The
Creative Ops Podcast
Essential conversations with industry leaders and innovators to imagine and sculpt the Tomorrow of Creative Ops.
In this episode, we challenge the stereotype that legal teams hinder innovation by sitting down with Betty Louie, General Counsel and Partner at BrandTech Group. Betty shares how their legal team has been integral to catalyzing AI adoption through their simple yet effective "Green List" process, which creates a safe space for experimentation.
In this episode, Bethany Thornton, former head of Creative Operations at Atlassian, shares her secrets of a people-centric approach to Creative Ops. She discusses how fostering communication, collaboration, and a culture of curiosity allowed Atlassian's creative organization to thrive through a period of rapid global growth.
In this episode, I discuss:
Purpose of this Podcast: sharing my What, Why & How. "..... to facilitate the evolution of creative operations and help define what it is and what it can be......"
Creative Ops Vocabulary: the power of the words we use to create the stories we want to come true (i.e. people provide feedback on time). "....for example .... the language and story of Easy Mode vs Hard Mode... changes the framing of how recipients of notifications think about their responsibilities."
Change: the changing landscape of change management and the need for creative operations leaders to think differently about change management. ".....this is not our grandfather's change management. The environment has changed, and we need to think differently....."
Jeremy's Definition of Creative Ops (2:00)
Mix of people, process and technology to bring brand stories to life
"Breathing oxygen" into historically fractured creative processes
The evolving relationship between scale and storytelling (12:00)
Overcoming the tension between creativity and operational efficiency
Using AI to break free from templatized approaches to scaling creative
Creating capacity for more blank slate "storytelling" briefs
Explore the dynamic world of creative operations in this insightful episode. We delve into strategies for scaling creativity, connecting the dots in storytelling, and analyzing that famous Altman quote. With engaging discussions about navigating the altitudes of creative processes, this podcast equips listeners with actionable insights and inspiration and proposes a framework for bringing more clarity to creative ops career progression. Perfect for innovators, creators, and storytellers aiming to elevate their craft.
In this episode, Nish explores the topic of where creative operations should be located on the org chart. He discusses the response to a previous episode on the subject and shares the results of a survey he conducted. Nish also highlights the feedback he received from the community and the conversations he had with marketing operations professionals. Nish concludes by explaining why he wants to continue exploring this topic and proposes the idea of creating a 'Creative Ops Org Chart Locator Decision Tree' BUT only if he hears from the community that they want it.
Joining us is Amy Tesch Strickland of Cella, a prominent figure in the creative operations community with extensive experience on both the brand and consulting sides, known for her expertise in guiding creative and marketing operations teams. You’ll hear about the strategic positioning of creative operations within an organization, the natural (and untapped?) potential of closer alignment between creative and marketing operations, and how this may be a key factor in creative ops maturing from a tactical to a strategic function.
In this episode, I list various ways creative operations leaders can leverage AI to enhance their work. Using the T3 (Thunking, Thinking & Transforming with) AI framework I walk through some easy and accessible ways to leverage AI. To free up time by outsourcing your boring, rote work to it. And re-investing that time to use AI as a thinking partner and become. the 10x leader you can be. And continue your transition to being a strategic creative operations leader.
This is request to you - the Creative Ops Professional - to take a moment to participate in two important surveys focused on creative operations. Links below! As we navigate the evolving landscape of our profession, understanding where we stand today is crucial. These surveys are more than just questionnaires; they are tools that will help us benchmark our current state and envision the future of creative operations.
Mark Brady, Head of Creative Solutions at HubSpot, discusses the value of self-service automation to increase content and go to market velocity and at the same time free up creatives. Said differently: Deliver More, Deliver Faster, Deliver Cost Effectively. He explains how HubSpot has implemented self-service automation through tools like Canva, web modules, and email templates, allowing marketers to create on-brand experiences. Allowing the creative team to focus on "big think" work. He also discusses the use of data to inform decision-making and measure success in self-service automation. Lastly, Mark explores how Hubspot's self-service automation journey is informing a smarter approach to how they are rolling out and getting value from the emerging crop of AI tools.
In this kickoff episode of our AI Creative/Operations Wave Series, we are joined by Juliana Vail from Dreem.Ai This conversation starts us on our journey of surfing the gentle and not so gentle waves of the AI Tsunami. Juliana applies her expertise from 18 years of leveraging each successive wave of new technology to unlock new possibilities and value in creative workflows. With the active participation of the audience for this live recording we tackle a number of topics. This is the first in a series of ongoing discussions where Juliana and Nish along with the audience will share and explore what is happening, working and not working as we all deal with the enormous challenges and opportunities of "AI is Going to Change Everything."
In this kickoff episode of our Data & Metrics Series, we are joined by Nickole Brown from Cella. The conversation dives into the critical role of data and metrics in creative operations. Nickole elevates our understanding at the 100,000-foot view, exploring how effectively leveraging data and metrics can transition creative operations from a tactical function to a strategic role.
In this episode, I share insights and observations from my conversations with many of you across the creative ops community. In this episode I discuss the maturity of creative operations, the need for clear definitions and paths for creative operations leaders, and the importance of using metrics and data. I also explore the emergence of meta workflows in creative operations, focusing on scale and speed, as well as storytelling. Lastly, I address emerging concerns about layoffs and the opportunities for creative operations leaders to step up and navigate through these challenges.
The 'Takeaways' episodes offer my key insights and actionable ideas from our guest interviews. Through these episodes I am sharing what I am learning and some of the dots that I am connecting along the way.
Joining us is Paul Nicholson who just wrapped up 20+ years with Showtime Networks, a prominent American premium television network known for its wide array of original programming, movies, documentaries, and sports. This episode dives into Paul's approach to implementing change to reduce friction in creative workflows. Learn about his 'Product Release' strategy for change, when and how to gather team input, the science and art (or is that experience based instinct) for how to prioritize changes, how and why to sell change up the org chart, packaging change into mini releases, and measuring progress and impact along the way. All that and more.
Joining us is Dmitry Shamis whose experience includes brand and creative at SevenRooms, founding The Creative Brand, and heading creative and brand at HubSpot. You’ll hear about the importance of creative operations as a connective hub, the role of self-service tools in accelerating marketing experiments, and the need for aligning creative operations with business KPIs.
Joining us is Michelle Vincent of Mofilm, a creative agency focused on storytelling and leveraging AI in creative operations. You’ll hear how Mofilm uses AI as a creative assistant, the importance of storytelling in the age of algorithms, and the challenges of data bias in AI tools.
Joining us is Kate Sullivan of HubSpot, a leading inbound marketing, sales, and customer service software company. You’ll hear about adapting communication styles in creative ops, the value of a service mindset, and managing creative processes through unique dining experience analogies.
Welcome to the Creative Ops podcast podcast. I created it to open up conversations about our emerging field. With creative ops in its "teenage years," we need community and clarity of purpose as we grow. My vision is to drive curiosity through interviews with innovators across industries. We'll explore experiences, challenges and wins around creative ops' core of people, process and technology. I'll also share my own hot takes on key topics and trends like the impacts of AI.
In this episode, they pull back the curtain on the rituals, truths, and team dynamics that unlock trust, talent, and transformative work.
From unspoken disabilities & superpowers to under-measured impact, this is the playbook for making your team irreplaceable.
What if creativity wasn’t just something a few people do—but the way your entire company thinks, decides, and works?
In this episode, Ivan Pols argues that the most effective organizations don’t isolate creativity—they operationalize it. As Chief Creative Officer at what3words, Ivan has helped build a culture where story becomes strategy, feedback is infrastructure, and creativity isn’t confined to a team—it’s expressed across the company.
We explore why “creative” is a word that often hurts more than it helps, how to build creative systems rooted in story and shared language, and what it means to protect friction and curiosity in the age of convenience and commoditization.
Chris Varela didn’t find creative ops. It found him—twice.
The first time, he realized the work he was already doing had a name: solving friction between marketing and creative, protecting his teammates’ time, and building systems that made the entire process more efficient, more effective—and frankly, more fun for everyone involved.
The second time, his company realized it too. After years of Chris operating without a title—quietly translating between functions and elevating how work flowed—Workday came to the conclusion that this wasn’t just helpful. It was a role. A needed one.
In this episode, Chris and Nish explore how creative ops functions often start unofficially—through the instincts, empathy, and persistence of people like Chris. They also dig into how titles unlock collaboration, how AI is helping scale creative ops work, and how others can navigate that same journey of recognition.
This episode is a guide for anyone who suspects they’re doing something important—but unrecognized. And for anyone who wants to help their org see the work more clearly.
In a galaxy flooded with content, storytelling is no longer a skill—it’s the rebellion.
In this milestone 50th episode, Nish and David Granger frame the conversation through the lens of the original Star Wars trilogy—exploring how brands moved from story-rich origins (A New Hope), through algorithmic obedience and commoditization (The Empire Strikes Back), to a moment of reckoning (Return of the Jedi).
They dive into why storytelling is the last true differentiator in an AI-driven landscape, how CMOs became “chief algorithm officers,” and why creative ops leaders must become the Rebel Alliance—fighting not just for brand expression, but for brand soul.
This episode isn’t just about marketing—it’s about what you choose to stand for.
What if the most important system in your organization… is made of people?
In this episode, Matt traces his path from creative ops leader to go-to-market operator—and reveals what never changed: his job has always been creating the conditions for others to succeed.
We explore what it’s like to build trust while scaling, why confusion and surprise are deadly for team performance, and how creative ops skills translate far beyond the creative department.
Whether you're navigating hypergrowth or eyeing a new career path, this episode offers a powerful reminder: the most valuable systems aren’t the ones that run the work—they’re the ones that help people run well together.
What if the future of creativity doesn’t depend on better tools—but on better culture?
As AI automates process and scale becomes a commodity, Nicky Russell—Managing Partner at WDC and former COO at Anomaly—argues that creative operations must evolve. The job is no longer just delivery. The job is culture.
In this episode, Nicky shares how creative ops can move from service to strategy—becoming the clutch control between creative ambition and commercial objectives. We explore emotional intelligence, new KPIs, and why building the right environment matters more than ever in an age of automation.
What if brand wasn’t a guideline or a campaign—but an operating system?
Eric Alberts is helping reinvent a 190-year-old company by treating brand like a product—complete with documentation, demos, and internal adoption strategies. As Design Director at Wolters Kluwer, he’s drawing on a decade of UX and product design experience to build scalable systems that make brand feel more like infrastructure than identity theater.
In this episode, Eric shares how he's operationalizing brand across a decentralized, 22,000-person org—creating internal education programs, vetting agency partnerships, and empowering teams with self-service tools.
We talk brand architecture, creative ops as connective tissue, and how to evolve brand from aesthetics to an engine for business alignment.
Creative teams have the potential to shape culture, drive innovation, and steer brand— but most companies still treat them like a service desk.
Emma Sexton has spent over a decade building the one thing most creative leaders don’t have: a roadmap to power.
As founder of the Inside Out® Community and architect of the Inside Out® Pathway, she’s helping in-house leaders move from overlooked execution to boardroom influence.
In this episode, Emma joins us to reframe creative leadership as a business-critical multiplier— and reveal the zones of progression that help leaders claim their seat at the table.
We talk brand ownership, creative ops evolution, the burnout of CMOs, and why organizations that ignore creative leadership might be leaving their most scalable advantage on the table.
Creative work doesn’t start with a brief—it starts with trust. And when operations and creative build that trust, the results go far beyond delivery.
In this episode, Kyle Wright and Brianne Gallagher—Creative Director and Head of Creative Operations at Wayfair—share how they’ve restructured the relationship between their teams. Instead of chasing speed at the expense of meaning, they’re building systems that protect space for strategy, storytelling, and original thinking.
We talk about what it takes to move from reactive execution to proactive collaboration: the tooling, the prioritization, the upstream conversations—and the mindset shifts underneath it all. What happens when ops stops managing projects and starts enabling vision?
This isn’t just about better workflows. It’s about building the conditions for better ideas.
You got the title. Now what?
You’re no longer the one making the work. You’re leading the people who do. And suddenly… Everything that made you successful stops being useful.
