In this episode of The Spark, Traylor Woodall—founder & CEO of Fivestone Studios shares how mentors, hard-won failures, and a "Culture of Honor" shaped his leadership and creative philosophy. We dig into scaling teams, evolving from animation to immersive experiences, measuring impact, and protecting people while pursuing excellence.
Timestamps
03:09 – Learning through failure and humility
07:48 – Building culture that nurtures creative excellence
15:15 – The "Culture of Honor" philosophy
23:25 – From animation to immersive experiences
26:39 – Times Square takeover with Kia
52:02 – Advice to his younger creative self
54:44 – Finding balance beyond the pixels
What You'll Learn
How early failure can accelerate growth and humility in leadership
The core of a "Culture of Honor": aggressive pursuit of greatness with deep care for people
Practical ways to recruit, vet, and collaborate with creative partners at scale
Why (and how) Fivestone pivoted from motion design to experiential/immersive work
Tactics for protecting culture in a remote, global studio
Measuring success for installations, EBCs, and large experiential projects
Healthy rhythms to "refill your life account" and avoid burnout
Learn More & Connect:
Creative Assembly: https://creativeassembly.agency/
Connect with Traylor Woodall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traylorwoodall/ | https://fivestonestudios.com/
Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner
Thanks to our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshotinteractive.com
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