Meet the Team: Gwen Stubbs

Gwen Stubbs

Project Manager

In today’s Meet the Team, we hear from Gwen Stubbs, Project Manager at Catchy. Gwen sheds light on her role in managing client communications and ensuring timely delivery of agency projects while also discussing her experience in the creative industry.

A graduate of CareerFoundry and the New York Fashion Academy, Gwen has lived in Seattle, Los Angeles, Tucson, and is now based in Portland. As part of her responsibilities at Catchy, Gwen oversees the planning, implementation, and tracking of specific projects within the agency. She ensures that these projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.

Can you describe the scope of what you do at Catchy?

Every day is different here at Catchy. My main priority is to drive work to the finish line and make sure everyone has what they need at any given time. It’s a fine balance between delighting our clients, inspiring our team to create top-level work, and keeping an eagle eye on fun stuff like scope and timeline. I try to approach everything I do with empathy, as this is what I think makes for a successful project manager.

My favorite part of this job is talking to absolutely everyone! I love working directly with our clients, listening to what their needs are, and working with our internal teams to get the job done.

Which Catchy value do you strongly resonate with and why? (Collaborative, Fluid, Inclusive, Accountable)

It’s hard to choose just one, but I’d say “collaborative” is the value I resonate with the strongest. I’d be nowhere without the talent of our different teams and the work they do to make sure each project is a success! From scoping out the work, to the nitty-gritty tasks of each project, it’s truly a team effort.

What do you enjoy about working with Catchy?

I love how well the team works together! We all value each other’s opinions and talents. Everyone here is so invested in making our projects the best they can be and it’s incredibly inspiring to be around.

Also, there’s a sword in the office and I think that’s pretty cool.

Do you have any advice for your younger self?

I feel pretty lucky that I’ve set up my life the way I wanted and I really don’t have any advice for my younger self. Actually, I think I’d want to thank my younger self for being so brave all the time.

For me, the better question would be “what advice do you have for young people starting out on their career journey?” And to that question I say this: stay curious and focused, know when to shift, and be open to potential opportunities. I started out wanting to be a photographer, then I went to school for fashion design, hustled my way into commercial photography as a photo stylist, ran two businesses simultaneously, and then went to school for UI Design during COVID. Combining all of those different experiences has led me to project management at Catchy! I also think that reputation and community is everything. I’m here because a few of us are former co-workers and I was recommended by them to join the team!

Can you share how your creative background has helped you as a Project Manager?

Like I mentioned before, I come from a variety of different types of creative services. Part of being a good creative is constantly finding inspiration, wherever it may come from. Translating client needs into creative tasks is a skill, and I feel like my background helps me communicate those needs to our copy and design teams.

I’m also one of those creative types that stays organized and works well within guidelines, and I think that’s why I like project management so much. I believe restrictions can lead to innovative thinking and creative problem solving.

Want to work with Gwen and the rest of the Catchy team? Well, you’re in luck - we’re hiring! Check out our Careers page for our current openings.