“Graham has the unique ability to efficiently find, pitch, and create the solution”
I’ve spent decades working in agency with clients to truly understand the work: why some of it is successful and more importantly, why some of isn’t. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of marketers in many different industries from associations, and b2b enterprise tech firms, to direct-to-consumer brands and arts organizations—each with their own unique challenges, and not surprisingly a lot of similarities—It’s taught me a few things.
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And It’s hard to come by when you’re in it, focused on your own priorities. I’ve learned to step back, look at all the pieces, and enable unique and creative ways to fit those pieces together. This is one of the most important things that I can bring to the table.
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Starting with limitations is a tough way find a fresh solution—whether that’s coming up with a more efficient way to produce something small and repeatable, or generating ideas for a campaign. I bring outside thinking inhouse to help unlock the possibilities.
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Experienced creative leadership really matters because marketing is done by people. Understanding the individual and the work that they do, practicing empathy, and enabling people to be at their best comes from industry experience. Without happy engaged people, it can be a challenge.
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The cliché I use is that you can’t forge a precision knife in one step—it’s hammered incrementally until it takes shape, then honed until it’s sharp—and I had to learn this the hard way. I’ve developed a proven repeatable creative process that ensures alignment, and iterative, timely, production of marketing and creative projects.
THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED