Meet Shari Creed Brand Strategist serial entrepreneur garage start-ups

Hello and welcome. It’s Shari, the Founder, Creative Director and Chief Executive Officer of CREED. We’re going to get to know one another because, in addition to the creative partners at CREED, I will be your Creative Director and Brand Strategist. I’m actively involved in every client’s work and I have been since our inception. That’s one of the things that makes us so unique. But I bet you’re thinking, “Hey, what’s with the fridge photo, Shari?” Glad you asked. I thought the most immediate way for you to get a glimpse into how I think would be to peek inside my fridge. So I quickly snapped this photo.

You see, I have a very strong aesthetic and it lives, not just in my head, not just applied to branding as my work, but in my life, including inside my fridge. This photo suggests: this gal demands a standard, even from her fridge; she can create order where there’s usually a lot of disorder; shapes and materials marry and appear uniform even if their contents are at odds; why not use linen lid covers versus conventional materials?; why not treat herbs and asparagus as floral-like bouquets (hint, they keep better and look beautiful, see my ‘P.S.’ below). And there are no words, literally, no words. Must we have a fridge full of copy? Everything looks as it should, like a well-stocked cold larder full of epicurean delights. You, your brand, your business will be the direct beneficiary of hiring someone that leads a branding team and consciously (and unconsciously) thinks about things with this kind of frame of reference every single moment, right down to the experience she wants when opening her refrigerator door each day.

I recognize and appreciate great branding and all the facets that pull it together. I’m comfortable questioning the status quo. I confidently apply the ‘out of context’ and sometimes the obvious to innovate. And I can see, not just what’s here today, but what may not exist (yet). So, how does one know of all this brand speak? Inherently curious? A wild imagination? An aesthetic? Yes, and I learned a lot about my métier and how to apply it from the people who do it best in the world, literally. Check out Creeds, a 30,000 square-foot women’s high-fashion specialty retail store. It’s where it all began. I worked for dynasties, for their leadership (often the designer/owners themselves) from places like The House of Chanel (ready-to-wear and beaute), Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, Christian Lacroix, Valentino to name but a few, opening their stores under Creeds canopy, selling their high fashion, their beauty, their fragrances and representing their brand in Canada, often exclusively. And as you can imagine, they don’t let just anyone handle their name.

Today, I’d classify myself as a serial entrepreneur—the garage start-up kind. Two businesses of mine morphed into multi-million dollar enterprises. One is this boutique agency, and the other is a brand called SweetSpot Labs, a feminine care brand sold nationally at Target and Walmart. And I’m not done!

But enough about me. All of the above, the case studies of the brands featured on this site, and the over 100 brands that have been in our hands, should give you the confidence to hire us and know, together, we are going to knock that ball out of the park. So, let’s talk about you. Call, write! With friendship,

P.S. In case you want some info about what I use to keep order in my fridge, here you go: I shop local farmers markets and when I get home, I take everything out of its packaging and put it into uniformly scaled Weck glass jars, specifically selected color-rimmed rectangle glass containers (in larger sizes, they use up less space than rounded corners), and ceramic bowls I have collected (the white ones with lid on them contain sheep yoghurt and are made by California artisan Sarah Kersten, whose work I love, and the stripe linen bowl cover is from Ambatalia). Things like herbs and asparagus aren’t kept in plastic bags in the vegetable bin or labeled plastic clamshells, rather they are in water-filled mason jars, as if they are a bouquet of fresh flowers (they keep better placed in water). And since we’re on the subject of things lasting longer—here’s a tip—glass is the secret, folks. Do you see plastic in my fridge? Nope. Everything keeps longer, stays fresher and looks better in glass, and besides, plastic leaches into your food.

Hi. I’m Tommy. This is me and Shari with three of our four grandchildren in a photo I title “There’s Always One”. I’m sharing it with you because, in a different context, I can apply it to my partnership in life and work. They say it’s unusual to be able to work together as a husband and wife team—but for us, we’re that one where it works and has worked for decades. In fact, when asked, “What do you do?”, I answer, “I work for my wife”.

I am the Chief Operating Officer for Creed Strategic Imaging. I’ve led the growth and profitability of numerous businesses throughout my career, including our agency and SweetSpot Labs, both companies that began in our garage. I’ve also served in the capacities of CEO, CFO, General Manager and Merchandise Manager.

Look, here’s what I know for sure—you aren’t here to buy my services. So enough about me. You’re here to buy branding services from the best, my partner (and yes, boss), Shari Creed. Shari is a visionary leader and a remarkably creative person (and so are the like-minded talented people that work with her). Just look at the body of work Creed Strategic Imaging has created that’s withstood the test of time. That says everything you need to know.

I’m sure we’ll chat in the process. Until then, with friendship,

Hi. I’m Susan Hopper. And I have to make a confession. I have an addiction to renovating old homes. The story about the one pictured here is, my husband and I were crazy enough to build it without an architect. No structural elements from the original house were used. I don’t suggest you try it. In our case, it works because our tradecraft demands we we see spacial variables and have an aesthetic. And it’s not our first. Brand-building demands similar skills: you have to take risks to be relevant; you start with a vision, ascertain assets and liabilities, experiment on paper, build a foundation, add the layers, subtracting here and there, revise and add more, all in an effort to create a feeling that makes a house a home. As a strategic thinker and the lead Art Director for Brand Design at CREED for many years, I want the very same outcome for our brands–something that looks and feels as it’s supposed to, comfortable in its skin.

I began my design career on a perpetual quest to discover the perfect design studio. Was it San Francisco, London, Toronto, Los Angeles or Sydney? Nope. I finally decided that New York was the right place and hunkered down in leadership positions with Arnell Associates, Desgrippes Gobe and Gensler Associates.

I’ve led exciting new branding, rebranding and revitalizing initiatives for clients including Victoria’s Secret, Skinfix, HerCut, Patricia Wexler, Luxhair, SweetSpot Labs, Haines, Aveda, Selveray Rum, and more.

I’m a tenured professor at FIT within the Communications and Packaging departments, and also taught the Masters in Branding program at SVA (with Shari as a guest teacher for a session).

I can’t wait to meet you. Here’s me with my family on a recent trip to Joshua Tree (I’m wearing the back-pack).

meet.