Real Creative Leadership: Recent Episodes
The Stoke Group - Adam Morgan
The Real Creative Leadership webinar series is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. Join us as we discuss topics and share strategies that will help us all become better creative leaders.Real Creative Leadership is hosted by Adam Morgan and produced by The Stoke Group, a digital marketing and full-service content agency in Silicon Slopes.
Real Creative Leadership reaches a landmark as its fifth season draws to a close — but we’re not done just yet. In our season finale, Host Adam Morgan takes listeners on a tour of the season’s most prescient insights and suggestions from our slate of compelling guests, featuring stories from brands like Delta, Paypal, and more.
The creative landscape can seem unfamiliar as rapid changes to technology and markets can upend what’s worked for years. But Adam and his guests speak to this, proving that being flexible, agile, and committed to innovation can set the stage for opportunities that deliver great returns.
In this latest episode of Real Creative Leadership, Karan joins host Adam Morgan for a discussion about his storied career path and where he sees creative leadership headed in the future. Karan advocates for seeing youth trends as tactics to engage audiences of all ages and sharing ways to nurture your creative teams to perform their very best. He calls it finding your creative framework. Listen now for more.
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, host Adam Morgan talks with Laura Montarroso Daher, founder of Music Collective and a creative visionary when it comes to auditory branding. Laura explains why brands should be incorporating sound and music into their creative strategy (which encompasses way more than catchy jingles) and how to look for inspiration and storytelling techniques in both familiar and unlikely places.
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, host Adam Morgan is joined by Jod Kaftan, head of product and research design at Oracle, for a candid conversation about the future of design in an increasingly automated world. Together, Jod and Adam talk about how creativity is intrinsically tied to the human experience, why building a community of people who challenge you can lead to better design, and what creative folks should be looking out for as AI keeps emphasizing that it’s here to stay. As Jod says, “Creativity is a life force,” which means that as the world moves faster and faster toward automation, knowing where to keep and nurture the human touch will be more important than ever.
Real Creative Leadership is a video podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativity #worklifebalance #fillyourcup #delta #travel
Adam Morgan spends this episode of Real Creative Leadership breaking down his five-level creative leadership maturity model, a system designed to help creative leaders at every stage of their career find new ways to engage with their work and spark creative innovation in every aspect of their business. With decades of experience, Adam explores why creative leaders should be helping lead organizations in more than just their own department, and how a fresh perspective can transform not only design and copy, but budgets and company mission statements, too.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativity #business #industrytrends #creativetrends
Adam Morgan chats with Maya Dukes, Managing Director of Global Brand Strategy, Creative & Social Media at Delta Air Lines, for a wanderlust-inducing episode that dives deep into why filing your own “creative cup” is more important than ever before. Together, Adam and Maya discuss ways to lead teams that draw inspiration from unlikely sources, how to prioritize the creative pursuits you love the most, and why you should never sell your Beyoncé tickets (no matter how busy things are at the office).
Real Creative Leadership is a video podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativity #worklifebalance #fillyourcup #delta #travel
Leading from the “sidecar” is the best management strategy you haven’t heard of—until now. Host Adam Morgan chats with guest Jennifer Lai Stern, head of Brand Studio at PayPal, about her extensive industry experience and her favorite ways to lead creative teams with empathy as well as skill.
From his work as a fashion designer and music manager to his current role as Director of Operations at Xfinity Creative, Ephraim “Eph” Gerard Cruz is no stranger to pursuing creative endeavors. As a lifelong collaborator and creative innovator, Eph shares how his three pillars of creativity — paycheck, passion, and playground — have paved the way for discovering new ways to express big ideas.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativepillars #creativity
In this special season five premiere of Real Creative Leadership, host Adam Morgan shares never-before-heard clips from previous guests who answer the question, “What trends are you seeing in 2024?” With insights on everything from hiring to AI, join this powerhouse digital roundtable and learn how to leverage powerful tools and strategies to make 2024 your most innovative year yet.