No one teaches you how to lead a creative team. There’s no playbook for designing trust. For giving feedback that doesn’t kill morale. For building culture that doesn’t burn people out.
Unless you’ve read Raising Creative Teams— Kevin Frank’s new book, and the episode you’re about to hear.
Kevin led global creative at Apple. He was Executive Creative Director at LinkedIn, where his team won AdAge’s In-House Agency of the Year. But his real education in creative leadership came when he realized: The most creative thing a leader makes… Is the environment.
This conversation is for anyone who’s ever wondered: Am I leading the work—or the conditions that make the work possible?
The creative operations field is evolving fast—and the professionals who invest in learning won’t just keep up, they’ll lead.
In this episode, Amy Strickland and Alicia Nicely break down how education in creative operations isn’t just valuable—it’s career-changing.
Alicia’s journey is proof. She was already doing creative ops without the title, but after completing the Rutgers Advanced Creative Operations Program, she gained the strategic skills, leadership mindset, and KPI-driven approach to transform her role and scale her team.
Amy, an educator and creative ops strategist, shares why structured learning is essential for professionals looking to advance, and how the right training helps move from execution to strategy.
If you’ve ever wondered whether formal education in creative ops is worth it, this episode will answer that question—and show you exactly how it can accelerate your career.
With Air.inc securing $35M in funding, the creative operations world is facing a major inflection point. In this solo episode, Nish Patel explores what this investment means for creative ops leaders, why the concept of a "system of record for creative work" is critical, and how creative professionals can seize this moment to elevate their roles from tactical execution to strategic systems design. This isn’t just about one company—it’s about an industry-wide shift that demands creative ops leaders rethink their approach to scale, speed, and storytelling.
The future of creative leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about navigating uncertainty with trust, adaptability, and a new mindset. In this episode, we sit down with Jason Holzman, SVP of Creative, Production, and Brand Strategy at Macy’s, to explore how leaders can shift from control to enablement, balance execution with creativity in the age of AI, and build trust through transparency, empathy, and positivity. Whether you’re a creative ops leader, project manager, or CMO, this conversation is packed with insights on leading through disruption and thriving when the old playbooks no longer work.
This episode started with a thought experiment—a LinkedIn post I wrote about how I would design an in-house creative team from scratch today. No legacy structures, no incremental tweaks—just a blank canvas and a chance to reimagine what’s possible. That post sparked a conversation that resonated across the industry. Emma Sexton invited me onto her Inside Out podcast to take that idea further, and what followed was a deep, exploratory discussion about the creative team of the future. How should we design teams not just to survive, but to thrive in an AI-powered, fast-moving world? How do we break free from old models and build something truly new? This conversation is an invitation to step beyond the known, to break from outdated models, and to explore what’s possible when we treat creativity as a living system, not a fixed structure. No rules. No assumptions. Just a blank canvas and the courage to ask: What if?
How does AI impact creativity—does it empower new forms of artistic expression or dilute human ingenuity? In this episode, we sit down with Alexia Adana, Director of Creative Technology and Innovation at Edelman, to explore the evolving intersection of AI and creativity. From democratizing creative tools to redefining artistic workflows, Alexia shares insights into AI as both a collaborator and a challenge to human storytelling.
Julia Arenson, Head of Creative Operations at Specsavers, shares how their in-house agency evolved from a production-focused team to a strategic force behind one of the UK’s most iconic brands. We explore her journey from agency life to leading creative ops at Specsavers, the critical role of creative operations in brand success, and how AI is reshaping the creative landscape.
In this episode of Creative Ops, Patrick Burgoyne unpacks the transformative power of in-house agencies. From his “four buckets” framework to AI-driven innovation, Patrick offers actionable insights into how in-house teams can evolve from production studios to lead agencies. Join us as we explore strategies to leverage creative operations for maximum impact and business alignment.
In this episode, Jarrod Gingras shares his expertise on navigating the seismic shifts AI brings to creative operations and tech stacks. He breaks down how AI demands clean data, aligned content, and strategic decisions, and explains why refactoring your tech stack might be essential for staying competitive. This conversation is packed with actionable insights for leaders and teams navigating this critical inflection point in creative operations.
