What are you most excited about working at TWIST?

Thiago: I am very excited about developing my design skills as well as learning the business processes and being around other “fearless thinkers” — sharing visual repertoire and helping brands achieve their best potential visually.

Courtney: I’m most excited about joining an organization that works with clients from so many different sectors. It’s been fun to see how TWIST tailors each strategy to the client and how that can vary between different industries.

What was your first day like?

Thiago: It was great! I was nervous and excited at the same time. Everybody was SUPER nice and patient which made me feel very comfortable.

Courtney: My first day was a download of all things agency! Having never worked in an agency before, my main focus was soaking up everything I heard and saw. I’m grateful for the opportunity to jump right in and learn through experience.

“I’m excited that Courtney has joined the team of Fearless Thinkers bringing her project management skills to the table to advance our client and internal projects and process. Not to mention I love having a fellow Lutheran West Longhorn on staff!”

– Charlene Coughlin, President

What’s the last thing you watched on Netflix?

Thiago: The current season of The Circle. Who doesn’t love good trivial reality tv?!

Courtney: It’s not Netflix, but my go-to show is Ted Lasso on Amazon. The concept is absurd and delightful at the same time.

What’s the last thing you ordered from Amazon?

Courtney: My husband and I ordered a laundry cart with four compartments, so we don’t just send clothes down the laundry shoot and pretend like they don’t exist.

Thiago: A set of Moleskine notebooks so I wouldn’t show up empty handed on my first day at work.

Is a hotdog a sandwich? Why or why not?

Thiago: A hot dog is NOT a sandwich as it belongs to its own food category like burgers and sandwiches.

Courtney: No, because the buns are connected. You wouldn’t call a soft taco a sandwich, would you?

Browns fan?

Thiago: Love brownies! Cookies! Cupcakes! Literally all the pastries! (No Thiago not brown… never mind.)

Courtney: Forever. My dad has been a season ticket holder for 30 years. I’ve inherited the pain and disappointment, but hopeful for this team! If not, there’s always next year.

Got a favorite Cleveland spot?

Thiago: Brunch in Tremont has become a tradition since I moved here earlier this year. Some of my fave brunch spots are Fat Cats, Hi and Dry and Southside.

Courtney: Really into the Metroparks and local playgrounds lately, especially Edgewater. You have incredible views of the lake and downtown, a giant nature playground, a beach, food, etc. What’s not to love?

“Working with Thiago is energizing!  He brings enthusiasm, spark and a playful creative vibe that is wildly contagious to our team. He is an extraordinary conceptual thinker, collage creator and color enthusiast. I can’t wait to see his vision come forth in our client work.”

— Connie Ozan, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer

Any hobbies?

Thiago: Yoga, video games (mainly Animal Crossing & Pokémon) and Iced Coffee.

Courtney: Hanging with my husband and son. Not really a hobby, but definitely my favorite thing to do.

How about a fun fact?

Thiago: I mentally categorize everyone I meet into Hogwarts houses. Lol

Courtney: I played D1 soccer at Miami University and served as the team’s captain for two years. I coached at the premier level as well as high school for 5 years until I had my son.

Lastly, tell me a little bit about yourself: Where are you from?

Thiago: I am originally from the north of Brazil—think exotic Amazon Rainforest! The vibrant colors, energetic patterns, and warming energy is part of who I am as a person, and it’s reflected in my work too. I am very proud of my origins and the beautiful culture from where I came from.

Courtney: Lived in Cleveland my whole life and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I went to small Lutheran schools since I was in kindergarten, graduating from Lutheran West in 2011 and then Miami University in 2015. I’ve worked mostly in the nonprofit sector until now, and I’m excited for the opportunity to learn the industry and grow as a project manager.

How do the #FearlessThinkers and Bedrock kick-off the new marketplace? With an event leading up to one of the biggest events in the city in 2021.

