Founder@50

From Ads to NFTs: How Jaime Schwarz Builds Systems Around Creativity


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In this episode, Jeremy Toeman chats with Jaime Schwarz—a former ad-school nomad turned startup founder who now spearheads MRKD.dj, a platform that embeds authentication into digital assets. Jaime shares how a Colgate psych degree led to copywriting gigs at agencies, and his visions of being a well-paid creative director. He discusses the pivotal moment when he launched a political agency on the side, pivoted into the startup world, and filed one of the first NFT patents—laying the groundwork for Markd’s brand-therapy approach. Jaime also opens up about his ADHD diagnosis at 45 and how embracing that “restless creativity” became essential to navigating pivots and building systems that scale.

You’ll hear practical perspectives on:

* Why small-scale experiments matter more than ever, even in a “polished” era

* The experiences in pivoting from agency life into founding startups

* Building a brand-therapy practice that aligns team, consumer, and product fit

* Leveraging an ADHD-driven mindset to stay both creative and productive

No hype here—just grounded stories about testing fast, adapting quickly, and designing systems that let your creativity thrive.



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit founderat50.substack.com
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Founder@50By Jeremy Toeman