Team Spotlight: Andrew Skola, Head of Strategy

Drumroll, please…introducing business strategist extraordinaire Andrew Skola! Andrew joined our team at the start of 2022 and is our lead in executing all things brand development and messaging. His quick wit, good humor, and innate understanding of what makes successful brands ‘tick’ are just a few of the fantastic qualities he brings to the company. Read on to learn about Andrew’s first six months at North Street – and what he would be doing if he wasn’t with us (spoiler alert: his dream job involves a sleek getaway car).

What were you doing before North Street?

Before North Street, I was the SVP of strategy for a B2B Marketing and Brand agency in Dallas. Before that, I was director of client services at Suka Creative, a brilliant brand studio led by the excellent Sue Karlin in NYC. Before that (and we’re going back), I started my career in higher education marketing and communication in Boston at Harvard, Road Scholar, and MIT. I also worked at a hardware store in high school and college summers and pumped gas when the weather got too hot or cold for the older guy that ran the store’s gas station across the street.

What do you bring to the company?

My favorite job was working as a writing tutor in college. Folks with really complex papers and essays and brilliant academic work would come in, and we’d visit, and I’d listen, and we’d talk about what they were trying to accomplish and I’d help them find their writing voice to best express what they knew. It was training, I guess, for what I do now (I didn’t know it then!). 

What have you liked about working at North Street so far?

I’ve loved North Street’s supportive, open and thoughtful vibe. There’s an excellent effort to keep each other moving forward in a “got your back” sort of way. Everyone combines genuine care about the work with a bit of whimsy. It’s hard to capture in words, but it is essential for a creative firm to embody.

What projects have you been most excited to work on since joining the North Street team?

The more complex the client offering, the more I love the untangling process. We’ve helped a real estate investment company strengthen its brand messaging around its highly complex investment strategies. We’ve worked with a forward-thinking technology group that’s streamlining the management of music rights data to build their brand story within a fresh new website. We’re in the middle of helping an accomplished NYC-based investor relations firm reframe its offering and sales pitch to clients. These are all really smart, bright experts in their fields, allowing us to work collaboratively and learn from each other. 

What’s a fun fact about you?

A fun fact? Oh goodness. I love British detective shows – a dream job would be the guy who figures out whodunnit while driving a stylish old sports car (stick shift, of course).

Bonus round: how do you start your days?

I start my mornings before sunrise, first by feeding the cat. My wife and I might go for a jog. But I always spend time on my writing – a quiet time of creativity before the day crowds in.