Stephen Preston

Creative leadership focused on growth, clarity, and brand integrity across product, storytelling, and commerce

I’m a VP-level brand and creative leader who partners with founders and executive teams to translate product vision, customer insight and merchandising strategy into emotionally resonant storytelling that drives demand, conversion and long-term loyalty.I lead brand at the system level — setting vision, building teams and ensuring every touchpoint works together to grow the business, not just look good.

Philosophy of Creative Leadership

I believe strong creative work starts with understanding the problem, not the output. Research, data, stakeholder input and testing all inform the work — but they don’t replace responsibility for the decision.When inputs conflict, I use data to guide the direction, then apply judgment to make the call, prioritizing brand integrity and long-term growth over short-term optimization.My role is to create clarity when information is incomplete, align teams around a shared standard and protect the brand as a strategic system. That means knowing when to test, when to iterate and when consistency and restraint matter more than novelty.I focus on building ideas and frameworks that enable execution, scale across channels and remain durable as teams, tools and priorities change.

Role Definition

I fit best in organizations where growth has outpaced clarity, brand expression has become inconsistent or creative output no longer reflects the ambition of the business.My role is to define direction, establish standards and create the conditions for teams to execute with focus and consistency. That includes translating business goals into clear creative frameworks, aligning stakeholders around a shared vision and making informed tradeoffs when priorities compete.Rather than focusing on individual assets, the work centers on systems — visual, verbal and experiential — that scale across channels and endure through organizational change.The goal is not volume or novelty, but coherence, recognition and sustained growth.

American First Finance - Brand System

CONTEXT
American First Finance required a comprehensive brand reset to support growth, improve clarity across channels, and establish a scalable creative system that could support performance marketing, partnerships, and enterprise expansion.As senior brand and creative leader, I owned the brand vision end-to-end — partnering closely with executive leadership to redefine positioning, establish governance, and translate business strategy into a cohesive brand system that could scale without losing integrity.

RESPONSIBILITY
Here I translating executive direction into a cohesive, scalable brand system that could endure organizational change.

CONSEQUENCE
Delivered immediate clarity and alignment while reducing long-term brand risk by transforming competing inputs into a durable system.

DECISION LOGIC

  • Identified a single unifying idea beneath disparate inputs

  • Removed elements that introduced inconsistency or dilution

  • Established rules to ensure coherence rather than compromise

SYSTEM CREATED

  • Governable visual and verbal framework

  • Clear guardrails for execution across channels

  • Scalable structure future teams could adopt without reinterpretation

CreditCorp — Brand Storytelling That Builds Trust and Drives Action

CONTEXT
CreditCorp needed a clear, human narrative to build trust, simplify a complex value proposition, and connect emotionally with customers in a regulated financial category.I led the development of a brand storytelling framework and hero video designed to clarify positioning, create emotional resonance, and support conversion across digital, retail, and broadcast touchpoints.

RESPONSIBILITY
After defining the narrative approach, next came shaping the story structure and ensuring alignment with the broader brand system — from concept through delivery.

CONSEQUENCE
Delivered a clear, emotionally resonant narrative that aligned internal stakeholders and reinforced credibility — demonstrating the ability to create impact, clarity and trust under extreme time constraint - a three-day deadline.

DECISION LOGIC

  • Prioritized message clarity and credibility over cinematic production

  • Used b-roll, customer testimonials and restrained music to keep focus on the message

  • Designed the narrative to function across contexts without reliance on spectacle

The objective was to create a story that could support serious conversations under real-world constraints.

SYSTEM CREATED

  • Core narrative framework aligned to brand positioning

  • Reusable storytelling structure adaptable to future needs

  • Asset designed to integrate seamlessly with broader brand communication

A/B Testing Campaign - Experimental Framework

CONTEXT
I aimed to introduce A/B testing to improve creative effectiveness, but formal analytics and tracking infrastructure were not fully implemented at the time.

RESPONSIBILITY
I developed the creative approach to support experimentation while avoiding over-optimization based on weak signals.

CONSEQUENCE
Established a disciplined approach to experimentation that balanced curiosity with restraint, enabling learning without sacrificing brand coherence or credibility.

DECISION LOGIC

  • Designed creative variations to isolate meaningful differences

  • Prioritized directional insight over premature conclusions

  • Avoided locking decisions to metrics that could not yet be trusted

SYSTEM CREATED

  • Modular creative framework built for iteration

  • Clear hypotheses tied to business and brand objectives

  • Foundation designed to mature alongside analytics capability

Variant A

Variant B

Teriyaki House - Brand Identity

CONTEXT
Teriyaki House sought a refreshed identity to support growth and improve visibility across physical and digital touchpoints. Multiple logo directions were explored, reflecting differing priorities around personality, legibility and longevity.The final selection incorporated elements that differed from the recommended direction.

RESPONSIBILITY
For this client, I developed the identity options, advised on brand direction, articulated the implications of each option and ensured the chosen identity was executed with consistency and integrity.

CONSEQUENCE
Delivered a unified brand presence that improved consistency and recognition, demonstrating the ability to lead with perspective while executing decisively within constraint.

DECISION LOGIC

  • Presented clear recommendations grounded in clarity, longevity and usability

  • Supported the final decision while protecting coherence across the system

  • Focused on execution discipline rather than revisiting settled choices

The priority shifted from which logo was chosen to how well the identity functioned once selected.

SYSTEM CREATED

  • Cohesive identity applied across signage, menus, apparel and digital

  • Consistent visual language reinforcing recognition and usability

  • Clear rules to prevent further fragmentation over time

What Leaders Say

Feedback from executive and cross-functional partners.

“Stephen was a valued member of our leadership team and consistently brought clarity and perspective to complex decisions.”Nate "EJ" Jarvis, CMO
American First Finance

“Stephen excels at translating vision into actionable plans and building creative solutions that teams can execute with confidence.”Dawn Hyde-Burger, Executive Director, Growth Marketing

Open to the right next role.

If you’re looking for experienced creative leadership across B2B, SaaS, financial services, healthcare and enterprise organizations, I’d welcome a conversation.

© 2026 Stephen Michael Preston