I CHOSE AVERIA AS MY HEADLINE TYPEFACE after falling in love with its origin story. Its designer, Dan Sayers, created it by ‘averaging’ all his existing fonts. This perfectly represents how I’m the product of the people I’ve worked with. From CEOs to interns, I’m blessed to have met so many who’ve taught me so much. And now you can meet them too.

Agency Heads

Nancy | BBDO, ex-Chiat

The smartest, sharpest, most brilliant brain ever.

Merlee | DM9

She built a place where you could do the best work of your life.

Jasel | Forward, ex-AKQA

My MD when I first made CD. Showed me how leaders create instant impact and turn things around.

John | Publicis, ex-BBH

Taught me the most important lesson: Kindness. He let me learn from—rather than pay for—my mistakes. Showed me the work can get even better if I became a better person.

Mentors

Fred | FF Founder

To this day, I can’t believe I got mentored by a bona fide legend—and that he trusted me to run his department. My most transformative career experience.

Tim | Droga5

From the start, Tim was my greatest creative hero. So you can imagine what it was like for me, when he hired and mentored me many years later. Sometimes, you should meet your heroes.

Al | Flowershop, ex-WK

My chief writing and film mentor. He didn’t just rewrite my copy—he rewrote my entire source code, making me more rigorous and considered.

Andrew | DDB, ex-Saatchi

The biggest break of my career was when Andrew—an early Droga protegé—became my ECD. Over 4 years, he taught me everything I know.

Partners

Ricard | Lowe, ex-Chiat

Greatest partner I’ve ever had. Best creative I’ve ever worked with. Taught me how to ECD.

Bastien | LVMH, ex-Droga5

My first longtime partner in the US. The total package. Learned something new every day.

Carlos | Droga5

Ultimate modern AD. Doesn’t just work in every style and medium, he’s the ultimate craftsman in every single one.

Bibs | DM9

My first partner. Taught me how no solo creative will ever beat a strong team. We won 20+ Grand Prix together and made each other better.

Creatives

Marybeth | Droga5

I don’t mind being me, but I would love to be Marybeth. Most effortlessly tasteful CD ever. I’d spend hours just following her on Google Slides watching her work. My ultimate creative heroine.

Jason | Droga5

The best of the Art Director-slash-Designer archetype I’ve ever met.
Great human to boot.

Ted | Droga5

What happens when an Iowa MFA caliber-writer deigns to work in adland? That’s Ted. 

Ian | Droga5

His legendary pedigree and book actually undersell him. Staggering talent and unerring creative compass.

Alex | Ogilvy

Proud to say I first worked w/ Alex + Avi years before CeraVe. They were already brilliant.

Avi | Ogilvy

I’ve never seen their combo of lateral thinking, conceptual rigor, and entertainment value.

Pete | Ogilvy

I’m beyond lucky I get to work with Pete and Jon right as they’re hitting their prime.

Jon | Ogilvy

I’m even luckier that I get to work into them as their writer—working under great CD’s never gets old.

Eve | Droga5

One of the most natural born leaders I’ve ever met.

Inna | WK, ex-Droga5

I have season tickets to everything Inna makes. I visit her portfolio just to be inspired.

Vanessa | Droga5

Impeccable taste that just can’t be taught.

Ted | Droga5

Complete package: Concept. Craft. Coachability.

Mackenzie | Ogilvy, ex-Mischief

I already knew Mackenzie + Helen were ranked the #1 team in the world. When I worked with them, I understood why.

Helen | Ogilvy, ex-Mischief

Of course, they’regeniuses. But they’re equally rigorous, insightful, and fearless.

Laura | Ogilvy

Laura + Moni are the kind of team you hire first when starting an agency. Talent. Taste. Instincts. Attitude.

Moni | Ogilvy

They just get exactly what makes ideas beautiful and brilliant.

JB | FF

The most future-facing creative ever.

Joe | AKQA

The most “pure creative”-creative ever.

Tom | ex-PARTY

Real-deal, bonafide internet artist.

Marjorie | JL

Immaculate French craft.

Ashley | W+K

The best part of being a CD is working w/ senior teams. And Ashley + Holden are among the best I’ve met.

