From Music to Marketing: My Journey to Creative Director at Notch Creative
If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd be running a Meta ads agency, I probably would've laughed.
Not because I didn't think I had it in me, but because the path that led me here wasn't exactly traditional. It was more a mix of creativity, timing, and saying yes to the right opportunities, even when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing at the time.
I've always been a creative person. Music was my first love, and for years I poured my energy into writing, performing, and promoting my own gigs. That last part, designing the posters, building hype on social media, crafting a brand without even realising that's what I was doing, turned out to be the foundation for everything that came next.
In 2020, I decided to make things official and studied Events Management. We all know how that year went. Suddenly the events industry wasn't exactly thriving, and I found myself pivoting into the only role available: an Events and Marketing Assistant position. It turned out to be more marketing than events and I was completely hooked.
That role pulled me deeper into creative marketing, and I started applying everything I was learning to my own music career. The more I experimented, the more I realised I had a genuine knack for it. I eventually landed a content creator role at a marketing firm in Taranaki, New Zealand, which was a real turning point. I fell in love with the strategy, the storytelling, the idea that the right creative could actually change how a business performs.
Then came a three-month backpacking trip across Europe, which was equal parts incredible and financially brutal. When my bank account started looking dangerously low, I picked up freelance branding and content work to keep things moving. Word spread, clients kept coming, and before I knew it I was running a full-time creative business.
What that business looks like today looks a little different and honestly, a lot better.
Notch has evolved into something I'm really proud of: a specialist Meta ads agency built specifically for e-commerce brands who want to sell more on social. We're not trying to do everything for everyone. We do one thing exceptionally well; combining strong creative with sharp paid media strategy to help product-based brands reach more people and make more sales.
What drives me now?
Watching a client's revenue grow because of work we did together. That never gets old.
There's something genuinely exciting about seeing an e-commerce brand go from inconsistent sales and a patchy social presence, to running ads that convert, a profile that builds trust on arrival, and a clear strategy that actually makes sense for where they're going. I know first-hand how overwhelming the digital marketing world can feel when you're just trying to run your business and I love making it simpler, smarter, and most importantly, more profitable for the brands we work with.
The work I love most
The best projects are the ones where we get to be fully hands-on from the initial creative concept and content shoot, right through to building the campaigns, watching the data come in, and scaling what's working. Seeing a well-crafted ad turn into real, measurable revenue for a founder who's poured everything into their product is the good stuff.
How I work
I run on lists. If it's not written down, it doesn't exist. I love a creative brainstorm just as much as a structured plan and when things get overwhelming, a long run usually sorts me out.
A few fun facts
I studied A Cappella in LA, which was essentially a real-life Pitch Perfect experience.
Iced coffee, year round, no exceptions.
My dream project is anything which gives me an excuse to mix work with travel. Flights on the company card? Yes please.
If I could design anything for the world, it'd be a teleportation device. Seeing family in NZ more than once every two years would be nice.
Looking ahead
Notch started as a way to turn my creative skills into a career. It's grown into a team, a business, and a place where e-commerce brands come when they're serious about growth. We're small, and that's the whole point. You're not just another client on a long list. You're our client, and we're genuinely invested in what you're building.
When your sales grow, we feel that. When something we created converts, we celebrate it with you. It's a relationship, not just a retainer.
If you're looking for a team who'll treat your ad budget like it's their own, tell your brand story with real creativity, and actually care whether it works, let's talk.
Into this kind of thing? So are we.
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