About me

Hello, I'm Ben.

I'm a process-led Creative Studio Manager operating out of Brighton and South-West London. I work with agencies, start-ups & scale-ups to implement efficient workflows & processes and empower multi-disciplined creative teams to success.

How do I see my role

When supporting creative teams, it's crucial to understand the creative process end-to-end and have a 360-degree knowledge of all of the components of an agency's operations to stand the best chance of delivering success on each project.

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As an agency founder, I've been no stranger to wearing 12 hats; this positions me perfectly to build a bridge between the Creative and Account Management teams, ensuring all projects are delivered within budget while meeting agreed briefs. From building workflows in Asana, to clearing up the desks at the end of the day, nothing was outside of my job description. Similar to the role of a Project Manager, I enable designers to produce work to the best of their ability, up-skilling my teams and assigning the appropriate creatives to each project while also assisting on the Creative.

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It's my responsibility to implement process, manage expectations and create workflows to ensure a smooth production process with on-time delivery.

How do I fulfil my role

1. Managing the day-to-day of a Creative Studio: Implementing a precise, organised approach to the day-to-day running of a studio aid our mission to set realistic project goals, implement workflows that increase profitability and ensure resources are allocated efficiently. It helps to learn everyone's coffee preference too...

2. General Business Operations: It's imperative to my role that I have a complete 360-degree overview of the business. This allows me to make informed decisions about who we hire for particular projects, what tools we invest time in learning and deliver projects effectively while managing expectations.

3. Team Empowerment: Being a leader means putting yourself in the heart of your team. It means leading from within, keeping an eagle-eye on project progress and guaranteeing growth for your team. It also means when the going gets tough, you get stuck in and utilise your knowledge to empower.

4. Maintaining Client Relationships: Our aim to build long-lasting partnerships with our clients, meaning it's my responsibility to see the future. Identifying issues before they arise and acting on them help us maintain realistic client expectations while fostering a relationship based on trust and transparency.

About Me

When I set out on this journey, I had one goal: To create opportunity. It's been my aim to build teams that can deliver with synergy, passion and to the best of their ability; all while maintaining mental wellbeing and fostering career growth.

As a business leader and manager of both full-time and freelance creatives, from many disciplines, I've been able to not only hone my skills as a designer & no-code developer, but as a senior figure leading teams from within.

I've reached a point in my career where the goal posts have shifted, and my primary objective is to work with incredible agencies, start-ups & scale-ups to administer a meticulous process-led workflow, allowing for business growth and amazing creative output our partners love.

My Core Values

We're A Team: Collaboration and teamwork is the only way we overcome problems and find appropriate solutions. Our shared understanding of the common goal, crossover of experience and skills is invaluable to project success.

Don't Lose The Wonder: We become creatives because there is a real magic in what we create. Design is full of constant art, beauty and wonder. It's very important that we don't lose that when creating together. We have the opportunity to inspire.

Full Transparency: Full transparency throughout a creative process or relationship is crucial to us being able to make informed decisions, bettering the chance of project success. Complete transparency harbours trust and enhances teamwork.

The BEAR Matrix

When taking on contract work or freelance project work, I work to the BEAR Matrix (a little homage to Grizzly Bear). I partner with those who match at least 3 criteria on the BEAR Matrix.

1. Budget - Investment into expertise, ideas and long-term relationships is crucial to ongoing project success.

2. Excitement - If we're both excited about what we're creating, then we're far more likely to be successful.

3. Ambition - I partner with ambitious visionaries; people who want to leave a legacy through our work together.

4. Reason - Projects with a strong 'Why

Skills

Art Direction, Client Services, Creative Direction, Graphic Design, Marketing, Print Design, Problem Solving, Public Speaking, Studio Management, Web Design, Web Development

Sector Experience

Accounting & Finance, Creative Services, Food & Beverages, Healthcare, Hotels & Resorts, Public Sector, Restaurant / Café

Clients

Adidas, CEEK Marketing Group, My Hotels Group, NHS, Thomas & Trotman, Unilever