From Freelance To Full-Time In-House Creative Director w/ Elizabeth Carey Smith

After having spent most of her career running an independent creative studio in NYC, Elizabeth Carey Smith decided to go in-house and work as a full time creative director at one of the world's largest and most established bank. What did she learn leading a team of 22 creatives? How did she resolve conflicts? How did she sell her "radical" ideas up the management chain? This and more.
/ theoriginalecs
/ elizabethcareysmith
02:00 - What has it been like going from freelance to full time
14:00 - Why go full time from freelance
16:00 - What does branding mean for a company
21:00 - How to get a company to hear you
26:00 - What Elizabeth taught the 22 designers working under her
32:00 - What did Elizabeth get in trouble for
36:00 - What did Michael Levine do to make his guests comfortable
42:30 - How was it with hiring people and firing people
47:00 - How Elizabeth handled a fight with someone working under her
51:00 - Why someone would get fired - a first hand experience from Chris
1:00:00 - What could someone who’s working in house do to become indispensable
1:09:00 - Never be complacent while working in house. Leave better than you came in
1:12:00 - What techniques did Elizabeth use to merge well with 22 designers she had to oversee
1:18:00 - How to build a great relationship with a new superior
1:19:00 - Keep learning in your 50s
1:29:00 - Why you should find your brand ambassador
1:30:00 - Recap
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Host- Chris Do
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Cinematography- Mark Contreras, Stewart Schuster, Ricky Lucas, Jona Garcia
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[@CookieCathy]

As an in-house designer, this entire stream hit so close to home.

[@yoyoz333]

1:09:50 interesting things you spoke about, but most companies dont care about the future of their employees. they dont care about whether their employees have transferrable skills. all they care about is if that worker does what is expected of them in that company.

[@TristanBailey]

Really enjoyed this journey and talking about decisions. Even a long play it kept me invested. Respect her balance and pushing forward at work.

[@jhonconge7046]

This is literally about my life right now as a designer at a bank...word for word. wowww

[@2funkidesign]

Exceptional in-house content which was so relatable for me. The oil and water mix of creatives and corporates and is an incredible struggle. Also they're perspective on 'who' they're talking to, when they only understand their point of view. @chris "subordinates" 🤨 all your reasoning is spot on, it just feels like an old fashioned term. Employee, staff, junior - something else

[@3polygons]

I was initially freelancing. Then I've worked at 10 companies (not in branding stuff, but definitely a collection of graphics works fields, including graphic design). And now I am full time freelancer. And yepp... what you learn at companies is really valuable. Although I wouldn't say it is a total must. But it can be certainly helpful.

[@pedro.zurita]

Back to back videos discussing the same bank. Interesting. The amount of first hand learning granted to us by these videos is AMAZING. 🙌!

[@lukasdreher4843]

That dynamic backdrop with the lights is beautifully done. Not unnoticed :)

[@user-vx2wp1ez5s]

Excellent interview. I like Chris and his work very much, but not everyone is as smart, driven and confident as he is, and not everyone can be. There's a large gap between how the world of work should be, as he describes it, and how it actually is. A 55-year-old who loses a solid corporate job is not going to transition smoothly to a new role elsewhere that's similar or better. It's more likely that this person will never work again. It's to Elizabeth's credit that she recognised this and fulfilled her corporate duties without wrecking any lives along the way. I liked her more at the end of the discussion than at the start.

[@UmarHamza]

Chris your shows are so edutaining 🤗

[@waxmaster-c]

One thing about taking on a job like this, maybe only for a year or half a year. Not only will you learn a lot, but you get to have a creative director job on your resume, which can help with your overall impression.

[@junimeme5626]

Would it be weird to mention she's got an amazing smile? I like her energy.

[@TalkThisOut]

Futr team thank you for empowring creative all around the world. God bless yall! Like always fantastic interview, rich and insightful commentary. Thank you Chris, Thank you Carey for coming in! Much Love!

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@brianfong5711]

23:35 The bank is 236 years old and it is 2019, list of banks that opened around 1783. 1783 Bank of Ireland 1784 The Bank of New York BNY Mellon 1785 Trinkaus & Burkhardt 32:40 Bank started by Alexander Hamilton: Bank of North America (aka. First Bank of the United States)

[@indymodestudios2188]

or you can check her website - NY Mellon

[@brianfong5711]

@@indymodestudios2188 Or her linked In

[@waxmaster-c]

This is amazing. Would love for you to interview more identity designers on the show to talk about identity design and rebranding.

