How Ingenuity Pays Off for Verb's Co-Founders

Being honest about your work equals respect

Shannon Jones and Yadira Harrison are co-founders of the marketing and consulting firm Verb. Clients include Netflix, Everlane and Amazon.

We spent two minutes with Shannon & Yadira to learn more about their backgrounds, their creative inspirations and recent work they’ve admired. 

Shannon & Yadira, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

• Shannon: I grew up in Baltimore, spent 15+ years in NYC, and recently relocated back to the Baltimore area.
• Yadira: I grew up in Arlington, Texas, but now live in L.A.

How you first realized you were creative.

• Shannon: I knew I was a creative genius around 10 years old when I used my Barbie Trace & Color book to create my own book called “The Black, Bold & Beautiful.”
• Yadira: I have a very sordid history of creativity. I used to enlist my friends to recreate movies and videos like the talent show scene from Spike Lee’s School Daze and Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814. It was probably during one of those self-inflicted 6 a.m. calls that I realized I’d always be doing something with art.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

• Shannon: I loved Punky Brewster, especially her quirky style and independent spirit. 
• Yadira: The late, great Elsa Klensch. My mother forced me to watch her on Sunday mornings and she was my first peek into the world of style and fashion. She showed us how to take anything and turn it into something beautiful.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

• Shannon: I received a full academic scholarship to University of Maryland College Park, not only covering tuition and fees, but also a significant stipend every semester, exponentially changing the trajectory of my life.
• Yadira: I got into Syracuse, my dream school. But when I was moving into the dorm freshman year, I learned that financially things were not going well, and I had to make a choice. I decided to defer for a year. So while others moved in, I ended up moving out. But it prepared me for challenges later in life. And I got to party in Texas for a semester at my backup school. Things work themselves out.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

• Shannon: Queen Bey. You are the visual, baby. Anderson .Paak is also my fave—he is creative AF.
• Yadira: Beyoncé. Nothing more needs to be said.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

• Shannon: Phil Jackson’s book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success
• Yadira: Talladega Nights. “If you’re not first, you’re last!” The movie is always a pick-me-up and delivers a great message through comedy. 

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

• Shannon: We produced a 7-city, 24-hour tour with Jay-Z called the “Hangar Tour,” presented by Cingular Wireless. 
• Yadira: Airbnb Haus at Sundance. Really any year, but 2016 was a great one. 

A recent project you’re proud of. 

• Yadira: THIS.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

• Shannon: I’ve been obsessed with the Target “Vertical Catwalk” activation since 2005, where they did a runway show down the side of a building into Rockefeller Center.
• Yadira: “Restaurant for One” in Amsterdam. Also from the restaurant world, “Orange Day Sengawa,” a cafe that hires elderly people with dementia to work as servers once a month. Both of these are a reminder to go against the current and produce work that matters.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

• Shannon: The Liquid Death and e.l.f. partnership. 
• Yadira: Anything from MSCHF.

Your main strength as a creative person.

• Shannon: Ingenuity. 
• Yadira: Being honest about the work, especially your own work, is the highest level of love and respect. That’s how you bring out the best in yourself and others. But it can’t be a critique without any feedback. You need the WHY—from a place of L-O-V-E.

Your biggest weakness.

• Shannon: Procrastination. And this has been since my school years, because I quickly mastered the art of doing a term paper the hour before it was due.
• Yadira: Follow-through. I have a lot of great ideas and not a lot of time. 

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

• Shannon: My mother’s sage advice, life lessons and being a sounding board have helped me the most. I’ve never had a formal mentor in our industry. 
• Yadira: Amy, an executive producer from the Macy’s Parade. She taught me a lot about thinking big, negotiation, asking for what you want. Now though, it’s really my therapist, Dr. Dom, who helps me navigate the industry and my life.

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

• Shannon: Participating as an advisor and serving as a juror for the Collegiate Effies. I’m always looking for ways to connect, whether it’s making time for speaking engagements or informal coffee chats. And of course, we hire young pros for our team and support their creative endeavors.
• Yadira: Mentoring and hiring them. Period.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

• Shannon: I’d own a gift shop or devote more time to building my startup in the death-care space. 
• Yadira: I’d be a talent manager, music video producer or a reality TV star. (Andy Cohen, call me. We’ll chat.)