Confessions of a Creative Director

Pitching (read: pitching and losing 90 percent of the time) is one of the hardest and most frustrating parts of being a Creative Director. We've been taught to believe that great ideas sell themselves. That couldn't be further from the truth. On the very first Confessions of a Creative Director Mastercast, pitch and presentation Yoda-like guru Ben Levy lets us in on the big secret....PITCHING THE...

The masterminds behind Major in NYC join the podcast to discuss everything from their zero tolerance for boring to the launch of their very own brand Drugs for Plants to their mission to turn hacks everywhere into the next generation of creatives.   Click here to learn more about Major. Click here to connect with me.  And click here to check out my new book!  

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST EPISODES TO DATE! Jim Bosiljevac has perhaps the most well rounded creative career of any previous guest. Not only did he cut his teeth at some legendary shops, but he's also been client side at some big brands like his current gig as VP, Head of Brand Creative at Yahoo. And as if that weren't enough, he's also an Adjunct Professor in Advertising at UT Austin. Hear this gre...

Group Creative Director Mike Potter has been around the block. From building the first websites for some of the biggest clients in the world to helping build communities for brands, Mike has a passion for emerging technologies and disciplines. Check out our great conversation where we talk about everything from his Hit The Mascot ideation technique to ad agency hijinks of the past. 

Chris DeNinno is the kind of Creative Director you want to drink beers and eat burritos with. He's cool, down to earth, accessible and super insightful. It's no wonder he's enjoyed an incredible career working at some of the best agencies in the world like FCB, Y&R, Chiat Day and David&Goliath just to name a few. And what makes him even more special is his contagious passion for teaching t...

Sarah May Bates is by far the most accomplished guest I've had on the show thus far. She is the ultimate multi-hyphenate renaissance woman. Check out this amazing conversation where we talk about everything from her personal journey to become her authentic self to auditioning to star in some of her own TV spots! You really have to listen all the way through.  

Author, thought leader and all-around swell guy Dan Nelken shares thoughts and ideas about the role of Creative Director including one that we both share....WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH SH#@ FOR OURSELVES! And the mindblowing "We need to think about thinking" and have a better understanding of how we come up with ideas.  Check out this enlightening conversation with the author of A Self-Help Guide...

Author, thought leader and all-around swell guy Dan Nelken shares thoughts and ideas about the role of Creative Director including one that we both share....WE'RE NOT MAKING ENOUGH SH#@ FOR OURSELVES! And the mindblowing "We need to think about thinking" and have a better understanding of how we come up with ideas.  Check out this enlightening conversation with the author of A Self-Help Guide...

Will Chau is Vice President of Creative and Design at Whole Food Market. He and his team oversee and produce most every single touchpoint a consumer might have with the brand - from TV ads to social media to package design to in-store signage and everything in between. And while the former agency CD still gets a thrill from big campaign work he's come to really love and enjoy the nitty gritty deta...

Ty Stafford is the real deal. As ECD Content at NVE Experience Agency, he's helping take the historically experiential agency to new heights by leveraging the whole of his experience, from early breakout YouTuber to cutting his teeth at the iconic RedBull Media House to being named to the Forbes 30 under 30 in Marketing in Advertising. Listen to our amazing conversation and take special note of hi...

Ashley Davis Marshall...the name alone should tell you she means business. An ECD at The Martin Agency, Ashley shares valuable lessons and thoughts she's gathered along a journey that is the envy of any creative professional. Plus, three-quarters of her recipe for queso dip (hmmm, she left out her secret ingredient!) and a somewhat surprising realization about the possible cause of her imposter sy...

Sonny Thomas, SVP Creative Director of PureRED, is a Renaissance Man. He's a designer, painter, musician, songwriter and all around cool dude. Check out our conversation on everything from the influence of his mentor, to techniques to quiet your brain before an ideation session to the strange new world of AI art. 

You wouldn't know it based on her down to earth vibe, but ECD Jaclyn Rink Crowley has a resume and career path any creative director, myself included, would kill (or at least slap someone with a tortilla) for. From Bozell, to Saatchi & Saatchi, to BBDO, to Silver and Partners to Weiden + Kennedy to most recently Anomaly in NYC. I mean...c'mon. Listen to this unvarnished, honest conversation th...

On the latest episode, Jaime talks to Creative Director and Founder of Ataboy Studios Vikkal Parikh, on everything from his love of assembling Ikea furniture to the importance of the Creative Brief and being technique agnostic. 

Check out a great conversation with CD Zach Connolly as we talk about everything from how to craft great concepts to ideas on how to amp up pitch presentations! You don't want to miss this one! 

Aaron Duffy is the ECD of SpecialGuest, a different kind of creative agency run by a different type of Creative Director. A talented "maker" at heart, Aaron brings that unique perspective to everything he does, and it's evident in his work for Google and the band OK Go just to name a few. Check out our awesome conversation as he shares his love of crocheting and illusions and what he dislikes most...

Check out my conversation with CD Brad Meyers as he shares his analogy of Creative Director as "Dad" and confesses to some harmless "set-lifting". Plus, the story of how he got to pitch ideas to Simpsons creator Matt Groening! 

It's never too late to become a creative. Just ask my guest Leigh Browne, CD at GSD&M in Austin, Texas. After spending a few years as a newspaper journalist in the boondocks of California, she decided to make a change. And as they say, the rest is history. She's gone on to win some big awards, create a Super Bowl Spot and help fan the flames of the great Chicken Sandwich Wars. Not too shabby f...

Joel Kaplan shares his journey from cook, to accountant to receptionist at an ad agency all the way up to ECD at M/H in San Francisco. I guess you could say he's a Joel of All Trades and Master of Creativity. Ok, that was bad. But this episode is freaking great! Hear his perspective on everything from the future of our business (hint: buckle up, it's gonna get faster!) to leadership lessons he's l...

On this episode, Jaime talks to Emily Neubauer of Horizontal Digital about her new journey as Associate Creative Director. Hear her Frozen 2 based thoughts on Design Thinking and the art of the client pitch. 

Here's someone you don't come across every day...a Grammy Award winning Creative Director! On this episode of COACD, I talk to VSA Partners' ECD Thom Wolfe, who shares his origin story as an album art cover and packaging designer (remember liner notes?) as well as how mimicking other creatives can help you develop your own talents and style. Plus, much, much more. Check it out and don't forget to...

If you're a Creative and you're not following the work of Chris Do....well, we may have to revoke your card. Chris is the CEO and Founder of The Futur, an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love. The Futur's YouTube channel is chock full of great free content for Creatives at every stage of their career and boasts nearly 1.8...

In our very first International Show from Mexico City, Creative Director Chelsea Obrien shares how she pulled off the near impossible in the agency world....A MOVE FROM ACCOUNTS TO CREATIVE....and even working on a Super Bowl Spot! Yes kids, dreams do come true. Plus, hear about how she has Uncle Conan on speed dial and her technique for crystallizing the big idea. Hint: It involves lots and lots...

Robb Burnham is a pure Creative. He's an artist, musician and storyteller who dreams of being a bartender when he retires from advertising. This episode is chock-full of wisdom, real-world insights and hands-down the best confession ever! Do. Not. Miss. It. 

On the show this week is Jaime's good friend and fellow Jack Morton alum Marc Herron. A Former touring musician turned marketer, he describes his journey from rocker to rock-n-roll strategist in this illuminating conversation. Plus, listen to a Marc Herron original song at the very end of the show! Don't miss it!