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.

In this episode, I riff and rant on three topics

• 02:20 Creative Ops Vocabulary Follow Up: the power of language in shaping Creative Ops stories and (desired) behaviours

• 10:50 WTF of Creative Ops: Are you observing and asking about the Fs in your process? 

• 17:35 Creative Briefs: Simon Cowell x (annoying 5 year old) Socrates = Eliminating a whole bunch of Fs 

Tune in for actionable insights to level up your Creative Ops game!

In this episode, I riff and rant on three topics

• 02:20 Creative Ops Vocabulary Follow Up: the power of language in shaping Creative Ops stories and (desired) behaviours

• 10:50 WTF of Creative Ops: Are you observing and asking about the Fs in your process? 

• 17:35 Creative Briefs: Simon Cowell x (annoying 5 year old) Socrates = Eliminating a whole bunch of Fs 

Tune in for actionable insights to level up your Creative Ops game!

In this episode, we'll take you behind the scenes with Roman Kuebler and Jeffrey Lash, the dynamic duo of creative ops at Under Armour. They share their secret sauce for building a well-oiled creative operations enabled content supply chain from the ground up, one template, one process at a time.

In this episode, Mike Rizzo, founder of Marketing Ops.com, joins us to explore the untapped opportunities in creative ops and marketing ops alignment. Discover how these two critical functions can partner to drive better outcomes across the entire organization.

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.