5 Questions with Bret Ryan, MSPC Associate Creative Director

Creative, dynamic and dreamy are just a few of the words Bret Ryan’s colleagues use to describe him. As MSPC associate creative director, Bret combines his skills in design, art direction and team dynamics to create high-quality work.

Bret’s authenticity and talent have made him a valuable asset to the MSPC team. His willingness to create and collaborate makes him a unicorn in the world of art directors. We sat down with Bret to get to know a little more about him.

In one sentence, describe your role as associate creative director.

I work with my team and clients to dream up creative ways to visually tell stories, and I hire photographers, illustrators, video editors and stylists to bring our ideas to life.

What has been your favorite MSPC project?

I’ve had a lot of fun working with some famous faces for Renew magazine—a members-only publication for our client UnitedHealthcare. From a photoshoot at Dick Van Dyke’s home in California to watching Patti LaBelle dance to Tupac during her cover shoot (her music request) to spending a day on the backlot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood taking photos with Rita Moreno. It’s never boring. Always a challenge, but a lot of fun.

How did you land at MSPC?

I knew in high school that I wanted to study graphic design. After college, I spent eight years at a local magazine agency. I loved that magazines allowed me to visually tell stories, but I had always believed that I wanted to work in advertising.

I spent a couple years at a large advertising agency and gained a lot of exposure to digital design and client relations. I quickly realized that I missed the creative freedom and flexibility that I had in the editorial world. My position at MSPC as an associate creative director for content marketing is a perfect synergy of both the editorial and advertising worlds—telling stories for both print and digital platforms in a client-driven environment.

Who or what inspires you and your work?

Everything. I believe you can find inspiration everywhere if you slow down and look for it.

What is most rewarding about your job? What makes it worthwhile?

My coworkers. I work with some of the most talented creatives in town and they make it exciting to come into work every morning.

Read next: 5 Best Types of Content in Content Marketing for Great Storytelling