About Us

We are a boutique team of highly-specialized marketers that left our leadership positions in the agency world to create a transparent studio model rooted in strategy and content services.

We operate a lean business designed to employ and retain high-caliber talent with very low overhead. We invest heavily in ability, employee benefits, and effective remote-working solutions for the modern workforce. There’s no marble-tiled lobby on Main Street here.

Our team is enlightened and equipped

We invest in extremely talented staff, high-quality technology, and serving our community. We believe that people do their best work when they’re paid well and provided with the resources/benefits they need to do so.

Our Approach

We prioritize research and a keen understanding of audience. We’re not focused on just building taglines or relying on algorithmic distribution—we produce soulful storytelling experiences grounded in strategic insights.

We prioritize research and a keen understanding of audience. We’re not focused on just building taglines or relying on algorithmic distribution—we produce soulful storytelling experiences grounded in strategic insights.

Our Values

We strive to provide our team and clients with the kind of fearless transparency that yields true collaborative partnership. Our dedicated resourcing model ensures our team has the time and environment needed to research and implement the kind of modern marketing strategies and assets that drive meaningful client and consumer connections.

We strive to provide our team and clients with the kind of fearless transparency that yields true collaborative partnership. Our dedicated resourcing model ensures our team has the time and environment needed to research and implement the kind of modern marketing strategies and assets that drive meaningful client and consumer connections.

We do great work. There are no shortcuts to success.
We only hire truly compassionate and empathetic folks.
We're curious, informed, and proactive.
We take on projects that play to our core strengths.
We are fierce advocates of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
We don't work with clients who aren't interested in making the world a better place.
We help one another. If you're too big to do the small stuff, you're too small to do the big stuff.
We conduct upfront, transparent, and ethical business.

Our Mission

We connect high-performing writers, artists, designers, and producers to brands and agencies in need of fresh thinking. We don’t hire full-time teammates unless they can be almost completely dedicated to a single client, giving our talented team and partners the balanced creative ecosystem they need to be truly innovative.

Our Team

We hire kind, talented, and experienced humans that seek to be a part of a growing team founded upon trust and radical transparency. We strive to produce great work, we give back to the community, and above all—we show up for each other.

  • All
  • Editorial
  • Partner
  • Production
  • Project Management
  • Strategy
  • Design
tori
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR
She/Her
tori tucker
SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

With over 6 years of creative expertise, Tori has a track record of transforming intriguing concepts into impressive design solutions. Tori’s passion for storytelling seamlessly translates into her ability to bring brands to life through visually compelling design. When not immersed in the design world, you’ll find her scouring thrift stores for all the vintage goodies, skiing till her face falls off, hanging out at the local dive bar with her husband, or narrating her dog’s thoughts.

sarah
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
she/her
sarah stanford
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Sarah is a project manager and strategist who thrives on transforming client visions into tangible realities. Her passion lies in breathing life into concepts through a combination of creative development and strategic insights, all while enjoying the process of creation. She revels in the joy of acquiring new skills to expand her PM toolkit and embracing challenges as steppingstones for personal and professional growth. When she’s not working, you can find her reading, making art, or binge-watching her favorite movies/TV shows.

christina
COPYWRITER
she/her
christina donnell
COPYWRITER

Christina is a writer with roots in nonprofit marketing and communications. With more than seven years of experience, she’s written and edited all kinds of content—short-form, long-form, and everything in between—to help brands sound more human. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and loves library books, classic rock, and the em dash.

john
SENIOR STRATEGIST
He/Him
john ayers
SENIOR STRATEGIST

John is a MarCom professional with 10+ years of experience in strategic content creation and delivery. He brings with him a bevy of marketing strategy insights gained from his time working in the MedTech and Technology Manufacturing sectors, including Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Laboratories. His blend of analytical problem-solving skills, a strong business acumen, and a flair for the creative allow him to address problems and opportunities from all angles to achieve results. When he’s not working you can find John outdoors golfing, camping, or off-roading in his Jeep, BluJay, with his wife and daughter by his side.