Adam Morgan returns to his 2023 Adobe MAX standing-room-only session with an insider’s look into building the ultimate creative dream team and measuring its success. With Adam’s own expert insight as well as interviews with other industry leaders, and proprietary research from Stoke, you’ll get practical applications to transform your organization into one that produces incredible creative — and hits all your other targets, too.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativeagency #creativedesign #advertising #marketing
Building the perfect pitch takes experience and insight, which guest Danny Fontaine has in spades. Host of the popular podcast, “Pitch Masters,” Danny joins Adam Morgan for a conversation about storytelling driven by emotions and vulnerability, all while proving that pitching the client can be anything but routine.
Growing your creative career takes a well-developed network and the knowledge of how to navigate a constantly changing industry. Join host Adam Morgan as he talks with executive search consultant Michelle Stuhl about how to become the talent that recruiters are looking for and how to make the biggest impact on the teams you join.
“Quiet creatives” bring perspective and insight into creative work that can sometimes go unnoticed or underappreciated. Join Adam Morgan for a conversation with Jeff Paris and learn how to leverage team members currently flying under the radar and start telling stories that surprise and connect.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
realcreativeleadership #leadership #creativeagency #creativedesign #advertising #marketing
Mentioned in this show:
- MasterControl
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Hustle culture in the creative space doesn’t have to mean burnout. It’s about curiosity, leveraging strategic opportunities for growth, and consistently pushing your own creative boundaries. Check out host Adam Morgan's conversation with Nicolas Mejia, Head of Creative, Shop at Shopify to learn the details.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show
ShopifyAdam MorganThe Stoke Group
Staying connected to the work, the customers, and the team is the recipe for success through change. Check out host Adam Morgan's conversation with Nicole Lopez, Executive Creative Director of Intuit Brand Storytelling and Experiences to learn the details.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host, Adam Morgan, is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Intuit
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Diversity lets you up your ante across the creative work spectrum. Join Host Adam Morgan and Sam Berg, Head of Design at Chime, to learn how inclusive practices increase the capacity, possibility, opportunity, and—yes—outcomes of your teams.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by Stoke, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host Adam Morgan is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Chime
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Don't miss this episode of Real Creative Leadership all about the ways calculated risks and sharing your work can open doors when you least expect it. Join Adam Morgan, Senior Director of Brand & Creative at Splunk, and Shachar Aylon, Creative Director at Amazon Music AMP, as they dissect what it takes for creative leaders and teams to thrive when the chips are down.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by Stoke, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host Adam Morgan is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- AMP
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
We kick off Season 4 of Real Creative Leadership with this roundtable discussion that’s sure to add a few more ideas to your creative and leadership arsenal. Adam Morgan is joined by Jess Ivy of Samsung Ads, Katelyn Mueller of SiriusXM, and Stefan Woerle of Sherwin-Williams.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by Stoke, a full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in content marketing, video, and interactive experiences. Our host Adam Morgan is a global brand, creative, and content leader, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, visit realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Adobe MAX
- Samsung Ads
- Sirius XM
- Sherwin-Williams
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Creative leaders face both management and design challenges. In this bonus episode of Real Creative Leadership, Jess Kirkman of Taco Bell, Andy Vitale of Rocket Companies, and Nathan Dill of Digitas discuss what it takes to meet difficulties with creative solutions. Recorded live at Adobe MAX 2022.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Adobe MAX
- Taco Bell Design
- Rocket Companies
- Digitas
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
You know you've got a solid creative team when you're confident in the way they represent you. Learn how to build your own winning group from Bridget Esposito, VP, Group Creative Director, Prudential. This special episode of Real Creative Leadership was recorded live at Adobe MAX 2022.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Adobe Express
- Adobe MAX
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
This special episode of Real Creative Leadership is a session host Adam Morgan presented at Adobe MAX 2022. As a popular virtual session at the conference, we're excited to share it with you here, including Adam's timely insights on how creative leaders can seize this marketplace tipping point and give creative its very important seat at the business leadership table.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that addresses the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- adamwmorgan.com
- The Stoke Group
Building a company culture your employees want to be a part of is easier said than done. Join this episode of Real Creative Leadership to hear author and advisor Todd Henry's thoughts on how to make culture-building an effective venture that gives remote creative teams success.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- toddhenry.com
- accidentalcreative.com
- dailycreative.net
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Voice isn't just what makes you unique, it's what makes you a meaningful creative leader. Discovering and cultivating that voice takes work, but it's also how you become someone worth listening to. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Liz Oh, Head of Brand Design at Grammarly, discusses her journey of finding her voice and how it led her to a creative leadership role she wouldn't have achieved without it.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Grammarly
- Rhode Island School of Design
- PS New York
- RED Interactive Agency
- Compass
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Brand differentiation in B2B is the way forward, and it requires a partnership of marketing and creativity to reach success. In the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership, get insights from Co-founder and CEO of Rival Eric Fulwiler about how to build a brand that turns heads.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Rival
- VaynerMedia
- 11:FS
- Meaningful Brands
- B2B Marketing Institute
