# Trevor Dawson > Creative Brand Marketing Leader | Certified Health Coach | Former illi, .Monks, Firewood, BSSP, Levi’s Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/trevordawson I build brands from the inside out and the ground up. I’ve worked in-house and agency-side, and I respect the hustle on both. From startups to global brand powerhouses, my work spans technology, life sciences, sustainability, fashion, electronics and more, helping brands inspire belief, drive measurable growth, and stay human in the process. I come from painting and graphic design, and never lost my love for hands-on creation — shaping tone and voice, building brand platforms, identities, and campaigns, while also leading teams with executive vision and mentorship across complex, large-scale, big-budget workstreams. Beyond the world of brand marketing, I’m also a certified holistic health and wellness coach. That work lives alongside my creative career, not separate from it. I help modern workers, from next-gen professionals to senior leaders, design lifestyles grounded in balance, resilience, and intrinsic motivation. I believe the same principles that build strong brands also build strong humans. Here’s to the power of a healthy network. My digital door is always open. Let’s connect. ## Work Experience ### Group Creative Director, Brand Consultant @ PreHealth Inc. Jan 2025 – Present This is an incredible opportunity to be close to some of the world’s most cutting-edge health and scientific breakthroughs, and to be part of a talented team helping bring these important advancements to market so they can improve health and well-being for people around the world. Together, we’re building and evolving brands and products across the life sciences, biotech, and medical technology industries. As for me, I’m focused on shaping brand identities and creative platforms that are ready for the moments and experiences where these brands show up, ensuring the work is not only creative, but inspiring and informative for the many audiences they need to reach. ### Health and Wellness Coach, AFPA-Certified @ TCD Jan 2024 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Alongside my creative career, the shift to remote work in 2020 revealed how many people were quietly struggling with stress, burnout, and the strain of balancing work with well-being. I saw these patterns in my teams because I had lived them myself. Over time, I developed health and performance habits that helped me stay resilient through demanding projects, leadership roles, chronic pain, and the push-pull of everyday life. Wanting to offer that support more intentionally, I became a certified holistic health and wellness coach in 2024. Today, I guide individuals through whole-person wellness using a practical method I call Lifestyle Design. My coaching blends creative problem-solving with evidence-based behavioral science, helping people build resilience, balance, and repeatable habits they can use at work and in life. Whether someone is entering the workforce or carrying a wide range of responsibilities as a seasoned leader, my goal is the same: help them overcome barriers and build sustainable momentum toward the life they want. FOCUS AREAS: • Whole-person wellness coaching • Lifestyle design, habits, routines, training, and recovery • Nutrition and physical well-being • Stress resilience and emotional balance ### Creative Brand Marketing Consultant @ TCD Jan 2012 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area TCD is my independent creative practice, where I partner with brands across tech, sustainability, life sciences, fitness, wellness, and culture. I lead projects and mentor teams, working across everything from brand identity and narrative development to campaign direction and content strategy. My approach blends two decades of agency and in-house leadership, helping teams scale, adopt new workflows, and deliver industry-leading creative. I’m both a player and a coach — capable of hands-on execution as well as executive-level vision and direction. SPECIALTIES: • Creative direction & brand identity • Narrative development & messaging • Campaign & content leadership • Team building and mentorship • Wellness-informed, empathetic creative leadership ### Head of Creative @ illi Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 I joined illi at the beginning, stepping into a bold vision: B2B brands deserve more than static strategy and transactional creative. Buyers face long, crowded journeys, so we built a more human, agile agency focused on bridging brands and buyers. From day one, I helped build illi’s foundation—shaping the brand identity (logo, positioning, story, voice, ethos, values, and visual system), standing up a creative practice rooted in boutique-level craft at enterprise scale, and launching the agency’s online presence. Partnering across strategy, account, and operations, I helped build the workflows and creative rituals that operationalized our “empathy with edge” ethos from the inside out. During my time there, the agency strengthened its footing and established early momentum in the B2B space. I led creative across technology, automation, AI, intelligent systems, and sustainability, with work spanning campaigns, websites, packaging, collateral systems, keynote presentations, and brand workshops. Whether bringing a brand to market, designing experience-center storytelling, or crafting content across video, social, web, and live events, my throughline remained the same: transforming complex ideas into clear, human, and compelling narratives. Clients: Siemens, Vertical Harvest, Little House Productions ### Group Creative Director @ Monks Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area My Media.Monks story goes like this: I was surrounded by talented people from all over the world, working with smart clients who were changing the world, and I felt like my teammates and I were making a real difference. Safe to say, it made a world of difference in my career. At its height, I led a global team of 21 spanning three countries and five time zones — creative directors, copywriters, designers, and production specialists. We took on our clients’ toughest challenges, prioritizing a white-glove experience from pitch through production. I focused heavily on maintaining a positive, collaborative culture, grounded in the belief that the work environment we wanted was one we were all responsible for building and protecting. HIGHLIGHTS: • Creative platforms and brand identity refreshes for Fortune 150 clients • Digital marketing ecosystems and always-on content programs • Full-funnel campaign concepting, development, and execution • Social-first campaigns, multi-format creative content, and performance-driven assets Clients: Accelera, Autodesk, Cummins, Hasbro, Lenovo, Mass Mutual, Uber, Uber Eats ### Group Creative Director @ Firewood Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | San Francisco Bay Area When I stepped into the Group Creative Director role, the industry was already in a new chapter — fully remote, reshaped by COVID, and moving