Joseph Mains

Visionary creative and content leader. Brand builder. Ex-Nike, R/GA, Headspace, Ace Hotel

Portland, Oregon, United States

About

I inspire, build, and lead visionary, world-class creative and content teams for ambitious brands at the bleeding edge of culture and technology. I’ve won hearts and minds in-house and agency side (and Emmys and other awards), and thrive during seasons of critical change. Coming up in bands in the DIY hardcore scene and with formal training as a poet, I bring an outsider sensibility that engineers culture, instead of merely aping it. I am a seasoned leader of large multinational orgs, and also have built and scaled teams from scratch. When I’m not working, you can find me wrenching on vintage diesel Mercedes or making the world’s best pozole. Unless I’m running through the mountains—if you can find me there, you can have me. Chicano. First gen/college. My kids call me Barbie 'cos I've done it all. josephmains.com

Experience

  • Creative + Content Director at Function Health
    May 2025 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

    Leading a multidiciplinary creative + content team. Revolutionizing how we scale high-craft content against a high-velocity, omnichannel strategy that is AI-first and human-centered. Leading first 360 brand campaign with national broadcast + NYC OOH leading to series B funding round with $2.5B valuation. Time 100 most influential companies.

  • Creative Director at Engine
    Jul 2024 - May 2025 · 11 mos

    Head of creative. 0-1 build of creative org. Lead full rebrand of Hotel Engine to Engine within three months of start date using AI, including new website, digital product, and brand campaign leading to series C funding round with $2.1B valuation.

  • Creative Director, Brand and Content at Headspace
    Aug 2021 - Jul 2024 · 3 yrs

    Co-led Headspace global brand org of 40+ FTEs through a merger with Ginger, new brand architecture and rebrand, countless successful 360 campaings across the world, collabs with Star Wars/Disney, Meta Quest, Cotopaxi, Pangaia, and more. Brand, content (in house full studio), ux, strategy, executive leadership, vibes. Awards won—and lost! Gotta stay hungry. Executive leadership team. Communications Director for !La Voz! latino affinity group. Most importantly, we led the charge to revolutionize mental health for humanity.

  • Creative Director at R/GA
    Dec 2019 - Jul 2021 · 1 yr 8 mos

    Nike global brand defining. New biz. Led a multinational team of creatives to make Nike's first editorial storytelling campaign on .com, led Nike's covid response campaign "You Can't Stop Us," among other campaigns, launches, products, and experiences. Won new biz for TikTok, McDonalds, and others.

  • Nike (2 yrs 10 mos)
    • Narrative Director / Creative Director
      Apr 2018 - Nov 2019 · 1 yr 8 mos

      Multi-year rebrand of Nike's employment brand, which solved major business problems. Built the new jobs.nike.com. Owned employment social channels for Nike and Converse (6.5m+ followers). Worked with agencies and in-house teams to deliver success in a highly-matrixed organization. Member of Latino and Friends affinity group.

    • Creative Director, Nike Valiant Labs (Nike Adventure Club)
      Feb 2017 - Apr 2018 · 1 yr 3 mos

      I built and iterated startup ideas through Nike's innovation labs, including Nike Adventure Club/Easykicks, the brand's launch into subscription-based membership programs, and the very first successful startup to come out of The Swoosh.