A Letter from your Future Creative Director
Hello… it’s me you’re looking For(rest Co) **insert Adele gif here
Hey Brand& and Nate,
My name is Michael or Nadēr — depending on the room I’m in.
I’m an Arab-American creative director based out of ATL, Georgia.
My favorite childhood memories were the countless unhurried hours I spent playing chess with my grandpa and making homemade orange juice with my grandma.
We traveled a lot — in multiple countries and most of the United States, so it is not what most people call home, but time with them was home to me.
And it shaped how I saw people, how I cared to serve others and the kind of stories I’ve told throughout my career.
When I left college, I was offered a contract to shoot for the Tokyo Olympics for Coca-Cola and a Strategist Position for an E-bike Start-up called Edison Bicycles.
I, of course, said yes to both without any clue how my background in Economics and a newfound photography skill would overlap. (Or that COVID would change things with the Olympics)
In 5 months, I rebranded the company. I repositioned them into a completely different industry — 5x sold out their inventory, far exceeding the goals they planned as a company within the first year. I worked out of a strategist job and into a Creative Director position. After repositioning them into a new market, it came with collaborations, hiring and leading creative teams, writing campaigns, designing visuals, literally designing museums — inventing new bikes to solve other business problems and ultimately transforming a city.
With that came more opportunities than I ever could’ve imagined working on other massive projects along the way — but right now, I’m looking for a company I can win with, a team of creatives I can lead/serve well, and more importantly, a culture that puts people first.
Photography gave me the space to tell stories that matter.
Creative Direction gave me the space to see stories create growth.
And working for a missions organization for five years taught me to put people first through it all.
Let’s put Humanity back into Business.
Your future creative director,
— MN
Michael N. Phillips is a Creative Director and Strategist based in Atlanta, GA.
January 2018 - July 2021
Edison Bicycle Company
Strategist⟶ Creative Director
For a visual portfolio of my work with Edison Bicycles Co click here.
I worked for an electric bike startup based in Atlanta, Georgia, for a few years. Initially, I was hired to create, manage and lead content strategy. I joined the company when the business was declining — the company was overstocked, had supply chain issues, and rapidly lost market share to competitors. I proposed a complete rebrand, relaunch, and repositioning of the company in a different industry.
The following season they sold out of their entire stock.
The following year (2020), they sold out 5x.
The reality was they were too focused on how great their product was. I believed the city and community had a greater need for the product. After hiring a creative team, the entire brand’s messaging and mission, from “Get There Faster” to “Built For You.”.
In 6 months, the company went from a dusty shop filled with bikes, to fill the city streets and bike paths with families and commuters.
Across my career, I’ve worked with great companies and artists as a creative director. The ket to that success across my career has consisted of one central theme: people first.
Every campaign, every piece of content, and every decision — has been with a mission to serve people well.
And that’s everyone involved in the process — my teammates, our clients, and the customer. While being data-driven, we solve real problems for real people. I’m looking to work with companies and teams that put people first.
2016 - Present
Creative Director
Client List: Netflix, Modern Luxury Magazine, The Coca-Cola Company, Dr. Martens Shoes, Edison Bicycles, Montane Sparkling Water, Dry County Brewery, Oxford Pennant, Getaway House, Brooklinen, Canadian Music Week, Big Loud Records, AAAF, Revolution Ice-Cream, King-of-Pops, Courier Magazine by MailChimp, and many others.
November 2014 - September 2019
Interim Campus Director
Every Nation Campus
(Non-Profit)
For several years, I’ve taken on short-term projects managing content and creating campaigns for various companies and artists. I’ve been able to work with some of the best designers, writers, engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, artists, and even celebrity chefs.
From ideating moving campaigns, growing as a storyteller, and producing content for all kinds of people — I’ve learned how impactful strong empathy/soft skills are when leading teams AND creating content for customers.
A significant portion of this work has also come from advocating for representation in the underrepresented spaces commercially, specifically with the AAPI community.
This is where my desire to serve people first, lead great teams, and impact lives began. In college, I began leading a team of other students running a non-profit called Every Nation Campus. While it started with a group of 5, by the end of the semester, it grew into a community of 135 students attending weekly events and regularly serving on campus.
Over five years, I began leading campaigns, producing various forms of content, was trained on developing/ leading teams, expanded partnerships, and learned how to collaborate with multiple organizations with a shared mission.
ETC.
Outside of work, I love to rock-climb and run trails. I have an affinity for learning languages. I’m an avid reader, board game player, and tea drinker. :)
