AMA: Dustyn Bailey Interviews Meg Raiano 2/16/23
Dustyn Bailey 11:30 AM
We got 30mins until @Meg Raiano is jumping on!
In case you don't know Meg!
She owns a cool little agency called reCreative in York: https://recreative.co/
She has clients in Maine and across the Northeast!
She has three cute dogs
reCreative + Co.
reCreative + Co. is a creative development company based in the Portsmouth, NH and York, ME seacoast.
Also if you've been to anyone of DWS in 2022 you likely bumped into her!
I'm excited to see what's going on with ethical marketing and ask about her insights on the industry in 12 mins
I hope everyone in the @channel has some questions for @Meg Raiano today!
Alrighty, 5 minutes
I got most of questions ready
I got my lunch
and I just got all the and for tonight's #dws
So everything is good over here!
@Meg Raiano if you are on a few minutes early feel free to jump on and say hi!
Meg Raiano 11:58 AM
I sure am! Hello out there
Thanks for having me!
Dustyn Bailey 11:59 AM
Of course @Meg Raiano!
We missed you at the last DWS! @Jared McKenna and I were wondering where our drinking buddy was!
Then again, we almost filled all of Liquid Riot
Meg Raiano 12:00 PM
Ugh I missed you guys too! I believe I was away for the last one, and I unfortunately won't be there tonight but I will do my best to be at next months!
Dustyn Bailey 12:01 PM
Well you'll definitely be there at the Broderson Awards right?
Meg Raiano 12:01 PM
Yessir, wouldn't miss it
Dustyn Bailey 12:01 PM
We'll have more on that soon for everyone so you can miss the date!
But enough about programming!
You're here for our little AMA series where we get to know you better!
Meg Raiano 12:02 PM
Woohoo
Dustyn Bailey 12:03 PM
So my first question is from the past. You worked at larger agencies in Connecticut and New York, but you decided to become an owner. You started reCreative, what made you think of the name and strike out on your own? (edited)
Meg Raiano 12:04 PM
Ooh, that's an excellent one...
reCreative was born when I was still living in New York. I had started creating some designs for new friends that I had made on the train ride into work every morning. Aka, my ‘train friends’. And yes, I did call them that out loud.
Officially, the company was started in 2015 but didn’t become my full time gig until 2017. I was working at another agency at the time and it was one of those companies who didn’t really take their employees into consideration. I would wake up in the middle of the night in a panic that I had forgotten to do something. A few months after the panic really set in I decided that I wasn’t going to let this company ruin my health and wellbeing, I made sure reCreative had enough clients that I could sustain my mortgage for a few months and then I gave my two weeks notice.
reCreative + Co. has been thriving ever since.
Now... about the name
When I started reCreative in 2015, I had a dog named Frankenstein. She was the most amazing pup in the world (don’t tell my current dogs). The name reCreative came from the literary character, Frankenstein, in that the monster was recreated from other peoples’ body parts, just like our clients would be recreated with new strategy and design.Originally called Frankenstein reCreative, Frank was made of lightning and the body parts of others, pieced together by a mad scientist with a vision for a better world.
Dustyn Bailey 12:06 PM
That's dope.
I won't tell your current puppers. (edited)
But that is quite a journey, and I thank you for sharing the effect it had on your health and allowing us into the personal reasons you needed to change your professional outlook.
Some people probably need to hear a path out of the pressure and strain, so thank you
On that note, what do you feel the industry gets wrong?
Meg Raiano 12:09 PM
I’m not sure there’s one thing that everyone gets wrong but I do think the advertising industry as a whole could use some more heart.
Of course, advertising was created to sell things, but how can we add enrichment to that instead of hollow gestures? I believe this is changing with the influx of sustainability and more general awareness of the impact we as individuals have on the world around us, but I do hope that we can add just a little more heart into everything we do.
Dustyn Bailey 12:11 PM
I've been doing a little history work since it is MADE's 100th year, and I like asking this question because I think we have some traditional traits assigned to our industry, and they are not wholly untrue depending on where you look.
Do you see ways that advertising and design can have more heart @Meg Raiano? Is that why in 2021 reCreative Good became the ethical arm of the company?
Meg Raiano 12:12 PM
Oh definitely.
Dustyn Bailey 12:12 PM
And for those who don't know, can you give us the 411 on ethical design and advertising?
Rachel 12:13 PM
I’m sad that I can’t make it! I look forward to watching the recording.
Meg Raiano 12:13 PM
The vision for reCreative Good is to create a more equitable relationship between business and consumer where individuals’ third-party data isn’t used against them. And hopefully, expand upon that in the future as well. How can we create technologies and designs that don't prey on consumer behaviors and emotional responses.
I’ve done a lot of work throughout the last two years with the Center for Humane Technology, first taking their foundations course, and then becoming an affinity group leader of the Ethics in Advertising group, and active community member. Through this community I’ve learned so much about how technology is shaping the world around us and ourselves without even being aware of it.
