Josh R.
Creative Director & Narrative Strategist
Storytelling + POV · Creative Direction · Content Development · Brand Strategy · Programming + Roll-out · Content Systems
I make complex or overlooked companies and products culturally relevant. Fast.
The Disconnect
Most companies don't have a creative problem. They have a clarity problem.
- Founders or clients are too close to the product to frame it cleanly
- Agencies excel at polish, but not early-stage chaos of building stories, systems, & structure
- Most messaging, creative & content looks fine but says nothing — not audience obsessed
- Strategic framing is missing — there's no clear POV or editorial judgment guiding what to say, how to say it, or what to cut
- Content & programming fall flat without a real story — and a 360 rollout plan upstream
- The result: lost deals, wasted spend, and low engagement ideas that don't land
These are the exact problems I'm called in to solve.
Who I Am
I partner with founders, platforms, sports orgs, and ambitious brands to turn complex problems into stories & content programming people feel — and want to be part of.
I've reframed and built positioning, narrative, concepts, and content systems that build audiences for Twitch, LIV Golf, Amazon Music, and X Games from the inside.
Now I work with ambitious companies — not as a vendor, but as a fractional creative partner and storyteller.
My roots are editorial. The work scales because I can build the system behind the story.
Case Studies
X Games — MSP Sports Capital
VP, Content & Brand Strategy
Rebuilt content programming to make X Games a year-round cultural conversation — athlete + creator-driven storytelling across platforms. Developed the narrative system, creative standards, and launch/runway plan for key tentpoles across social, YouTube, livestreaming, and broadcast — translating story into audience growth and commercial momentum.
- +1,040% YoY Impressions
- +132% Engagement
- +31% Broadcast & Streaming Viewership YoY
- 2.5x Sponsorship & Ad Revenue
Amp — Amazon Music
Head of Content & Creator Marketing
5th hire. Defined Amp's creator-first brand and narrative — positioning hosts as the heartbeat of the platform and building a content programming + tone-of-voice system that celebrated their voices, stories, and communities. Led launch strategy and messaging, and ran the rollout across channels and teams, keeping creative standards consistent from in-product to campaign.
- +95% Positivity Rating (18-34)
- #21 App Store on Launch (Target: Top 100)
Ripper GC — LIV Golf
VP, Brand + Content
Shaped Ripper GC into a culture brand — defining the point of view, tone, and social-first programming that reframed golf through lifestyle, humor, and camaraderie. Built a repeatable content system (series formats, creator collabs, and rollout playbooks) that scaled despite limited player access outside competition.
- #2 LIV Team (from #9)
- +53% Audience Growth YoY
- +78% Video Views YoY
- $6.2M Earned Media Value
Twitch Sports — Tokyo 2020 & Beyond
Director, Content Programming & Editorial
Built and launched TwitchSports channel strategy and a scalable model for live, UGC, and rights-holder programming. Created repeatable formats, partner-ready playbooks, and cross-functional launch workstreams (content, marketing, commerce) to turn major moments into consistent audience behavior.
- 1M+ Stream Aid Concurrent Viewers
- 14M Olympic Unique Viewers
- $4M NFL Revenue
- 4x NFL Viewership Increase
Fidelity Investments — Pancake Empire Tower Tycoon
Creative Strategist, Buoy Studios
Created the "Play to Learn" strategy to help Fidelity engage young parents and make finance fun for kids.
- 2.2M+ Visitors in First 5 Days
- 85% In-Game Approval Rating
- $0 Spent on Paid Media
Core Focus Areas
Most problems aren't content problems. They're architecture problems.
Story & Positioning
You've got a great product, but the story's muddy. I bring narrative clarity and editorial judgment to define an ownable POV and positioning that cuts through noise and resonates with audiences, creators, and communities.
Behavior-Driven Creative
Your creative isn't landing because it's not rooted in behavior. I craft concepts, formats, and systems built on how people actually act, share, and buy.
Scalable Systems
You've got one-off wins, not systems. I design programming and content ecosystems that scale, so what works once, works everywhere. Consistently.
Production & Delivery
You've got vision but no vessel. I lead development and production to bring ideas to life across social, streaming, broadcast, and gaming; making sure they land with impact.
How I Work
Good content starts upstream, with product & brand narrative. I solve at that level — then build downstream to scale.
- I move fast, cut fluff, and act like an owner.
- I prioritize audience truth over trends.
- I don't chase cool — I build connection.
- I work flexibly, with skin in the game when there's belief.
The Model
- Fractional Creative Director — 1–2.5 days/week
- Sprint Projects — 2-6 weeks
- Embedded Leadership — Creative Director / EP / Head of Content — 12-26 weeks
Ideal Partners
- Founder-led, growth stage, or white space brands/products
- Platforms & sports orgs building creator and audience native content engines
- Agencies needing embedded creative/ops leadership
- Agencies and teams chasing big-brand business — I've sat client-side, I know what wins
Services
I'm a creative director who builds systems. Here's how that shows up:
01 — Narrative & Positioning
Define the story, positioning, and POV that unlock growth. I bring strategic story framing and editorial judgment to build messaging frameworks that maintain message integrity across teams, investors, and customers.
02 — Creative Direction & Concepting
From big-picture brand concepts to campaign treatments and format development — I lead the creative from idea to pitch to greenlight.
03 — Content & Programming
Design repeatable content formats, workflows, and publishing systems across platforms. Ensure content isn't one-off, but operational.
04 — Executive Production & Delivery
Full production leadership from pitch to delivery — simplifying complexity, managing stakeholders, and keeping creative quality high at scale.
05 — AI-Enabled Creativity
I vibe-code lightweight AI tools that bake in your tone of voice and creative rules — so ideas come faster and still sound like you.
06 — Commercial Integration
Align creative and programming with ROI and monetization. Build formats and campaigns that deliver sponsor value, earned media, and long-term IP.