Lessons from Leading In-House and Running My Own Business
By the end of 2015, after spending nearly eight years as an in-house creative director—and over 20 years in the field—I found myself self-employed for the second time in my career. As I enter my fourth year as a brand and creative strategy consultant, I can attribute much of my success as a business owner to the lessons I learned while working in-house.
Reflecting on my time leading in-house creative teams, I realize that my consulting mindset and teaching instincts significantly impacted my success. Whether you’re leading an in-house team or running your own business, certain principles remain the same and are critical to your success.
Remember, You Are Running a Business
Being a creative leader isn’t just about overseeing the work of designers, writers, photographers, and videographers—it’s also about understanding how to run a business. As an in-house leader, you manage a corporation’s business unit. That means implementing processes, procedures, and policies to ensure smooth operations. Some organizations even document these structures to maintain continuity.
Your role as a leader is to continually reassess, reevaluate, and refine how your team operates to maximize efficiency.
This operational mindset is just as essential when you’re self-employed. Running your own business requires strategic planning, adaptability, and a solid operational foundation. By documenting every aspect of your business—from marketing to client work to billing—you’ll gain clarity on your processes and identify areas for improvement, making your business more efficient and profitable.
Relationships Are Everything
I’ve believed in the power of networking since I was a teenager. It helped me land my first freelance job, full-time position after college, and corporate role at Banana Republic. When I transitioned to Gap, it was because of networking. My previous freelance business (1999–2007) and my current consulting firm thrive because of strong professional connections.
However, many people approach networking the wrong way. It’s not about casting a wide net—it’s about connecting with the right people. Two principles I’ve found to be consistently true in business:
- It’s not what you know, but who you know.
- Building strong relationships is more important than having a big network.
For self-employed creatives, networking helps build awareness, generate referrals, and create strategic partnerships. But for in-house leaders, it’s just as critical. You can’t operate in a corporate bubble. You must build relationships with internal clients, peers, and key decision-makers. These connections make it easier to sell creative ideas, advocate for your team, and secure the resources you need. A well-cultivated network within your organization will serve as an extension of your department, advocating for you and your team.
Manage Your Time Like the Rare Commodity It Is
If there’s one skill every creative leader—whether in-house or self-employed—needs to master, it’s this: Learn to say “no.”
You need to say “no” to unnecessary meetings, distractions, and anything that doesn’t add value to your work. There are two key reasons for this:
- You have too much work to waste time in unnecessary meetings.
- Being too available sends the wrong message.
Creative leaders are often pulled into too many meetings—project discussions, corporate updates, and impromptu brainstorming sessions. While some are necessary, many are not. A “meeting culture” can be detrimental to productivity and morale. I’ve even attended meetings that existed solely to plan more meetings!
Frequent interruptions, whether meetings or impromptu drop-ins, disrupt creative flow and drain valuable time. The result? You end up working late or over the weekend to catch up.
How to Take Control of Your Time:
- Be selective about meetings. Before attending, ask yourself: Do I really need to be there? If not, delegate it to a direct report and have them update you later.
- Emphasize efficiency. Many meetings could be replaced with a quick phone call or email.
- Set boundaries. Protect your deep work time by limiting distractions and unnecessary interruptions.
For consultants, time management is even more crucial. Beyond client work, you must also handle business development, marketing, finance, and more. Networking is essential, but it must be strategic. Before committing, ask: Will this meeting or event lead to a referral, partnership, or new client? If the answer isn’t a resounding yes, it’s a hard no.
Transitioning from in-house leadership to running my own business has reinforced these key principles. Whether leading a team within a corporation or managing my consultancy, success depends on strategic operations, strong relationships, and smart time management. By remembering these lessons, you can navigate both worlds confidently and efficiently.
