John Gault
When you walk into an interview as a battle-scarred creative and sit down opposite a baby-faced creative director you immediately think two things – I wonder who this nepo baby’s parents are, and how did I get ‘old’?
I eventually learnt the answer to the first question, (he was untainted by nepotism), but am still ruminating on an answer to the second.
After working together for a few weeks it became clear that Matt was ‘The Doogie Howser of Advertising’; a prodigious young talent capable of surgical creative precision. I like to think of him wearing a stethoscope to client meetings as well back then, but that might be the metaphor talking.
Successful creative partnerships are a unique mix of complementing skill-sets, personality, ambition and sheer serendipity. We were 4 from 4. Rapport that normally takes months was instant, we could build on each other’s thoughts, and quickly kill off the lesser ideas without either of us batting an eyelid or feeling slighted. There was no score keeping, just a passion for doing what was best for the work and the business problems we were solving.
Fast forward nearly 10 years, and rather than maturing into a stale, long-term relationship, we’ve burgeoned into a loving creative marriage. We won lots of awards, started our own business, had said business acquired, and now find ourselves heading up the creative output at Connecting Plots. Agency plug alert: it’s a bunch of high-performing legends who put imagination in every impression – come chat!
And despite the time passed, the briefs cracked, and the shared ups and downs, my favourite thing is still sitting together, with a problem in front of us, and a blank piece of paper. I know we’ll laugh, and I know we’ll come up with a great solution that punches above its weight. I know this because I’m sitting next to a creative superstar and an even better human, that makes my bad days good, not only creatively, but in life.
Most Memorable Moment With Matt: I’d have to say having the first money hit our company account when we started Two Gs. Equal parts terrifying and exciting. I’m sure this will be topped though by attending Matt’s wedding later in the year. Special mention for a ‘Hey ya, cheesbur-ga’ abomination of a thought that thankfully was never presented. It still brings us to tears of laughter.
Best Word To Describe Him: Loyal. It’s not the sexiest of terms and I’m obviously forgoing all of the other possible superlatives I could have gone with, but it’s the one that means the most to me.
Most Annoying Habit: Oh wow, he’s going to have a field day with this one on me. But I digress. Both endearing and annoying is his ability to find an answer instantly, that seems blindingly obvious once he says it, in response to a question/problem I’ve been wracking my brain over for hours, days, sometimes weeks.
Connecting Plots Creative Partner, John Gault
Matt Geersen
John and I first crossed paths in 2016 at VML. I’d brought him on for, what was supposed to be, a two week contract to get us through some pitches. I was under the pump and offered a mediocre brief, promising that we’d get together and hash it out. Cut to 4 days later when I finally checked in, only to find he’d filled in the gaps and come up with some killer work. It was clear he was different – John’s resourcefulness was a rare quality, and one that immediately set him apart.
We quickly developed a shorthand that felt seamless and instinctive, and were eating our fair share of burritos together over lunch. When the time came to move on, it made sense to apply that chemistry to something of our own. We founded Two Gs, a small but mighty independent agency that landed clients like Mad Mex (our love of burritos paid off), Metricon, Amazon Prime Video, Penguin Books, Finder and more.
Building an agency together tested us in ways we couldn’t have anticipated. When you no longer have the safety net of a stable pay cheque, it becomes about more than just your ability to solve creative problems together. We discovered there’s a yin and yang to a great partnership that doesn’t always come from a 50/50 split. There are moments when one of us carries more weight, and that’s okay. It’s about knowing each other’s strengths and stepping in when the other needs to be lifted up. Some days, that’s me. Other days, it’s John.
After nearly a decade, John isn’t just my creative partner, he’s one of my closest friends. What started as a short term contract has grown to an almost 10 year partnership that’s spanned some of Australia’s best agencies, 120+ awards, our own successful business and an acquisition by Connecting Plots, which now finds us working with a talented group of people as we grow and shape an indie agency with everything to prove.
Statistics say that only 5% of business partnerships last beyond five years. I’d credit defying those odds to three things: our willingness to have difficult conversations, our openness to different perspectives, and our ability to admit when we’re wrong. So as long as we keep pushing, challenging, and staying honest with each other, I don’t see this partnership slowing down anytime soon.
Most Memorable Moment With John: We flew up to Queensland with a crew to do our first shoot for our founding Two Gs client. It was only Jetstar economy, but it might as well have been first class.
Best Word To Describe Him: Insightful – he has a bit of a gift for knowing clients and what they’re looking for which makes focusing your efforts on the right answers much easier.
Most Annoying Habit: Being a perfectionist. It’s both annoying when you think the work is done, but when the client specifically shouts out that one specific change you realise it was worth it.
Connecting Plots Creative Partner, Matt Geersen
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