it engages people on a deep level and aids in better memory retention. The conversation extends to the challenges faced by legacy brands, with Jean shedding light on the importance of being a brand enthusiast while also envisioning future stories for evolving audience connections.

Listed among the "30 Most Creative Women in Advertising" by Business Insider, Xanthe Wells is a driving force wherever she may be. Since joining Pinterest (from Google) in November 2022, Xanthe has been a key player behind the brand's creative evolution, introducing a new era of product-focused creative endeavors that have not only elevated the quality standard but also bolstered Pinterest's standing in the industry. In a candid conversation with host Ryan Berman, Xanthe delves into the dynamic landscape of the creative industry, emphasizing the growing significance for brands to embrace creativity with unwavering courage. The discussion goes beyond the surface, exploring the nuanced interplay between "book smart" and emotional intelligence within working teams. Finally, Xanthe and Ryan delve deep into the need for companies to embrace creativity in all facets of business — not simply what ends up in a positioning statement, on social media or an advertisement. 

JOHAN VAKIDIS has worked with computers since his teens and took his skills in programming and early software and web development into the worlds of advertising and experiential event entertainment. Johan's work as a digital creative has allowed him to create projects all over the globe- from Montreal to Shanghai. His work in China and Korea and Singapore taught him the specific ways and protocols of working in East Asia. The "rituals" that are a part of business in these markets formed his "cultural fluency." Johan shared that "being able to trust the people you work with-- in China there is a hierarchy in business." Moving back to Montreal after 20 years, gave Johan a chance to try new ways of working - experiential design and working with huge brands where he integrated multiple adapted skills. A CCO by his late 30's, Johan has built not only major brand projects, but culture and collaboration. He is raising his teen son who got to interview skateboard celeb, Tony Hawk, on a Nike job- and is now enjoying his "intentional pivot" with his current position at C2, a company with the Kyu Collective. The "languages" he speaks include Mandarin, French, Spanish, Italian, Greek and some Italian- besides the ad speak, and the fluency in navigating the spheres of digital entertainment - while "scaling up!"

Dentsu Creative, one of the world's largest global creative agencies, is a part of the Microsoft Copilot Early Access Program. Global Head of Technology James Thomas shares how integrating Copilot is transforming workflows and enhancing creativity for his teams. Thomas is the latest guest on Microsoft's WorkLab podcast, where host Molly Wood explores the data and insights about the work trends you need to know today—from how to use AI effectively to what it takes to thrive in our new world of work.  WorkLab  Dentsu Creative

We discuss the importance of agency people, the power of curation when it comes to agency selection, why awareness is key for growth, the shift from full service to niche and back to full service, why omnichannel is replacing D2C, how investing has complimented their business and why human IP is underrated. …………. Sign up to the Your Basket Is Empty newsletter here and learn more about Omnisend here ⚡️ Enjoy ✌️

The world's most recognizable brands employ artists and storytellers to preserve their legacy.  Today, on Episode 2 of the second season of VISIONS, we're going live to the VISIONS Summit, recorded in June of 2023, in Chicago, and we'll listen in to our special guest, José Cabaço, the former Global Creative and Storytelling Director of Adidas and Orchid Bertelsen, the COO of Common Thread Collective and former Head of Innovation at Nestle Foods. Two experts who discuss the very real challenges we face in an ever more artificial world.Artificial Ignorance{00:03:25} “It's easy to get into the fandom business, but it's really, really hard to be genuinely adopted by the culture that you're trying to be a part of, engage with, promote to the benefit not just of your brand, but that culture that you're putting the spotlight on. I think there are very few brands that do it nicely.” - José Cabaço{00:07:07} “Oh, innovation happens. It happens because you listen, you collaborate. The outcome, the data conversion of that is product that then betters your performance, becomes desirable beyond the function it was created for.” - José Cabaço{00:18:28} “It absolutely takes courage from a brand to very meaningfully and intentionally open up a platform and use a very iconic product that they have that has a lot of history, a lot of legacy.” - Orchid Bertelson{00:19:52} “You already mentioned the notion that if it's generated in AI, it's not property of anyone or a brand can claim the property of it or the ownership of it. Kind of. Because, for example, if you look at these two brands and you see the amount of archives that they have of their own products, if that is their prompt, that is theirs still.” - José Cabaço{00:23:35} “The line is very clear. You either are willing to be led in a conversation that you decided to engage with a certain culture, or you're not.” - José CabaçoGuestsOrchid Bertelson, Chief Operating Officer and Common Thread CollectiveJosé Cabaço, Artist and Global Creative Director and Head Storyteller at brands like Hurley, Nike, and AdidasHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

Welcome to the Footballco Business Podcast. On today's show, we're going to Cannes, France and bringing you a panel from Sport Beach which was hosted by Stagwell Inc. during last month's Cannes Lions. Stagwell is a global marketing network built to challenge the status quo and during Sport Beach they welcome leading names from sports, brands and media together for conversations based on the cultural zeitgeist of sport and its massive global market. This panel focused on building brand partnerships in women's football and featured former U.S. Women's National Team & Gotham FC goalkeeper and current Global Creative advisor for Gotham FC, Ashlyn Harris; actor and Angel City Football Club investor, Sophia Bush and SVP of North America Whiskey Portfolio and Global Baileys at Diageo, Sophie Kelly in conversation with ESPN veteran reporter Holly Rowe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode #148 we welcomed Melissa Rosenthal, CCO at ClickUp.Melissa came back to the podcast after her first appearance in 2020.Listen to this episode and learn:

Award-winning global creative executive Jean Batthany sits down with Roy to dig into the nuances of creative leadership, when organizations should hire a creative leader, and how to assess the skills and competencies that make them successful.Jean brings a wealth of experience and insight to the podcast; she has spent over thirty years leading brand-side and agency creative teams. Jean began her career at top advertising agencies like BBDO, M&C Saatchi, Merkley+Partners, and Saatchi & Saatchi before transitioning to leading in-house creative strategy for Disney Parks and Resorts, where she served as VP, Global Creative. Most recently, she led a team of over 300 creatives at Walmart as Chief Creative Officer.Highlights from our conversation include:The key elements of a successful brand strategy (4:44)Balancing creativity and leadership skills in teams (5:33)When and why brands should hire a Chief Creative Officer (7:14)How to measure the success of a brand creative leader (7:50)The role CCOs play in driving great creative (9:59)The best advice Jean received as a young creative (12:28)What she looks for in creative leaders (13:40)The difference between a brand creative leader and a CMO -- and how they work together (14:29)Jean's advice to early-career creatives (15:51)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazonGoogle

In this episode, we sit down and speak with Sas Metcalfe former President of Global Creative at Kobalt Music.  ****** Use code MUBUTV10 to get 10% off of your order with the Music Business Registry here

The VP of Creative at Pinterest. Xanthe Wells leads all creative, concepting, design, experiential, writing and content for Pinterest advertising. Previously, Xanthe was Senior Director & Global Executive Creative Director for Google Devices & Services. At Google, she won a Grand Prix in Cannes for Real Tone on Google Pixel while leading agency partnerships with Wieden + Kennedy, Swift, GUT, Droga5, 72andSunny in addition to overseeing the Google Devices & Services Creative Team. Xanthe knows a lot. A lot, a lot. How to make award-winning work. How to succeed in both the brand and agency side of marketing communications. And, of course, how you can break into either side. Tune in! It can only help you wherever you're at in your career. Links Connect with Xanthe: here Connect with us: here Win a Crowbar to break into advertising: here --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/breakenter/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/breakenter/support

Jean Batthany on Her Time as VP, Global Creative at Walt Disney Parks Experiences and Consumer Productswww.MeettheCreatives.orgwww.Instagram.com/_robjohnston

In this session from Advertising Week Africa, you'll hear some of the leading minds in creativity, innovation and the next wave of digital monetization as they address the intersection of culture, creativity and community. How do community-driven technologies spawn new creative business models? What does the future hold for creators? And will these technologies live … Continue reading "The Global Creative Economy + African Diaspora Youth: Building the Future We Want to Live In"

