What happens to creative work when anyone can generate something “good enough” in seconds? Mark Scrivner sits down with Wes Webb, art director at Nashville's Locomotion Creative. By day, Wes builds brands for some of the region’s biggest names. By night he makes salvaged wood sculpture, ambient music, DJ sets, and homemade software. Wes explains why DJing is really just design, and how a quote from Louis Kahn shaped his whole creative practice. He also covers why Locomotion lets clients work directly with the people doing the work, and how he uses AI to augment ideas instead of replacing them. This conversation is for creatives, marketers, agency leaders, and young designers navigating a fast-changing industry. Topics include creative process, agency culture, client collaboration, AI in design, mentorship and Nashville’s creative community.

Learn More & Connect
Follow The Spark: https://snapshot.agency/the-spark
Connect with Wes Webb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wes-webb-7731598a/ | https://loco.design | https://iamweswebb.com
Email Wes: wes@loco.design
Listen to Wes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5CaHtlHWsf55Kq8VHXImc9
Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner
Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency

#TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #NashvilleCreatives #ArtDirection #AIinDesign #CreativeProcess #AgencyLife

What happens when a global creative director trades 200-person agencies for a team of seven and starts making more work than ever? Alex Goulart, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Fire Kite, spent two decades creating campaigns for Gillette, Nissan, Honda, and Qatar Airways across Europe and the US before launching his own agency in Franklin, Tennessee. He joins Mark Scrivner to share the Ben Franklin story behind Fire Kite, why strategy has to come before audacity, and how a small team became the most awarded agency at the local Addys. Topics include creative agency growth, brand platform strategy, cause marketing, Nashville's creative scene, new business development, and creative collaboration.

Episode Highlights

00:00 - Alex shows off a replica of Ben Franklin's kite
10:28 - Why Alex left big agencies to start Fire Kite
14:01 - The Ben Franklin story behind the Fire Kite name
19:42 - The alien abduction insurance ad in The Wall Street Journal
23:34 - King Tut, charity: water, and a love ballad to the penny
30:20 - Why Nashville's creative energy feels raw and unformulaic
34:27 - Instinct Sessions and the power of small beginnings
40:30 - A goal to end human trafficking in Nashville in our lifetime

Learn More & Connect

As AI-generated content floods every feed, what actually cuts through? Rob Erickson, founder and CEO of Massive Mission, joins Mark Scrivner to share how he turned a severance package into a video production company trusted by major agencies and global brands. Rob explains why he believes authenticity will win the AI era, how his team uses AI to move faster without replacing people, and why a company mission rooted in giving back still guides his work. The conversation covers live event video production, agency partnerships, creativity in regulated industries, AI workflows, referral-driven growth, and his new paranormal podcast, The Weird Side.

Episode Highlights

• 00:00 – Welcome to The Spark with Rob Erickson
• 02:12 – From aspiring engineer to hooked on video production
• 05:33 – The severance offer that launched Massive Mission
• 10:44 – The story behind the name Massive Mission
• 13:38 – Why authentic storytelling will outlast AI slop
• 19:32 – Growing through referrals and honest sales conversations
• 24:41 – Rob's AI mandate: faster work, no replaced people
• 30:04 – Inside The Weird Side, Rob's paranormal podcast

Learn More & Connect

Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/
Connect With Rob Erickson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberickson77 | https://www.massivemission.com
Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency

Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency

Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/
#TheSparkPodcast #CreativeAssembly #VideoProduction #LiveEventProduction #CorporateVideo #AIinMarketing #NashvilleCreatives