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The Creativity of Work is where you make work feel human again.

The way we work right now isn’t working. Burnout is the norm. Meetings are a waste of time. Emails and Slack notifications flood in 24/7, and taking actual time off is too often a taboo. Even when life outside of work feels full, work itself can feel hollow.

And yet.

Every once in a while, there’s a spark. A team meeting where you belly-laughed. A piece of work you’re proud of. A colleague you click with. A desk covered in weird tchotchkes that somehow make Tuesdays better. Moments and mementos that remind us work can still stretch us in meaningful ways, through creativity, connection, and care.

That’s the territory The Creativity of Work explores.

This newsletter is for you if:

You came up in the “pay your dues” era of work. You’re good at your job. You might even love it sometimes. But you’re tired of the grind, and you want to think about work with more imagination. You’re bored and burnt out, craving renewed energy and meaning in your work life.

What you’ll find here:

Every other Sunday (free): A curated mix of ideas, books, music, and prompts designed to stretch how you think about work that week. Think of it as a creative warm-up for Monday.

Paid subscribers also get:

~ An every-other-week essay that reframes something familiar about work life in a fresh, unexpected way

~ Occasional bonus tracks: playlists, templates, and experiments

Want to go deeper? Book an Office Hours session for a 1-on-1 on leadership, marketing strategy, or whatever’s keeping you up at night.

About me:

I’m Allison Stadd, a Philly-based CMO, jazz drummer, and mom of two who runs on coffee and curiosity. I’ve spent nearly 20 years in brand marketing leadership, helping scale brands like Shake Shack, Sweetgreen, BarkBox, Stella Artois, and now Ollie.

That work has taught me a lot, from managing a budget and making a mean board deck to using an industrial salad spinner and wrangling 15 rescue dogs on a shoot day, but the most important learning is this: professional wellbeing and personal wellbeing are deeply connected. We can’t fully thrive as people without paying attention to how we feel while we’re working.

This newsletter is how I pay attention.

The bottom line:

Work may never be perfect. But it can still be nourishing and meaningful.

If that sounds like something you want more of, you’re in the right place.

What subscribers say:

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“Allison’s newsletter is an instant read for me every week, because every issue includes a brilliant insight for me to learn and immediately apply to my work. I can’t recommend reading this weekly gem highly enough!” — Jenna B., Portland

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“This newsletter is my weekly boost of creative confidence at work.” — Brian H., Philadelphia

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“Allison brings a perspective you don’t find in typical leadership content: equal parts rigorous (she’s always got a reference or a resource) and human (with a creative angle). Whether I’m reading for myself or with clients in mind, I always leave with something I can use.”” — Ashley R., NYC