Bedrock and TWIST began our partnership in 2021 with development of a strategy to increase engagement with Tower City —an iconic location that has been special to Cleveland for decades. Bringing Clevelanders back downtown and into the reenergized marketplace means creating once-in-a-lifetime events and opportunities like Battle of the Land, a city-wide live music competition with a chance to open for Cleveland’s own Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony, all leading up to the Rock Hall Induction in Cleveland.

A quick turnaround? No problem here. The Fearless Thinkers worked with Bedrock to name the event, develop an identity, build a quick and flexible marketing program, and create signage to dress the event space at Tower City. The TWIST design team evolved the current identity, expanded the color palette, and created a turn-key event platform for each of the weekly live music competitions. The end result? A platform that brings warmth, fun, and a sense of energy to Tower City.

Ghosting: When a person cuts off all communication with their friends or the person they’re dating, with zero warning or notice beforehand. You’ll mostly see them avoiding friend’s phone calls, social media, and avoiding them in public.

No one likes being ghosted — whether while in the “dating” or “talking” phase or during the agency pitch process phase. Agencies have all been there — you’ve discussed a project, or many projects, you’ve shared your capabilities and worked on projections. You’ve even submitted a Master Services Agreement and Scope of Work. And then? The emails aren’t replied to. The calls go unanswered.

You’ve been ghosted.

And it feels the exact same way as when you are “talking” to someone.

You feel rejected.

You question what you may have done.

Maybe you didn’t understand the scope?

Maybe you came on too strong?

Maybe you over communicated? Is that possible?

Should you reach out one more time? How many times is too many? Do you wait until after that first cup of coffee to check in just in case they missed your other emails?

To the brand managers and marketers that are working with agencies – please give your agency contacts a reply! It doesn’t have to be long or in-depth but something is better than nothing at all.

There are three important reasons why:

1. Common courtesy. It doesn’t take long to hit reply and explain that you went in a new direction or chose another agency. That quick email helps the agency that’s on the other side feel more at ease and know where to be spending their time moving forward.
2. It gives the agency areas to improve on. Everyone wants some feedback. It could be something as simple as a change in the structure of the agency’s capabilities presentation or something larger – maybe around what team members are needed or how the contracts are set up. But without feedback agencies are left wondering and unable to move forward in a way that benefits them and their potential clients. And as agencies improve, so do our brand marketing counterparts – we all grow together.
3. You never know when you may need that particular agency again. Sure the agency may not have been the right fit for that particular project but what if in a few months you need a new partner or someone to execute quickly on your behalf. If you ghost the agency it’ll be much more difficult to go back to them. You also never know where that agency may end up – they may end up being your agency partner in another life.

Next time you are “talking” to a potential agency, just remember that quick email or call can help make that team feel so much better in the long run – and maybe make them a better agency in the future.

Meet Maryam Mehrabadi, our Graphic Design Intern. An MFA student from Tehran, Maryam is studying Communication Design at Kent State University and will be graduating at the end of this year. Fun fact: In high school, she studied biology and even won a National Prize in Biology. Originally wanting to be a doctor (as her father wanted her to be), at 17 years old she turned from biology and moved to art; a decision that would ultimately bring her here, to TWIST. Here’s more from Maryam, in her own words.

“Speaking 4 languages, highly educated and well-traveled, Maryam’s world view has brought a global perspective on how we solve design problems. She experiments in using type as form and combining globally inspired color palettes. She’s a gem.”

Connie Ozan,
Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer

Tyler: Tell me a little bit about your background.

Maryam: You know, I come from a different culture with a different perspective on life, beauty, art, and just about everything! Persian art has one of the richest art heritages in world history: including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking, and sculpture. And when you come from this background, your point of view on design is so different.

Life and design are so colorful and full of amazing patterns, but the contemporary design world is so minimal and different. You have to find a way to make a balance between your background and what you know and grew up with as art — what the U.S. society accepts as design, what this society needs, and what is right! It’s not an easy thing to do and I’m still trying to find that balance.