We've got a little holiday feed drop you today. I know many of you may not pick up the podcast player during this yule tide season or even on until the New Year, but if you're like me you get through the festiveness and overeating and need a little alone time with a good podcast. Of course many of you will be traveling … perhaps with family or alone to see family. Some of you will be driving for a considerable distance while the kids zone out to their devices or DVDs in the back. So, an episode like this has some utility for you. Today, I'm going to share with you an episode of The Fuel Podcast with Keith Smith. It is perhaps the finest podcast out there devoted to agency new business. It's supported by The Advertist, which is a new business development resource based out of the United Kingdom. But the strategies, ideas and conversations Keith discusses in the show are perfectly appropriate and relevant for agencies anywhere in the world. In fact, a lot of the conversations had on The Fuel Podcast are global in nature, including the one you'll hear today. I'm sharing with you the Christmas bonus special of the show which dropped on its main feed just a couple of weeks ago in which Keith interviews legendary creative strategist Paul Grubb. His current position is as regional creative director at Wunderman Thompson in Bangkok, Thailand. One of his charges is running Ford's business across Asia.  His career has included being a partner in Duckworth Finn Grubb Waters. They were one of the UK's most respected and successful independent agencies of the 1990s. He also ran the Unilever business across Asia for Lowe Worldwide for sometime. . Now, the Fuel Podcast is quite different from Winfluence in that Keith goes in deep on a number of topics with his guests without a lot of concern for a time limit. Some of the episodes of the show can go 90-minutes, up to two hours. But there's so much goodness and insights to be had there, it's worth the time, if you can make it. Hopefully, you can with this episode. It runs about an hour and 20 minutes. You'll get all of it as recorded … no commercial interruptions.  If you like it, jump over to thefuelpodcast.com and subscribe. The Fuel Podcast is also one of our sister shows on The Marketing Podcast Network, so you can find it there … that's at marketingpodcasts.net. Enjoy this feed drop holiday treat from Keith Smith and The Fuel Podcast. I'll be back with a new episode of Winfluence on Monday, as usual.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After spending 20 years crafting campaigns for the likes of Nike, John Jay jumped into a new role as President of Global Creative for Uniqlo—and there's a lot more he wants to do yet. Dave calls up John to talk about finding inspiration in unexpected places, DJing at Space Lab Yellow, learning from Juan Mari Arzak, the glory years of Bloomingdale's, an invitation from Ralph Lauren, invisible improvements, Mark Parker, skaters as food scouts, Ja Morant, Tadashi Yanai, omotenashi, pairing instant ramen with fresh abalone, and the problem with being obsessed with success. Host: Dave Chang Guest: John Jay Producer: Sasha Ashall Additional Production: Jordan Bass and Lala Rasor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tune in to hear Chrystofer Benson discuss why he joined CLICS and how it will revolutionize the hair industry! KEY TAKEAWAYS: -- Color Lab Inventory Control System -- App-Based Color System -- No weekly inventory -- Automatically receive color for free -- Pay for the Color AFTER you use it -- Automatically calculate overuse, reduce waste -- You will have to learn the new color line and how to formulate -- There are pre-formulated colors -- Lots of education to help learn the color line -- Create 100% customized color MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE: -- CLICS: https://www.clics.com/ -- Follow CLICS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clicscolors/ -- Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbensonhair/ -- CBC: https://www.cbensoncollective.com/ -- Follow CBC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haircbc_pro/ We deliver curated resources, coaching, advice, and first-hand experience so you may become a well-rounded, self-sufficient, business-savvy, and strong individual, ready to transition or transform yourself and the industry. We won't stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

Piyush Pandey is chairman of Global Creative and executive chairman of Ogilvy India. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Advertising Agencies Association of India in 2010, the Clio Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, the 'Padma Shri' (Indian National Civilian Award) in 2016 and the Lion of St Mark, along with his brother Prasoon Pandey, at Cannes in June 2018. His first book, Pandeymonium, is on his life and times in advertising. Ogilvy India has been India's No. 1 creative agency for over two decades and Piyush has been named as the Economic Times' Most Influential Person fourteen years in a row.

In April 2020, the American Influencer Council – AIC launched This Is Ramadan, a cultural education initiative to encourage tolerance, build community, debunk media-perpetuated myths, break stereotypes in everyday life, and combat belief-based biases. The program is led by Summer Albarcha, Chair of the AIC Learning & Development Committee and a pioneer of the modest fashion movement. During Ramadan, Summer is taking over the Creators with Influence Podcast to “spotlight GenZ and millennial creators who are using their tech-savviness, entrepreneurial ingenuity, personal style, and diverse culture to reimagine what it means to be a modern Muslim,” she said. In episode 10, Summer is joined by Alia Kemet, who is the Senior Vice President of Global Creative and Digital Transformation at McCormick & Company. Last year, Alia was named Adweek's Brand Leader of the Year and was part of the 2021 class of Ad Age's Leading Women. The two discuss the 22nd Edition of the McCormick Flavor Forecast, McCormick's first influencer innovation collaboration with Tabitha Brown, Ramadan food traditions, normalizing healthy eating on social media, and more! The AIC strives to promote inclusion by generating public goodwill for the diverse voices and storytellers that make up the creator economy. Learn more about #ThisIsRamadan and our 2022 collaborators: https://impact.americaninfluencercouncil.com/this-is-ramadan-2022 Engage with us on Instagram @americaninfluencercouncil @creatorswithinfluence; Follow us on Twitter @aic_tweets @creatorswithinfl; Join us on TikTok @creatorswithinfluence. #AICforALL #CreatorswithInfluence #AICEducation --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creators-with-influence/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/creators-with-influence/support

Scott Kerr sits down with Dirk Schönberger, global creative officer at German luxury heritage brand MCM to discuss how he's been taking the brand to new heights since joining in 2018. Dirk talks about leaving his era-defining role as creative director at Adidas to join MCM, bringing on Gen Z heavyweights Billie Eilish and Iann Dior as the new faces of the brand, the importance of talking to and listening to young consumers, introducing two new logo designs after 45 years, and why growing its shoe buiness is the next logical step for MCM. Plus: Seeing a future where MCM creates a cultural movement in the metaverse Featuring: Dirk Schönberger, Global Creative Officer at MCM Worldwide (mcmworldwide.com) Host: Scott Kerr, Founder & President of Silvertone Consulting About The Luxury Item podcast: The Luxury Item is a podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Stay Connected: Twitter: @theluxuryitem, @scott_kerr, @silvertone_inc Email: scott@silvertoneconsulting.com Newsletter: brilliantcut.substack.com Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

Tune in to hear Chrystofer share how to find your passion and become an award winning stylist! Want to see more videos like this? Make sure to subscribe to our channel for weekly videos! KEY TAKEAWAYS: -- "Sometimes people come into your life who see things bigger for you than you can imagine for yourself". -- What you do in school is what you do in your career. -- Focus on what inspires you as this is the most important thing! Then, let that help you discover your career path! -- Went to School, and joined a competition. Then, worked at a salon, opened a salon, then started teaching at schools, and joined a brand. --8-10 years later, went full-time teaching + competitions MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE: -- CLICS: https://www.clics.com/ -- Follow CLICS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clicscolors/ -- Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbensonhair/ -- CBC: https://www.cbensoncollective.com/ -- Follow CBC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haircbc_pro/ We deliver curated resources, coaching, advice, and first-hand experience so you may become a well-rounded, self-sufficient, business-savvy, and strong individual, ready to transition or transform yourself and the industry. We won't stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.

In this episode, we chat about the importance of grinding early for a long and successful career, how she leveraged her skills to fill a space in the market, doing great work, staying mentally and emotionally healthy, and more. Since launching her illustrious career in 2008, Amber Grimes has consistently trafficked in a lane of her own design. This personal journey comprised key positions everywhere from Def Jam and Reebok to Spotify in addition to launching her full service marketing company, Cardi Brand Agency. By 2018, she envisioned, created, and filled the role of SVP, Global Creative at Capitol Music Group—as “the youngest black female SVP in the respective label group”— and would be featured in Forbes, Variety, Billboard, and more. She now serves as the Executive Vice President and GM of the Atlanta-based record label and management company LVRN. As always, we'd love to hear from you! Shoot us a note womenlikemepod@gmail.com.

Head of Global Creative, but really so much more, Tim Hamilton has lived a lifetime of experiences already and graciously has come on the pod to talk about them. I mean, anyone who wants to go to the Arctic for fun truly has lived a full life haven't they? I hope you all enjoy banter about fast fashion, the ethical dilemma of keeping t-shirts, and why North Face has so many Supreme collabs. 

Dora Osinde is the Global Chief Creative Officer at Granny, an international creative agency whose mission is to elevate entertainment and lifestyle brands into pop culture icons. Clients include Netflix, Spotify, MTV, Sony Music, and Warner Brothers to name a few.  We talk about:

Iordan Mentore speaks with Kadallah Burrowes (they/them), an interactive Media Artist, writer and technologist about their experiences living in China. This episode touches on a range of topics including their creative journey across the US and China at museums, conferences, and even nightclubs.

It's a wildcard episode of Flavor Odyssey, and your hosts Robby Ras and Randy Griggs will dive deep into mezcal, pairing it with the Drew Estate Undercrown Dojo DOGMA maduro. Robby and Randy will be joined by Joey Drew, Director of Global Creative at Drew Estate (and something of a mezcal specialist), to help understand this pairing. Will the smoky notes of mezcal compliment the mad-dog?

