Let's Bring It In: Discussions with In-House Creative Leaders

A short, special gratitude edition after learning Let's Bring It In won gold at the 2026 Signal Awards in the Creativity & Marketing category. Thanks to everyone!

Matt Orser has built creative teams inside Dollar Shave Club, Frida and Nutrabolt. But there’s one phrase he would like the industry to stop using:“In-house agency.”Matt believes creative teams inside brands should stop importing the old client-agency dynamic and instead earn their place as a trusted department inside the business.In this episode of Let’s Bring It In, Matt talks about his journey from graffiti artist to award-winning agency creative to what he now calls a “creative in-house builder.”We talk about why the jump in-house can actually be harder than agency life, how creative leaders earn trust, the relationship between brand and performance marketing, AI and human-generated creativity, and what Matt learned from helping build Dollar Shave Club before its $1 billion acquisition.It’s a conversation about doing great creative work while understanding the business you’re doing it for.For more conversations with in-house creative leaders, visit LetsBringItIn.com.

What does it actually take to build a great creative career?Ron Huey has spent more than 30 years in advertising, from Team One and The Martin Agency to founding the highly awarded Atlanta shop Huey Paprocki. Along the way, he’s worked on brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, AT&T, Coca-Cola and more.Now he’s distilled those lessons into his new book, Advertisers Anonymous: Twelve Steps to Creative Salvation.In this episode of Let’s Bring It In, Ron and Greg Christensen talk about the things that separate good creatives from great ones: perseverance, humility, discipline, craft, relationships and the willingness to keep pushing an idea long after “good enough.”They also get into:• Why great creative directors coach instead of doing the work themselves• Why “everyone is creative” can become dangerous inside an agency• What AI is great at, and where it can lead to mediocre creative• Why advertising may be losing some of its craft and rigor• The importance of outworking the competition early in your career• Why creative awards still matter• How great ideas can transform an entire category• Why Ron once turned down his dream job at Wieden+Kennedy• The growing opportunity for small, independent and virtual agenciesRon also shares advice for young writers and art directors entering the business today, including one principle that runs throughout the conversation: don’t fall in love with your first idea.If you work in advertising, design, marketing or any creative field, this conversation is a reminder that tools may change, but originality, judgment and craft still matter.About Ron HueyRon Huey is an advertising creative leader, agency founder and author of Advertisers Anonymous: Twelve Steps to Creative Salvation.About Let’s Bring It InLet’s Bring It In is a conversation with creative leaders about the work, the people and the ideas shaping our industry.Subscribe for more conversations with the people leading creative teams, building brands and shaping what’s next in the industry.#Advertising #CreativeLeadership #CreativeDirector #AI #Marketing #Branding #AdvertisingIndustry #Creativity

Vida Cornelious, Senior Vice President of Creative and Strategy at The New York Times, joins Greg Christensen to talk about leading T Brand Studio, building a multidisciplinary creative team, and creating work that connects brands to culture.Vida shares lessons from a career spanning DDB, Global Hue, Disney, and The New York Times, including her work on Jeep, Chrysler, HBO’s The Penguin, and Google Pixel. She also talks about creative leadership, what she learned at Cannes Lions, the growing role of creators, and why human insight still matters in an AI-enabled world.Plus, her career mantra: “Ideas don’t move unless you do.”

Luis Marques has worked at some of the most creatively ambitious places in advertising, from Hyper Island to Crispin Porter + Bogusky, BBDO, and Starbucks.But one of the biggest creative lessons of his career came from a simple banner ad.At realtor.com, Luis helped rewrite a basic app download CTA around a real human truth: people are curious about what their neighbors’ homes are worth. The result? Cost per install dropped from $29 to $5. Same design. Same product shot. One sharper insight.In this episode of Let’s Bring It In, Luis talks about the shift from agency life to in-house creative leadership, why “expression without impact is decoration,” and how in-house teams can use data, business problems, and creative practice to make better work.We also get into:How Hyper Island changed the way Luis thinks about creativityWhat agency life taught him about ambition, craft, and cultureWhy moving in-house to realtor.com was creatively freeingHow Creative Gym helped teams practice ideas like athletes practice repsWhy stakeholders became better collaborators when they were invited into the creative processWhat he learned working with Anomaly on Starbucks’ “Drawn Together” and “Coffee Run”How in-house creative leaders can bridge business needs and agency ambitionWhy feedback can be treated like a creative briefThis is a great conversation for creative directors, in-house teams, agency creatives, brand leaders, and anyone interested in how creativity can drive both culture and business.Listen to more conversations with in-house creative leaders at LetsBringItIn.com.

