THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS

THE VERTICAL BLOG

THE VERTICAL BLOG

the archive of THOUGHTS
I can keep in one place.

the archive of THOUGHTS
I can keep in one place.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.

Most people in this industry picked a lane early. I didn’t.

I started in fashion editorial at GQ and Vogue, where I learned the instinct for what belongs and what doesn’t. What’s culture and what’s a fad. What people care about and what's just noise.

Then I built things. Beach Tomato from nothing. Refinery29 UK’s branded content team from one person (me) to forty across the UK, Germany and France, winning best branded content team in the UK. AnalogFolk’s content offering in a time before content was all the rage. I lead brand and creative in-house at AllBright during its scale-up years. I launched JOAN - one of New York’s most exciting independent creative agencies - into London. I know what it takes to make something out of nothing and keep it alive.

I’ve sat agency side, client side, founder side and publisher side. I’ve been the one writing the brief and the one answering it. I’ve managed the P&L and I’ve been the creative arguing against it.

But the lens I come back to is editorial. Knowing instinctively what the audience would actually want to read, watch or share. What’s worth making and what isn’t. What belongs in the world and what’s just filling space. That judgement that's built in newsrooms before it was ever applied to brands is the thing most marketing is missing.

What that gives you isn’t a consultant with a framework. It’s someone who’s been every person in the room and knows exactly where each of them is right and where each of them is wrong.