Leadership
From 2 to 12. Building an award-winning team

Growing a team takes time, a sense of culture and a clear vision.

When I joined TotallyMoney, I took on the challenge of building a new, high-performing Creative department. At that time, there were two digital designers in-house, and there were no structured creative processes in place. My mission was to build this function from scratch—to establish a team that would drive brand and marketing campaigns, aligning creative work closely with business goals. During my tenure at TotallyMoney, I’ve grown that modest setup to an award-winning team of over 12 multi-disciplinary specialists, recognised as the In-House Team of the Year for our work.

Laying the groundwork: Embedding creative values and defining processes

Establishing core creative values and ways of working that aligned with TotallyMoney’s mission is where I started. From the outset, I aimed for the Creative team to contribute meaningfully to the company’s brand identity, going beyond mere output. This meant defining guiding principles around creativity, innovation, and quality—standards that have since become the benchmark for every project, big or small.

I also developed robust processes to bring structure to the team’s operations. These frameworks balanced creativity with efficiency, ensuring we could deliver high-quality campaigns in a timely manner. By embedding these processes early on, we laid a strong foundation, so as the team grew, everyone understood not just how we worked but why we worked that way. A clear project management approach streamlined workflows, clarified roles, and set realistic timelines, helping us deliver cohesive, high-impact campaigns consistently.

Building beyond hierarchies

Building a high-functioning creative team is a skill in itself and requires more than just hiring talent; it involves cultivating the right routines, fostering an internal culture, and setting a vision that the entire team can rally behind. Scaling the team took time and required a strategic approach to hiring. I sought not only specialists—graphic designers, content strategists, UX/UI experts, and motion graphics artists—but individuals who embodied our values and were eager to collaborate. This intentional approach created a cross-functional team capable of tackling various creative needs in-house.

One common pitfall I’ve seen others encounter is focusing too much on hierarchy, often assuming a fixed ratio of senior to junior staff. In our case, success came from developing talent in-house and promoting from within. Many of our senior creatives began in junior roles and progressed into leadership organically, understanding our direction deeply and contributing actively to our culture. This approach created a cohesive, adaptable team with a shared sense of purpose.

No one person has all the answers, and diversity fuels the innovation that keeps our work fresh and relevant.

The role of diversity

Diversity has been a cornerstone of our team’s success. Bringing together different perspectives—whether through varied skills, backgrounds, or experiences—has ensured we approach challenges from unique angles. No one person has all the answers, and diversity fuels the innovation that keeps our work fresh and relevant. This variety of viewpoints helps us connect with a broader audience and tackle creative problems more effectively, producing campaigns that resonate widely.

Selecting the right creative talent and building motivation

In hiring, I look for team members who are exceptional at what they do, sometimes even better than I am in specific areas. My role as a creative leader isn’t to dictate every step but to facilitate growth, support, and connect the strengths within the team. I seek out people who challenge the status quo and are unafraid to bring new ideas forward—qualities essential to our growth and continuous improvement. The right talent not only pushes our function forward but also promotes a team dynamic where people hold each other accountable and work together toward shared goals.

Ensuring consistency in creative direction

Maintaining consistency across multiple projects and channels is a challenge in any field, especially in fintech. Our approach relies on a blend of clear vision and adaptable frameworks. Brand playbooks and evolving guidelines serve as our “north star,” but we also allow for flexibility to keep up with creative trends. While I stay involved in projects where possible to set a standard, our creative direction isn’t solely my own—it’s shaped collaboratively with input from the team. This collective ownership fosters accountability and consistency, as team members uphold high standards and ensure alignment across the board.

Recognition and the path forward

Our recent award as In-House Team of the Year is a testament to the dedication, strategy, and hard work that have gone into building a creative function that consistently drives value for TotallyMoney. The journey has underscored the importance of intentionality, vision, and collaboration. Looking ahead, the future holds exciting challenges as we continue to explore new ways to elevate the TotallyMoney brand.

ClientTotallyMoneyServicesLeadership