What does the future of a creative career actually look like?In this special panel episode of Let’s Bring It In, Greg Christensen sits down with two former guests: Jim Bosiljevac, former Executive Creative Director at Yahoo and now professor at Texas Creative at UT Austin, and Will Chau, Executive Creative Director at Whole Foods Market.Together, they talk about how the creative industry has changed, why more agency talent is moving in-house, and what young creatives should be thinking about as they build portfolios and careers. The conversation moves from teaching and creative direction to the realities of brand-side work, the importance of curiosity and humility, and how AI is changing the way creative teams concept, present, and produce work.Jim and Will also offer a candid look at what in-house teams actually need today. It is not just big campaign thinking. It is customer experience. It is problem solving. It is caring about every touchpoint, from broadcast campaigns to emails, banners, store signage, UX decisions, and small details that may never win awards but can have a real impact on the business.They also discuss what students and young creatives should know now: define success for yourself, build the best portfolio you can, stay curious, and do not assume there is only one path forward.In this episode:Jim and Will’s paths from agencies to teaching and in-house leadershipWhy teaching can be “creative direction bootcamp”How Whole Foods built a full in-house creative teamWhy customer experience may matter as much as big campaign ideasWhat portfolios may need to show in the futureHow AI is changing creative education and brand-side workWhy taste, judgment, and editing skills matter more than everWhat young creatives should consider when choosing their first jobWhy curiosity, kindness, humility, and optimism still matterListen to more conversations with in-house creative leaders at LetsBringItIn.com.

Cameron Day is a writer, creative director, author, mentor, and self-described AI Anarchist. He grew up around Chiat/Day, built a career across major brands and small agencies, and has never stopped caring about the work.In this episode, we talk about his book CHAIOS, his AI alter ego Chet G. Petite, and what he learned from using AI on real creative assignments.This is not a conversation about asking AI to “write an ad.” It’s about bringing an idea to AI, pushing it, directing it, rejecting most of it, and knowing when it gives you something worth keeping.We also get into creative directors who still write, kitbashing, prompt code words, protecting good ideas, and why the best use of AI might be treating it like a brilliant but unreliable junior team.

Aaron Wiggan, Vice President of Brand Creative for the Seattle Kraken, joins Let’s Bring It In to talk about building an NHL brand from scratch, moving from agency life to in-house leadership, and creating work that fans genuinely connect with.Before helping shape the Seattle Kraken, Aaron worked at REI and top agencies including Droga5, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, and Barton F. Graf 9000. In this conversation, he shares what it takes to build a distinctive brand inside a professional sports organization, how creative leadership changes in-house, and why curiosity, taste, and trust matter so much when leading teams and making great work.If you’re interested in creative leadership, sports branding, in-house teams, or the Seattle Kraken story, this is a great one.

Erin Eby is the Executive Creative Director at PlatinumBlack, where she leads work for complex brands across energy, manufacturing, and technology.In this episode, Erin shares what it really looks like to lead creative teams right now, where AI is changing workflows, client needs are shifting in real time, and the lines between in-house and agency teams are starting to blur.We talk about PlatinumBlack’s hybrid model, working side-by-side with clients, and what it takes to create strong work inside highly technical industries. Erin also opens up about her own journey with AI, how she’s using it today, and how her team is adapting to stay relevant.It’s an honest conversation about leadership, uncertainty, and how creative roles are evolving.If you’re leading a team or trying to figure out where you fit in this new landscape, this one’s for you.

In this episode of Let’s Bring It In, Greg Christensen talks with Erin Lewis (VP of Marketing & Brand Engagement) and Brandon Ankney (Director of Brand Identity & Creative) of the Oklahoma City Thunder.They break down how the Thunder operate like an in-house agency, build a brand that goes beyond wins and losses, and create content at the speed of live sports.A sharp conversation on sports marketing, creative leadership, and what it takes to build real fan loyalty.