Is moving from agency to client-side a smart move or a backwards step?
This post is part of THE DEEP STUFF — reflective answers to the questions senior creatives ask when confidence and direction start to shift.
I write these pieces as a coach and a former creative director. I work with experienced creative leaders who are navigating confidence loss, change, and the pressure to stay relevant. No platitudes. No fridge magnet philosophy. Just saying what I hear.
For senior creatives, agency life isn’t just a job. It’s an identity. So when the idea of leaving enters the room, it can feel less like a career move and more like a silent reckoning.
The reason this question feels so loaded is that agencies teach us, implicitly and explicitly, that they are the sharp end of creativity. Client side, by contrast, is often framed as, slower, safer.
So when a senior creative considers the move, it can trigger a bruising internal narrative:
Have I lost my edge? Am I choosing comfort over ambition? Is this where creatives go when they’re done?
Agency life is all about; speed, variety, performance (and the constant proving that goes with the territory of pitching and working to the business objectives and timeframe of the client). It’s an incredible training ground, but it can also be exhausting to sustain, especially when your value lies in judgement, not just output.
Client-side environments are optimised for something else entirely; it’s about a single voice, continuity, influence, long-term thinking. The pace may appear slower, but there’s depth.
Neither is superior. They simply reward different strengths.
So problem isn’t the move, it’s the mythology around it. Perceived ‘wrong move’ is not about the work, but stepping out of a familiar hierarchy - losing the reflected swagger or status of agency culture, the address, letting go of the ‘creative’ is king narrative.
For many senior creatives, agencies provide a constant mirror. Client side removes that mirror and replaces it with ambiguity. We aren’t conditioned to deal well with ambiguity.
So when weighing things up, instead of asking: Is this a step down? Try asking:
How do I want to use my creativity ?
At senior level, creativity isn’t just about ideas. It’s shaping direction and translating creative thinking into business reality. Client-side roles often give you proximity to power, not just production.
The real question isn’t agency vs client side. It’s, ‘Are you choosing this move or hiding in it?’ Are you seeking impact or escape? Does this environment allow you to work in a way that feels aligned to you?
Staying in an agency out of fear of what a move might “mean” is no braver than leaving one to avoid discomfort.
A smart move isn’t the one that impresses the room. A smart move supports your energy, values, and sense of ownership.
If you like this mini series and have a question you don’t mind being answered publicly (no names obvs) get in touch by email jude@theshapeshifter.co.uk
Discover more thinking from THE DEEP STUFF — the real questions senior creatives ask.