TWIST is a great opportunity for me because it helps me find out the best way to overcome these challenges. Here, I have to step out of my comfort zone. I have to find a way to design with a Persian mind for American eyes! I haven’t found the best way to mix my Persian art and background with American design yet, but I know whenever I find that way, I will become a  much stronger designer.

Tyler: What do you enjoy most about your time at TWIST?

Maryam: I love how Mike thinks and analyzes the brands we are working with. I love how Connie looks at design. I admire Charlene in how she’s managing this agency. I love how Stef is managing things and is like a mom here. And I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn from everyone. I hope I learn more about brand strategy, how to identify what our clients need, and how to constantly make new ideas and form new concepts. I feel I need to learn these while I’m here so I can have my own agency back home some day.

Tyler: Favorite shape and color?

Maryam: My favorite shapes are the Persian carpet patterns. Those patterns are like heaven to me!

I think this is a symbol color of Persian Art and it always feels like home.

Tyler: Tea or Coffee?

Maryam: Iran is one of the world’s great tea-drinking nations. And it’s interesting because Iranian’s first drink was coffee for centuries before the Chinese brought tea leaves to Iran and addicted us to it! It is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and throughout the day. But the difference is you drink tea with sugar for breakfast, but you drink tea with sugar cubes during the day. Drinking tea is related to my deepest memories of my home, family, grandparents. And whenever I drink it, or even I smell it I feel like I’m with them. And when Stef (Stefanie D’Angelo, Director of Operations) found out about it she bought tea bags and sugar cubes for me. Since then, all mornings at TWIST have been so special!

Tyler: What do you do during your time off?

Maryam: During my time off I read a lot of books about literature and cultural studies. My aunt, a few friends, and I are reading Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings which is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,000 “distichs” or couplets, the Shahnameh is one of the world’s longest epic poems.

Tyler: What do you miss most about home?

Maryam: I miss my soul! Sometimes I feel I lost my soul. I miss my mom’s hug, my dad’s laughs, and my brother’s face; I miss the dinners and all of us being together while my mom cooked; I miss the smell of Barbari’s bread in the early morning with a glass of tea and cheese; I miss my grandparent’s house; I miss Tehran’s sunsets; I miss everything. And I miss hearing people talk Persian in the streets – it’s like a piece of music for me.

A busy month has passed, and an even busier future is ahead for TWIST and the Fearless Thinkers. And to keep up with all the exciting work, we’ve hired a new Account Executive to add to our growing account team (that’s right, we’re hiring more). Welcome Michelle Slak who hit the ground running on day one.

“We are beyond thrilled to have Michelle on the team. Her energy and enthusiasm for TWIST and our clients is contagious. She approaches each relationship and project in a thoughtful way that will not only help the agency, but also our clients.”

 – Charlene Coughlin, President

As an Account Executive, Michelle will be the eyes and ears for our clients, ensuring all projects are on time (our President loves a good deadline), on budget, and on target. As Charlene always says: A great account executive represents the agency when they’re with the client then represents the client when they’re with the agency. An important role, Michelle will be responsible for the day-to-day project management of all client and agency projects: brand strategies, advertising campaigns, photo and video shoots, media plans, and public relations strategies; where she’ll update the TWIST team with client feedback, update the clients on project status, and develop plans and timelines that keep both the client and the team on an efficient path every step of the way.

We’ve also made a big promotion in our design department. Meet Rachel Teuscher our new Design Manager. No stranger to TWIST, Rachel has been a designer with the agency for more than 3 years as she’s overseen multiple projects and has led the design team with big ideas, inspiring work and heart.

“For me, Rachel embodies grace under pressure. Her skills as a designer and creative thinker are matched by her unwavering ability to handle complex projects and concurrent tight schedules. And she does it all with an upbeat attitude, sense of humor, and calm demeanor that makes her a delight to work with. Her promotion to Design Manager was well-earned, and well-deserved.”