Holden | W+K

I always called their scripts “The Glengarry Leads.” Because, really, they were.

Gaston | BBH

Gaston + Omar was my first encounter with a proper world-class team. Zero surprise they’ve both come so far.

Omar | BBH

Their US experience armed them for real work on big brands, while their awards background gave it conceptual rigor.

Jason | Nike

Smartest person I ever managed. Challenged me non-stop, which made me so much tougher and better.

Pierrick | ex-FF

Timeless French taste meets hyper-now sensibilities.

Pete | BBDO, ex-FF

Was awesome and humbling seeing Thai creativity firsthand.

Sarah | Leo Burnett

Most naturally gifted single-visual thinker I ever worked with.

Denise | BBH

It didn’t take me coming to NYC or Europe to encounter one of the highest levels of taste I’ve ever come across.

Kara | BBH

Most fearless writer I ever met. Led Hyper Court copywriting despite never having followed basketball.

Sonali | Ogilvy, ex-FF

Utterly effortless in how she concepts, crafts, and carries herself.

Alli | Mischief, ex-Droga5

The fastest growth I’ve ever seen in a writer. What a natural.

Matteo | ex-BBH

So much natural taste. Hustler you need on every project.

Zac | MAL

All-world at doing it all: code, hardware, design, even pulled overnight 3D job to save Unlimited Stadium.

Dillah | Uncommon

The GOAT of 1) Pop-culture 2) Getting shit done.

Chelsea | MAL

Youngest I ever managed, but among those who taught me the most about digital.

Ben | Freelance

I’m certain every ECD hates that Ben + Andrew refuse to go fulltime.

Andrew | Freelance

Consummate pros. Brilliant creatives. Book them while you can.

Brendan | Droga5

Lovely writing from a lovely person.

Pedro | Ogilvy

A proper ACD masquerading as a young art director.

Belen | BBDO, ex-Chiat

Most talented intern ever. I genuinely hope to one day partner with her.

Grace | BBH

My proudest moment was seeing Grace + Jereek—both 18 then—fearlessly take on the massive project that was Hypercourt.

Jereek | BBH

My second proudest moment was when they won their first D&AD Pencils for it.

Sam | TBWA

Simple, pure ideas. No surprise he’s already won Yellow Pencil. 

Client Service

Sid | BBH

My partner on Nike. The GOAT. If client service were a sport, he’s the generational talent who has it all—will, skill, smarts, savvy, leadership, and disdain for anything less than a championship.

Kate | ex-AKQA

No one knows money like Kate. In a year, we grew Budweiser to the agency’s second largest account.

Guillaume | ex-FF

It was revelatory working with an account lead with so much more taste and culture than I’ll ever have.

Junnis | RGA, ex-Saatchi

Reader, I married her. She was my Account Director on P&G, and I’ve never seen anyone go about things with as much grace, class, and poise.

Strategy

Maggie | Ogilvy

The ultimate creative co-conspirator.

Lindsey | Ogilvy

Lindsey made strategy feel beautiful. Her briefs did 99% of the work for you.

Rui | 72&Sunny

Brought poetry and philosophy to strategy in a way I’d never seen.

Brenna | 8Bar

Made B2B and IBM feel as creatively rewarding as any “sexy” brief.

Production

Joel | ︎, ex-AKQA

I’m beyond lucky I was mentored on digital production by the best in the biz.

Karim | BETC, ex-FF

Another lucky break: Having BETC’s Global Head of Film as my film production mentor.

Sam | BBH

Never met another producer who lived up to the title like Sam. She just produced.

Aurora | FF

Still don’t know how Aurora never said no, yet always delivered working builds on time and within budget.

Aaron | Ogilvy, ex-Droga5

Sometimes the purest creatives of all aren’t writers or art director or even creative directors.

Marisa | Ogilvy, ex-Chiat

Makes production feel more exciting and magical than even the moment you came up with the idea.

Cooler | Chiat

The best EP partner an ECD could ask for. Consummate pro. Inspiring energy.

Samantha | Aisle Rocket

Made producing spots about enterprise-grade AI feel so creatively fulfiling.