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Creatives benefit the most when their leaders show up with transparency and empathy. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, get ideas about how to be an authentic self from the advertising legend, author, and consultant Luke Sullivan.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- heywhipple.com
- The Martin Agency
- Fallon
- The Savannah College of Art and Design
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Measuring creative ideas matters to the company, the execs, and the whole creative team. Make sure you're getting it right with real-world strategies and advice from Adam Morgan. With the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership as your guide, you can learn how to use the proper metrics, gather the correct data, and empower your creative teams in building the community and loyalty that will next-level your brand.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that addresses the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to RealCreativeLeadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
- Brian Solis
- Adobe Summit
- Rana June
- Paul Zak
- VaynerMedia
- Jay Acunzo
You can make a career pivot make all the difference in your professional trajectory. In the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership, get advice from George Hammer, Global Head of Marketing at Tripadvisor, about what a career looks like when you choose to tell your own story.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Tripadvisor
- Mindshare
- The Second City
- Digitas
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Consumer and brand relationships are built on a foundation marketing creates. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Sandra Lopez, General Manager of Global Marketing at Microsoft Advertising, shares her secrets for unlocking your full brand potential using marketing as your superpower.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Adobe
- Microsoft Advertising
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Creative teams need creative leaders. In the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership, learn the tricks of the trade from Kevin Frank, ECD at LinkedIn, and see how your deliberate approaches to organization and relationships make all the difference.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Ad Age Best Places to Work
- Interbrand Top Global Brands
- Kantar BrandZ
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
You get as much as you give to a mentorship, no matter your role. In the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership, get advice from real-life mentor/mentee Jess Kessler of Audible and Ashley Walsh-Lopez of Reprise Digital to make your experience successful and productive from day one.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that helps creative leaders make an impact on the business world. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Audible
- Reprise Digital
- Creative Marketing World
- Content Marketing Institute
- Adweek Executive Mentor Program
- Adam Morgan
- The Stoke Group
Mentorships move careers forward and make better creatives, but they're about so much more than just sending an email and crossing your fingers for a one-time connection. The right mentor/mentee relationship happens because you've done the work to make it happen. Let Adam Morgan teach you how to build and navigate the whole arc of a mentorship in the latest episode of Real Creative Leadership.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that addresses the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
The prescribed career path for creatives has often been to pick one of two routes: work in-house or choose an agency. But not anymore, argues Jess Kirkman. Today, the skills learned from both places are the way to build a foundation for decades-long creative success. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Kirkman explains how to get the most from moving from one to the other and why a food brand like Taco Bell can be a great place for creativity.
Real Creative Leadership is a video and podcast series that addresses the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe's executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Mentioned in this show:
- Jess Kirkman
- Taco Bell Design
- The Stoke Group
Creative people, says Jim Antonopoulos, haven’t been taught to sit comfortably in an ambiguous problem space. Instead, creatives are trained to focus on execution, often sacrificing strategic thinking in the process. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Jim shares his process for unleashing “strategic creativity” — and delivering creative solutions to the most complex challenges.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
When Reality Labs at Meta’s Global Executive Creative Director Jason Sperling attended art school, his professor burned one of his pieces in front of the entire class — literally. But that didn’t stop him. Tune in to the newest episode of Real Creative Leadership to learn more about Jason’s creative friction, and how he used constraints and criticism to grow into the seasoned leader he is today.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Nothing confuses your audience more than a mixed message. But it’s common for brands to try to say too much at once — whether that’s on their website, their social channels, or even during a single commercial. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, host Adam Morgan shares how to simplify your strategic messaging — so your audience will really listen.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Changing a beloved company into one that’s a stranger to employees and customers is a daunting challenge. Luckily, there are ways to make the process smoother for all who are affected by the big change. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam chats with CMO of Momentive (formerly known as SurveyMonkey) Leela Srinivasan about the Momentive rebrand journey — and why it was important to bid their old brand adieu.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Alex Amado is the perfect example of the notion that there is more to a creative career than just your chosen craft. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Alex chats with Adam Morgan about the ups and downs of his career journey, how he made the leap from a budding creative to a seasoned business executive — and how you can, too.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Leaders aren’t perfect communicators. There are three distinct statements Janis Fratamico, Citrix global VP of field marketing, has often heard leaders say insincerely. Adam and Janis unpack these three statements, and why you should only say them if you mean them.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Building relationships is the third most sought-for skill in potential promotion candidates, according to our recent creative leadership survey. In this episode, Adam Morgan shares five different types of relationships you should actively seek to develop — and six ways to make sure they stick.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Your business is growing, and so are your customers’ expectations. As a creative leader, you need to scale your team, and you want to do it right — in a way that accelerates the business and fosters career growth for your team.
