Maisie Thomas
What does your creative process look like?
In my role as a project manager, my creative process involves efficiently managing time and ensuring that every team member feels valued, heard, and capable of delivering their best work. My main role is to prevent any time rush in the creative process and to allocate as much time as necessary for the creatives to flourish.
My approach involves maintaining open and consistent communication, both with the team and our clients. By prioritizing the creative process and cultivating a supportive environment, I am able to empower the team to produce their best work and ensure that their ideas shine as brightly as they can.
What was your most challenging project to work on?
One of the most challenging projects I worked on was straight after the COVID lockdown was announced. My dedicated creative team and I worked day and night to secure user-generated content (UGC) and create the first commercial produced and released in Canada since the lockdown was enforced. Despite the challenges, we successfully crafted an amazing commercial that garnered significant recognition and praise.
How do you balance creativity with the business side of things?
My entire role is all about balancing creativity and business. Budgets and schedules are in everything I do and making sure the creative fits into said budgets and schedule is key. I balance creativity and business by keeping open communication and pre-planning as much as possible.
As a Creative, how do you bring forth your style in the different projects you work on?
As a project manager my goal is to give my creative teams the time and budget to bring forth their own style. I will give them as much space as possible to make sure they style is thriving.
How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends & technologies in your field and how do you incorporate them into your work?
Staying up-to-date with the latest trends & technologies as a project manager not only keeps you relevant but also enhances your ability to deliver successful projects. I remain proactive and committed to staying informed with podcasts, blogs and online forums with my peers.
What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned professionally so far?
I have learnt how to juggle timelines and budgets and to make them work for everyone. I also have realised that the key to success is keeping everyone's well-being in mind.
What got you interested in the Project Manager role particularly?
I have always been interested in overseeing a diverse range of projects and this role allows me to do that.
Can you share your background and how you got started in your career?
I have been working in the advertising industry for over 10 years; I began in London at UNIT9 Films and worked my way up to a producer, working on campaigns for Nike, Honda, Gatorade and many more. I moved over to Vancouver in 2018 and my role progressed into the agency producer space, I worked for The & Partnerhsip producing everything TELUS before moving to a Head of Production role for KIDDO.