jill
MANAGING EDITOR
she/her
jill pantozzi
MANAGING EDITOR

JillPantozzi is an editor, strategist, writer, and host with almost 16 years of experience in the digital media space. The creator of TheNerdyBird.com, her work has appeared in Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, MTV News, and more. She previously led the newsrooms of io9 at Gizmodo and The Mary Sue and is passionate about cultivating inclusive communities. Prior to her time in digital media, Jill was a radio DJ and over the years she’s contributed to several anthologies and comics and even wrote a few books! She is a self-proclaimed geek and was featured in National Geographic’s “Comic Store Heroes” and the Batman documentary, “Legends of the Knight.” Her cats are her children.

maureen
MANAGING EDITOR
she/her
maureen mirabito
MANAGING EDITOR

Maureen is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience helping organizations excite their audience about possibilities. She approaches every project with a curious and creative mind, always with the aim to deliver content that helps people make better decisions, learn something new, or find better ways to live, work, or lead. Maureen lives in Maryland with her family. When not working, you’ll find her either in bleachers or on a sideline somewhere,  running, or still, probably, writing.

caroline
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
she/her
caroline doherty granoff
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Caroline is a project manager and producer who loves turning ambitious ideas into compelling and tangible stories. She’s overseen the full creative lifecycles of multimedia projects, ranging from immersive VR experiences to high-fashion photo shoots and more. Outside of work, you can probably find her hanging out with her dog Stevie, biking along the Brooklyn Greenway, or baking her mum’s famous gingerbread cake.

liz
PROGRAM MANAGER
She/Her
liz perez
PROGRAM MANAGER

With over 20 years of agency and corporate marketing experience, Liz understands how apply proven marketing program strategies while managing campaigns from start to finish. She delivers cross-functionally across organizations to plan, execute, and track against business objectives. Liz has also led countless awareness, engagement, retention, and lead generation B2B and B2C programs across industries such as technology/SaaS, financial, insurance, healthcare, food services, retail, and government. Liz lives in Texas with her daughter and rescue dog, Sammy, and in her free time, she enjoys hiking and walking natural trails, quality time with family and friends, and finding local hidden gems.

hannah
MANAGING EDITOR
She/Her
hannah bridges
MANAGING EDITOR

Hannah strives to approach both writing and living with energy and curiosity. As a managing editor, she draws on a rich background in creative writing, editing, and journalism to uncover the story at each project’s center. When she’s not scribbling poems or ideas on the nearest scrap of paper, you can find her surfing the waves near her home in Wilmington, North Carolina.

aisha
SENIOR STRATEGIST
She/Her
aisha hatter
SENIOR STRATEGIST

Aisha is a strategist and a jack of all trades with a diverse background in content marketing—with more than 8 years of experience in production, project management, client relations, social media, and sales. With quality at the heart of all her work, Aisha has had a hand in developing content and managing projects for a wide array of clients including Dermstore, Condé Nast, Pinterest, Spotify, Clinique, Netflix, and many more. Outside of her day-to-day at Johnnie Studio, Aisha loves making playlists, watching the same three comfort movies on repeat, and spending time with her friends and family.

kyle
COPYWRITER
He/Him
kyle schmidlin
COPYWRITER

As a writer and editor, Kyle has seen and done it all. He’s edited policy for state legislatures and agencies, written hundreds of in-depth news features, and reviewed a variety of popular media as a critic. Kyle is an expert at finding the most concise way to express a complex idea and quickly adapts to his client’s voice and brand. When he’s not writing or editing, Kyle likes exploring nature, playing the guitar and learning more about the world.

kensey
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
She/her
kensey wentworth
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
chelsea
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
she/her
chelsea gonzales
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

