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At Upstream 360, project management isn’t just about timelines and project execution. Hear from Sarah Fortune how creativity takes an active part in her role as Project Manager.

Psychology, Beer, and Storytelling

Sarah’s background is as unique and varied as the work she does at Upstream 360. She graduated from Florida State University with a business degree with a concentration in marketing and a minor in psychology.

“For me,” Sarah says, “the mix provides analytical decision making, creative exploration, and human study that is reflective of how I find myself interacting with the world.”

After graduating, she began working in the beer industry with microbreweries and international brands. One thing that was a constant between these different clients? Storytelling.

“Having the opportunity to learn about beer on a deeper, often scientific level, allowed me to better market their products and build a story for the customer…which is what we do here at Upstream everyday.”

Breadth and Depth

It’s no secret that all project managers have to be good balancers of timelines, client needs, and team output which requires a certain amount of creative maneuvering.

But not everybody deals with the kind of breadth and depth that Sarah faces every day.

From beer and skincare to laundry detergent and medical devices, Sarah’s days are filled with projects that require quick pivoting, fast thinking, and creative solutions.

“We are fortunate at Upstream to work with so many great clients on a wide variety of projects,” Sarah says.

And it’s this wide variety that allows Sarah to put on her creative thinking cap. She enjoys sharing her unique marketing background and creative perspective in ideation sessions and brainstorms.

Plus, Upstream works on the kinds of projects that are often fuzzy at best. It’s why we’re called upstream – because we work at the innovation level as often as we do at the marketing one. It’s one of Sarah’s favorite parts of her job.

“Sometimes clients can’t figure something out, so they come to our team for help. I love that we are presented with a variety of brand and product challenges, and it’s our team’s job to jump in and solve them. It’s always something new and we are constantly challenged.”

Creativity at Home

Sarah’s motto for life? Balance. Which is why she purses creative endeavors at home, too.

“Nothing brings me greater joy than my two children. And I love creating with them, whether it be art, baking, gardening, or sewing.” She also enjoys exploring Cincinnati, visiting museums, restaurants, and local businesses.

When asked if she has advice to offer, here’s what Sarah has to say: meet people where they’re at and don’t take things too personally.

It’s great advice for any sort of creative, whether that’s anticipating client needs at work or crafting bouquets from your flower garden at home.

Interested in working with Upstream 360 on your upstream, marketing, or creative endeavor? Shoot us a message —we’re happy to meet you where you’re at and get started building your product’s story!