We are currently working on a pilot program of ten businesses that are partnering with us to prove our hypothesis that you don’t need third-party data to get the same return on investment of an advertising campaign. All ten businesses are either sustainability driven or ethically designed to cause fewer harms. I’d be happy to give more details once our initial pilot program is complete but the end goal is to create a platform that any agency can adopt and present to their new clientele, in the hopes to make the digital world more equitable for all.
Dustyn Bailey 12:16 PM
That's incredible @Meg Raiano! I hope you can share the results with us at the end of the experiment!
Meg Raiano 12:16 PM
Yessir, definitely will!
Dustyn Bailey 12:17 PM
If you had a takeaway for another MADE member, owner or creative, so they can start implementing more ethical practices - what would it be?
Meg Raiano 12:18 PM
The simplest way to start is to think about externalities of what you're producing. What might happen if your campaign launches? What will the potential effects be? (edited)
Dustyn Bailey 12:19 PM
That's a good rule of thumb to start the process, thank you!
Alrighty, I know ethics are big part of who you are and the brand you are building, but in your personal life I know you also support a lot of causes. Can you name a one or two and why they are important to you?
Meg Raiano 12:20 PM
It sounds simple but in my experience we create things without thinking of how they might come off to the general public [outside of the clients] so just taking that into consideration is a great place to start.
Meg Raiano 12:20 PM
Oh certainly
The most important cause to me is support for Parkinson’s Disease, specifically through my family’s fundraising with The Michael J. Fox Foundation.
My mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010 and has been living with it for 13+ years now. 6 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s and there are still very few options for care. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is focused on finding new and alternative therapies for Parkinson’s care.
Although many people think of Parkinson’s as strictly a movement disease, that’s really the least of it. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder which means it slowly chips away at your brain and body function, much like Lewy Body Dementia or Huntington’s disease.
Many people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s well into their 60’s or 70's but my mother was diagnosed with early on-set in 2010 when she was 56. And was diagnosed with tremors well before then. She has mostly likely had the disease for many more years than we know.
My family raises money by hosting and competing in events from cycling and running to hosting a putt-putt for Parkinson’s event at our local ice cream and mini golf place. To date, we’ve raised more than $30,000 over the last few years.
The big event for myself and my father each year is the New England Parkinson’s Ride which is a 10, 30, 50, 62, or 100 mile bike route starting in Old Orchard Beach. This year will be my first year riding the full 100 miler.
Dustyn Bailey 12:24 PM
Thank you for sharing something that is very personal, spreading awareness, and raising money to address this (edited)
It takes a lot of passion, patience, and heart to make that level of difference.
Meg Raiano 12:25 PM
There's not much we can do for her, other than to help #speedacure by fundraising
But she's a fighter and an absolute badass
Dustyn Bailey 12:27 PM
I'm not surprised, I imagine you get some of that bad-ass attitude from her
Especially to tackle that kind of mileage!
Now I know we have gotten personal, but give us something about Meg off the clock and resting. Where does she travel? What's a cozy afternoon in Meg's world?
Meg Raiano 12:29 PM
The thing about me is I really don't have an off switch, so rest isn't often an option
Dustyn Bailey 12:29 PM
Boy do I feel that @Meg Raiano
Meg Raiano 12:30 PM
That being said, I spend most of my time outside of work on my bike or hanging out with my three dogs. I ride 15+ miles each day, whether inside on a trainer or (when the weather is cooperating) outside around my neighborhood in York & Ogunquit. When not on the bike, I like to run around my yard, go for hikes, or cuddle on the couch with my puppies, Willomena, Sebastien, and Elvis.
Dustyn Bailey 12:30 PM
Oh wow, look at those sweet mugs!
Meg Raiano 12:31 PM
I also just bought some land so I expect that some of this Spring will be spent making it look nice
Dustyn Bailey 12:32 PM
Good for you grabbing some real estate!
I know it's been a little quiet here this afternoon in the @channel, but people like to scroll through and this is good place for people to know you and get some key insights to take away and shape their personal an professional lives.
So I like to leave with my favorite question - if there is one thing you can tell young Meg about your career, what would it be and why?
Meg Raiano 12:33 PM
Oooh
Dustyn Bailey 12:34 PM
I know, the tough questions here
Meg Raiano 12:34 PM
There are LOTS of things I’d tell my younger self… Probably most importantly would be that it’s ok to pivot. You don’t have to stay in something, work or otherwise, that isn’t working for you.
To that end, I worked at a number of places that caused me some real anxiety. Severe anxiety can be a byproduct of work, but should it be? I don’t think so. And when you’re just starting out, I found more often than not that if you don’t know how to advocate for yourself, no one else will. It’s ok to pivot, and will more than likely serve you and your mental health better in the long run.
Dustyn Bailey 12:37 PM
Those are wise words to live by. I think many people in our industry have that challenge and may not realize there are ways to address it.
Again thank you so much for jumping on today, giving us an insight into Meg's world and advocating for ethical design and advertising. I hope we can have a panel discussion with some other MADE members later this year and I'd love to have you on it!
Meg Raiano 12:38 PM
Thank you for having me!
Dustyn Bailey 12:38 PM
@Meg Raiano appreciate you