Chelsea is a digital strategist with 8+ years of experience connecting brands with audiences in a way that drives action. Her work spans a diverse portfolio of B2B and B2C clients, including USAA, Argo Group, Gold’s Gym, and Facebook. When she’s not nerding out over data or researching the latest trends, Chelsea can be found curating mood boards and staging spaces for her other passion, interior design.

george
SENIOR UX/UI DESIGNER
he/him
george siler
SENIOR UX/UI DESIGNER

George is a multi-disciplinary designer with a passion for user experience and a commitment to people—and he believes the creation of something new and meaningful can only be accomplished by first gaining clarity. When he is not being absorbed by the internet, you can find George soaring down local mountain bike trails or snuggling up with his three kids dreaming about pizza.

victory
CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCER
she/her
victory ralston
CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCER
erika
PROGRAM MANAGER
she/her
erika soerens
PROGRAM MANAGER

With more than 6 years of industry experience, Erika optimizes projects to meet their full potential while maintaining a deep empathy for both client and internal teams. She’s overseen projects including content planning and execution, social media strategies, event planning, and full-scale digital marketing campaigns. When she’s away from her computer, you can find Erika at her sewing machine, reading the latest YA fantasy novel, or planning her next international vacation with her husband.

tyler
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
he/him
tyler clair smith
CREATIVE DIRECTOR

For over a decade, Tyler has helped brands large and small find their voice, hone their purpose, and grab attention through the power of storytelling. As a creative leader, he has marshalled cross-disciplinary teams of writers, designers, and filmmakers to launch tech products that drove hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. A former newspaper columnist, radio host, and musician, he now helps Johnnie Studio clients put story, emotion, and humanity at the center of their communication. When he’s not slinging copy, you’ll find Tyler writing screenplays, directing short films, or building a pillow fort with his wife and son.

kiwon
DESIGNER
he/him
kiwon suh
DESIGNER

Kiwon is passionate about storytelling and intentional design. A big-picture thinker with a graphic design and illustration background, Kiwon effectively bridges conceptual ideas with impactful and imaginative visuals. Before joining Johnnie Studio, Kiwon spent a decade as a landscape architect, designing award-winning spaces across the U.S. and Canada. An enthusiast for movies, he particularly loves all things Star Wars, Legos, and ramen.

maya
DIGITAL STRATEGIST
she/her
maya hughley
DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Maya graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in marketing and has been delving deep into content ever since. Before joining the Johnnie Studio team, she has worked in the marketing space doing everything from creating marketing tools and trainings for entrepreneurs to managing events. Maya is a published author and spends most of her free time outside of work writing and reading fiction.

abby
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDITORIAL
she/her
abby alexander
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDITORIAL

Abby’s decade of editorial experience bridges publishing and marketing. She produced content for a global audience as a travel and lifestyle magazine editor before bringing that storyteller’s approach to the agency space. She’s led teams in creating publications, podcasts, websites, campaigns, and more for clients across industries and around the world. Abby lives in Denver and loves snail mail, yoga, spending time in the mountains, and helping people find the right words.

carly
DIGITAL STRATEGIST
she/her
carly benhaim
DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Carly is an innovative thinker with extensive experience across content production, marketing, and program management. She loves to marry business acumen with creative panache to drive results and have fun along the way. When she’s not pursuing operational excellence, you might find her reading a book, sailing on the lake, or backpacking through the west coast.

devon
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
she/her
devon houtz
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Devon brings a background of professional writing experience in journalism, technology, and education. From large-scale RFP responses to course curriculum to press releases, she has written and coordinated a wide range of content. Devon believes that successful collaboration is the key to quality work, and she’s driven by the creative challenge of striking the right balance while weaving in multiple perspectives. When she’s not wording and re-wording, Devon is probably running at the track, walking her pup, or hiking any trail that features a waterfall.

ellen
DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS
she/her
ellen defeo
DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC SOLUTIONS