Cass Langton is the Sydney, Australia-based Global Worship and Creative Pastor for Hillsong Church, including all songwriting, conferences and worship bands like Hillsong United, Young & Free, and Hillsong Worship. We talk leading creatives, her different learning outlets and a best of class top ten list on leadership. Plus, a brand new list of 13 Creative Voices you should know and follow, along with 5 New Things From the Internet. Make sure to check out http://h3leadership.com to access the list and all the show notes. Thanks again to our partners for this episode: World Vision—Sign up for the FREE Soul CARE series at http://worldvision.org/h3, a prayer posture practical resource featuring Danielle Strickland sharing the practices to create space for God to tend to your soul and practical tools for leading others. Sign up at http://worldvision.org/h3. And, Resi—the most trusted streaming provider. Leverage the world's leading streaming technology with the simplest-to-use experience. Organizations like Hillsong, Elevation, LifeChurch, Story Brand, and Chick-fil-A all count on Resi. Improve your online experience and sign up for a free demo at http://resi.io.

The journey--the climb while you are climbing is just as important to highlight as the end result.  In this episode, I have a conversation with Kristine Rodriguez, Director of Global Creative Operations for MAC Cosmetics, an Estee Lauder brand. Kristine shares how the relationships you build are the currency you have and gives us some great tips on making connections at work and navigating stereotypes and labels. Enjoy the conversation.More about Kristine RodriguezKristine Rodriguez is currently the Director of Global Creative Operations at MAC Cosmetics and has been with the Estee Lauder Companies for three years.For the majority of her career Kristine worked within advertising and throughout that time focused on building her network of friends and colleagues. She attributes much of her career growth over the past 12 years to the relationships she has been able to cultivate and maintain. In her role within MAC, she has been able to grow as a leader and make herself a driving force in a large corporation like Estee Lauder. She recognizes the importance of having advocates and the right support system to help open the doors to new opportunities. As she continues to grow as a leader she strives to become a mentor and advocate for young women looking for a successful career in this industry. 

Head of Global Creative en Snapchat. Un colombiano que ha viajado por el mundo haciendo una carrera brillante en agencias como DM9 en Brasil, DDB Bogotá y Laundry Service en Nueva York, donde ha dejado en esos años una linda cosecha de más de treinta leones. Fue speaker en South by Southwest y Cannes y es Cofundador de apArt Private Gallery.Empezamos la plática con un recorrido multicultural y de cómo fue el regreso a su país natal, Colombia donde asumió la dirección general creativa de DDB. Hablamos de lo que aprendió y también de lo que dejó.Nos comentó su punto de vista sobre lo importante que es para los creativos publicitarios buscar siempre oxigenarse con cosas fuera de la publicidad y como eso lo llevó, junto con su esposa, a montar galerías de arte para exponer ese lado artístico de los publicistas. Platicamos sobre su trabajo ahora en Snapchat y de la campaña Real Friends. Mientras François traía una segunda ronda nos entretuvimos hablando de lo que ha significado este cambio de la industria al teletrabajo.Cerramos la noche hablando de cómo una idea creativa puede impactar socialmente en la comunidad y ayudar a solucionar problemas reales de las personas, como el proyecto “Sombrero Solar” que realizó en Colombia para llevar energía a los pueblos más apartados de ese país.Visítanos en https://www.elmartinez.net/ y suscríbete en Spotify, Apple Podcasts o donde lo estés oyendo ahora. Síguenos en FB o IG @ElMartinezPodcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

