Creative, fluent in business. Business, fluent in creative.
Hello, I’m James Rognon, a strategic creative leader who’s spent the past 15 years helping brands of all sizes connect the dots between bold ideas and business results. I’ve led campaigns for household names like:
For the past decade, I’ve also taught the next generation of creatives how to do the same.
I work remotely with teams nationwide, bringing a leadership style that blends creative intuition with strategic rigor. Whether I’m leading a pitch, mentoring a designer, or mapping a multi-channel campaign, my focus stays the same: make it smart, make it beautiful, make it matter.
What Skills I bring
Leadership
I believe in process, not chaos. Vision, not ego. My job as a creative leader is to bring clarity, structure, and energy. To create an environment where great ideas can thrive and people can do the best work of their careers.
At Soapbox Agency, I led a large student-run ad agencies, managing two teams of 45+ across design, strategy, and production. My leadership style was shaped not only by agency life, but also by a decade of teaching and mentoring at the university level. I don’t just give feedback, I coach. I don’t just run the machine, I build it, test it, and teach others how to use it better.
Direction & Mentorship
Built and led 90+ member student-run agencies; coached hundreds of young creatives and professionals.
Process & Operations
Strong systems thinker; implemented team workflows that increased efficiency and output.
Business Acumen
MBA in Marketing, plus experience managing large budgets, P&L, and KPIs.
Creative
I’m not the kind of creative who only chases awards, I chase outcomes. My process is grounded in design thinking and data-backed strategy. That means getting the brief right, understanding the audience, testing the ideas, and iterating with purpose. I love collaboration and cross-functional partnerships, and I bring a deep respect for both creative craft and client objectives.
Because I’ve worked across brand, UX, content, and marketing, I know how to bring teams together around a unifying idea, and get it launched.
Creative Direction & Brand Strategy
From concept to execution, I connect business goals with brand expression.
Campaign Development
Multi-platform experience across social, digital, and traditional.
UX, Content, and Messaging
Collaborated with developers, writers, and marketers to improve site performance and storytelling.
YEARS
Helped
Directed
Mentored
My Experience
Career Highlights
Here’s a simplified look at where I’ve been and what I’ve built:
University Professor
Taught visual communication, digital marketing, and content strategy to hundreds of students.
Soapbox & Scroll
The executive creative director of the student-run ad agency and newsroom; oversaw all creative, brand, and ops decisions.
Cabela’s
Developed national retail campaigns including Bassmaster Classic; helped developed mobile-first responsive ux designs and development.
SEO.com
Led full-service content and design strategy for major digital clients including Dell and Hotels.com.
Client Work
Led strategic creative for clients including Goal Zero, Fit2Fat2Fit, Howard Hughes Holdings Inc, Idaho Department of Corrections, and more.
MBA Marketing Emphasis
This wasn’t just about checking a box. I pursued my MBA to sharpen how I lead creative work through a business lens. The program focused heavily on
- Strategic planning
- Consumer behavior
- Marketing analytics
- Marketing financials
- Organizational leadership
I use what I learned every day, setting budgets, aligning cross-functional teams, or pitching a creative concept that ties back to ROI.
BS in Marketing with a Visual Communication Cluster
This degree gave me a unique foundation in both the why and the how of brand-building.
I paired traditional marketing strategy with hands-on design, layout, and visual storytelling courses.
That early mix of business and creative thinking set the tone for my entire career, and gave me the language to speak fluently with both creatives and executives.
Education
My creative roots run through business strategy. I earned an MBA to better align creative leadership with results, and I’ve been putting it to work ever since. Paired with my undergrad in marketing and visual comms, this gives me the rare ability to lead both the brand vision and the business metrics that support it.