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan and Chris Do, founder and CEO of The Futur, come together to discuss this critical topic. Tune in and learn how to design, build, and lead your creative dream team.
- Watch this episode to learn about:
- Smart leadership and growth strategies
- Intelligent workflows for modern creative teams
- How to integrate the right creative and collaboration tools
- Strategic decision making, from hiring to resource allocation
Back in 2014, John Johnson never guessed that a friendly chat every quarter would lead to a job as executive creative director at Qualtrics. But here he is six and a half years later, because of the right relationship with the right person. Adam Morgan chats with John about the importance of forming strategic partnerships with people whose perspectives and skill sets complement your own — and how to do it.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Decorative pillows and abstract art can only get you so far in fostering great creative work. Building the right environment isn’t about cool office spaces, or even just about inspiring your team. It’s also making your team members feel safe enough to share their inspiration — and empowering them to bring their ideas to life.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Inspiration won’t show up where it’s not welcome — and sometimes, your company might be discouraging creativity without even realizing it. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan chats with John Coyne, award-winning creative leader and global head of branding at Intel, about how to build a culture that not only invites creativity, but makes sure it’s here to stay.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
It’s easy to know what your next career step is, but it’s not so easy to know how to get there. The best way to plan your creative career is to learn from the paths paved by creative veterans. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan chats with Joe Esposito, creative director at IBM — and asks him hard-hitting questions to help you pave your own way to a fulfilling creative career.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Gone are the days of traditional, linear career paths. To build a successful and satisfying creative career, you have to chart your own course — and develop a whole set of leadership and business skills that complement your creative craft. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, host Adam Morgan shares the top 3 leadership skills you’ll need, along with other tips for planning your dream career.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
To guide you to your next creative career milestone and beyond, Adam Morgan has tailored a new curriculum for Real Creative Leadership Season 2. In this mini-episode, you’ll get a detailed overview of what’s coming up, including where to find an outline of topics Adam will cover this year. Get ready for more intriguing guests and more wisdom from Adam — everything you love about RCL, with some exciting new parts, too.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Artist and entrepreneur Chase Jarvis says planning your creative career isn’t about the map — it’s about the compass. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan shows how to plan the next direction in your creative career, reminding us that it’s not a linear journey. You might bounce all over the map as a creative, but it doesn’t matter — as long as you know where you’re going.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Content experts will tell you that consumers will only pay attention to short, fast content. But our customers aren’t goldfish. That’s why anomaly matters more than other factors like length and speed, as Adam Morgan explains in this episode of Real Creative Leadership. Memorable marketing content doesn’t have to be fast — but it should be unique.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
Your journey to become a creative director isn’t easy. But there might be some key practices you’re missing that could make all the difference. In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, learn how to tackle learning strategy, ask the right questions, and have purpose while working toward that promotion.
Real Creative Leadership is building a community to address the issues, challenges, and benefits of creative leadership. The webinar series is produced by The Stoke Group (@thestokegroup), a full-service digital marketing and creative agency. Our host Adam Morgan (@askadmo) is Adobe’s executive creative director, an Adweek Creative 100, and author of Sorry Spock, Emotions Drive Business. For more information, go to realcreativeleadership.com.
We’re about to take away the mystery on how creatives build successful leadership careers.
