At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Chris Sizemore, CEO of Creative Mischief, saw business drop by 75%. Corporate clients paused or cancelled signed engagements, and the company moved to a 100% remote environment. Staff worried about their personal health and the health of the business.
“To show our team that they will always come first, I made a commitment to maintain our team at 100% with no reductions to their salaries or benefits. Without the team, there is no Creative Mischief,” said Sizemore. “I shouldered the burden during tough times to ensure we maintained our team and culture. As an agency who was founded in the middle of the 2008 recession, I was confident we could weather this storm.”
The company did, and Sizemore said the obstacle showcased the resiliency of not only his team, but his leadership. “I learned to establish a unique culture under the belief that your team always comes first and live with the philosophy that you must operate in a continuous space of openness, honesty and transparency,” he said.
Creative Mischief is more than a marketing, branding and communications agency, said Sizemore. “We are creative strategy problem solvers and innovators that drive engagement with our clients and their audiences through a lens of equity which ultimately drives an enhanced emotional brand engagement for all involved,” he said. “Our mission is to help clients understand what marketing they need and why.”
Working alongside his business partner, Sizemore brings his experience in IT, operations, business development, project management and narrative assessment to the firm. His role is to oversee operations and serve as the public face of the agency.
Sizemore’s vision for the company is to foster authentic and intentional interactions with others. He has a passion to serve others and a mindset to cultivate meaningful relationships, said his staff. “As CEO, Chris encourages his team to not just focus on the services they provide to clients, but also emphasize the impact of envisioning the big picture and being open to change,” they said. “Our agency has learned to be agile enough to be where are customers are, and engage them in ways that are unique to their organization to produce their vision.”
