How I Work: Sam Wilkes, Creative Director, Vault49
Sam Wilkes keeps the creative fire burning by making sure everyone feels supported. Design by Barbara Cadorna.
Creative Director Sam Wilkes always juggles a side hustle in the midst of her busy New York lifestyle routine — whether it’s writing children’s books, running her coffee brand, Dirtbag, or setting up the next doggy daycare center in the city. But most importantly, she values being a “good” human. (Hence her personal mantra, “don’t be a d*ck.”)
With Vault49, a company with design studios in New York and London, she creates experiences that cut through barriers and connect people across different cultures with curiosity, playfulness, and adventure. This year alone, Sam has led the redesign of fitness water brand Propel, worked on several projects for Diageo including Pampero Aniversario and the delicious Baileys Chocolate, and launched one of her many side hustles, Dirtbag, providing people who are on-the-go with the type of coffee that can travel with them.
Here, she shares how she works, including why she books her own personal meetings to reset; how being an early bird can provide a feel-good buzz that everyone should try; and the podcast she swears by that changes the way we see heroes and villains in history.
Wilkes believes the most important tool is getting off your seat, away from screens, and getting out in the real world for inspiration. Images c/o Wilkes.
Rise and Shine
I’ve always been an early bird. My day starts around 5:45 a.m., which can be quite the adventure in New York so early in the morning! I get to the gym at 6 a.m., and I normally start work around 8 a.m. That might sound early, but you can't beat the energy rush vibe that hits straight after a workout. It’s a feel-good buzz that everyone should try! This also gives me the opportunity to connect with our London team before everyone else gets to the studio, and prep myself for the day ahead.
Work Uniform
Whatever you feel comfortable in is the key! Being in the creative industry, we’re lucky that we can express ourselves with what we wear — there are no ties or power blazers going on here. With my bright red hair I have to be careful that I don’t clash, but you’ll normally find me in black (the designer’s favorite color) anyway. Lazy Oaf is a creative fashion brand in the UK that is practically my uniform. I own most of their Happy Sad range so you’ll often find me wearing smiley faces.
How I Structure My Day
Normally I’ll check my diary the night before to see what the next day looks like, and I’ll set a plan of action. I always book my own personal meetings to give myself time to review work, write an article, brainstorm ideas, and (sometimes) remember to take lunch! It’s easy to lose track of time so planning is essential for keeping on top of a busy work schedule.
Wilkes founded a coffee company with her friends called DirtBag.
Playlist Favorites
I can already hear music enthusiasts crying with disappointment but I don’t have a playlist favorite — or even a Spotify account! When I need to get my head down, I tend to listen to podcasts, such as Evil Genius with Russell Kane, which changes the way we see heroes and villains in history (totally fascinating). In the studio, we have a collaborative Vault49 playlist that everyone contributes to, and I’m always happy to have that playing in the background. It’s a really eclectic mix of tunes, just like our studio space and the people in it. :)
Tools of the Trade
The most important tool is getting off your seat, away from screens, and getting out in the real world for inspiration. I’m lucky to live in a city where inspiration is everywhere. Having your eyes open and taking everything in is so important. Equally important is having the space to get hands-on with your creativity, and we have a full screen printing set up in the studio, plus lots of dedicated space for the team to craft and play and experiment.
In the last few years, Miro has also become an important tool for open collaboration, especially when working on projects across the teams in New York and London, and also with many clients still working remotely. We use it for workshops, to brainstorm, and to keep everything all in one virtual space.
Dream Studio
Vault49 already has one! We strike the balance of three days in the studio and two days working from home, so it’s incredibly important that it feels creative and inspiring when we come in. We have the space to experiment and take over different areas when we need to put everything up on a wall. It’s things like this that are so important for the cultural pulse of an agency, and when everyone is together the buzz is obvious. There, we host regular happy hours and invite clients over to create a graffiti wall over a drink and informal catch up. We’ve truly created a space to bond, create, and show off our skills.
Also, we’re allowed to have dogs in the studio and, in my opinion, every studio needs one! I might be biased here, but a happy little sausage dog called Huey is the best emotional support animal.
Wilkes’s emotional support animal, Huey.
One Unique Thing About My Work Process…
Empathy radar! Being a Creative Director, I have to juggle multiple projects or challenges and I always wear different hats throughout the day. But what I mostly pride myself on is the ability to give people the time they need so they can be the best they can be. If I can see someone struggling in a meeting or briefing, I might go back to my desk and throw some ideas or inspiration onto a page and say “what if…” to help spark some thoughts. We need to make sure that people feel supported and keep that creative fire burning.
Mantra
Don’t be a dick.
The creative industry can sometimes be a highly stressful environment, and we are constantly judged on our work and our ideas. So be kind, and always look at things from another person’s point of view as well as your own. You might just learn something new.
My Brightest Idea that Never Saw the Light of Day
I actually have a little black book where I note down these kinds of things. My most amusing one is opening a pie shop (it’s the northerner in me) called “The Pie Hole.” It’s simply a hole in a wall when you can order your perfect pie. One day it will be a reality!
To-Do List Item that Keeps Me Up at Night
What doesn’t keep me up at night is the better question! I’m a restless person, and I always have a side hustle going on — from writing children’s books to running Dirtbag, my coffee brand, and helping my friends set up the next doggy daycare center in NYC. As my partner always says, “Do you ever stop working?”!
