Being the bridge between creative and commercial

Why creative leaders need to speak business. And what it actually looks like.

One of the biggest myths in fast-growing companies is that “marketing teams” are there to ~make things pretty~, or to write clever headlines. The truth? The best creative leaders don’t just shape how a company looks—they help shape how it works.

Over the last few years, I’ve found myself increasingly sitting in the space between creative and commercial teams: translating product features into positioning, turning investor decks into brand storytelling, helping GTM teams land their message with clarity and edge.

Somewhere along the way, I became a bit of a translator. And I think that’s one of the most valuable things a hybrid creative-marketing leader can be.

Here’s what bridging those worlds really means:

1. From “What should this look like?” --> “What are we trying to say?”

Good creative work starts by asking better questions. Instead of jumping straight to the brief, I ask:

• What’s the business goal here?

• Who are we really talking to?

• What are we hoping they'll do after this?

Most people appreciate being asked. It shows you’re not here to decorate—you’re here to move the needle. And that builds trust fast.

2. Reframing friction as opportunity.

The creative and commercial sides of the business don’t always speak the same language. Product wants to be precise. Sales wants to be persuasive. Marketing wants it to ship yesterday.

Instead of playing referee, I play interpreter:

• How can we say this accurately and memorably?

• How can we streamline this without dumbing it down?

• Is this a marketing brief—or is it actually a positioning problem?

That kind of cross-functional thinking helps teams align faster, with less back-and-forth.

3. Knowing when to zoom out.

Creative teams often get pulled into the weeds: banner sizes, image cropping, brand police stuff. But in scaleups, you need someone who can float above it and ask: Does this align with our story? Does it feel like us? Are we saying the same thing in sales calls, on the website, and in our Series C deck?

That level of zoom is where creative becomes strategic.

4. Helping teams use the brand, not just admire it.

I’ve learned that a successful brand isn’t one people think is beautiful, it’s one they can actually use. I’ve spent just as much time building templates, writing copy for commercial decks, and running training sessions as I have directing design.

That’s not a distraction. That’s the job. If the team can’t work with the brand, it’s just theatre.

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Being the bridge is about more than sitting between disciplines. It’s about connecting ideas to outcomes. It's creative leadership with a commercial brain.