In this episode, Matt sits down with Laura Jordan Bambach, CCO and co-founder of Uncharted.

She kicks off by tracing her origin story as a digital native before digital was even a word, building websites by hand in the '90s, jumping from Sydney to London for a junior design role at a fraction of her salary, and working her way from producer to designer to creative director at some of the most exciting agencies of the last two decades, including the legendary Deep End, Glue, LBI, and Grey London.

From there, the conversation goes somewhere most industry chats don't dare.

Laura talks about what it really means to be emotionally wired into your work, the brutal reality that maybe 10% of what you create ever gets made, and maybe 10% of that gets made the way it deserves to be. She opens up about the dissociative episode that led her to therapy, the invisible feeling of quietly burning out while telling everyone she was fine, and what she learned about building teams that actually look after people, not just the work.

She goes on to share what it was like to be pregnant in an industry that had never written a maternity policy, hiding a toddler under the desk at 2am on a pitch, and why having a child made her a better creative, not despite the chaos, but because of it.

And of course, we get into the stuff that senior creatives rarely say out loud: the loneliness creeping through creative departments since Covid, the fear AI is coming for the storytellers, and why the industry is brilliant at building structures around creative people that somehow still don't serve them.

With a career built on leaning into what's next, from hand-coded web pages in 1994 to an AI-powered Australian perimenopausal folk horror short film she's currently making on the side, Laura is refreshingly honest about the fire she still has, the ambition that keeps her awake at night, and why founding Uncharted at this point in her career feels less like a risk and more like the only logical move.

Along the way, you'll hear why the best creative leaders aren't always the best creatives, what it takes to build culture that actually sticks, and why community, real, in-person, bring-a-dish-to-the-table community, might be the most radical thing you can offer a creative right now.

The episode closes with a simple but powerful reminder: don't take it personally. Separate yourself from the work. And find your tribe, because that's where the courage to keep going actually comes from.

If you've ever felt the loneliness, the self-doubt, or the nagging sense that the industry wasn't quite built for people like you, this one's going to hit.

Like, subscribe, and share if you want more real conversations with the people who make the work work... and keep making it, no matter what.

In this episode, Matt sits down with Jules Chalkley, CCO at Ogilvy London, and one of the most globally awarded creatives working today.

He kicks off by tracing his origin story as a TV-obsessed, visually wired kid who failed all of his exams, found his way into art school, won a D&AD pencil, and landed dream placements at Saatchi & Saatchi and Lintas – before becoming a Creative Director at St Luke's aged just 27.

From there, the conversation goes where most industry chats don't.

Jules talks about how the pressure to produce brilliant work never goes away (even when you're 25 years into the business), the difference between external pressure and self-imposed pressure, what it was like to handle the sleepless nights, Friday night disintegration, and rollercoaster highs and lows early on, and how he learned to set the conditions for flow and sustainable high performance.

He goes on to share why rushing into the role of "Creative Director" too early can put distance between you and the work, and how to lead teams through deadline pressure by walking by their side, setting clear and honest expectations, and making the mission feel ambitious but achievable.

And of course, we dig into the emotional stuff that creatives rarely admit out loud: the black holes, the anger at unfairness, the hatred of credit-grabbing, the trapdoor of self-doubt, the target on your head, and the fear that creativity has an expiry date.

With a career that's been anything but ordinary, Jules is brutally honest about wanting to hit a personal bar he still feels he hasn't reached, and the urgency that comes with being "dangerously ambitious."

Along the way, you'll hear how much Jules still loves the job: the behind-the-curtain access, the weird and wonderful worlds brands live in, meeting founders, filmmakers, scientists, artists, and that addictive feeling of shifting the way people see the world... and themselves.

The episode finishes with a grounded reminder to pick a job you genuinely love. Something that will keep you fascinated and challenged. And accept the reality that the dips, the downs, and the deep self-doubt are all part of the deal.

If you've ever felt the stress, the anxiety, or the restless need to put stuff into that world that genuinely matters, this one will hit.

Like, subscribe, and share if you want more real conversations with the people who make the work work… and take the hits when it doesn't.

As well as being one of the earliest monks to form and help build the 6000 strong MediaMonks empire, Vincent possess one of the smartest, sharpest, most switched on creative brains I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. He's a leader, a creator, a husband and a father and I have no idea how he manages to fit it all in. And yes, he does so with grace, humour, and a shedload of relentless enthusiasm.

The word powerhouse was created for the creative brain that is Tony Malcolm. In a career spanning over 35 years he's written some of the most iconic headlines and commercials in the business. Yet, despite the fact his shelves are creaking under the weight of all the awards he's amassed over the years, he's remained one of the good guys, honest, humble and massively f'ing inspiring. Thanks for the chat Tony!

Julian Cheevers is a shining example of what can happen when a creative brain and a business brain hook up inside one skull and make shit happen. When he's not leading, championing, and pushing for the kind of work that wins Cannes Grand Prix's and Titanium Lion's like they're going out of fashion, he can be found surfing his stress off in the Pacific Ocean, and doing the kind of mental fitness regime that would have mere mortals sweating bullets.

Creative brains like Ben's are as rare as rocking horse shit. Not content with enjoying a seriously impressive career in adland, its one of those unique lumps of grey matter that's intent on flexing every creative neuron it's been given. This has seen Ben grow from being a copywriter at Y&R and AMV BBDO in their heydays, to publishing a novel through Penguin, running an industry blog and podcast that's required reading / listening to everyone with a passion for advertising (If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas), writing a regular column for Creative Review and now, being the proud owner of the ethical ad agency Invincible Unicorn, and the climate crisis initiative Gigantic Fucking Solutions -- which he co-founded with his wife Gabi after a 6 year stint as Apple's ECD and International Group Creative Director at Media Arts Lab in London and LA. If you'd like to get in touch with Ben the best way is through his inbox at bwmkay@gmail.com.

Despite the fact that this episode was recorded on day 25 of the Corona quarantine my guest, Hugh Todd still had a huge smile on his face, proving that he is one hell of a pressure proofed creative! As well as being a formidable writer and creative director, he's the co-founder of the brilliant Behind The Billboard Podcast, a short-lister for the Winston Fletcher Prize, a swimmer, a clarinet player, and a genius who can complete the Rubik's cube in under 2 minutes! I wanted to know how he was managing to keep his creative brain in shape in such challenging times, and I was surprised to learn that the secret lay in a dartboard, sourdough, and a healthy disrespect for bulls***.

At the time of recording Neil Christie was the CEO at Wieden + Kennedy, and in this episode, he tells us what he loves about his job, how he retains a healthy work/life balance, and how music gives him a solid sense of perspective; in a pressure-cooker industry which can all too easily lose complete and utter sight of it.

We spoke two weeks before Corona sent the world into a tailspin, which makes Neil's message about embracing challenge, change, and uncertainty from a massively optimistic vantage point, all the more powerful.

So if you're the owner of a creative brain, and you're looking for some solid advice to pump into your earholes, check this episode out.

And above all, stay safe, stay sane, and stay creative.