MANAGING INSECURITY

How creative leaders overcome insecurity and make great work.

May 05, 2025

∙ Paid

We interviewed 14 creative heavyweights, captured over 24 hours of footage dissecting how they work, and turned it all into weekly articles tackling what might be slowing your creative growth. A masterclass in creativity—one newsletter at a time.

MANAGING INSECURITY

Even the best creatives doubt themselves. This issue dives into how industry leaders experience insecurity—and what they actually do with it. From therapy to improv, late-night spirals to quiet confidence, these stories reveal that the presence of doubt isn’t a flaw. It’s part of the job. The trick isn’t to eliminate it. It’s to move forward anyway

“Nobody really knows what they're doing. And that's okay.”
— Gabriel Schmitt (Global CCO at Grey)

“Most heroes are people who have no idea of the danger and act without thinking about the consequences.”
— Marcello Serpa (Former Owner and CD at AlmapBBDO)

“The CD said, ‘No, push that door wide open. You'll have to do this over and over in your career.’”
— Kevin Mulroy (ECD and Partner at Mischief)

“When I feel insecure, I go back to a previous experience—like, ‘I did really well there. Maybe I can do this again.’ I’ll even replay a compliment someone gave me, just to remind myself I’ve done it before.”
— Bianca Guimarães (ECD and Partner at Mischief)

MANAGING INSECURITY

How creative leaders overcome insecurity and make great work.

MANAGING INSECURITY

“Nobody really knows what they're doing. And that's okay.”

“Most heroes are people who have no idea of the danger and act without thinking about the consequences.”

“The CD said, ‘No, push that door wide open. You'll have to do this over and over in your career.’”

“When I feel insecure, I go back to a previous experience—like, ‘I did really well there. Maybe I can do this again.’ I’ll even replay a compliment someone gave me, just to remind myself I’ve done it before.”

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