Performance marketer turned creative director.
I kicked off my career optimizing affiliate performance and testing out new paid channels. After that, I built BetterHelp’s paid media creator program, bringing influencers to the healthcare space and introducing the concept of creative-as-targeting. From 2021-2023 I was in charge of all things creative and brand at BetterHelp. Leading a team of seven, we produced all of the advertising creative that brought BetterHelp’s annual revenue to over $1 billion. The secret? A great team, following the data, and an obsession with digital entertainment.
After BetterHelp, I spent some time figuring out how to get men to care about self-improvement at Mental. Our methods were unconventional, but that’s where we found success.
If you’re interested in working together, shoot me a note. I’m available for select consulting projects and always happy to talk shop.
Recommendations
“James is a rare talent. Across multiple video projects I was impressed with the clarity of James's briefs and the insightfulness of his creative feedback. But to me what makes James a great CD instead of just a really good one is that he rocks on the quantitative side too: He gets how to measure and drive performance. I know lots of CDs who are great at the art and some who are better at the science. But the best of the best, like James, excel at both.”
Daniel Milikow, CEO/Founder iShoot.direct
“Most efficient, passionate, driven and innovative manager I’ve had in my career as a designer. James is a natural leader and knows how to get things done. He’s quick on his feet while delivering projects of the highest quality. He’s always given me the most genuine and constructive design/creative feedback without making it personal. He knows how to make the tough decisions and is always finding ways to push out fresh, disruptive ideas to make our company stand out from the rest. He’s truly a dream manager to have on your team.”
Megan Atwater, Multimedia Designer @ BetterHelp
“James is an incredible people manager who truly embodies the qualities of a dynamic leader. He fosters an environment where each team member feels valued and supported. I had the pleasure of working under his guidance for the past two years, where I was consistently impressed by his innovative ideas and creative vision. It’s rare to find someone who is so innately skilled at the creative, while also being highly performance-driven. He would be a valuable addition to any marketing team!”
Justin lee, Influencer Manager @ Betterhelp
“Working with James is a breath of fresh air. He brings fresh ideas to the table but listens intentionally to everyone else’s to make sure the task at hand is met. It feels very collaborative, easy and fun all at once. Not to mention the end product always rocks.”
Sheryl TEO, Popcorn Growth
“Working with James is a breath of fresh air. He brings fresh ideas to the table but listens intentionally to everyone else’s to make sure the task at hand is met. It feels very collaborative, easy and fun all at once. Not to mention the end product always rocks.”
SEehum ISA, Prelude Films
“Working with James was a pleasure. He consistently demonstrated a keen understanding of creatively engaging branded content and film concepts, especially resonating with Gen Z and young millennials. His open communication and ability to create a safe space for bouncing ideas, and problem solving made the collaborative process truly enjoyable. James’ collaborative spirit and innovative approach left such a positive impact on all of our projects.”