Ellen has experience in both Account and Project Management, combining her skills in strategic thinking, creative problem solving and organization. She comes from an agency background, working on digital campaigns for a variety of industries including Luxury Beauty, Financial Services, and Healthcare. Outside of work Ellen enjoys combining her love of traveling and being outside, and can often be found hiking, snowboarding or camping on the weekends.

jas
PARTNER, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE
he/him
jas robertson
PARTNER, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE

Jas offers more than 14 years of experience in account roles, and eight years in leadership roles, at content marketing agencies. He has led large multidisciplinary teams through multi-year partnerships with enterprise clients to create integrated marketing programs, manage strategy, facilitate content production, and reimagine measurement for clients like Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Argo Group, Sysco, and Microsoft.

kate
VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY
she/her
kate crouse
VICE PRESIDENT OF STRATEGY

Endlessly curious with a knack for solving problems in creative ways, Kate is a strategist with more than 10 years of marketing, UX, and branding experience. A history in publishing, B2B and B2C agency work, Kate has background developing strategies and marketing programs for a wide array of clients including HP Enterprise Services, DxC Technologies, McKesson, Avocados From Mexico, Lennox International, and more. An adventurer at heart, Kate loves traveling the world, trying new foods, and maintaining an encyclopedic knowledge of every movie fact you never knew you needed to know.

lauren
DIRECTOR - PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEAD
she/her
lauren petersen
DIRECTOR - PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEAD

Detail-obsessed and deadline-driven, Lauren is a program manager with 7 years of experience overseeing the scoping, development, and production of multiple digital, email, and direct mail campaigns. Her work for brands such as Microsoft, SoFi, and AT&T spans the worlds of both acquisition and CRM. While a sucker for color-coded spreadsheets, Lauren’s true passion lies in fostering relationships with both client and internal teams to solve the seemingly unsolvable. Well, that and correctly predicting the Oscars.

michaela
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY
she/her
michaela brandt
DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

With a background in digital content marketing, Michaela is passionate about connecting audiences with the right content, brands, and products. She views data as the puzzle pieces to client success, and finds joy in finding the perfect fit of user experience and brand promise. A master of digital marketing tools, Michaela has created complex lead generation campaigns and analytics reports for a variety of clients, including Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services, Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies, Avocados From Mexico, SMU Cox School of Business, and more. When she’s not solving problems for clients, Michaela enjoys going on adventures with her dog, rooting for the Dallas Stars, and playing an obscene amount of board games with her husband.

travis
PARTNER, CREATIVE AND ACCOUNTS
he/him
travis stewart
PARTNER, CREATIVE AND ACCOUNTS

A storyteller and romantic at heart, Travis has lived and breathed content production for more than a decade. He’s been a journalist, writer, and editor (for books, publishers, and brands), a live television and radio host, a videographer and audio producer, a lead SEO strategist, a social content director, and a lead agency content strategist for brands like Microsoft, American Red Cross, Avocados from Mexico, Orajel, and OxiClean. He’s the Poe Dameron of content — he can fly anything.

veronica
DIRECTOR - OPERATIONS LEAD
she/her
veronica brock
DIRECTOR - OPERATIONS LEAD

Veronica is constantly looking for ways to improve processes while helping the team remain focused on the project at hand. With a background in operations, she has helped scope, schedule, and project manage work with clients in tech, pharmaceutical, insurance, and education industries. Veronica’s love of problem solving and well-executed Excel spreadsheets certainly helps!

Working for Johnnie – wherever you are

We are a studio founded in flexible, remote work. We know you don’t have to be seated at a desk from 9-5 to do great work and be a great teammate.

Our PTO program has no formal limit — time away is a key part of a great employee experience and work life balance. This means we trust our teammates to make informed decisions, ask permission from their supervisor, and be a part of the process of planning for coverage while they are out. Our current team averages double the national average of PTO according to 2022 US Bureau of Labor statistics.

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