Creative Profiles: Cheryl Overton is making insight actionable

Meet the creator behind GRWN™ and The S.P.I.C.E. Method™

Let’s go way back: What was one of your very first jobs, and what’s a lesson from it that you still use today? My first real jobs were back-to-back summer gigs in high school: 11th grade, Roy Rogers and 12th grade, Pottery Barn.

At Roy Rogers, I was as entry-level as it gets — clearing trays, wiping tables, restocking cups and boxes. You had to earn your way up to the register. When I finally did, my friends would come in and wait in line just so I could serve them, in a truly terrible uniform I’d rather forget.

It was exhausting, chaotic, and incredibly revealing. You saw the worst of people (e.g., impatient, messy, rude) and the best too. Regulars who learned your name. People who asked how your day was going. A few who even tried to leave tips. One older woman came in almost daily and ordered her own unofficial creation: vanilla soft-serve with chocolate sauce on the bottom and strawberry syrup on top. Not on the menu. My trainer showed me how to make it and encouraged me to always do it when time allowed. So I did.

That job taught me something I still carry: even in fast, high-pressure environments where timing is everything, you can still slow down for a moment and see the person in front of you. And sometimes, letting someone have their small joy makes both your days better.

The next summer at Pottery Barn, the lesson was different but just as lasting. The work was arranging merch, cleaning, restocking, keeping the store looking right and staying poised to help. I learned that what customers experience as “effortless” is anything but. Beautiful spaces require care, consistency, and people who respect the details no one notices until they’re wrong.

Between those two jobs, I learned how much humanity and intention matter, whether you’re serving ice cream or building brands.

If your career was a book, what would the title of the current chapter be? I’d call it “Seasoned, Not Settled” because this chapter is about evolution, earned confidence, and moving with intention.

What’s a piece of unconventional wisdom or a personal philosophy that’s been your secret weapon in this industry? To focus on being trusted vs. popular. That usually means knowing when to say “no” or “not that way.”

You’ve done so much cool work. What’s one project that really sticks with you, and what made it a game-changer for you? When I was a junior professional working in Philadelphia, we took on a pro bono client called the Reject Film Festival. This was many moons ago, long before film festivals were so accessible. Back then, festivals were heavily gatekept by the film elite. Reject was created by two local filmmakers who were frustrated by the system. It was a festival for films that had been rejected elsewhere but the real innovation was the intent. Filmmakers didn’t just get screened; they got feedback. Notes. Context. A way forward. It was truly in service of the artist. I was a senior account exec — maybe an account supervisor — at what was then the largest agency in Philly, and I convinced leadership to take the festival on as a full pro bono account. We threw everything at it: advertising, PR, partnerships, sponsorship outreach. I led a volunteer, cross-disciplinary team and, in many cases, learned while doing. Because it was pro bono, I was given real autonomy and also guidance from generous senior leaders and peers. That combination was formative. I got an early, hands-on education in what it actually takes to run an integrated campaign from strategy and creative to messaging, publicity, and client service.

The work resonated. The festival was a hit and the campaign won multiple awards. Media from around the world covered it, including the BBC which was a surreal and proud moment for me. We brought on John Waters as a lead spokesperson and judge and did a media tour with him that was so sharp and irreverent -- the coverage was bananas! That project changed me. It showed me that even without decades of experience, I had the vision, conviction, and the ability to bring people together, including junior teammates, peers, clients, partners and senior leaders alike. I learned how to guide for performance, but also how to follow people who were truly great. It was my first real taste of what integrated work could do, not just for a brand or a client, but for culture. And I still think about it fondly.

We all hit creative walls. What’s a time you were really stuck, and how did you finally find your way through? I was brought in as a new leader on a major financial services account. We were launching a national campaign spotlighting its small business offering and running a campaign featuring participating businesses, local entrepreneurs, real stories, real impact. It was everything I cared about. Purpose-driven. Culture-forward. Right in my wheelhouse.

And I froze.

It wasn’t writer’s block so much as confidence block. I wanted to get it so right that I completely got in my own head. I’d sit staring at a blinking cursor, start writing, delete everything, start again, hate it, delete it again. I had psyched myself out. Perfection paralysis, in its purest form. The copy was due Monday. By Sunday morning, I was at brunch in New York with a close friend, pretending everything was fine. He called me on it, “You’re at brunch. This isn’t done. What’s really going on?” When I told him I was stuck and thinking about asking for more time, he shut that down immediately. Instead, he dragged me to Soho House (this was back in the day when there was only one in New York and it was open 24/7) and basically refused to let me leave until it was done. We sat there late into the night. I dictated. He prompted. We talked it through. There may have been wine involved. But somewhere between midnight and 2 a.m., the work finally unlocked. That campaign went on to run for years. To this day, my friend and I still use its name as shorthand when one of us is stuck; it’s our code for get out of your own way.

What I learned is simple but lasting: sometimes being “stuck” isn’t about talent or ideas; it’s about pressure. And one of the smartest things you can do is let someone you trust pull you through it. Not gently. Decisively.

What’s the one part of your job that, if you could, you’d do all day long? Ideation. I love where culture, creativity, and strategy meet. The part where nothing exists yet and then it does.

Beyond the work itself, what’s a value or a cultural ideal you want to see more of in the industry? Curiosity about people who don’t look, live, or think like you—and the humility to learn from them.

Where in the world do you feel most inspired, and why? The beach, always. Sun, sand, water, and that steady ocean breeze immediately shifts my nervous system. I feel clearer, lighter, more open. It’s a peaceful soundtrack that lets ideas surface without forcing them. If I had to name one of my faves, it’s Macaroni Beach (Mustique).

Name three books you’d recommend to anyone, anytime. “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison; “Wuthering Heights,” by Emily Brontë; and “Creative Quest,” by Questlove.

Connect with Cheryl Overton on LinkedIn.

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