BGBS 058: Kris Fry | Smartwool | It's an Experiment Kris Fry is a brand pro in love with the magic of ideation and storytelling, armed with the awareness that nothing is more powerful than a well-planned strategy. He is currently the Global Creative director at Smartwool, but has had the opportunity to lead concept, design, and experience for incredible brands like Oakley, Wheel Pros, HEAD, SCOTT Sports, Coors, Eddie Bauer, Punch Bowl Social, and The North Face. As you'll hear in the episode, Kris is fascinated by finding the connection points between consumers and branding in order to find the right brand message that inspires consumers beyond just purchase, to join a community. Our interest in where it all began lead Kris down the path of explaining a world of self-expression, liberation, and rave-style jeans—otherwise known as skateboarding culture—which was pivotal for introducing him to brand expression and has remained an underlying current of inspiration to this day. We go along with the journey that enthralled Kris with the blend of visual language and storytelling, eventually leading him to an opportunity with Smartwool that he wears proudly today. Quotes [10:07] That balance of branding and consumers and how they interact is one of the greatest sociology experiments that I just love and nerd out on and I find it fascinating, like it's an experiment—this interaction and this back and forth. Sometimes breaking out a little bit of a crystal ball and doing some guesswork, having some data to throw in there. [Those] foundational elements help guide the creative to come up with that brand-right message that just connects with people and hopefully inspires them beyond just purchase. It inspires them to join a community. [10:49] One of our main goals is to get people outside. It's not about what you do outside or how well you do it, we just think there's this beautiful inherent thing about nature. [12:02] There's just so many powerful elements that I think brands have a responsibility to really drive with consumers. I think there's a lot of brands doing some really cool stuff and activating in cool ways and opening up conversations and exposing communities to things they've never seen before. I think brands are inspiring. [14:06] I think skateboarding and finding skateboarding and that community for me, essentially changed my life and made me really recognize brands—what they stood for. And I started to kind of badge and, with the little money I had, could adopt these brands, because they meant something and they said something about me. And so I might not have recognized the power of them then, or that I would want to pursue that as a career, but art has always been a part of it. [18:17] Another thing that I've always loved about skateboarding is they always find a way to get back underground and come back out with a new look, feel that's unique to the culture in that moment, and I can't think of another sport activity or movement that has been able to do that decade over decade over decade. Resources Instagram: @kfrydesign LinkedIn: Kris Fry Kris Fry: Smartwool Website: smartwool.com Podcast Transcript Kris Fry 0:02 Every generation a parent's right is trying to just not do what their parents did them. And I think for me, I've come to a place where I haven't felt that shame in a long time. That a lot of that is who you surround yourself with and things that you do that make you happy and build confidence in who you are as a person. And that's kind of been me like I've had to find a sense of worth and confidence in myself and value in myself that you know how to use quite a bit to get out of that kind of shameful feeling. But, you know, design and art and those things, music, especially like, those are all things that I think have really helped me figure out who I am. And you know where I want to go. Marc Gutman 0:52 Podcasting from Boulder, Colorado. This is the Baby Got Backstory Podcast, where we dive into the story behind the story of today's most inspiring storytellers, creators and entrepreneurs. I like big back stories and I cannot lie. I am your host, Marc Gutman, Marc Gutman, and on today's episode of Baby got backstory. We are talking to Kris Fry, global creative director. It's Smartwool. And before we get into my conversation with Kris, if you like and enjoy the show, please take a minute or two to rate review us over at Apple podcasts or Spotify, Apple and Spotify use these ratings as part of the algorithm that determines ratings on their charts. Better yet, please recommend this show to at least one friend who you think will like it. It may be even one enemy who will like it. It's time we bring the world together over the common love of the baby got backstory podcast. Today's guest is Kris Fry global creative director at Smartwool. And I'm gonna let you know right now, we don't talk a whole lot about Smartwool. That's because Kris took the conversation in a wonderfully raw and fascinating direction. Kris has had the opportunity to lead concept design and experience for some incredible brands like Oakley, wheel pros, head, Scott sports cores, Eddie Bauer, Punchbowl, social and the North Face. He is currently the global creative director at Smartwool, which is part of the Vf Corporation. And as you'll hear, he describes himself as a freelancer, a failure startup and an agency executive. He's worked brand side agency side, and more often than not somewhere in between. Kris says in his words. I'm in love with the magic of ideation and storytelling, but also believe that nothing is more powerful than a well planned strategy. This is a brand pro and marketer after my own heart. I've known Kris for years, we've worked together in the past. And I didn't know about 95% of what he shares in this episode. In this is his story. I am here with Kris Fry, the global creative director at Smartwool. Thanks for joining us, Kris. Really appreciate it. And as we get into the episode here, like what is a global creative director, it's Smartwool. Like what does that mean? Kris Fry 3:49 Thanks for having me. Great question. Well, essentially, I am a creative director at Smartwool. So I essentially drive all of the marketing materials, marketing materials, storytelling efforts, branding, really kind of drive the purpose and values of the brand globally. As you know, our brand is mostly us focused and based, you know, we are growing in some key markets, specifically Canada, Europe, em EA. And so my job globally, is to make sure that the brand is not only consistent, but compelling in all of those regions, and work with kind of different marketing teams within the regions to kind of help them you know, keep consistent and make sure that kind of those brand values and that purpose for the brand is really driven home at every communication point. Marc Gutman 4:40 Yeah, and just so our listeners know, and I'm sure about 99.9% of them are familiar with Smartwool but in case they're not, I want you to give us a little kind of blurb on who and what Smartwool is. Kris Fry 4:55 Awesome. Yeah, so Smartwool is a apparel company. So started in the sock business, they were the first ones to make merino wool based performance socks in steamboat, Colorado. And for 26 years, they have been kind of crafting and re crafting and kind of growing into other spaces like apparel and accessories, and really kind of taking this merino wool expertise and this knitting expertise that came from socks. And then growing that across many categories, base layer, mid layer, finding every kind of which way you can twist and knit wool. Marc Gutman 5:35 Yeah, and you know, that makes me feel dated, because I remember when Smartwool was like a new novel thing, you know, and Brian, Marina Marino sport socks were like, this, this crazy new concept. And now here we are 26 laters, I haven't realized it's, it's been that long. And let's get back a little bit to this description of global creative director. Because before we move past that, I really want to define that a little more like, what's your What are your days? Like? I mean, are you sitting around? Is that the way that I like to imagine the fantasy that you're in some studio? And you're splashing paint? And you're ripping up paper? And you're, you know, mocking up things? Or is it? Is it something completely different than that? Kris Fry 6:17 Well, I'm gonna be honest, some days are like that, for sure. You know, ideating generating ideas comes from all kinds of different spots, right? Whether that be gathering inspiration from books, but my main objective is to lead a team and inspire them. And to help them solve larger brand problems. I also worked very closely with the head of global marketing, to really kind of define the strategies, that kind of, you know, the strategies that essentially kind of define only the campaign's but you know, all of the kind of go to market product stories that we're going to tell seasonally. And so I work quite a bit with the product development team, as well, as our design directors suggests who really runs kind of the product design program, she's essentially kind of my, my peer and partner in crime to really kind of, at every angle, make sure that the aesthetic of the brand is coming through storytelling, those kind of bigger product thematics, and consumer insights, how they're kind of really driven into the product, as well as into all of our marketing efforts. And then, yeah, so a day like today, you know, I'll start off with a, you know, kind of a team leadership meeting, I guess, with, you know, a group of folks that I brought on to kind of help work on the team in a different way. So writers or directors, designers, and then you know, might slide into a strategy meeting, to really kind of define how we're going to be brief certain projects, and, and then I still take a pretty hands on approach to the work. So sometimes I'm, you know, blocking out a couple hours on the calendar to, as you say, like, rip up paper, get creative, get inspired. And then yeah, sometimes, you know, it's a larger leadership things. Right now, we have some kind of fundamental brand things that we're developing, specifically around kind of identifying our design target, who they are, what motivates them, and really kind of trying to drive this idea of being consumer and digital first, for smartwatches. Right? Smartwool is a brand that has largely been wholesale driven, and just with the changes, you know, even before COVID, right, the world of wholesale is changing. And so we're trying to identify ways to really support our wholesale and specialty partners, make sure the brand and that brand love is being generated and resonated from those partners, as well as taking an active look at strategically, you know, how we, how we bring more digital activations to life so we can really grow our brand and bring, you know, new consumers to it. Marc Gutman 9:03 And so you and I have talked about this before, you've mentioned it several times, just in that last, that last reply, talking about brand and brand aesthetics, and storytelling, and so you know, that those are all topics that are near and dear to my heart, like, like, what why is it important that your almost entire focus is is on that, like, why does that matter? Kris Fry 9:23 I think there's, for me a bunch of different reasons, like I think, I don't know, I think brands have an opportunity to, to do some pretty powerful and meaningful things beyond just selling products, right? I think there's opportunity, especially with, you know, culturally, the sea change that is happening, for brands to have a point of view, right, and I think to to become more than just kind of valuable products, right, and, and stories are really kind of the key driver for the for identifying kind of those connections. points with consumers, right. But I do think it's, you know, for me, I don't know the brand, that balance of branding and consumers and how they interact, I think is like one of the greatest, like sociology experiments that I just like, love and nerd out on. And I don't know why. But I find it fascinating, right? Like, it's an experiment like this interaction and this back and forth. And sometimes breaking out a little bit of a crystal ball and doing some guesswork, having some data to throw in there that's, you know, foundational elements to help guide the creative, to come up with that brand right message that just connects with people, and hopefully inspires them beyond just purchase, right inspires them to, to join a community and for smart goals, specifically, right, it's one of our main goals is to get people outside, right? It's, it's not about what you do outside or how well you do it, we just think there's this beautiful inherent thing about nature. And our products, you know, not only provide protection, but they also provide comfort. And hopefully those things, you know, are we like to say like, our main job is essentially to ignite transformative moments for consumers, right. And that