PROFESSIONAL portfolio
A lot of thought leaders and agencies will tell you the best brands are the ones facilitating conversation; I’d disagree. Personally and professionally, I’ve found the most successful creatives, influencers, and brands are the ones who position themselves and their organizations in a posture of invitation. They create content others see themselves within; stories their followers and customers feel invited into… a story they can’t help but share. Feel free to explore the samples below, connect with me on LinkedIn, and review my resume, here.
personal work
I’m passionate about promoting an honest, vulnerable conversation around challenging topics like sexuality, spirituality, and mental health. I began to pair my hobby photography with the hashtag #honestcaptions, and it’s since taken on a life of its own. It is now a collection of more than 30,000 images! From Taylor Swift to C-Suites, Tokyo to Tel Aviv, it has been remarkable to see what doors have been opened by adopting an invitational philosophy and inviting others to share my journey.
content creation
I write to make sense of my world and take photos to remember it. It's been life-giving for me to be able to couple what began as hobbies with my professional affection for strategy and innovation. In my businesses, as well as others, I've created original content in my voice as well as adopted the voices of other individuals and brands. Much of my created material has been "ghostwritten" or contains proprietary information. As a result, some information in the samples below have been redacted or modified for publication. Content created for clients has appeared in Huffington Post, Ad Week, Ad Age, Fast Company, New York Times, Campaign, and Entertainment Weekly among others.
clients & companies
Over the years I've had the pleasure of innovating alongside both non-profits and corporations moving them from "issue to impact" through creative strategy and content creation. Much of my most recent work has been in the regulated health and wellness space and cannot be featured publicly. In depth examples of past work can be made obtainable on a case-by-case basis and references are available upon request.
Creative Strategy
Creative strategy isn't just industry-speak or only applicable to brand building, it's a worldview in itself.
Creative strategy is when left-brain analysis and right-brain originality collide to solve problems and identify opportunity intentionally. For example, Coca-Cola tasked me with solving a supply chain problem. I analyzed the data, innovated a unique solution, and presented it in the form of a story. In the end, my creative approach was able to save the organization six-figures annually in one production facility alone.
What's next...
While I've found success as an entrepreneur, I've ultimately realized I enjoy working with others more than going at it alone. Harvard Business School would say I'm an "intrapreneur" – someone with an entrepreneurial mindset desiring to collaborate and work within a larger organization; solving more significant problems than working alone.
I’m currently employed full-time by Publicis Groupe, but am always open to conversations with recruiters or potential collaborators. I value working in environments where I can bring my whole self to work—a place where my unique and eclectic background and blend of experiences is both appreciated and adds tangible organizational value.
If you're interested in working together, either freelance or full-time, I'd love to have coffee. You can email me at hello@johnmarkconklin.com or through the form on my About page.