FourTwo Creative

At FourTwo Creative we're starting the new year with a focus on more collaboration. As we grow and plan for more project work this year, we're looking to add more creative professionals to our directory. If we haven't met yet, FourTwo is a full-service creative agency that creates culturally relevant and authentic experiences for diverse audiences. Let me know who we should be working with in the comments—Black creatives to the front! You can apply to join our directory here: https://lnkd.in/d3W9jV7g

This year has undoubtedly been a challenging one for creative professionals. As an agency, we’ve experienced the highs and lows of navigating industry demands while also working to scale our business and serve our community. Nonetheless, we want to take a moment to reflect on the moments of growth we've experienced this year, and remind ourselves that we have plenty more to look forward to in the year ahead. One of the highlights of this year was the launch of Black Creatives Unplugged (BCU), an event series designed to create a space for creatives to connect, share experiences, and engage on equal footing. At our first gathering, we facilitated open conversations about attendees’ hopes, frustrations, and challenges, and explored potential solutions together in a supportive, welcoming environment. For our second event in June, we brought in a diverse group of creatives and entrepreneurs to share their personal journeys and insights on securing funding. The response has been incredibly positive, and we’re excited to bring BCU back in 2025, with plans to make it even more impactful. Alongside BCU, we led branding projects for a diverse range of clients, showcasing our expertise in strategy and design. We also attended several industry events, where we gained valuable insights, made new connections, and shared our experiences through speaking engagements. One notable moment was when our Head of Design, Oyinkan Olojede, spoke about creative entrepreneurship alongside fellow Black women founders at WAATBP 2024. Looking ahead, we're committed to expanding our community-building efforts and continuing to work with culturally-minded clients who want to engage with multicultural markets in meaningful ways. This is a journey we’re proud to be on, and we’re deeply grateful for the support we’ve received along the way. We lived, we learned and, most importantly, we made it! Here's how you can stay connected with us in the new year: ?????? If you're a creative worker, join our directory: https://lnkd.in/eER8aaXb ?????? If you want to work with us as a client, build your brief: https://lnkd.in/eaDcEX5d ??? Stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ewDgcMVt Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fruitful 2025!

In 2024, I stepped up my global production game. With years of experience in production, this journey sharpened my skills as a producer, project manager, and leader in motivating and managing teams. IYKYK! #1 Compassionate Leadership in Production!!!!! The production world can be ruthless. Too many leaders focus solely on results, often at the crew’s expense. I’ve felt the sting of poor leadership firsthand—and vowed to lead differently. This year, I stepped in when toxic leadership drained morale, ensuring every crew member felt valued and inspired. Treating your crew as a community isn’t just nice—it’s crucial for great work. Key Production Lessons – 1. Contracts Matter Reviewing contracts with a legal team is essential. Freelancers, if money’s tight, I have connections who can help. Clear deliverables and payment terms change the game. 2. Pre-Production is Everything Pre-production is the creative heartbeat of any project. Map out goals, milestones, and results—especially under tight deadlines. Rushed prep leads to rushed results. 3. Tailored Leadership Every crew member has unique needs. Compassion and adaptability trump the “just get it done” mindset every time. 4. Navigating Unexpected Challenges Pivoting without losing sight of your original vision is crucial. Things won’t always go as planned—that’s a fact. The key lies in restructuring effectively while staying firm on critical elements. Problem-solving is my jam, but sometimes you have to stand your ground—period. From concept to completion, caring leadership and thoughtful planning make all the difference. Let’s change the way we produce—together.

Have a holiday campaign or a project in mind for the new year? We want to work with you! We create culturally resonant campaigns for brands across industries and we’re currently taking new clients. Shoot us an email at [email protected] to get the conversation started or build your brief via our website: https://lnkd.in/eaDcEX5d

