In this episode of Brand Story, our president, Steve Gilman, talks with Ted Royer, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Folk Devils, about the changing creative industry, building brands around real human insight, and finding the courage to create through uncertainty.
Creativity has always required a willingness to try something new. Today, that might matter more than ever.
In this episode, Ted Royer reflects on how the creative industry is evolving—and what shouldn’t get lost along the way. From rethinking the traditional agency model to embracing AI as a tool for exploration, he shares why the future of creative work isn’t about resisting change, but finding better ways to use it.
The conversation explores the value of taste and experience, why great brand building starts with listening, and how fear can keep people from pursuing ideas with real potential. Ted also shares a more personal perspective on failure, accountability, and the importance of accepting what is rather than holding onto what you thought life or your career would be.
At the center of it all is a belief in continuing to create. Whether you’re navigating new technology, building a brand, or figuring out what comes next, progress comes from experimenting, finishing the work, learning from it, and being willing to begin again.