come through in product and our communication. And to me, that's why branding is important, because it sets a path and a tone that everybody can rally behind. And hopefully, our customers and consumers feel that, you know, there's nothing like throwing on a snappy new pair of socks. And you know, when you pull that toe over, and you snap that Smartwool logo over the toes, that to me is a transformative moment, right? You, you feel all of the innovation that went into the sock that you may not be able to see, you feel the power of natural materials. And, you know, that should give you this sense of you're taking really good care of your feet by making you know, this purchase from this fun loving brand. Right? So very long winded answer to your question, as usual. But I don't know, there's just so many powerful elements that I think brands have a responsibility to really drive with, with consumers. And, and I think there's a lot of brands doing some really cool stuff and activating a cool ways and opening up conversations and exposing communities the things they've never seen before. I think brands are inspiring. Marc Gutman 12:23 And I couldn't agree more. I mean, you describe yourself as nerding out on brand and the social experiment. I agree. I think it's just this incredible dance, it's always changing. It sometimes is maddening. It's so fickle. But that's what I think also keeps us coming back for more. You know, it's never it's never static. And so where did you grow up? Kris Fry 12:43 I actually grew up in Littleton Colorado, not too far from home. Yeah. Marc Gutman 12:48 Colorado native, we don't we don't encounter those very often, not just on the baby gun, podcast, but just in, in real life, except this next generation, like all our kids will be the Colorado natives. But as you're growing up there in Littleton, Colorado, I mean, did you know that you were gonna be drawn to this, this idea of branding, and even in a broader sphere, being a creative? Kris Fry 13:12 I don't think I knew about, you know, or wasn't, I wasn't really attracted to brands or branding, until maybe, I'd say high school, junior high school level, right? Like before that, you know, didn't matter. It was just whatever I could throw on and go ride my bike, and get outside. But being a creative for sure. I was always into art, and drawing and painting, you know, in junior high moment was like, I always mean, my buddies always talk about like, junior high, I feel like is used to be this defining moment where you're either going to be go down a good path, or a bad path, right, and start experimenting a little bit like that seventh to eighth grade. And I chose, you know, to try some some things in my life at that moment, right. But I was also introduced to a totally different world that took, you know, drawing and painting to another level of expression, right? music changed, art changed. And I think skateboarding and finding skateboarding and that community for me, essentially changed my life, and made me really recognize brands, what they stood for. And, you know, I started to kind of badge and, you know, with the little money I had, right could can adopt these brands, because they meant something and they said something about me. And so I might not have recognized the power of them then, or that I would want to pursue you know that as a career, but art has always been a part of it. Being creative has always been a part of it. You know, Music has always, you know, been a key part of my life. I'm a failed musician many times over, right? Like, I would love to be able to play the guitar. I've tried many times and failed, right? But it's something that's always been like a underlying current and powerful inspiration point. forever. Marc Gutman 15:01 Well, and you and I share that in common. I have multiple guitars that I've purchased throughout the years that I've, you know, that I've started playing never successfully as well. And I've got a nice little collection. So we got that going. And as well, and I don't know if this is my bias, I don't know if it's who I tend to No, but there really does seem to be this interesting thread through the creatives that have been on this show that have all have gotten to a really great point in their careers where they were really inspired and informed by skateboarding. And then, you know, in another layer of that being music, that's come up a lot, too. But I mean, what do you think it is about that skate culture that lends itself to being this this foundational, either community or just inspiration for for creatives, especially those, you know, if our generation? Kris Fry 15:57 Yeah, I mean, for me, it was this idea of self expression. And just, I don't know, being a totally unique individual, like I felt that come through with, you know, every one of my favorite skateboarders, every one of the skateboard brands, right from the artists, they chose to do the graphics to the colors to the way they treated the logos, right. And that attitude was something that me and my group of friends tried to personify in our own way, you know, everybody had, like, intentionally was, you know, trying to cut their, their own style, right, like I came up in like the early 90s version of skateboarding, which was very much like, cut off ultra baggy jeans or going to thrift stores or buying, you know, 40 size pants when I was like a 28 waist, and they're massive, but I would cut off the bell bottoms, it wasn't quite like Genco like jinko level, you know, like the rave style jeans, but there was a DIY customization like, self expression, like, thing that just was artistic and kind of weird. And, and I think that also kind of alliance of the punk rock scene and DIY spirit of carving your own way, and having a voice and not being afraid to, to express yourself at that was very liberating, right? For me. And I don't know, it was just super influential. I think part of it too, was also, you know, what the environment I grew up in. Skateboarding was this pivotal thing that happened, and I got to experience and that was mine. And that was just a very different than what I had at home. Right. It was an escape for me, too. And I think, for me, that's what it was, I know, for my group of friends at the time, right? Like, that's what it was for them to. We had our we had our own community that we made, right, we could do, and talk and be ourselves and that little bubble, and it felt like a safe space. That was our stone, which I I really, you know, think is because of skateboarding. You know, I don't know if that was ever anybody's intent that got a skateboard, but they've been reinventing it and doing it for decades, right, like, and that's another thing that I've always loved about skateboarding is they always find a way to get back underground and come back out with a new look feel that's unique to the culture in that moment, you know, and that I can't think of another sport activity, you know, or movement that has been able to do that decade over decade over a decade, you know. Marc Gutman 18:41 Yeah, neither can I. And so, then at that age, in addition to skateboarding, like how was school going for you? Were you a good student? Or did you have any sense of where you were going with yourself? Kris Fry 18:55 Not at all. I was a terrible student. Some of it by choice, some of it by Yeah, most of it by choice, right? Like, uh, I gotta pick the things in the moments that I wanted to pay attention to. And you know, in high school in high school, kind of had my core group of friends and you know, we we were all into skateboarding and we kind of did our thing and I wasn't very good at math or you know, proper English I'm still terrible with grammar thank God for copywriters. But um, you know, I think those are the things I just didn't love and appreciate and I didn't put a value set to them. But art I did write I took every photo photography class, every drawing class, and I did really well in those classes. Like my dad used to always be like, You're like a half straight A student right? Like because I get perfect grades and all the art classes and then every other thing I was failing out of but you know, that was that. It was This was like, what I glommed on to, and I loved and again, I think a lot of it just felt like a, an avenue of expression for me more than anything, right. And I had some really supportive teachers in my high school that, you know, saw some talented me and nurtured it and supported it. And I just kind of kept on this art train. And, you know, I had another very influential high school teacher. His name is Bill stout. He's, he was just a rad Dude, I had him freshman year for I forget the name of the class, but English 101 or whatever. And, and he was so cool, because he got us into creative writing, in a very cool way, right? We'd have to write in journals. And at the beginning, it was like, Oh, God, here you go first. 10 minutes of class, right? You got to write in your journal and, and Mr. style was like, super into music as well. And so he'd always put on music. But it wasn't just like, Oh, I'm gonna put on, you know, some top 40 it was like, he was he was playing Pearl Jam, when like, Pearl Jam was new. He was like, and so every kid in the class was like, Fuck, yeah, this, this is amazing, right. And he's just was this cool, dude. And he, I learned a lot from him. And I actually had a chance my senior year, the only AP class I had was AP English. And Mr. style was like, I remember you from freshman year, even though you haven't been that successful. Like, I think, you know, this would be a good class for you. And I love that class. And he changed the rules. And that's what I loved about it, too, is it wasn't about curriculum, to him, it was about my goal is to make sure that you are expanding your brain as a young man. And so he'd be like, I, I want you to do the curriculum stuff, you're gonna get graded on it, for sure. He's like, but what I really want you to do is read. And he had this deal. If you read so many pages, essentially, it would, you know, take over what you didn't do in the curriculum. And so I was like, This is amazing. And so I, I adopted reading, and he, he would, you know, do these kind of book report interview style things, but the books he was given me were insane books, like catch 22, Catcher in the Rye, you know, those kind of standard ones that are like coming of age, great stories, but then it got into like, I don't know, cosmic Bandidos and some weird shit. And then he got me into the Basketball Diaries, and just some counterculture stories that were very real and gritty and raw, like, it was super inspiring to me. And it opened my mind up to like, things I had no idea existed, you know what I mean? Like, I don't know if you've read the gym, like Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll. But like, they made a movie of it with Leonardo DiCaprio. But if you ever get a chance, go on Amazon order the book. It's fucking astounding, like, what was happening in New York and his artistry and who Jim Carroll became like, it's just like, I don't know, it's a period piece that is just iconic and resonates with me. But I don't know, I think maybe that ultimately helped me craft this love of Art and Design and the visual language with storytelling, right like that. I would have never found that without Mr. Stout. Marc Gutman 23:18 Yeah. And so at that time, I mean, did you have a sense of what was next? I mean, were was Mr. stau. And your parents were they like, Oh, hey, like, you should go with him? Or were they saying or what was your thought were we gonna do after high school? Kris Fry 23:33 Yeah, I mean, Mr. Stout. He was the kind of guy that was like, he was kind of, like, I'll support you with whatever you want to do, right. And I really had no idea that I wanted to pursue anything and kind of the, you know, advertising marketing, branding world. And all I knew art was something I was talented at, and wanted to pursue. I, you know, I ended up, you know, wanting to go to art school. My parents on the other hand, right, like they, I come from a pretty religious, strict religious background, that I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness, essentially, until about my junior year in high school, and I decided I wanted to smoke weed and date girls and have friends outside of the church. And, you know, that didn't vibe with my parents, too well, and so, you know, by that senior year, I was a bit at odds with them. And I had found all these really cool things and was starting to figure out who I wanted to be personally right outside of the parameters that have had essentially contained me since I was, you know, a young child. And, and so I felt like art school is like my thing, and they were supportive, for sure. Right. They were glad I had chosen something. They wanted me to, you know, apply my art to the larger church group and help the church group lunch. You know, what's their goal for everything and I wanted