Our latest guest, Marcus Piña, wears multiple hats as both the head of creative at Argo Design and the founder/mezcal head at Creador Agave Spirits.

In this episode, Marcus details his journey from starting out as an up-and-coming designer to becoming a creative leader. As a self-taught designer, Marcus went from learning Photoshop to managing global creative teams for Fortune 400 companies thanks to a lot of relationship-building and soft skills development. He has since helped brands such as Under Armour and Microsoft craft digital experiences, client engagements and designs throughout his career. During our chat Marcus shares how artists can use side hustles in other fields and hone the right skills to make more impactful designs. Listen now to level up your creative career!

Guest Bio:

Growing up in England, the current Austin, TX local used to design posters and album covers for his own band as a kid but has since graduated to the role of creative leader for large corporate teams here in the US. When he’s not managing designers, Marcus can be found running art galleries and selling his very own brand of mezcal, Creador Agave Spirits. 

Key Takeaways:

• We talk about how to make the transition from creative to creative leader.
• Piña shares how relationship-building helped prepare him for agency life. 
• We discuss why understanding the problem space, unspoken client needs and your unique team is key. 
• Piña explains how brands’ perceptions of the value design provides has changed over time. 
• We explore the difference between working versus leading at top brands.