Brett Gerstenblatt

What’s your vision for Sequel?

To help clients become what they should be — what their mission says they are. Everything we do is about that challenge.

Do you think companies have a problem with that — being what they should be?

Just take a look around you. How are businesses doing? A lot of companies run into trouble because they forget what they’re about. They’d do a lot better if they stopped, reassessed, and focused on delivering on the promise of their brand. This doesn’t just mean aligning design and messaging with the brand. It extends to everything, including business behavior. It’s about knowing, embracing and living the brand.

How do you help Sequel bring value to the process?

By really digging in and getting to know the client’s business. As a leader, I’m a prime intermediary between clients and creative. I help clients assess their situation and then I clarify the issues to our team. This gets our people focused on the right things. It enables them to come up with ideas that are original, imaginative and targeted.

Is this a role you think you were made for?

I think it is. Because I’ve always had a passion for design. And I’ve always been extremely curious about business. Of course, I went to art school, not business school, but that’s been a plus, not a negative. The same creativity that drove me then helps me solve business problems now. It’s the same faculty; I’m just using it in a different and very pragmatic way.

Do you think Sequel, as an organization, reflects the same dichotomy?

Absolutely — because we combine level-headedness with real creative passion. This is a group of very talented and very different people. But we’re all determined to work together to make a difference in our clients’ businesses. As a team I think we’d all agree we’re not here to do cosmetic makeovers. Our goal, in the end, is to effect real, measurable change.