out, I was like, I gotta get the fuck out of here. So I applied to a ton of art schools, I ended up getting accepted to a few of them, including the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, and spent a summer went up there visited the campus, it was awesome. Like, I remember just being, you know, high school kid and walking through this campus and going down the stairwells, and they were filled with graffiti, and they're like, Oh, yeah, this is like, the graffiti one on one class. And I was like, Oh, fuck this, like, this is this is it, you know, I mean, and I was there with my dad. And, and he was super into it. And I had, I had gotten a scholarship to go there and international students scholarship. And so I was primed and ready. But, you know, I was also not a very I wasn't very good at the details when it came to that stuff. And so I applied, got the scholarship, and I essentially messed up my visas, and my applications for the visas. And right before I was going to go there, I was informed that I had lost my scholarship. And, and I could apply again next year for the same scholarship and they would kind of happy and right now, I was pretty heartbroken at that point. And so I don't know, do you want me to keep laughing? But yeah, I think at that moment, my biggest goals were to somehow find a way to make art as a job. And also, part two of that big goal was to get as far away from Littleton Colorado as possible, which Canada had all the right things. Marc Gutman 26:44 So we're gonna come right back to that, but I want to talk a little bit, I want to just learn a little bit more like you, you use the, the phrase or the term the description to Hovis witness. And, like, I'm sitting here thinking, like, I don't really think I know, a fish, like, I couldn't tell you, I couldn't describe that back to you. And so if you could like, like, just kind of give me the one on one, like, what is that? And and how did that affect you is in your upbringing, and I also find it interesting as you as you describe this, that, you know, you spent some time talking about describing, being involved in the skate culture and, and, and getting into music, all these things, but yet you have this other influence from from your upbringing. And so yeah, if you could just kind of give us the one on one on Jehovah's Witness and, and what it was like, for you growing up in that environment? Kris Fry 27:32 Yeah, for sure. What's the best way to describe it? It's a, it's a Christian based religion. And it's a it's a, you know, it's a pretty large and growing religion, but essentially, the way most people would know by, you know, Saturday and Sunday mornings, you hear the kind of knock on your door, and somebody is, you know, trying to get you involved in reading the Bible, or having a study group or, you know, try to kind of get you involved in that religion, right. That's the most common thing. And you've probably seen it Saturday Night Live, all kinds of, you know, any comedic effort, right. Like, that's always the, the joke around Jehovah's Witnesses. But, you know, that wasn't, you know, I grew up, I was kind of born into it, essentially, I had the opportunity to celebrate my first birthday. But one of the big belief systems that the Jehovah's Witnesses have is around making sure that all of your kind of focus and energy is around paying tribute to, to God, that includes, you know, not worshiping yourself. So there was no birthdays, all common holidays were not celebrated. And, let's see, yeah, it was it was essentially, it was cult like, in the sense, I don't want to call it that, right, because I don't really believe that. I think the people there, my dad is still participating, right? Like, they're very kind of Christian based folks. And I think that they just are very disciplined in their belief system. Right. And for a long time, you know, was at odds with my dad, because I just didn't understand it, you know, but for him, it was, it was his truth. And it didn't work out for everybody else in my family, essentially. And I was kind of the catalyst for that change. But for him, it's it's what he believes in and he loves and I've come to, you know, to terms with that, and we kind of have a agree to disagree, right. I think the the fundamentals of that religion are rooted in, you know, truly the teachings of the Bible, in the sense of kindness and taking care of your fellow man. And their approach is to try and bring as many people into that, you know, you know, into their community as possible. They do that by knocking on doors. But, you know, for me, it was always so restrictive. It was, I mean, we we would go, you know, knocking on doors Saturdays on Sundays, Sundays we'd be at church, we also would have church Tuesday evenings and Thursday evenings. And then mixed in there were, you know, Bible studies, and it was just, it was always, such as Groundhog Day, I'll just call it right. Like, it was Groundhog Day, every day. But all based on on the same ideals and the same belief system. And as I was, you know, getting into skateboarding, and all of those things, and developing friendships, right, those are all, no no's inside of the church, right, you're supposed to hang with your community, because everybody else outside of that has different views that potentially will drive you away from the church. And for me, that was always like, a weird thing. And it always, like, rubbed me the wrong way to a point that it created a created defiance in me, right. And it was a was a perfect storm of me, being at that age, and pushing back against whatever all the normal things you're supposed to push back as a teenager, but also having this like, Governor on your life, your whole life, right. And I wanted to experience life, I, I wanted to experience friendships and adventures, and art, and music and culture and skateboarding and all of these things, you know, and they were the exact opposite of what my father's house was supposed to be. And so for a majority of my high school life, I would probably say that I lived a double life, you know, I'd go to school, and I'd be one person with my friends and, and then I'd come home, and, you know, I would tamp all of that stuff down, you know, and it was hard. And I remember, you know, we'd always dress up in suits and ties on Saturdays. And that was always like, the hardest day for me to remember, because my dad would be like, Okay, well, you know, let's go get our community hours in and, and, you know, do right by the religion, and try and go knock on some doors. And it was a gut wrenching feeling for me to go into a neighborhood where I knew my friends lived, and to be there next to my dad knocking on their door. And I just remember being so anxious, right, like, just waiting, waiting for that moment where I make eye contact with somebody I knew from school. And then just thinking in my head the whole time of like, the, the teenage terrorism that was about to take place that on when I got back on Monday. And anyways, long story short, that I think that had a lot to do with. I don't know, my, my love of, you know, skateboarding and the idea of a counterculture. And the idea of breaking free. Like, I don't know, that's why I like what I do now, because it's on adulterated freedom. And I think there's power in that, you know, sorry, I just took a deep. That was great. That Marc Gutman 33:06 It must've, thank you for sharing that. I mean, it must have been really hard living with that, that secret that at any moment, like, you could get busted, I can only imagine it would even be intensified by being like, Hey, I'm this cool. Skate counterculture guy. And that's a big contrast. Right? Kris Fry 33:24 Yeah, totally. I mean, I think that was it, you know, and I was never, at that age, you know, I kind of took it to the limit, I can take it to you. Right, like, definitely identified as a skateboarder identified with a certain group of kids. But, you know, there's no way I was, you know, bleaching my hair, or no way I was, you know, getting anything pierced or, or going to, you know, a level of extremism, I guess, at that time. Um, there's just no way there's no way my I could handle the consequences that when I got back to the, to the house, and also the jig would be up, right. Like, it was one thing to wear baggy pants and a skateboard t that I picked up at BC surfing sport, that whatever had a funny character on it that, you know, my mom thought was cute. It's another thing to come in guns blazing. And, and not have, you know, a job not not my dad would ever have kicked me out. But I, you know, I grew up as you did in that generation where, you know, corporal punishment and spankings were real deal. You know what I mean? Like, at the backside of mini wooden spoons and leather belts. And at that age, like, I was just trying to find my way. And so I was trying to find the best way I could survive to a point, you know, you know, it always bubbles up at one point, right? Like the, it always comes out, you know, and it took a while, you know, until I had some real freedoms in my own right. Like I was driving, if I could, I had a job I could spend my money the way I wanted to spend it. And that's when the the That's also when cowboys from hell by Pantera was out and like, full aggression just was like, boiling inside of me. And that's where, you know, the kind of first set of my push to my own kind of set of values and freedoms really, you know, came at odds with my dad's point of view, you know, and my dad was a, he's a very kind man still is to this day, right? And I can only imagine the torture, I put him through, right, because I think he was just like, man, I just wanna, I just wanna love you. And this is why I'm doing this for you and not blasting Pantera every night when I get home, and, you know, bring girls over and smoking weed and like, sure, fucking whatever, not a proud moment, but it was my moment. But eventually, it essentially caused the collapse of, you know, my tenure as a job as witness, they have this thing in the religion where, you know, essentially, they call it being disfellowshipped. And so essentially, if you, whatever break the rules of the community, or if you're identified as somebody that is, you know, not living up to the standards of their religion, and they just associate you, which is a weird thing as a 16 year old to think about, but that was disassociated, essentially, like, you're allowed to come to the, to the church as much as you want and pray and work on being a better Christian. But nobody's allowed to talk to you can't can't convene, you're kind of the like, you know, the people, the higher ups are allowed to kind of talk to you, but it's mostly about, you know, how you're coming back to the, to the religion outside of that, like, I wasn't invited to anybody's family, barbecues or I was, I was at home, and you know, my family would go do that without me, which was fine by me at the time, to be honest. , Marc Gutman 36:57 Well it sounds a little heavy. I mean, was that was it fine? Or was there like some shame involved in that? Kris Fry 37:04 I'm sure. Yeah, I'm sure there's some deep rooted shame in me, right. But I don't know. Like, I think I've now that I'm kind of in my 40s, I feel like I have a sense of who I am and what I want to be right. I have my own kids. And I think that shame as has helped me actually, you know, hopefully not fuck them up and protect them from making sure that you know, that they don't feel that same level of shame, right? I think that's, I mean, it's probably, it's cliche to say, but it's cliche, because it's true that every generation of parents, right, is trying to just not do what their parents did to them. And I think for me, I've come to a place for, you know, I haven't felt that shame, in a long time, that a lot of that is who you surround yourself with, and things that you do that make you happy and build confidence in who you are as a person. And, and, yeah, and I think that's kind of been me, like I've, I've had to find a sense of worth and confidence in myself and value in myself that, you know, had to use quite a bit to get out of that kind of shameful feeling. But, you know, design and art and all those things, music, especially like, those are all things that I think have really helped me figure out who I am. And you know, where I want to go, you know, to me? Marc Gutman 38:35 Absolutely, again, you know, thank you so much for sharing that. I think that, you know, I was gonna say, you're worried about not fucking up your kids. It's like, Hey, you know, newsflash, we're all we're all messing up our kids. So it's how much and so we try to try to minimize that. So we're doing our best we can, but Kris Fry 38:49 At least it won't be shame that I got them up another way, but Marc Gutman 38:54 Give him a different emotion. This episode brought to you by Wildstory. Wait, isn't that your company? It is. And without the generous support of Wildstory, this show would not be