We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cory Fisher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cory below.

Cory, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

As a creative director in the freelance space, one of the biggest trends I’m seeing is the rise in freelancers. I know this firsthand—I’m one of them. Over the past year, I transitioned from an in-house creative team to freelance, and I’ve seen several friends do the same.
When I was part of an in-house team, I was a staunch believer in the security of a W-2 job—consistent paychecks, healthcare, a 401(k), and the ability to focus on my craft rather than running a business. I was a “company man,” committed to supporting leadership’s decisions. But no matter how dedicated you are, at the end of the day, you’re a number. If revenue dips, no one is safe from layoffs. I learned that the hard way and realized the “security” I valued was more fragile than I thought.
Facing a tough job market, I decided I’d rather bet on myself, leveraging relationships and my portfolio instead of going through endless applications and interviews. I don’t think working for someone else is inherently negative, but after feeling burned, I lost trust in that system. That’s when I recognized the broader trend: a struggling economy, widespread layoffs, and companies replacing full-time employees with freelancers. Seeing this shift, I wanted to jump in before the market became oversaturated.
For anyone considering this transition, I’ll say this: evaluate what fits your lifestyle and life stage. Freelancing comes with risks, and I wouldn’t recommend making the leap suddenly—especially not with a child on the way, as I did. Set a concrete timeline and goals. Relationships are everything in freelance—even with the company you’re leaving. Don’t burn bridges, even if the exit is unpleasant. If possible, line up prospects before making the jump, and don’t be afraid to prioritize coffee meetings over perfecting a website.
This might just be a season, but right now, transitioning to freelance is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. No more driving to an office every day, more schedule flexibility to be with my kids or go to appointments, and the ability to set my own rate based on what I think I’m worth—creating my own ceiling for the long term.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Cory Fisher, and I’m the owner of Fisher Creative. I specialize in fractional creative direction for ecommerce brands, filling the sweet spot for businesses that need high-level strategic thinking for their marketing and content—without the cost of a full-time employee. To be honest, this is a dream job—one I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do.
I attended Temple University, majoring in Film with dreams of moving to LA and becoming the next Christopher Nolan. After two years, I realized that path wasn’t for me and felt more drawn to marketing, eventually declaring a minor in entrepreneurship. When I graduated in 2015, the demand for videographers wasn’t what it is today. I applied for agency and in-house videography jobs but had no luck. So, I turned to trade work to pay the bills while freelancing as a videographer on the side.
I started to lose hope in videography as a full-time career—until an incredible opportunity landed in my lap. In 2021, I joined Breeo as a videographer, where I had the chance to push my limits, learn on the fly, and take on major challenges. Eventually, I became the Creative Director, leading a talented team of creatives. It was at Breeo that I accomplished a dream I had nearly given up on—directing a commercial for linear TV. I also gained invaluable experience in ecommerce marketing within a startup-like environment, learning through both successes and failures.
Then, in the spring of 2024, I was hit by a round of layoffs. As the sole breadwinner, with a wife, a child, and a second on the way, I went into panic mode. A quick glance at the job market told me all I needed to know—it wasn’t good. Layoffs were rampant in the ecommerce space, and job openings were scarce. While I felt confident in my skills, I lacked the years of experience that many job postings demanded. More than that, I felt burned—I had put my trust in a W-2 job, only to watch it disappear overnight.

So, I didn’t even update my resume. Instead, I got to work, setting up coffee meetings with nearly everyone I knew, with one goal in mind: working for myself.
Freelance creatives are everywhere, but few position themselves solely as Creative Directors. In some ways, I was entering uncharted waters. But I loved what I did at Breeo, and my mission became clear—take what I learned and apply it to companies looking to reach that same level. By working on a fractional basis, I could diversify my income and capitalize on the growing demand for freelance creative talent. Just as companies were shifting from full-time employees to freelancers, I saw an opportunity to be part of this trend. The path from videographer to creative director isn’t a common one, as they usually come from a graphic design background, but I feel as though this uniquely positions me for the ever increasing need for video in ecommerce marketing.
What I offer is similar to a creative agency, but with the personal touch of a freelancer. I combine the flexibility and direct involvement of freelancing with the high-level strategy, quality, and reliability of an agency. While I have experience in every creative discipline to varying degrees, my true passion lies in strategy and direction—crafting a content plan, shaping messaging, and creating visuals that speak to the end user’s psyche. With talented friends in every creative discipline, i’m not limited by my own creative execution expertise and am able to collaborate to bring an idea to life.
I partner with businesses to maximize the efficiency of their marketing dollars, ensuring that content is created intentionally to serve a goal. I see myself as an extension of in-house teams, taking the creative director role off the plate of CEOs, COOs, and Marketing Managers—so they can focus on what they do best. I also pride myself on being adaptable, tailoring my approach to each business and industry. I set aside personal preferences when necessary to drive results for my clients. In recent years, this has meant embracing UGC-style content, shooting vertically on a phone to create authentic, native-feeling online experiences.
Right now my clients range from landscaping products, to sunglasses, to construction equipment, all with varying creative needs. Not all of my clients fit this sweet spot just yet, but after a hectic first year of freelancing, I’m excited to shift my marketing focus inward, with plans to finalize my website and expand my client base beyond my personal network and continue growing Fisher Creative.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn was my understanding of brand marketing’s role in the ecommerce space—or maybe it was just some naïveté on my part from the beginning.
In my first in-house creative role, sales seemed automatic. We had the freedom to be creative and make fun content. I believed that if you heavily invested in brand marketing, your company would naturally gain recognition as a major player or the “cool product”—and sales would follow. That’s not entirely wrong, but it is if you leave out performance marketing.
It’s never fun to blatantly tell someone to buy your product. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you have to do. It can’t always be about organic social media virality, PR initiatives, documentary storytelling, and celebrity collaborations.
Now, I take a more balanced approach, being tactful and strategic about when to spend on brand marketing—not viewing it as the primary driver of future sales, but as something that works in tandem with performance marketing and Meta ads.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been genuine, real-life relationships. Someone once told me, “Be present where you are.” In other words, don’t always be looking over the horizon for the next job or the next client—focus on where you are right now.

Years ago, I worked at a job I liked but didn’t see as my long-term career. Still, while I was there, I worked my butt off—helping the business, being a servant leader, and doing my best to improve things day in and day out. Not because I expected some karmic payoff, but because it was the right thing to do.

Eventually, a coworker’s spouse helped connect me with a job that aligned more with my long-term goals. And it wasn’t because I had been chasing opportunities—it was because of how I performed and treated my coworkers while at a job I didn’t “love.” Because of that, I left on great terms and am still friends with some of those people today.

Years later, I was at a job I did love—and then I got laid off. I was disappointed, but I made a point not to publicly bad-mouth the company. It was a business decision, and I could accept that. More importantly, because I had given 100% while I was there and departed on good terms, I received positive recommendations that helped me land new clients.

After the layoff, I immediately started networking, and the fruits of the previous five years began to show. I met with former coworkers, bosses, and even more distant connections that stemmed from those previous jobs. This snowball effect allowed me to quickly gain clients—not because I had been strategically planning for this outcome, but because I had always focused on doing good work and treating people well, no matter the job.

I know this isn’t some quick tactic you can implement, nor something that should be pursued solely for business gains, but take this as an encouragement if you are a person who is present where you are and treats people well. I was able to solidify a full schedule of retainer clients within 6 months, all without even creating a website or marketing. While there are plans for a website in the future, I say this to emphasize how big of an impact personal relationships can have on your business.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @cory_the_fisher
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-fisher-956475184/