Meet Jennie Myers

If Drake Cooper were a ship, Jennie Myers would be the one keeping it afloat, making sure it stayed clear of any storms, and singing nightly in the cabana room. Yes, she is that talented.  She sets the bar that all of Drake Cooper’s work is held up to, and we are proud to call her our VP Creative / Executive Creative Director.

Q: The Center of Aquatic Mammals in conjunction with the Society of Oceanic Life has just released their findings of a ten-year study that confirms the well-known fact that narwhals are the most ticklish of all the noble sea beasts – our question is why?

A: (One long paragraph of laughter) No, the question is, what does a narwhal laugh sound like?

Q: What sparked your interest in design?

A: I was always a pretty creative kid. You should see what I can do with elbow macaroni and glitter. My parents encouraged my creativity. When I was a junior in high school, I went on a summer trip to the Art Institute of Seattle. One of the students at the time was walking us through one of her projects and scanned a piece of napkin art into the computer. The way she transformed what was originally an ink blob into something beautiful blew my mind. It was that moment when I knew that I wanted to be a designer. I’m so appreciative that my roots are in design. It informs how I solve problems even though I’m not the actual designer anymore.

Q: One lesson you have learned from working at Drake Cooper?

A: I feel like I learn something new almost every single day – my google.keep is full of all of those lessons, now if I could just recall them at the right moment, I’d be set. A lesson I learn over and over is that the true test of success and getting something accomplished is to do that in the face of chaos. Anybody can show up when it’s rainbows and sunshine, but when everything is chaotic, to stay positive and proactive, that’s so important. I try every day, and then remind myself to try harder the next time.

Q: Who would win in an arm-wrestling competition between you and Cale?

A: Cale would crush me in an arm wrestling competition. Especially if he wore a headband and a power-t that day. I could probably take him in a staring competition.

Q: When on tour with your band Jennie Myers and the Fantastic Five, what is in your rider?

A: Given that I have zero musical talent I’m not sure this is a band that would make it on any sort of tour. If in some alternate reality I was musically gifted and on tour, my rider would stipulate that fan sections organize by height, short peeps up front, so they didn’t have to breath recycled air. AND my shows would need to be in theme parks with roller coasters. I love roller coasters.

Q: What have you learned from failure?

A: The most valuable lessons I learn are from failing in some way. That said, failure can be a strategic move. If you’re not failing, you’re not taking enough risks or growing. I want to find where the real boundaries are, and that means pushing beyond comfort zones. There is an invisible electric fence out there, (in life, creativity, business) and you won’t know where that boundary is until you bounce up against it – and yes it hurts a little bit. It stings, but you now know where that fence is. If you didn’t find the fence, it is likely that you would have left (creative) opportunity on the table.

Q: What is a passion outside of work?

A: I don’t understand the question….What is this outside of work you speak of?
Kidding. I love to bake. I like to take a recipe and see how healthy I can make it and still make it taste good. I was on a pretty intense muffin mission this winter. I also love to bike, snowboard, and I try to run as much as I can for my sanity. One of my favorite things to do is to hang out with these three rad little boys that I recently met; they’re good taste testers too.

Q: When humankind landed on the moon, the astronauts left certain personal items or tokens. What would you leave?

A:  That’s a tough one. I’m not sure what I would leave, but I would want a picture of my feet in my rad space shoes to take back home with me.

Q: What’s the most ridiculous thing you have ever googled (that you can share… on a public blog)?

A: Finger monkey. Because I want one.

Q: At a movie theater which arm rest is yours?

A: It depends on who I’m with.

Q:  To many young advertisers, you have the dream job. What has been something that has surprised you about your position?

A: I try not to be surprised by anything anymore. It’s best for one’s sanity and soul to stay open and flexible. Advertising responds to humanity, and it’s at the mercy of cultural and technological shifts and trends. The challenge is to know what to respond to and what to ignore. Because of this constant state of change, there is no one point in this career choice where you can say, “I’ve made it, I’ve got this mastered.” To stay relevant, you have to constantly learn, unlearn, adjust, shift, pivot, re-think, and stay curious. I love that.