possible. Brand isn't a logo or a tagline, or even your product or brand is a person's gut feeling about a product service or company. It's what people say about you when you're not in the room. Wildstory helps progressive founders and savvy marketers build purpose driven brands that connect their business goals with the customers they want to serve, so that both the business and the customer needs are met. And this results in crazy, happy, loyal customers that purchase again and again. And this is great for business. And that sounds like something you and your team might want to learn more about. Reach out @ www.wildstory.com and we'd be happy to tell you more. Now back to our show. You know, kind of coming back to Calgary. So in Alberta School of Art, you'd missed your deadline, you'd missed the scholarship. Did you end up getting to go there the following year? or What happened? Kris Fry 40:12 No, I did not. So I decided All right, cool. Well, I'll come back to Littleton and, you know, I'll get a job for the summer, and then I'll essentially reapply for school and go back to school. Well, that kind of didn't work out because I started waiting tables. And I don't know, like, if anybody's ever seen that movie waiting with Ryan Reynolds, but like, every fucking moment in that movie is 100%. accurate. And I worked in multiple restaurants. And it's literally the exact like, it's, it's so true, the characters are so true. But go watch Ryan Reynolds waiting. And that'll kind of describe the next kind of year and a half of my life, right was waiting tables. And, and then, you know, my mom happened to actually work. She was working at the energy group, back before they were owned by Omnicom. And they were essentially like, had two clients. And it was, who was it cooler, like, well, they had coolers at the time that they had, I forget another kind of client, right. But they were kind of this, you know, advertising agency that was originally built out of Coors Brewing. And then they kind of broke off and became a manager and their, their biggest client was coolers and my mom worked in the merchandising department, which is essentially like the crew that comes up with all the RAD ideas that are the giveaway stuff. So like, the inflatable couch that you got, after buying, you know, so many packs of Coors Light, like, so. My mom was like, she was really creative. And it was awesome. And, you know, this was kind of her first, I guess, like, after having kids and kids going through school like job, right. So first, like a full time corporate kind of cool job, right. And so it was cool. So my mom actually got me a job at imager. And my first job at imager is they just built a new studio that was on the back of their building. And it was kind of separate from the main hub. And so they had all the art directors, writers, and kind of conceptual people on one side of the building, count people share that building. And then the studio folks that were doing all the, you know, CG stuff and all that kind of stuff. We're in this back building. And this is my favorite thing. There was it was maybe 50 yards across the parking lot. But they had decided that it was really complicated for people to run job jackets, this will date me a little bit, but job jackets, like in the advertising world, they're these huge plastic jackets that essentially had the brief in the front sleeve. And then at this, at this time, everything was printed, right? So you'd have every round of revisions, all the notes, all the copy editing notes, and they're all bundled together in this pocket of this like giant blue. I remember them being like powder, blue folders. And so my job, they gave me a pager, which was cool at the time, they would page me. And I would call and they'd be like, hey, it's such and such art director, can you run this job jacket over the studio? And essentially, that was my job. But I ran job jackets all day back and forth between our directors and the essentially studio design team. But that's when I found it. That's when I was like, so like, I don't know, like maybe one day in between a lot of pages. I was like looking around, and I was like, wait a minute. Like, what do you guys do here? Like, what what's going on here? And, and I saw like, and met and have a lot of people that were just super cool and nice. There's a dude, Jason wedekind. I think everybody knows me. Like, these are rad dude. But he owns this print shop called gagis current design for him. Jason's like, awesome, but he he worked there. When I was there, and he was like, one of the dudes that was like, always down to just chat me up, right? Like, I'm 18 something like that. Yeah. 1718 anyways, Jason was like, cool, dude. And he was he was doing he would do freelance projects for all these up and coming breweries and be like, yo, don't tell anyone and like, I'd go to the printer and help him like, grab the whole product. Maybe now it's been so long, he's not getting fired again. So, but Jason was rad but he exposed me to this really cool world of design and at that point, it was kind of still in its in like the starting phase. Right? Like we're talking about Photoshop and illustrators, like, not very high on the version list, right? Like we're definitely far from Creative Cloud like but, you know, watching I used to just sit in his cube and other folks, you And just rap and watch them design and watch them be able to like take their drawing or their concept or their idea and mold it and sculpt it and then use type and like, build cool shit like labels and advertisements. And I was like, Damn, this is badass. I, I had found my thing. And yeah, I was still like waiting tables at night. And then like running job jackets back and forth. But it was at this kind of integer group that I really and this is back, like, when integer was still pretty small. And that was very different. It still had a bit of that Mad, Mad Men culture, right? Like it was also my biggest client was beer. And so they'd have these rad parties and like, big announcements, and it was just a bunch of really cool people. And that was kind of when it all clicked in. And I was like, I want to have a job. You know, as an art director, I want I want to do what these guys are doing. There's some really cool people that really helped me get there. Tom pounders was another dude, legendary art director in Denver. And he was like, super old school ad guy didn't really know how to use all of the computer stuff. He was drawing, right. And all of his concepts were illustrated and like, but he had really cool ideas. And I just remember sitting in his office and like, he just like blow my mind. And another dude, Matt Holly, who was like, killer designer typographers, or, like, I don't know, things. Like, there was just a ton of really good people that had no problem, helping me, Excel, teaching me the programs, showing me how things come together. I guess I was kind of like, whatever. The orphan of integer studios, right? And they would like all help me and teach me things. And it was really cool. And that's what I decided that I wanted to do. And as I kind of moved up within the studio, right, like, they asked me to start doing, you know, studio production work, which at that time, they were still doing presentations on kind of black boards, right. So my job was essentially to take the stuff out of the printer and build their presentations before they go pitch a client, right? So I got very handy with an exacto blade and a ruler and perfectly mounting all these artboards and then turned into like building mock ups. So hey, can you make us a 3d version of this, whatever? beard in dial display, right. And so I build it out of paper, and they take it to a presentation and, and then they started kind of giving me some projects to work on, like Junior art director level projects. And yeah, I did a lot of work on the zema brand, if you remember zema. Oh, yeah, totally. How could you not iconic, right. And I remember like, at that time, Shepard Fairey was like, all the rage in the skateboarding world. And I straight ripped off. Not a pixel for pixel. But I essentially have ripped off the idea of using stencils, right to create these zema out of home boards. And there was another woman there, Monique van Asch, who actually has a really cool studio in Denver now. And she was also like, so rad at like helping me but she used to give me projects to like, Hey, you want to do a flyer for this event going on? It's Coors Light sponsored, and, and she'd be like, here's your inspiration. So she'd give me these, like mini briefs for these small projects that were just fun to work on. Because it was like, oh, cool, make a, you know, five by seven flyer, and you can use any style you want. And then she critique it. And I was just a really, at that time, it was a really cool place to like, learn from these, like, really talented people that were totally open arms in teaching me anything I wanted to know. And the only Crux was, you know, I didn't have a college education. And I remember, they were like, well, you should just put your book together from all the projects that you've done over the years. And I was like, Oh, cool. So I put it together my book and I went and talked to at that time, I forget what his title was. But, you know, Chief Creative Officer, I guess it'd be the contemporary title right now. But I sat down with a gentleman and he was super cool, super positive about my work, he loved everything. And essentially, he was like, I can't hire you. You need to have you know, I think you need some formal training and you know, foundational elements of design and, and, and art theory and all these other kind of things. And I was like, Oh, shit, I was heartbroken brain so sorry, I'm just talking Marc, so you're gonna have to just tell me to shut up. Marc Gutman 49:51 Never keep going and so what happened and you go to school, or did you tell that guy to to go pound sand? Kris Fry 49:58 Well, I did tell him No, I didn't. about pounds sand I was thankful for, you know, his critique and he kind of helped me lay out a clear path. And so I pivoted from there and was like, Okay, I'm gonna go back to school. And so I had some friends that were already enrolled in Montana State University in Bozeman. And I had some family in Billings, and my cousin went to MSU. And well, essentially, like, some of my best friends from high school are there and I, you know, I, I kind of was flying by the seat of my pants, because I was like, I just need to get a college degree so that I can get a job, you know, doing this thing that I love, right. And I didn't really look too hard at the, you know, the programs that they had at MSU lucked out, and you know, they had a really awesome art program. And so I kind of enrolled and was, you know, starting to pursue a degree in Fine Arts. And it was going really well. I was living in Bozeman and taking advantage of all the cool outdoor things that Bozeman has to offer, right, like ripping Bridger bowl and riding bikes. And essentially, it was like, there was, I think there's six of us living in a three or four bedroom house and I since I was the last one to join, lived in the tuff shed, in the back of the house had a full size Malamute, and two large space heaters that got me through winters. And it was awesome because I, I built like a little loft in there and did art and worked on my stuff. And then as much as I could, you know, when snowboarding or hiking or was just outside, right, like Bozeman, at this time, Bozeman was still pretty small college town. Now it's blown up and a little bit different, but it was it was a really cool place. And then one Christmas break, I came home, and I started working over the holiday break to make some extra money. And back to integer. So the studio manager, Studer shoemakers awesome. reached out to me, I was like, like, you want to do work part time while you're home from school and like you can whatever help us with some studio projects. And I was like, Yeah, totally. And I just got super into it. I was like doing cool projects again. And like, I don't know, I really loved Bozeman, but I just like had this burning desire to just like, jump as hard and as fast as I could into learning what I wanted to do. And so I just never went back to school. I went back that summer, to see my roommates. And I essentially pack up my tuff shed. And my dad actually had a trailer so you don't meet trailer at all back. And that was like living back at home and working editor and Marc Gutman 52:55 Did they ever hire you full time there? Kris Fry 52:58 They did kind of studio production manager. And so kind of that job evolved into actual need, right? And so they had a lot more projects that they needed copying and mounting and building. And so I kind of turned it like they turned it into a job essentially, based on the needs. And at that time, they had been bought by Omnicom. I think my mom was still working the time around. Yeah, my mom was