As a growing company, we’re constantly looking to form new connections in the industry and stay up-to-date on the latest developments in creative marketing. In an effort to do so, we’ve attended a number of industry conferences and events within the past month and it’s been great to learn and make connections IRL. Our production-conscious minds mean that we’re often not only attending events to gain useful knowledge and connections, but we’re also observing their set up and how they function. After each event, we recap as a group and ask ourselves a few questions about our experience: Was it valuable as an attendee? Was the environment conducive and welcoming? Did the organizers attempt anything new or innovative to address attendee needs? Here are a few of the themes that often come up in our conversations: ?? Accessibility Gap: Conference ticket prices often present a barrier for smaller agencies and independent creatives, who could most benefit from attending them. What kinds of changes are needed to make these events more affordable? ???? Clout vs Substance: At some events, it can?feel like appearances and content capture are prioritized first and foremost. While great content is important, how can organizers make sure it doesn’t come at the expense of substantive programming? ?? Panel Fatigue: What would it look like to breakaway from the typical conversation format and explore alternative approaches to programming? Could this lead to attendees leaving with more valuable takeaways? ???? Fostering Real Connections: How can the networking and connecting aspects of these events be better integrated with the programming and the structure of the day? As a community-driven agency, we want to find ways to best serve fellow creative workers, and ensure that events are inclusive and substantive. We created Black Creatives Unplugged this year to do just that, and we’re working to bring it back in 2025 on an even larger scale ?? We’re also open and available to collaborate with organizations on programming and event production to build the best possible experiences for attendees. Check out our services to see more of our capabilities (yes this is a shameless plug ??): https://lnkd.in/eKkRTDAS What would you like to see more of at industry events? Let us know in the comments.?

Don't miss the opportunity to hear from our Co-Founder, Oyinkan Olojede, and other amazing Black-women founders about navigating this space ???? ??

STORYTIME: Six months ago, I embarked on an exhilarating journey as a nomadic entrepreneur, driven by my love for travel and a desire to broaden my global production skills. This adventure has been nothing short of amazing. I've become more focused on my personal and professional goals and had the privilege of meeting incredible people from all over the world. Building meaningful relationships has brought immense joy, and prioritizing my well-being has been a refreshing change. The start of this journey wasn't without its challenges. Projects I had counted on were put on hold, forcing me to pitch myself tirelessly and juggle administrative tasks to secure new work. Thankfully, my persistence paid off with projects that perfectly aligned with my goals. Determination to live abroad kept me going, and the unwavering support of my extended family helped ease the financial stress that came with this transition. Reflecting on my time as a nomad, several key learnings stand out: Shared passions unite people. Conversations with fellow travelers and entrepreneurs often turn to our visions, hustles, side projects, and goals. These exchanges have led to intimate moments of connection and inspiration, encouraging me to delve deeper with the people in my life by asking similar questions. Slow and steady wins the race. Embracing a slower pace has allowed more time for planning and development, leading to greater execution and outcomes in my projects. This has been a powerful reminder that patience is a virtue in both travel and entrepreneurship. Embrace the unknown and step out of your comfort zone. My solo nomadic journey has inspired others, which has been a wonderful surprise. While some admire the idea but hesitate to take the leap, I encourage them (and anyone with a similar dream) to embrace the uncertainty and challenges. Growth often lies just beyond our comfort zones. This incredible journey as a nomadic entrepreneur has been immensely rewarding. I'm excited to share that, alongside this adventure, I’ve been building and growing FourTwo Creative, working on projects that fuel my passion. Let’s connect and explore how we can collaborate and inspire each other as we pursue our dreams and embrace new opportunities together. ???? #NomadicEntrepreneur #CreativeLife #FourTwoCreative #ChaseYourDreams

What she said!!! ??

Last week, we gathered in Brooklyn for the second edition of FourTwo’s “Black Creatives Unplugged” ? Our speakers Paakow Essandoh, Lindsey Redd and Alexis Mena shared valuable knowledge on how they’ve secured funding for their respective work & initiatives. The conversation was inspiring and full of practical knowledge to help fellow creatives with their fundraising efforts. It’s always an honor to connect with our creative community in a meaningful and collaborative way. Can’t wait for the next one! ?? by @azo_photography

In April we hosted our first Black Creatives Unplugged event at The Se7en in Brooklyn. After the year we had in 2023 we wanted to create a space for our community to share in the full spectrum of what it means to live and work as a Black creative in this moment. One of the questions we asked attendees was “What is a challenge you’re currently facing?” One of the top themes that came through was a need for guidance around funding. For the second installment of Black Creatives Unplugged we tapped a few members of our community to share their personal journeys and insights on multiple approaches to funding ?? We’re very excited to welcome Lindsey Redd, CEO & Founder of Loula, Paakow Essandoh CEO & Founder of MIZIZI, and @Alexis Mena, Co-founder & Creative Director of Universe City NYC to present and join the conversation around “Getting to the funds!” As we build our community platform our intention is to facilitate spaces for us all to share, learn, and pool resources to support our collective growth and wellbeing. If you’re in NY or know someone who should join us on Tuesday June 25th share it: https://lnkd.in/d9Ffh8JX