Company News

Celebrating 15 years of Joel Davis

Every team has that person who can do it all—a creative innovator who can solve any problem and make it look easy. You may not always notice it because he’s never calling attention to himself. He operates strategically, intentionally directing things behind the scenes so his team—and the work—really shines. But make no mistake, if you look closely you’ll recognize his influence over every project and in every design.

Joel Davis is that person for us at Cross & Crown. He’s been leading our creative team and managing every detail to keep projects running smoothly and turning out beautifully for fifteen years today. When we started this company, Joel was our first hire. Back when we had a handful of clients and were still earning our chops, Joel was right beside us making sure that our brand stayed memorable and unique in an ever-expanding marketplace.

If you’ve worked with our team for any length of time, we’re sure you’ve had the pleasure of working with Joel. As our Creative Director, we trust him to lead our client-facing conversations concerning branding and design. He has the unique ability to quickly discern our clients’ needs and translate that information into creative briefs that help our project managers and designers create products that truly solve problems and make our clients’ lives better. He’s an active listener, a clear communicator, and we love that he isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty.

To celebrate Joel and express our gratitude for the value he brings to the Cross & Crown brand, we wanted to take a moment and recognize a “day in the life” of our very own creative director. We really couldn’t do it without him, and we want all of our clients and partners to know all the ways he is working to make every Cross & Crown product a success.

Here’s a peek inside that Creative Director life:

• 7:00 am: Coffee in hand, arrives to work early and ready to roll. 
• 7:30 am: Morning routine commences. Checks email and Basecamp and scans for quick wins to get the day moving. Hits a few out of the park before the rest of us even get there. 
• 8:00 am: Preps for client calls. Does the research and legwork necessary to be ready to respond to questions and requests. 
• 8:30 am: Client meetings, design reviews, and problem solving. More coffee. Depending on the day this could go on for a few hours…
• Mid-morning: Meets with project managers and designers to deliver client updates or review creative briefs and answer any questions the team may have. Vision-casting, brainstorming, directing, collaborating, inspiring, and sometimes even commiserating—Joel is always there to make sure no one gets stuck and is always moving forward with purpose. 
• Lunch: Usually at his desk, but rarely while working at the same time. Joel knows the importance of a mental break to keep his mind fresh!
• Afternoon: There may be more client meetings or internal discussions, that cycle tends to be the real meat of the day. But in the midst of all the details he’s orchestrating, he’s still working on his own creative projects for our clients. He’s a designer at heart and we love seeing him thrive doing the things that drew him to this work in the first place.   
• Late-Afternoon: Makes the rounds to check-in with the team and ensure that no projects are stalled and solves any problem that may have arisen. He won’t leave until he knows everything is moving forward as it should.  
• 4 pm: Heads home to rest and spend time with his family to refresh for a brand new day! 

This is a typical day in the life of our creative director, but rest assured, he does so much more than what we’ve written here.

In the 15 years he’s worked with Cross & Crown, Joel has influenced the creation of more than 750 websites and 350 new brands.

That level of influence and multiplication cannot be underestimated. As we continue to create experiences that drive results for passionate people who want to make a difference in the world, we know that we can help them go even further with Joel’s creative energy driving the team full speed ahead.

Joel, we want you to know how much we appreciate all that you do to make this company great. Thank you for putting your personal touch on everything we do and solving problems with efficiency and grace. Thanks for always pushing us to be better and take the time to do it right the first time. We wouldn’t be who we are today without you. Here’s to another 15 years!