Phoebe Taylor
Phoebe Taylor Creative Director and Fractional CMO
Hamilton, ON
Q What do you do?
“In short I am an artist and in that everything I touch is ART!”
I work on everything a creative project has to offer from development (ie design thinking) production (managing the creation of the thing!) to promotion (marketing, baby!)
BUT! For SEO purposes (I know how to play your game big zaddy internet) I am an Creative Director and Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
My multi hyphenate journey is like any good multi hyphenate journey should go – long and weird and includes moments where I might have been in a smoothie clean girl wellness cult(?). I went to art school and got my BFA in printmaking and creative writing from OCADU. After school I moved to marketing agency world working on everything from not-for-profit strategy to national million dollar ad campaigns – at night I’d get home and start secretly plotting my escape. And then I did what all burnt out marketing girlies do best and hard lefted into a yoga and pilates teacher training.
There is a bunch of stuff in between like managing kick starters for independent publishers, quitting my 9-5 three weeks before the pandemmy hit (fun time!) opening and closing a design studio and a bunch of biz pivots in between. But the TLDR version is I have been making, creating and telling the world about it for as long as I can remember and will keep going for as long at they will let me (and even then I’ll probably haunt the earth for a few thousands years after phantom of the opera style)
Q How do you stand out in your field?
My approach to biz/art/life naturally stands out in that – i don’t do anything unless it’s fun and pretty. Its gonna be sparkly, its gonna be cool and we’re sit in the sun and drink coffee while we do it. As a neuro divergent person I struggle with anything that I ~should~ be doing, so i don’t! I am painter in the boardroom and an executive on the dance floor, I stand out whenever I go, and honestly I like it like that.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I am working my podcast with cohost Jacueline Wills, its called Do You Ever Feel Like? Where we ask the questions everyone is thinking and no one is asking. We are also in the the beginning stages of our creative agency (if i write it on the internet it becomes true!) and from a personal project perspective I have a book a personal essays I have like – done. I just need to start bothering book agents. Eeep!
Q What’s your style?
Loud, weird. Like if David Lynch and Eloise at the plaza (weird pair but stay with me for a second) had a disco loving bebe.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Honestly….. I love everything I touch in my work! Creative Direction is probably my most favvy favy thing I get to do. I love taking a team of creative people and coming together and mind melding all of our genius together to create something even more magical. Translating one departments dreams to another departments vision and skills is my super power. Co-creation is the most treasured thing in my heart! (And I am really fucking good at it)
Q What is frustrating you right now?
*Gestures vaguely at the dumpster fire of a world* A lot of my business and work and life is centred in the deep belief that EVERYONE is an artist and that our art and creativity is VERY MUCH THE THING to save us from Dumper Fire of a world we live in. My mission on earth is to usher those Big Beautiful Dreams into our vision of a new world and bridge the gap between art and the binary thinking that got us into this mess. Whether that is a collage for your data analysis, a water colour painting for your strategic plan or the choregraphy for your brand guidesline.
We cannot get watercolour results from spread sheet actions and thinking.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I am looking for the type A to my chaos tornado organization. I’d love to never download a zoom and upload it to another place ever again. Also I hate emails.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I'd love to tell little Phoebe that
she is good enough, that there is no such thing as being too loud or too much
and to please keep wearing glittery purple lipstick throughout elementary school.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Right now I am really nerding out on AI but…I have no idea what I am doing. AI for the neuro divergent squiggly brain baddies please!?!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
RIGHT NOW I am really interested in working with a musician or stand up – someone that preforms live. Gimmie the creative direction for a stage, album and marketing strategy please! Beyond that I love working on projects that take an idea from A (small little seed of an idea) to Z (devolment and that idea into a business strategy and marketing plan!)
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Anyone that is down to get weird with the process and ditch the binary! I love working with folks that just **know** there has got to be another way, but maybe haven’t found it yet. I say I work with creative business people but I truly believe that can exist in any industry. Maybe that is someone inside a larger organization or Solo-preneuer. I love crafting everything from branding, plays, events, books, products to online memberships, sales calendars, and strategic plans
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Best way is to head to the DoYouEverMedia.com page and fill out our application. If you want to get in touch with me about a podcast interview or collaboration drop me a line at hello@phoebetaylor.ca
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Me! My friend Stylo Starr taught me the mantra “I am my own favourite artist” so now I use that too. I also love Miranda July and Lady Gaga. Slashies have my heart.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Listening to the trees + nature around me
This member profile was originally published in May 2021/ Updated May 2023