Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Jordan.
Hi Claire, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From the time I was a kid, I loved writing. You couldn’t walk into my bedroom without finding scraps of paper tucked into corners — poems, little stories, whatever was on my mind. At Austin High School, I went on a career day visit to a local ad agency, and it completely lit me up. I thought, wait, you can actually make a career out of being creative? From that point on, I knew I’d major in advertising at UT.
When I got to UT, I discovered the Texas Creative program and realized there was a job called “copywriter.” That was it for me. I was hooked. After graduating, I started my career at GSD&M and spent six years there before moving to New York. Over the years I’ve worked at a mix of agencies on everything from huge brands like Delta Airlines and BMW to small, scrappy local breweries and retailers. That balance of big and small really shaped how I think about the work.
Eventually, Austin pulled me back. I knew I wanted to raise my family here. I freelanced for a while with local businesses, and about 10 years ago I started working with Proof. I loved it immediately — the size felt just right. Big enough to take on major clients with real budgets, but small enough to feel close-knit. We’re truly in lockstep across departments, and we genuinely like each other. That’s why being named one of Ad Age’s Best Places to Work in North America in 2024 meant so much to us — it felt so deserved.
Two years ago, I stepped into the Executive Creative Director role. It’s my first time in this seat, and I’m still learning what it means. For me, the job is about sharpening our creative point of view. I’ve realized that for Proof, it really comes down to the intersection of truth and boldness. Not bold just to get attention, but bold in a way that’s deeply true to each brand we work with. Helping brands find their own boldest self and letting that shine — that’s the sweet spot.
And of course, my favorite part of this role is my team. They’re so talented, more than they even know sometimes. One of my biggest goals is making sure they, and Proof as a whole, get credit for the amazing work they do.
Living and working in Austin has shaped me, too. At a recent networking event, I met another female ECD — the first I’d met in my entire career. Our conversation reminded me how rare this role is for women and how important it is for me to show up, do this job well, and hopefully make the path a little clearer for others.
And while advertising is my career, storytelling has always been at my core. In 2023, I went back to school and earned my MFA in fiction from Texas State. I just finished my first novel and am now working on getting it published. In a way, I’m still that kid filling notebooks — just with a few more years of experience and perspective behind me.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been challenges. Early on, that looked like a lot of rejection. I remember two years into my career, I hadn’t sold a single thing. I was actually in the middle of planning a career change when I finally sold my first TV spot — and that little win convinced me to give advertising a second chance.
Later, the challenges were more about navigating what it meant to be a woman with a family in this industry. At the time, advertising wasn’t really set up for female creatives. While working in NYC, I found out my male partner was making quite a bit more than me because he had “a family to support” and I didn’t. Meanwhile, we were both pulling all nighters! After that, I called it quits and took a break from traditional agency life. I freelanced for nearly ten years before Proof brought me back into the fold by offering the kind of work-life balance I needed.
One of the things I love about Proof is that we’re 100% remote. It means I can be home when my kids get out of school (and my dog loves it, too). I honestly can’t imagine going back to a 9-to-5 desk job. And whenever I do miss the camaraderie, I head out to the Proof lake house—our co-working space on Lake Austin where we host clients, have collaborative meetings, and often spend our lunch hour cruising the lake on the agency boat. I never thought I’d learn to wake surf at a job in advertising, but here we are!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Proof is a full-service advertising agency, and I lead the creative department. Day to day, that means working closely with our media, social, and strategy teams to develop brand campaigns for clients like University Federal Credit Union, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Travel Texas Tourism, Subway Restaurants, CASA of Texas, and more.
I’m really proud not just of the work we create, but of the relationships we build. When I was coming up, the agency–client relationship was sacred. Somewhere along the way, a lot of the industry lost sight of that. For me, it’s still at the center. I want to do great work that makes our clients shine — because when they win, Proof wins too.
Even though Proof just celebrated its 15th anniversary, I feel like I’m just getting started in this role. I’ve got big things planned for what comes next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
The role of luck is a tricky thing to consider. There are definitely moments when I think, how did I end up as the ECD of an advertising agency? Boy, did I get lucky! But the truth is, I’ve been showing up and working at it every day for the last twenty-three years. Where luck really comes in, though, is with the people. I feel incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by the team at Proof — they’re the ones I’m lucky enough to learn from, lean on, and create with every single day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.proof-advertising.com
- Instagram: @proofadv
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/proof-advertising/
Image Credits
All belong to Proof Advertising