This episode explores the potential role of AI in disrupting offshore production and accelerating in-house innovation. Penri Jones shares his bold perspectives on the evolution of workflows, modular storytelling, and why creativity remains the ultimate differentiator in an AI-driven world.
In this solo episode, Nish explores how AI is transforming creative operations by shifting from traditional role scarcity to role abundance. He highlights how creative leaders can spin up AI-driven “roles” like Creative Brief Coach or Chief Storytelling Officer out of thin air, without budget constraints. Nish shares practical frameworks and examples to help listeners reorient their thinking around AI’s infinite capabilities in speed, scale, and knowledge—setting the stage for a transformational 2025.
In this episode, we explore the transformative role of offshore production in creative operations with Anil Noorani, founder and managing partner at TKM Consultants. Drawing from over two decades of experience, Anil discusses how offshore production has evolved from a cost-saving strategy to a cornerstone of scalable and strategic creative operations. From overcoming cultural challenges to leveraging AI and automation, Anil offers practical insights for creative leaders aiming to scale content production while maintaining quality and brand alignment.
In this reflective and forward-looking episode, Nish explores four critical questions every Creative Ops and in-house agency leader must ask as they prepare for 2025. Drawing inspiration from Patrick Burgoyne’s four-bucket framework and Jason Holtzman’s thought-provoking philosophy, Nish emphasizes aligning creative operations with business priorities, embracing AI as a game-changer, and crafting a roadmap for strategic impact.
In this special episode of the Creative Ops podcast, we’re bringing you a live recording of my presentation at the Henry Stewart Creative Operations Conference in Los Angeles. The feedback from attendees was incredible—people left inspired and motivated to reimagine the role of AI in Creative Operations.
In this critical episode for creative operations and creative leaders, we dive deep into the AI revolution with Wesley ter Haar, co-founder of Monks. Wesley shares invaluable insights on how AI is reshaping creative workflows, team structures, and business models. This conversation is essential listening for any leader looking to future-proof their operations and creative processes to leverage AI for competitive advantage.
Brianne Gallagher, Head of Creative Operations at Wayfair, shares innovative strategies for reimagining creative operations. Drawing parallels with Hollywood production methods, she introduces concepts like the "producer mindset" and strategic "casting" of talent, while exploring how to balance human creativity with AI capabilities to drive breakthrough innovations.
Buckle up, creatives! We're about to dive into a world where data and imagination collide in the most spectacular ways. Meet John Pagano, the maverick leader who's turned Nickelodeon's digital playground into a data-driven wonderland. Forget everything you thought you knew about analytics sucking the life out of creativity. In Pagano's universe, spreadsheets spark joy, AI is your artistic wingman, and even SpongeBob's pores hold the secret to viral success. Get ready to discover how embracing your inner data nerd might just be the key to unlocking your wildest creative dreams!
This preview was generated utilizing Google's Notebook LLM to produce an engaging discussion about the upcoming full episode with John Pagano.
In this episode of the Creative Ops Podcast, host Nish welcomes back Amy Tesch Strickland to discuss the new advanced creative operations silver certificate program offered through Rutgers University. The program, developed in collaboration with Clair Carter-Ginn and Corey Dill, promises a comprehensive 12-week curriculum divided into three modules focusing on foundational concepts, organizational maturity, and change management. With a structured learning approach, including video lectures, readings, assignments, and optional office hours, the program aims to professionalize and elevate the field of creative operations. Amy emphasizes the program's value in networking and advancing the strategic capabilities of creative ops professionals.
In this episode, Nish returns from his summer break to reflect on his travels and introduce the upcoming second season of the Creative Ops podcast. He discusses the concept of creative operations as a living system, shares updates on the podcast community, and explores ideas about the future of creative work in relation to AI, data, and content orchestration.
In this episode, Shane shares his perspective on the evolving role of creative operations and the importance of empowering creative ops leaders. He dives into the game-changing Creative Operations Manifesto, exploring how it gives voice to the experiences and challenges faced by creative ops heroes and provides a roadmap for delivering what organizations need.