Welcome back to our agency profile series. Over a fresh coffee, we’re sitting down with our best and brightest to understand more about what drives the creativity in our teams, and what their daily grind looks like.
Meet Morgan Baker, a dedicated Project Manager in our US team. Morgan draws parallels between understanding the audience and true engagement, what she and Beyoncé have in common, and where to go for great iced coffee in New York City.
Tell us about your perfect morning brew
As a native Floridian, iced drinks are my preference, even during the most brutal of New York winters. When I buy coffee, I have to get the nitro cold brew from Champion Coffee—easily the best coffee shop in New York City.
What is your most memorable brand experience or campaign?
One of my favorite brand experiences as a consumer was for the second season of Outlander. I happened to come across the invitation on Twitter, and as a fan of the books and show, I knew I had to go.
On a beautiful fall day on the High Line in Manhattan, there were shirtless men in kilts posing for pictures, flower crowns to make, tea leaf readings, and a print shop incorporating a major plot point of the next season—a fun Easter egg for those who had read the books. It was the perfect combination of silly, delightful, and engaging: an event that truly knew and warmly embraced its audience.
Understanding the value for the audience and teasing that into the story made all the difference to the experience. I like to bring that understanding and emphasis to all of our projects at Cheerful Twentyfirst.
Tell us more about your role
One of the great things about my role is that every day is a little bit different. As a Project Manager in our US office, I primarily support projects and pitch work here in the States. Sometimes that means copyediting decks, or sometimes it’s researching studio spaces in New York City. Other times it’s translating event timelines into different time zones or creating and disseminating delegate agendas, calendars, and guidelines.
Being a project manager involves a lot of organizing which, if you’re like me, is an absolute thrill. There is nothing I love more than taking an information-heavy spreadsheet and transforming it into a useful, neat, and coherent tool for the team.
What are you currently working on?
Currently, I am managing a year-long digital learning program for one of our multinational tech clients. The project is made up of over 100 international virtual workshops, broken into five different sessions across six different languages. The devil is certainly in the details for this project, and that’s why I love it so much.
I’m really enjoying managing the schedule across multiple time zones, collaborating with our tech partners to ensure a successful live stream, and being the guide for all of the participants. Sometimes the hours can be a little crazy for this morning person, but I get to meet and learn from amazing people from all over the world in the comfort of my own home—technology is so cool.
Who would be your ideal mentor & why?
Beyoncé. Mostly, I think we’d work well together as two perfectionists, obsessed with the details. But I also have long admired Beyoncé. Her tireless work ethic and her motivational leadership is aspirational for me. She not only brings everyone together but helps elevate the team to her level. Seeing her grow creatively and pushing new boundaries these past few years has been inspiring. I would be lying if I said I didn’t listen to her Coachella performance at least once a week.
Do you have a work mantra? What is it?
Be kind and make an effort with people. All of my jobs have been client-facing, and one thing has held true in every different industry I’ve worked in: showing kindness and striving to make people feel seen, heard, and appreciated never fails. It’s the small things that make a huge impact.