— Greg Oznowich, Creative Director 

As our new Design Manager, Rachel will play an integral part in the direction of the creative, the success of her team and various projects moving forward. At the same time, she’ll receive creative direction and mentorship from our Creative Director, Greg Oznowich as she develops in her new role and guides the design team through multiple assignments from start to excellent finish. With that said, Rachel will assist in the growth of her team members, as she’ll oversee design interns and manage the creative team toward their own individual goals and the success of their work, which in turn will lead our clients to success with stunning visuals for their brand and ultimately their audience. Keep an eye out for both Fearless Thinkers as the TWIST team has some big things currently out in the world, in the making and so much more ahead (hint, hint: Tower City). And if you’re interested in joining the team, we have multiple positions available in both our account and creative departments. Will you join these two and the rest of us Fearless Thinkers?

As a long-time fan of the Olympics (I used to throw epic Olympic Opening Watch Parties) I have always enjoyed watching what happens with the athletes during the games. Many of them training their whole life for one moment – one match – one game – one competition. Usually we get to know the athletes through their families that are in the stands, cheering them on (and usually giving us a few moments during the Games for laughter or tears). But this year, everything is different. The TV spots are different. The lack of fans and family in the stands is different. The one-on-one interviews are different.

But one thing that is different and in a good way? The engagement with athletes via social media and specifically Tik Tok. With a rare look into the preparations for the Olympics, we have gotten to know the athletes, their stories, their families, and even the athletes that just missed out on the games.

One of my favorite things that Tik Tok has provided (and the one that has taken over my personal FYP): The inside look into the Olympic Village. Obviously with the lack of fans and having sponsors consistently pushing out content, this year we are relying on the athletes to give us a chance to see the infamous cardboard beds (including the Irish gymnast testing out those cardboard beds for sturdiness), the meals that each athlete is having (including the free Coca-Cola machine), their workout routine (including the COVID-safe gym), the security and COVID testing, the gear that they are being provided by various brands, and their roommates doing TikTok dances and sharing more about each other. It’s a rare opportunity for athletes to share their voice in their own way during the Olympics which usually are led by Twitter conversations and broadcast TV.

The bigger opportunity? Brands to find the athletes that match their values and voice. Brands can see how their product or service can integrate into an athlete’s story, as well as immediately see the engagement and impressions. With the real time approach, fans are able to be right there with their favorite athletes (or new athletes they had never heard of) and get that inside look into the life of an Olympian over the 14 days of the Games.

The Olympics are just the start. Now to keep an eye open for NFL Training Camp as another opportunity for brands, teams & athletes to give us that same rare behind the scenes approach.

If you expected big brand moments during the Olympics this year, like the fans in the stands, it’s not going to happen. But let’s not be too negative here. It’s the Olympics! And the brands that actually showed up are going for gold (had to get at least one Olympic cliché in here).

Let’s start with the opening ceremony. If you didn’t get the feels going down pandemic-memory-lane then maybe emotion just isn’t right for you. Though there was silence, there was inspiring music; though seats were empty, there were fireworks; though there was protest, there was Ralph Lauren with boat shoes and all. But in all seriousness, the opening ceremony set the tone and matched the themes of many of the brand messages at this year’s Olympic games: Togetherness and connection.

Procter and Gamble led forward with love. Microsoft Teams connected those who couldn’t make the games with a virtual ticket. Samsung brought the Olympic experience to the palm of a hand. Facebook Groups made friends across the world feel like friends across the street. And my favorite: Visa worked on their brand pivot by showing their audience that they are more than just a credit card, they’re a connector to people and relationships all over the globe.

Meet Visa.

For those brands who opted out or even canceled their advertising for this year’s games, they may have missed out on a great opportunity: an opportunity to show the connectedness their brands can bring to the lives of their audiences—something we’re all still craving. With so many in-person moments not able to happen this year, with so many things missing, the brands who won gold this year (last one) are those that brought us together.

For so many Americans, the summer of 2020 was one of the darkest we’ve seen in our lifetime. The effects of Covid-19 had caused businesses to shut down, millions to lose their jobs and families to retreat inside their homes; people were dying around the globe; hospitals were full as our nation’s healthcare workers risked their lives; and to top it all off, a tumultuous election was brewing while the murder of George Floyd set the country and our hearts ablaze. 

