What happens when you combine the soul of an artist with the mind of an operations architect? In this episode of Purpose & Process, host Tony Baker sits down with longtime collaborator and creative operations leader Joe Lamb, whose career has spanned pivotal roles at Amazon and Nike "mega-studios". Joe shares his journey from photographing shoes in a Kentucky warehouse to leading global-scale studio operations and launching Nike’s ICON Studio in Los Angeles, its advanced in-house content studios. Along the way, Joe unpacks the overlooked value of patience, humility, and pattern recognition in leadership—and why investing in your team’s growth is non-negotiable.

Key Takeaways:

✔️ How repeatability and creative freedom can co-exist

✔️ Why 'innovation culture' looks different inside creative teams

✔️ Lessons from building (and rebuilding) scalable studio systems ✔️ The value of trust and transparency with stakeholders

✔️ Future-facing leadership in the age of automation and AI

Whether you’re a studio leader, creative contributor, or someone navigating the business of creativity, this episode is full of thoughtful insights you won’t want to miss.