We invested some decent dollars into a survey firm that polled hundreds of creative leaders … and we’re ready to reveal the exclusive results into what it takes to craft a career in creativity. In this episode we explore the research along with a panel of top creatives from world-renowned brands — Google, Microsoft, CreativeLive, Adobe — in a real, raw and honest webinar produced by The Stoke Group and hosted by Adobe Executive Creative Director Adam Morgan.
We’ll explore answers to:
- How much does education factor into creatives’ success?
- What skills are needed to succeed as a creative director?
- How long does it take to land a creative director position?
- Can someone from, say, a photography background be a creative executive, or do you need to be from a design or editorial background?
- Is there an age ceiling to a creative career?
- How do top performing creatives prevent burnout?
- How do you stay at the top of your game — and lead others to do the same?
- And … more.
It’s not enough to just be a rockstar.
Here’s the hard truth: even if you’re the best writer or designer in your agency, it doesn’t mean you’re cut out to be a creative director. To lead a creative team you need to have a handle on everything from managing relationships to controlling workflow to, according to Adam Morgan, “making things happen.”
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan shares how he became a creative director and how, by mastering both the hard and soft skills, you can, too.
Tune in to learn:
- Nine critical skills to become a creative director
- How to manage relationships, even outside your team
- What it means to resource, talk khaki, and “hustle”
- How to know you’re ready to become a creative director
It’s time to connect khakis and creatives.
Professional relationships are key to better execution of your creative ideas. But it can be difficult to strengthen those relationships when you struggle to communicate effectively outside of your creative sphere. John Knightly, CMO of BlueJeans, has great insights on how creatives can better communicate with their business peers — or with “khaki,” as we introduced in our last episode — to make it easier to achieve the business goals you have in common.
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, join Adam Morgan and John as they compare notes from two different sides of the creative process, and discuss the best ways to communicate across departments and break down those language silos.
Tune in to learn:
- Best practices for creatives when interacting with marketers
- How creatives can branch out into other leadership positions
- What creatives need to learn to start speaking in business terms
- More resources to learn about marketing
Learn how and when to start speaking business.
As a creative leader, you now have a lot of new hats. Not only that, but you have new, non-creative peers. This means you need to learn how to talk business in business terms — or “talk khaki” as Adam Morgan calls it — to make sure everyone understands you and how you represent your creative team.
Talking khaki means you know how to convey your ideas and needs effectively to your higher-ups and your business peers — in a way that helps them see the value of your creative input. Watch this episode of Real Creative Leadership to learn more about how to and when to speak business.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The four business departments where you’ll need to talk khaki
- The best methods and materials to help you learn the language
- Why understanding your organization's business is foundational to business language
- How talking khaki will help you better manage up and sideways
It’s easy for creative departments to get so bogged down in delivering on requests that they lose sight of the big picture — the real WHAT behind the work they’re doing. When that happens, creativity takes a hit.
Katie O’Brien saw the impact first-hand. As head of creative for luxury & specialty brands at Wayfair, Katie’s first priority was to shift her team from acting as reactive order-takers to becoming strategic and collaborative design thinkers.
In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan and Katie discuss what it took to make the transformation happen and how her creative team continues to iterate and evolve — and it’s benefitting not just Wayfair, but also their dedicated customers and partners.
In this conversation with Katie, you’ll learn:
- Why many creative departments settle into the role of ticket takers and the problems that creates
- How to shift your mindset from efficiency to long-term growth
- Why creatives should always tie ideas back to the business and include business partners in their process early on
- How embracing mistakes can help creativity flourish
Get strategic with your creative team.
In the old model of creative agencies, there was a combined strategy and writing team to brainstorm the brand messaging, and then a creative team to take the messaging and “make it pretty.” But with the teams being separate, the actual execution of the message suffered.
In this webinar, Adam Morgan shares all the benefits of combining creative with strategy. You'll learn:
- Why keeping the teams closely linked will yield better creative results
- The importance of developing strategic skills
- How to build strong partnerships throughout your organization
Too much frustration can arise from a language disconnect between creatives and business leaders. But both the creative and business sides of a company must learn to speak each other’s language if they want to succeed.
Tune in to our next Real Creative Leadership episode to join Adam Morgan and Douglas Davis as they discuss how designers can become fluent in the language of business and strategy — and how it will transform your company.
