GREG
GITTRICH
"It starts with curiosity,
a desire to learn new things."
Greg Gittrich, 2022 AD
From his early days as a journalist at the New York Daily News to building brands at NBC, Mashable, and SoulCycle, the CEO of Creatively shares his journey and the lessons learned along the way.
All words by Greg Gittrich in conversation with Seneca.
Years later, the day I graduated from high school, we had a small party for my family in the backyard and a few hours later, that same day, I threw all my belongings into the trunk of a rundown 1986 Mustang LX and drove off to New York City to try to be a journalist.
I was 12 at Mike's Deli when I saw the New York Daily News for the first time.
My Dad was a newspaper man. My first job, when I was 10, was delivering the Star Ledger in NJ. When I was 12, I left behind the paper route and began working the counter at Mike’s Delicatessen. That’s where I first saw the New York Daily News. And I was like, "What is this?" The Star Ledger, where my dad worked, was a traditional broadsheet. It was the State's paper with great reporting, and a really good sports section. But the Daily News back then had amazing writers, bold headlines, incredible photography. It had impact.
Editors would yell ‘who’s up’ to assign the next story.
‘Always be up’ became my motto.
I got into the door at The News thanks to an unpaid internship. Day 1, two gruff, out-the-movies tabloid editors walked in and threw beepers on the table. Not two-way pagers, one way pagers. "We will page you. If it says 1585, that's the city desk. No matter what you're doing, call 212-210-1585." I'll never forget the number or the realization that if you want the big story, if you want the opportunity, you have to be ready and you have to work for it. That’s one of the things that has defined my career.
In September 2001, I was driving along the BQE heading to an interview when I turned on the radio and heard that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers.
I raced to the scene and was on the northern end of the WTC Plaza when the south tower collapsed. I ran with everyone else and was fortunate to be alive. I slept at Ground Zero that night, and then spent nearly every day there for the following 37 weeks. I’m grateful to the operating engineers, ironworkers, and laborers who let me sit inside their cranes and ride in their trucks as they removed tons of debris and recovered the bodies of those who died. That stays with me.
We built Creatively because the world needs a professional network for creatives.
We have a clear mission. We exist to help creatives show off their work, collaborate, and find jobs. We want professional creatives to be able to live and work the way they want to –– and achieve their ambitions. We launched early in the pandemic and in just two years, Creatively has a diverse community of 400,000 creatives and 2,000 brands. Our thesis is every brand needs to hire creatives, whether they're companies with creativity in their DNA, traditional brands, or small businesses.
We recently launched a new grants program called CreativelyMade. To be eligible, all you need to do is post your best work on your portfolio on Creatively. Each week, our community upvotes the work they love the most, helping to select who receives $5,000. The winner can use the cash for whatever they choose. No strings attached. Our goal is to help creatives jumpstart their careers.
We recently launched a new grants program called CreativelyMade. To be eligible, all you need to do is post your best work on your portfolio on Creatively. Each week, our community upvotes the work they love the most, helping to select who receives $5,000. The winner can use the cash for whatever they choose. No strings attached. Our goal is to help creatives jumpstart their careers.
It starts with curiosity, a desire to learn new things.
In 2008, NBC gave me the opportunity to build something from scratch and move into the digital world. And from that point on, I loved building brands, products, and companies that are a combination of creative, storytelling, and data.
My curiosity has served me well, leading me to new opportunities and challenges. Building NBC News Digital. Expanding Mashable to new platforms. Growing SoulCycle to include an at-home bike, SiriusXM radio station, international locations, and even a concert series.
My curiosity has served me well, leading me to new opportunities and challenges. Building NBC News Digital. Expanding Mashable to new platforms. Growing SoulCycle to include an at-home bike, SiriusXM radio station, international locations, and even a concert series.