Nicholas Cryder
Outside the box.
Distruptive.
The big idea.
In branding and advertising, people talk a lot about these notions.
Clients crave them. Agencies need them.
Yet few people are capable of truly delivering them.
Nicholas Cryder is one of those rare people.
I worked with Nicholas for a brief time years ago, 2006-2008, when he was Creative Director at The Garrigan Lyman Group. Nicholas is the most original, ambitious, disruptive big idea thinker and creator I ever worked with. He pushed himself and his team to create truly original and beautiful work for brands such as Weyerhaeuser, Microvision, Pro Polo, Herman Miller, Babolat, California Closets, and many others. His talent and drive helped GLG win some of its most prestigious creative awards.
Yet, that’s not who Nicholas Cryder is.
On LinkedIn, we focus a lot on career accomplishments.
But people are more than their roles or job titles.
Nicholas is a teacher, a leader, an artist, an inventor, a world-class athlete, and a survivor.
He has pursued high performance in amateur cycling and kayak sprinting, training with the U.S. Olympic Team.
He has survived a stroke and its aftermath and shared his insights to help others.
He has survived the boom and bust of the advertising world.
He celebrates other creatives who do great work, and he has grown to appreciate all the people who surround creative artists as vital players in a team sport.
Nicholas was recently back in the Seattle area, where we caught up over a few slices of Mod Pizza. No surprise, he is still brimming with big ideas, now seasoned by experience, and running Cryder Makes, which helps brands understand their DNA, wield purpose, and inspire belief in the hearts and minds of customers.
What Nicholas taught me years ago he still teaches today, not so much through his words but by his actions; the only way that really counts.
Live life all-in.
Commit whole heartedly.
Push forward relentlessly.
Be grateful every day.
Any brand honestly seeking uncharted territory, breakthrough work, and purposeful leadership could not find a better sherpa.
Thank you Nicholas, for the high bar you always set and for taking time to reconnect.
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