Today we’d like to introduce you to Colin Schur.
Hi Colin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I thought I wanted to be an actor when I entered college. Pursuing a drama degree, I soon realized I was much more drawn to — and better at — designing the posters for the shows I was in rather than performing in them. I found that design was another kind of storytelling — one that suited me better.
After graduating from Hofstra University with a double major in Drama and Design, I started at VICE in Brooklyn, designing ads for the magazine and projects across their growing media network. It was a cool place to be in the late 2000s — edgy and full of creative energy.
From there, I joined an educational tech company during the early wave of mobile design, when apps were just beginning to shape how we interacted with the world. I worked on one of the top educational apps in the App Store and learned the foundations of animation and UX design — lessons that still shape how I think about user experience and storytelling today.
Eventually, I made the move to Los Angeles and dove into the agency world, freelancing for several creative studios. I joined Innerspin Marketing as a freelance designer ten years ago and immediately loved the variety and creative challenges. I absorbed everything I could from every experience — directing photo shoots, designing packaging, and building campaigns — and over time, took on more leadership roles.
Today, I’m Executive Creative Director and help run the agency alongside our president, Elcid Choi, as a managing partner. I still learn from the brilliant people around me every day, and I’ve found that what I love most — the thing that’s stayed true from my early theater days — is telling stories that move people, whether through performance, design, or brand.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As it did for so many businesses, the pandemic threw our agency for a loop in 2020. Clients were unsure how to pivot, and we had to figure out what a sustainable model looked like. As part of the core leadership team, I helped reimagine how we worked — eventually closing our physical offices and reinventing our agency’s structure.
We’re now a small team of six core members, all of whom have been with the agency for years. We’ve figured out how to make remote work actually work for us. Everything’s cloud-based, and we stay connected through regular check-ins and the occasional dinner or gathering. Still, sometimes I can’t believe I haven’t commuted to an office in five years. It can be easy to feel disconnected, but we’ve found a rhythm that fits our lives and actually gives us more freedom.
It’s opened up opportunities we never could’ve predicted. One of my colleagues bought a camper van during the pandemic and now works from the road with her husband and dog, still art directing photo shoots and doing everything she did before. Goes to show, you don’t need an office to be creative.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At Innerspin Marketing, we help brands find their footing — whether they’re just starting out or looking to reignite their connection with an audience. Our clients range from major brands like Walgreens and Taco Bell to boutique hotels in SoCal like Hotel Erwin and The Encinitan Hotel & Suites.
Because we’re a small, senior team, we’re able to move quickly and adapt. Bigger agencies can come with more layers, but at Innerspin Marketing, clients have direct access to experienced creative leads and strategists who understand both the thinking and the execution. We do everything from branding and identity to full-scale campaign work.
A lot of brands come to us saying something like, “We need to work with influencers. Do you do influencer marketing?” And while yes, that’s often part of what we do, we usually need to take a step back first. Many of these brands haven’t done the foundational work to define who they are — their voice, their positioning, their identity. They’ve often spent tens of thousands of dollars on partnerships that didn’t move the needle because no one took the time to understand the brand first.
That’s where we come in. We start by really getting to know our clients — who they are now and who they want to be — so every strategy we build is rooted in that truth. Once you know that, everything else clicks into place. The influencer choices, the tone, the creative — it all becomes more meaningful and effective.
One of the projects I’m most proud of is our “Your Main Squeeze” campaign for Lee Kum Kee, which launched in 2023. During a nationwide sriracha shortage, our client saw an opportunity to seize the moment and reach a younger audience. This was a nearly 140-year-old brand looking to make a dent in youth culture. We built an integrated campaign that included out-of-home ads in every major U.S. city, and a microsite celebrating all things sriracha — which went on to receive recognition from The Webby Awards. We also partnered with rising music artists, including ericdoa, who produced an entire album during a two-week, 24/7 Twitch livestream sponsored by Lee Kum Kee. The campaign went on to win Judge’s Choice at the 2025 American Advertising Awards and was a finalist at the OBIE Awards. It was a perfect example of what we love doing — blending culture, design, and storytelling to create something that feels fresh and resonant.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I read a lot — both for inspiration and escape. For design, a few books I always recommend are “The Elements of Typographic Style” by Robert Bringhurst for typography basics, “Make It Bigger” by Paula Scher for dealing with clients, and “How To” by Michael Bierut for solving design problems.
Outside of design, I read a lot of fiction and memoirs. Though not directly related to my work, I find fiction to be generally inspiring — the way authors build worlds and explore meaning — similar to the way I do through my creative work. Recently, I loved “Ruth” by Kate Riley, about a woman grappling with identity while growing up in a commune, and “The Bee Sting” by Paul Murray, which I thought was just brilliant storytelling. Keith McNally’s “I Regret Almost Everything” is also an incredibly honest and well-written memoir.
On the digital side, Casey Lewis’s Substack “After School” is a really smart daily digest of youth trends through a marketing lens. Oren John’s TikTok (@orenmeetsworld) is also a great mix of marketing advice and breakdowns of how brands are positioning themselves and telling stories on social media.
For podcasts, I’d say Debbie Millman’s “Design Matters” is still unmatched in the design category. She’s had some of the most influential creatives on her show and always gets the best stories out of them.
And for general culture and a bit of fun: “How Long Gone” for culture and humor, “Sexy Unique Podcast” for reality TV recaps and pop culture takes, and “Throwing Fits” for fashion — menswear specifically.
All of these — whether it’s a novel, a Substack, or a podcast — keep me inspired and tuned in to what’s next. As a creative director, I think that’s the key: staying open to new ideas and understanding what’s shaping culture at any given moment. It’s easy to get stuck in your ways otherwise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://innerspinmarketing.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerspinmktg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innerspinmktg/
