The Competitive Creative

I’ve been thinking about this idea for a few days now—something I’ve come to call the competitive creative.

It stems from my background in sports. Growing up, I played just about everything under the sun, eventually sticking with football through my sophomore year of college. Like a lot of former athletes, I can trace many of my core values back to that time: showing up every day, putting in the work, holding myself accountable, and always finding a way to bring value to the team—no matter what role I played.

But more than anything else, sports developed me into a competitor. That instinct to push, to improve, to be relentless in the pursuit of something better—it never left. And now, I carry that same mindset into every creative project I touch.

If you’ve worked with me before, you’ve probably noticed I don’t offer lower-quality versions of my work—just less quantity if we’re adjusting scope. That’s not marketing fluff. It’s because I’ve learned that I’m not capable of putting in anything less than my best. For a long time, I worried that would be a liability, especially when it came to pricing or scalability. But with time, I’ve learned to work within that trait—to sharpen my focus, streamline deliverables, and turn that all-in approach into one of my biggest strengths.

Part of that competitive mindset shows up in another way, too: I’m hungry to learn. Always. I’m constantly consuming insights about storytelling, production tech, marketing strategy, and business—because I know that staying sharp means better outcomes for my clients. Whether it’s refining my workflow, upgrading gear, or understanding how AI is impacting our industry, I’m never standing still. The next project is always an opportunity to level up.

And while I work hard, I don’t work alone. One of the most valuable lessons sports ever taught me is the power of teamwork—and that translates directly to production. Whether I’m supporting a producer or director, guiding a new assistant on set, or collaborating with a client to help them shine in their role for bringing me on, my goal is always the same: elevate everyone around me. Make the team better. Make the result better.

At the end of the day, I think that’s what the competitive creative is all about. It’s not just about winning—it’s about working like you care deeply. Because you do. It’s about holding a high standard not just for yourself, but for the people who trust you to deliver.

This might’ve turned into a bit of a rant, but hey—it’s a blog, right? Isn’t that what this space is for? I’ve been chewing on this topic for a bit, and it felt like the right time to get it out there.

If you’re wired the same way—or if you’ve worked with someone who is—I’d love to hear how this resonates with you.