In this conversation with Douglas, you’ll learn:
- Why creatives struggle in business environments
- The value of putting yourself in the shoes of non-creative peers
- Tips for learning the language of business
- How strategy-fluent creatives can help transform businesses
Whether you’re the one giving it or the one receiving it, feedback can be a hard pill to swallow. It’s natural to respond emotionally to insufficient work, but it’s also natural to respond negatively to your work being critiqued. This emotional clash can put a strain on creative relationships in the workplace.
Luckily, the feedback process doesn’t have to be painful. In this episode, Adam Morgan provides helpful advice on how to give constructive feedback—and how to receive it.
During this session, you’ll learn:
- The best way to give feedback, especially when it’s negative
- How to avoid getting defensive about receiving feedback
- Whose feedback to value the mostHow to rate and rank feedback
- How to diffuse tension during a feedback session
Every team is different, but with the right combination of talent, technology, and strategic planning, you can determine the best way to flex and scale your team for positive results and creative inspiration.
In this episode, Adam Morgan sits down with AJ Herrera, vice president of Brand and Advertising at VMware, to discuss how he structures his team and what scaling looks like for them.
Discover more about the actual practice of scaling:
- Learn some methods for maintaining communication between teams
- Examine how real companies tackle strategy and managing projects
- Learn about the realities of working with agencies and how to maximize those relationships
Strong teams don’t develop by accident.
A good manager doesn’t control every facet of a project or try to accomplish everything themselves. In fact, that mindset is a barrier to growth. In part four of How to Scale Your Creative Team, learn how to delegate responsibility so team members take ownership of their work and learn how to gauge whether each member is feeling over, under, or perfectly “whelmed.”
Listen to part 4 of this series to gain more specific insights, like:
- Different methods for assigning responsibility, and how to find the one that’s right for your team.
- How to evaluate a team member’s workload and notice signs of burnout.
- The value of the right technology when it comes to internal scaling.
Scale smart.
Parts one and two of How to Scale Your Creative Team covered the why, how, and when of scaling and finding new team members. Part three tackles how to make sure your efforts to scale are most effective. Creative leaders sometimes think of scaling as linear, but really it’s a set of careful steps you take as you regularly evaluate your resources and your workload.
Listen to part 3 of this series on scaling your creative team to gain specific insights like:
- Solutions when you hit a wall with efforts to scale.
- How to balance taking on new work and taking on new employees.
- How to calculate how much new talent I can afford?
Get the talent you need.
In part one of How to Scale Your Creative Team, we discussed why scaling is important and how to know when it’s time for change. Now, in part two, dive into what skills you might need to add and how to find the best new talent.
Learn about the many different avenues you can explore when scaling, and get the answers to questions like:
- What skills should I focus on scaling?
- How do I decide between hiring full-time employees, contractors or an agency?
- Where do I look to find creative professionals for my team?
Make your data work for you.
Part one of Why Creative Directors Should Care About Data tackled why creative directors should care about data. Now, in part two, learn how to use that data to its best advantage. The right data can inform your creative decisions, but you have to know what the right data looks like and understand what it’s trying to tell you.
In this webinar, discover how to read the data to make the right creative decisions:
- Learn why the numbers themselves sometimes don’t tell the whole story.
- Understand the impact of emotions on the customer journey.
- Get tips for quantifying the success and value of creative projects.
Get ready for change.
Change can come in an instant and navigating your team through growth or scaling back, or outsourcing projects or bringing them in-house, is the sign of a great leader. Many resources exist to help you as you scale, and knowing the right option for your situation will make your job easier.
In this webinar, discover insights about the process of scaling up or down:
- Why you shouldn’t handle all the projects yourself.
- How to know when it’s time to scale.
- The advantages and disadvantages of working with various professionals and agencies.
For creative inspiration, start with your data.
Creativity and data don’t have to be enemies. We all do business in an insights-centric marketplace where data can’t be ignored — including its impact on creativity and the customer experience.
In this webinar, discover how to use data as inspiration for your best creative ideas:
- Learn how to give your creative ideas a backbone that will stand up to boring, tight-fisted executives.
- Understand why limits and constraints sometimes result in the best ideas.
- Learn why a balance of logic and creativity is the future of the most impactful content.