The CX Live! Episode 85: How Bad Math Allows for Creativity, Collaboration and Retaining Your Culture with Traylor Woodall

In our latest episode, Traylor Woodall, CEO and Founder of Fivestone Studios, shares how working in the film and TV world has informed unique approaches to working with clients in the briefing world and beyond. He ‘opens the kimono’ on how supporting creativity and collaboration helps to establish and maintain a unique culture that makes space for artists to grow and thrive - what he calls ‘Bad Math - the power of 1+1 = 3’. Traylor is very honest about the transition that he is making as CEO, to not be the center of every decision while continuing to live the company’s values, celebrating team members inside and outside of work, and listening to everyone’s ideas.

Highlights

• Space for artists to grow and become ‘creative warriors’
• Learnings from motion packages for TV networks, ad agencies and large brands
• Approaches to creativity and collaboration with clients
  • Storytelling - the narrative thread
  • Motion Design - transform static assets into motion toolkits
  • Brevity - tell the story with simplicity and focus
• Culture that embraces creativity and collaboration
  • A space for ‘Bad Math’, where 1+1 = 3
• Supporting your team
  • Manage client expectations
  • Talk about life outside of work
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Rhythms of connection
  • Honoring your team outside the company
• Protect the culture
  • Repeatable processes that don’t rely on the CEO
  • Weekly direct 1:1s with all leadership
  • Demonstrate good culture in public

Resources

Experiences outside the briefing world can provide fresh approaches when working on EBC projects

• Vanderbilt Medical Center art installation
• Take-over of Times Square for Kia
• Partnership with Escape Game called Cosmic Crisis

Guest Thought Leader

Traylor Woodall, Founder and CEO, Fivestone Studios

Traylor is a lifelong storyteller, artist, musician, and experience creator. His journey began with a traditional degree in graphic design, but during a college internship he discovered a passion for motion graphics. Fast forward many years later, Traylor now serves as the CEO and Founder of Fivestone Studios, an integrated production company that blends design, technology and storytelling to create visually rich narratives across a wide range of channels.

At Traylor’s core lies his steadfast belief in the power of creative culture and collaboration. He’s always on the hunt for Bad Math - the power of 1+1=3. Even after 25+ years in the industry, Traylor lives for the moment when a creative idea comes together that is greater than the sum of any one individual’s ability or effort.