Have a Nice Idea

Meet Josh. Meet Colby. Together you have the sunshiney design duo behind one of the happiest, most chill crews of creative do-gooders out there: Jolby & Friends.

Theirs is a design studio where lines, forms, and colors go to get funky. Get loose. To move and dance and give shape to causes and clients – big and small – the world needs to know about. In this episode, you get to meet the two lucky humans who put it all in motion, still incredulous that it's all really happening. And wow, is it ever happening. 

Recorded in-studio, March 2019.

Creativity, meet diversity. Ideas, meet inclusion. Meet two of the creative world’s brightest who are making that spectacular collision of creativity and culture work on their own terms, in their own ways: Donna Lamar and David F. Walker.

These two might not ever sleep; they for sure never settle. Donna Lamar, Group Creative Director at VICE Media, and David F. Walker, award-winning comic book writer (DC, Marvel), filmmaker, co-founder & curator of the Portland Black Film Festival. We caught up with them during a live panel discussion during DesignWeek Portland 2018.

Recorded 4/19/18.

She might need to update her resume: When Anne Elisco-Lemme first joined agency Duncan Channon as an Art Director (employee #7!), she probably didn't see herself one day becoming creative boss of the whole show. In an industry famous for people who [cough] ooze entitlement, precious few throw down and earn a role like ECD (and the respect of her agency, clients and peers) like Anne has.

Anne joined us for a live recording of our podcast for Design Week Portland 2017. After too-long of not doing this podcast, she certainly inspired us to find and share more stories; hers is one you do not want to miss. Listen, learn, LOVE. 

Recorded in front of a L*I*V*E audience at Grady Britton, 4/27/17. 

You probably owe this man a drink. Bill Borders and early creative opportunists like him literally defined the golden age of creative advertising. When ads moved from something that filled media space to something worth people's time. Rewarding attention with a thought, a twist, a chuckle. And lo and behold, it paid off for clients, too.

So thanks to their work, we're free to care and obsess and sweat over the details and craft like we do. To take clever turns of phrase and cool design for granted. Our business may have its hard parts, but finding ways to get an audience engaged, making them laugh, making them think, and doing that for a living? We can throw a lot of nights and weekends at that, for sure.

Recorded at Digital One's Portland office, 12/20/15.

Glenn Cole, chief creative officer, founder, and ball of light & energy at 72andSunny sat down with us over a couple beers recently as part of Design Week Portland 2016. And when you get the chance to chat up someone known not only for creating great work but also responsible for creating a great agency, you take it. Even if means doing it in front of a live audience.

Glenn approaches work with a relentless sense of optimism, a practice our industry could stand more of. "The nature of what we do involves business problems, but pessimism and cynicism aren't where you will find your advantage." You could say optimism is not only a part of his personal brand, it's also what's fueled his company, its culture, even its name.

Read more about his 7 steps to practicing optimism [here]

Recorded live at Grady Britton's office, 4/20/16.

Who wants to be "Art Director No. 729"? Sure, everybody wants to work on the hot accounts, but as the principal and founder of WONGDOODY puts it, "It's a lot easier to make a name for yourself where nothing good has been done before." Exactly how Tracy Wong made a name for himself early on, owning reams of CA Annuals, One Shows and countless awards ever since.

These days, he may be even better known for the radical idea of taking ownership of creativity out of the creative department—its good and proper place ;-)—and turning it over the keys to the kingdom to everyone—even (gasp) The Client. This is what real, true collaboration looks like today and how fantastically better work happens because of it. Welcome to Tracy's "Creative Democracy" ›› www.creativedemocracy.com/

Recorded at WONGDOODY's Seattle office, 12/1/15.

Danielle is Chief Creative Officer, Americas at POSSIBLE. A fitting agency name for someone who’s never settled for "what is" when "what could be" was out there to be made. And who better to make it, than her.

We talk circle-of-creative-life (girl inspired by “If you let me play,” campaign in 1995, meets female writer of said campaign at 3% Conference, becomes Facebook friends with said woman!), the joy of creating national campaigns featuring unusually narrow audiences (polygamists!), and what gender has to do with creating great work (nothing! and everything!)

Recorded beneath the velvet paintings at POSSIBLE's Seattle office, 12/1/15. 

Before digital design had any kind of best practices, there were those passionate few who could see what wasn’t working, ignored what “you’re supposed to do” and just fixed it. Elegantly. With soul. And maybe a little magic.

Meet JD Hooge, of Instrument. He doesn't pursue awards, doesn't need the spotlight. But together, he and those around him have set the standard for what “best” can look like in digital design. Never the same. Inspired by everything, and always on to What’s Next.

Originally recorded on the plush and velvety couches upstairs at Portland’s classic Hollywood Theater, 5/12/15. 

Jelly’s experience inside some of the most renowned agencies of the past 30 years is something everyone can learn from. He’s part creative director, part creative educator. And in the end, the world’s a better place because he’s both.

He’s convinced about 3 people will want to hear his stories. (We think it's at least double that. Proof he’s not always right.) So much good stuff in here about "Advertising: the early years," and how an always-on passion that fueled him way back when has morphed into a new perspective on how great work gets done today.

And yes, there's the name. Meet David "Jelly" Helm, Principal and CD at Studio Jelly.

Recorded 2/23/15 at VeloCult Bike Shop in Portland, OR.

Dad, runner, cyclist, and executive creative director at one of the world’s premier ad agencies. Just don’t call him “Adman” or he could easily choke you out. (Seriously.) Advertising, meet jiu-jitsu, meet Joe Staples.

Joe’s made a remarkable career in advertising. Here, he shares insights about himself and the pursuit of not sucking that anyone who values real creativity, powerfully and artfully applied, needs to hear. We caught up with him and his dog Archie at VeloCult bike shop in Portland, because we both like bikes and the space is pretty great to just sit down and chat.

Recorded 1/26/15.