The virus was spreading. Division was spreading. Hate was spreading.

We found a way to connect with families while educating about the role of design.

“We simply wanted to spread love and kindness. More specifically, we wanted to spread it to those who we thought needed it the most: The children in our communities who were seeing the tragic events unfold.” 

– LINDSEY ASHLEY, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

The Fearless Thinkers at TWIST Creative, Inc. looked to help the children of Cleveland by using their design platform to capture their imagination, build confidence and inspire them to create and to look for color when the world around them is dark. Their answer: A coloring book that gives children the opportunity to color imaginative worlds of kindness, while at the same time be inspired to pursue a life of art through the personal stories of each designer.

Consisting of four pieces, each section of the coloring book represents a designer from TWIST and features their own personal story through the form of a questionnaire. 

“I’ve been making art since I was 9 months old, ever since I could hold a crayon. A blank canvas, especially a new sketchbook, has always excited me. It’s like having a superpower.” 

– VICKI VINCENT, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

After getting to know the designer, the colorist then flips to the next page to find multiple illustrations based on the artist’s own creative personality and message of kindness: Lindsey’s drawings and messages are found in nature—outside, Vicki’s are magical and full of wonder, Rachel’s are strong, hip and onward, and Jeff’s are clean and simple with life in motion. Along with their stories and illustrations, under each piece of art is a quote from other artists that have influenced each designer. The last page in each section is left blank, where kids are free to draw or to write whatever they choose—whatever is on their hearts—their own message of kindness.

“From a young age, I was always doodling whenever I had a chance. I was also lucky to have a mom encourage and instill passion in me for all art forms.”

– RACHEL TEUSCHER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

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Since its publishing at the beginning of 2021, multiple families across Cleveland, as well as the children at Providence House have engaged with the coloring book. And looking at their smiles, their mess of crayons, pencils and markers, and the colors they’ve left on the page, it’s clear that the coloring book has done what it was created to do: Spread Kindness. One of TWIST’s old taglines used to be “Love and Big Ideas”. 2020 didn’t force this team of Fearless Thinkers to walk the talk, for them it was only an opportunity to go further. From Brand X to My Pandemic Pivot, to StayCLE and now Spread Kindness, at TWIST it’s always been about love and big ideas.

“My favorite color is blue. It’s associated with a lot of positive things like calmness, trust, loyalty, and peace.” 

 – JEFF HARTZELL, GRAPHIC DESIGNER

“We thought, what if our small businesses disappear? In any way we can, we will defend Cleveland’s culture, its safety net, and its economy rich, with entrepreneurship and untapped potential. If only the chains survive and the locals don’t, what will Cleveland be?”

– Mike Ozan, CEO and Chief Creative Officer

Spearheaded by the Fearless Thinkers at TWIST Creative, Inc. in the spring of 2020, Brand X is made up of a team of local branding, creative, marketing, culture, business experts who are on a clear mission to help area small businesses, causes, and their leaders navigate through changing economic and cultural times – pro bono.

“Information and resource sharing amongst small industry peers in a market is a recovery essential.”

— Cristine Torek, Brand X member and founder of CMT Consulting, Ltd

The Brand X Cleveland team includes the following partners: Craig Brown at Kalman Pabst Photo Group; Charlene Coughlin of TWIST Creative; Brian Glazen from Think Media Studios; Mary Hipp from Think Media Studios; Scott Moss of M Sales Growth; Connie Ozan and Mike Ozan from TWIST Creative; Sam Sherwood from Heya, LLC.; Cristine Torek at CMT Consulting LTD; Stacey Vaselaney at SLV Public Relations, LLC; Mike Wasserman from Kalman Pabst Photo Group; and most recently added, Jerry E Peña, Victor Cruz and Robbin Hudson from Gradient, a Human Equity Think Tank; as well as Social Media and Community Manager Monina Wagner of the Content Marketing Institute. 

Go to Brand X Now and Ask an Expert Today!