still working there. She'd been there a while. And anyways, like it was cool. I like was working in this hub of essentially, like art directors Central. And I was like, 21 Yeah, 21 I'd have to be and he was about that age, right. And so now I can actually take advantage of all those parties that I couldn't before. And I was younger. And so it's like this whole world, another whole world opened up. And then at that time, when I came back integer had landed on airwalk as a client. And Matt Holly was kind of the lead our director and then they had this new dude that had just moved to Denver named Jeffrey Bice. He moved from California and he was like this. It's hard to describe like he is just this fucking infectious, awesome, design focused. Dude from California that just like, kind of came in, it was a bit of a wrecking ball integer, right, like they were kind of developing this corporate structure. And he was this dude that was just like, like blow through barriers. He was selling these amazing campaigns for all these beer brands that were like lightyears ahead of other work that was being done. And anyways, for me, I really was just like, oh my god, Jeff, and I headed off and he asked me to do a bunch of projects for airwalk. And so I started doing a bunch of stuff for airwalk specifically on like the genetic skate brand, which is like a sub brand they had built at that time and Like, you know, Matt and Jeff kind of really encouraged me and I was really authentic to that culture and knew it really well and could help kind of bridge the gap from that, like, agency world to, to that airwalk endemic world and, and then, yeah, and then that's when I met, you know, critical characters in my life that you know, as well. And anyways, so that thing happened anyways, that relation dissolved dissolved tre, like the airwalk couldn't pay their bills to the agency, and so they essentially got fired by an agency. But that also created an opportunity. Jeff, who I mentioned before, was asked to move in house to airwalk he offered me a job and I jumped at it. And yeah, at this time, airwalk was in Genesee, and I was the kind of in house graphic designer for airwalk and started working on all kinds of fun projects that were right in my wheelhouse and passion center, right, like airwalk, you know, at that time was not the iconic brand at once was but it was definitely picking up steam. They, you know, have brought on some critical players that became, you know, critical pieces of my life from that moment on, right. Mike Artz, one of them shared mutual friend of ours, right, like arts was the snowboard marketing manager at the time. My other really good friend Randy Kleiner, who was kind of the charge of snowboard boot and board development. And so that's kind of where I started as a graphic designer was like, in this really cool, kind of fading iconic skates or skate surf snow, culture, brand lifestyle brand, right. And I was embedded in the brand world in a very cool way. Marc Gutman 56:48 Yeah, then we know that, you know, Airwalk had a little bit of an untimely demise or a sudden demise. And so, you know, after that, where'd you go? Kris Fry 56:57 Well, that, that untimely demise, I lived through that. I mean, essentially, a lot of folks unfortunately got laid off. And they essentially kept 10 of us to kind of push the business into a licensing model where they were essentially licensing The, the rights of the brand out and that's where I really kind of developed a relationship with Randy Kleiner. And from there, you know, as we're working on this licensing structure became collective licensing, which is another company which owned a ton of different brands, some snowboards a ton of different kind of Lamar snowboards. They're just buying up these really iconic action sports brands and then licensing them. But that's where I met Randy, and a few other great folks, Mark Vitaly. And Jeff Bice was still there. And at this time, we were doing a ton of like consumer insights as a licensing brand. So we're trying to identify trends that were happening in the marketplace around footwear, specifically sneakers, and so part of our job was to essentially do trend reporting. So they would fly us to Miami, San Francisco, New York, LA at this time, you know, sneaker culture was this very kind of small counter subculture that was just starting to brew, right. I remember the first time I went to New York and went to a life Rivington club, it was the small, no signage, place where you bring a doorbell somebody like flies over a curtain looks you up and down, checks your sneakers. And then they let you into this like amazingly crazy boutique selling retro Jordans. And then there were some other ones that were there like Dave's quality meats and some of the iconic kind of ones. But there was a small bud of a culture that was happening on the coasts, essentially, that we were kind of influenced by and driving some of those things that were happening on the coast into these trend reports for all of our licensees in different countries to be able to say, Hey, you know, these kind of materials, these colors, this, this tone from an advertising perspective, is going to be a hit for you as you look at the whatever spring line of product and as you design for your audience, right. So that was really cool, too, because it helped me really understand, you know, taking what consumers were doing, and how they were adopting things through products and retail, and then being able to take that and then break out a bit of a crystal ball and, and use it as a way to inform other designers on how to develop product and communications. And so from that came an idea as we kept coming back to Denver, that Denver might be ready for its own sneaker boutique. And so Randy Kleiner and I left, excuse me, airwalk and we started a little boutique here in Denver. all based around sneaker culture and marketing and design. And so we started off 10th and bannock. And it was intentionally this kind of off the beaten path, like up and coming neighborhood, in the golden triangle of Denver, and we were gonna sell a limited edition sneakers and create, essentially a culture around sneakers in Denver. That was fucking awesome. It was like the best time of my life, it was amazing. You know, it was hard. from a business standpoint, like Nike didn't even have a rep in Denver at this time, right? Like I was selling the type of sneakers that we wanted to have, and to be able to sell and to build this community around. But we have some other really cool brands. And we created this really cool cultural thing in Denver, you know, and we had really awesome friendships with like minded people, and that we're also have kind of all these small businesses. And, you know, we used to throw parties, and we used to have an art gallery out front, which was really critical kind of marketing strategy for us, right, it was this idea of, well, we're part of this first Friday movement in Denver, people are out looking at art, like, let's bring this kind of lowbrow art style, to this sneaker culture. And let's expose some of our, you know, some of the Denver artists that we love to our new store, and vice versa, the audience that is following them, well know that we're here and probably find some sneakers that they want to pick up. So we used to have these incredible art shows with, you know, some really fun, awesome artists and made some insane relationships and felt like, you know, we were contributing to a new culture in Denver. And it was probably the funnest five years of my life. Marc Gutman 1:01:59 Yeah, but it also sounds like you didn't make any money or didn't make enough money. So what happened to that business? You had to wind it down? Kris Fry 1:02:09 Yeah, I mean, we actually were successful grew the business. It was, it was good. I mean, I think, you know, for Randy and I, we were paying ourselves what we needed to survive, which is enough, because, you know, we have faith in what we're doing. And eventually, it was gonna, you know, keep getting bigger, and we opened, you know, a couple different shops in different neighborhoods of Denver, specifically, I guess, I don't know what it's called now, but essentially, where the Rambo hotel is right now. Like 32nd on walnut. Anyways, that were that Billy's hot dog is that used to be the second 400 locations were there, I don't know, five years before that neighborhood fucking blew up. But it was cool. So we opened that neighborhood, we had a hole or we opened up that shop, we had a whole different style of sneakers there. And then we ended up closing down two stores and going to build a store off 15th and plat. This whole time, we were also doing, you know, tons of design work and marketing work and consumer research work, right. So essentially, our business attracted like the most exclusive social set in the Denver community. And so we had brands that would come to us and be like, Hey, can we do some, you know, product shopping with your crew? Can we ask them, like they used essentially, as a laboratory for them to gain consumer insights based on you know, this, you know, new consumer type and this new trend in limited edition sneakers and streetwear. And it was awesome. So we're doing all these insanely fun freeing projects and had this really cool business. But yeah, I mean, the economy took a dive, right? This was when the, the, I guess the ever the whole thing kind of went out. And, you know, Denver, you know, was just a beginning marketplace for this kind of, you know, limited edition culture. And so, you know, we, you know, weren't able to convince people that they needed to buy $200 pair of shoes instead of pay their rent. And so we made a choice to kind of, kind of close it down. We, you know, at this time, I think I was about to have my second kid Sam. And, you know, we didn't have an insurance, I had no adult things in my life at all outside of my children. That was the only thing that qualified me as an adult. And so Randy, and I, you know, bittersweet Lee, you know, like, I had to kind of close her down, and I would say, you know, Randy took, took the brunt of it right as the kind of head business owner and majority owner and, you know, I thank him a lot for that. I mean, but he was also he's older than me. So, you know, as my big brother, he, whatever helped guide that situation, and I believe it or not, when took a job at imager again. 30 time around. And let's see how short Do you need me to be here? Mark? tighten it up. Marc Gutman 1:05:06 Yeah, we do need to tighten it up. Yeah, you can just kind of bring me bring me up to speed. Kris Fry 1:05:11 Alright, so here's I went to integer for eight months, didn't really love the culture didn't feel like I was fueling ideas, the way I wanted to that time, I was kind of super corporate. And so at that time, you know, I got a call from my buddy Josh wills, and Steve Whittier at factory design labs. And so they asked me to come work at factory design labs, which was awesome, I was there. Six years worked on a ton of really iconic fun brands that became kind of the foundation of my portfolio and my knowledge set, specifically, you know, in the outdoor space, you know, the north face, we did a couple little projects for vans, but my main focus was working on the Oakley account. And, you know, from there, like, I went from, you know, a senior art director to a VP, creative director, and that six year span and did some really fun iconic work with some really awesome people, you know, Scott sports, and then, you know, factory less like airwalk, he kind of went and had some issues and ended up closing down. And at that point, you know, after kind of running, running, you know, six years of laughs at factory, I was toasted, and didn't want to, you know, work necessarily in advertising. And I was going to just freelance and so I freelanced in my basement for a bit, which was rewarding, but hard, and was also kind of working with capital goods as creative director on a few accounts, and that was, you know, about eight months, and I was still so burnt out, like, what happened at factory was really shitty for me, like I had to layoff a lot of people that I cared for deeply and valued. And being put in kind of this VP, creative director role, just the stress and the amount of like, things I was exposed to, from, like the pressure standpoint, at that age, and at the same time being like, Oh, well, we didn't get enough new business or whatever, we just this other thing happened, right, like having that, at that level. For me, it was difficult. And that shame thing, this actually might be where it comes full circle is really hard for me when it came to laying off my friends. You know, like, saying goodbye to people that I really respected for all the wrong reasons, right? That wasn't their fault. And it was like a weekly thing. And it became this like thing that just like, poisoned me for a little

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