I joined Realtor.com at a moment when the team was starting to rethink how things got made.

I helped shape how the team operated day to day, and started a Creative Gym to push craft and raise the bar.

It became a space to look at great ideas, talk about what made them work, and practice coming up with new ones, bringing makers and brand managers into the same room.

It reinforced a belief I’ve carried since. Creativity shouldn’t be isolated. Everyone can have good ideas. My role is to shape them.

I carried that same mindset into Starbucks, where I was brought in to help reintroduce advertising. I created Ad Lab to build a deeper appreciation for the work. It later grew into other labs across the studio.

Being on the brand side changed what I value in the work. The reward isn’t in recognition. It’s in seeing the work move the business. It also made me realize how far things can drift from what they’re meant to do.