[@romiemiller2485]

Good ideas that are outside of my usual box. I need to try some things from here. I like the idea of identifying the components of who and what an entity is, and then synthesizing them into a cohesive whole brand.

[@projectgreywolffilms]

Man I’m late to the game but my God this is amazing and very insightful!

[@3polygons]

I love how financial and other type of companies are orbiting more and more around illustration, white board drawings, etc... gives us illustrators a tiny (as IMO is not a big chunk of them going for it, sadly) extra field...

[@MorganKJohnston]

Very interesting! Thank you for this content!

[@blackwingfan94]

Chris, can you create a class on how to do strategy for clients? I want to know how to get reputable information and how to use it. Also a class on style guides, there is a market for these bits of info and nobody is teaching these things yet as far as I can see. I will pay money $$$$$$$$$$$

[@thefutur]

Ben is working on the guide. Core is a great framework to get you started on strategy.

[@blackwingfan94]

@@thefutur Thank you very much, I will definitely be waiting for the guide to be finished.

[@tjmatharu1165]

I personally much prefer this kind of content than the business lead content, but that's because I am a creative I guess 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@c.el147]

Do you have any videos for how to create brand guidelines?

[@gridhop]

45:57 No link 🤔 Edit: Okay I take it back. It appeared in the i cards @ 46:21 👀

[@DesignRobot_co]

Thanks

[@thedigitalreview7243]

Chris what video recording software do you use to do interviews

[@thefutur]

we use Zoom.

[@thedigitalreview7243]

The Futur thanks. I’m gonna have to play around with zoom more. I’ve been wanting to do interviews for the longest. Do you think illl have to start a new channel. My current channel is sort of a variety show. Hot takes tech sports mainly

[@Terry_Williams]

Elizabeth's voice is beautiful, very insightful episode, so good as always.

[@PlaylistProductions]

Merry Christmas The Futur!

[@thefutur]

Merry Christmas

[@to_ja_krystian]

Thank you :)

[@AchHadda]

This is my case

[@willfaulkner2210]

In this video they talk about "Collage". Are they referring to a program or just collage as the design style?

[@thefutur]

design style.

[@willfaulkner2210]

@@thefutur Thanks guys. Love the channel.

[@hebronwatson9532]

THE LINK WAS NOT THERE!! JONAH!!!!!!!

[@waxmaster-c]

Jona....... the link!!!!

[@dinakalovsky1327]

Don't you mind what purpose do you work for? I see the point of good design for no matter what. But there would be areas of life what need much more a good design than "the bank of banks". For me it seems rather about earning much money to the detriment of ethics. The attribute of good design is also about what is it for....Sorry, but even if you are really professionals you just reflect this market-oriented world for the detriment of what is most important in life...You could use your skills much better....

[@lindaszabo2110]

Not the tone of this comment but the meaning behind I really agree and I would be super interested in career paths where the designer helped society by raising awareness about environmental problems, social equality etc. Using (even good) design for bad purposes just waisting time. Our life is too short for that...

[@marsvai2410]

As a side note I think that before getting tangled up in ethical choices a designer (or any person) has to get really good at his/her skill first.

[@lindaszabo2110]

@@marsvai2410 I think they (ethical choices + skill improvement) go hand in hand...(Here - regarding Elizabeth and Chris - being good in their skills is not a question anyway...) But I agree on that professional experience and earning money are important on a career path but there is always space for some choices...(For example see at the beginning what kind of thesis or exam work topic people choose..that shows their inner motivation and interest...which might help finding their first job...etc)

[@2funkidesign]

Your point of view is becoming more common every day and that's why big corporations are all trying to talk about their purpose and what they give back to the world so they can try to attract talent. It's a great trend in employees that could really change things from the ground up

[@lindaszabo2110]

​@@2funkidesign ​ Yes, if it's true value and not just a PR trick it's really great. However it's a bit hard to find (specially big) companies where profit is not the number one goal and they use more than harm....at least that's my personal impression, would be happy if not true, so any counterexample is highly welcome... :)

[@OeloDickAble]

13:17

[@dg3013]

lol I used to work for a Chinese company here is LA and they prohibited using Asians in any branding material.... LMAO

[@thefutur]

Reverse discrimination.

[@future9488]

Probably because of the target/market. For a brand, being "inclusive" is not really an asset.

[@blendibr9554]

Omg "i can get hit by a truck" :(

[@thefutur]

It’s true.