through rapid change. People were stretched thin, isolated, and adjusting to a completely different way of working, all while the agency was navigating its acquisition by Media.Monks. Leading through that shift was one of the defining periods of my career. Keeping people focused, inspired, and connected took real intentionality — but we found a way. We supported each other, kept communication honest, and continued producing work we were proud of, even as everything around us kept evolving. HIGHLIGHTS: • Multi-year, multi-workstream programs for a Fortune 150 brand • Digital marketing and always-on content ecosystems for a Fortune 50 brand • B2B and B2B2C fintech brand activation • Enterprise website design, UX content strategy, and product messaging • Naming, positioning, and the full creative launch of a new brand Clients: Affirm, Cummins, Uber, Uber Eats ### Creative Director @ Firewood Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco Bay Area One day over an overpriced Italian sub, a conversation with a copywriter friend sparked the beginning of Firewood’s new business growth team. We became the first two creatives brought in to build it, focused on landing and expanding B2B technology clients. As Creative Director, Art, I helped define our creative standards, pitch practice, and workflow. We activated a major fintech rebrand, explored AR/VR storytelling, and overhauled an enterprise B2B website. Our momentum led to a strong new-business win rate and ultimately expanded into a larger team. HIGHLIGHTS: • 65% new-business win rate • B2B and B2B2C fintech brand activation • Enterprise website design, UX content strategy, and product messaging Clients: Affirm, Cummins, Google, Meta (Facebook), Spark AR, Sunrun, Uber ### Senior Art Director @ Firewood Jan 2018 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area We lit it up at Firewood. Guided by purpose-driven founders who modeled humility and values-driven leadership, Firewood taught me that even under high pressure and large-scale work, you can build a culture that stays welcoming, people-first, and grounded in true partnership. This role sharpened my digital marketing chops. I concepted, designed, and shipped full-funnel campaigns, amplifying brand awareness through Google ads, display, paid social, and every channel needed to move the needle. I worked alongside strategists who were early adopters of modern media planning and gained hands-on experience in what my Creative Director called “progressive branding.” We often turned a brief for a few social graphics into refreshed identity, clearer storytelling, and a smarter tone of voice. We treated every assignment as an opportunity to elevate the brand, not just check the boxes, and that approach kept clients coming back for more. Clients: Google, Linkedin, Singularity University, Uber ### Associate Creative Director, Design @ Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | Sausalito, California Funny thing is, I was only here for a short time, but the feels still hit hard. I think it had to do with the time of year and where I was. Ever been to Sausalito, CA during Fall? Iykyk. Gorgeous. The whole thing feels like a dream—cool office, big-money budgets, real-deal advertising legends walking the halls. Honestly? A little intimidating, but I would not change a thing. It’s also where I learned that advertising can turn on a dime. Clients come and go—and when they go, the work goes with them, and sometimes, so do we. What's the lesson here? Work your ass off and don’t ever stop. Clients: Botox, Juvéderm, Blue Shield of California, SOVOS Brands, Nature Made ### Associate Creative Director, Design @ Real Chemistry Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | San Francisco Bay Area What happens when an agency is so damn good at what it does that it gets acquired…and then gets even better…and gets acquired again? You see where this is going. Truth bomb: I didn’t actually work at Real Chemistry! 😱 I did work at the agency that was acquired by the agency that was acquired by Real Chemistry. Shout out to Brewlife and W2O. You can’t search LinkedIn anymore and see the brand identities I helped build for those shops that once were—but anyone who’s been there knows: once you make something and set it free, it’s no longer yours. From those years I learned how to build brands—not just logos, but real brands. The kind that get acquired by pharma juggernauts for $1.8 billion. The people who taught me those skills are still out there building. They haven’t stopped, and I think about them often. The real job title for that role should have been Builder, because that’s what we did. We helped emerging biotech companies tell their origin stories and build brand identities that earned them funding, carried them through the crucible of clinical trials, and in some cases led to acquisitions worth billions—all so their life-changing therapeutics could reach the people who needed them most. We must’ve been onto something, because we didn’t just get acquired—we got acquired by the acquirer’s acquirer. Clients: AbbVie, Aimmune Therapeutics, Amgen, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Idenix, Intuitive Surgical, Translate Bio ### Graphic Designer @ Real Chemistry Jan 2013 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco Bay Area Crafted brand identities, conceptualized campaigns, designed responsive enterprise websites, created brand style guides, managed social media design, and developed product packaging. ### Art Director – Brand Marketing, Consumer Electronics @ Monster Inc. Jan 2013 – Jan 2013 | Brisbane, Ca Gold-plated Segway scooters. An industrial-sized hangar filled with luxury cars. Pro athletes, F1 drivers, and famous producers stopping by to pick up their $1,000 headphones in luxury packaging kits I designed. All in a day’s work at Monster. It’s also where I learned what it meant to be a true audiophile. Most of my time there was spent deep in packaging design—the most beautiful trash we’ll ever make, but damn, is it fun to do. My six months of cranking out headphone boxes is also why I still try to pick up litter on my block at least once a week. A small attempt to offset the carbon footprint I left behind in Brisbane, CA. ### Senior Visual Designer – Global Communications @ Gap Inc. Jan 2010 – Jan 2013 | San Francisco Bay Area So what do you do in San Francisco after nearly six years at Levi’s? You go work for GAP, of course. The world has a few of these rivalries: Starbucks vs. Dunkin. Nike vs. Adidas. Levi’s vs. GAP. It was fascinating to see how the other side did things. Not every new hire orientation includes the viewing of a genuine Andy Warhol. Yes, as advertised, the Fishers like nice things. My role there was to help keep 10,000+ Gap Inc. employees engaged and informed by creating a steady flow of web banners, maintaining the design of the corporate intranet and website, and making sure global communications looked sharp and consistent. I even designed the company’s annual report—remember those? Along the way, I shared a floor with the CEO. Hey, Glenn! It was an inside view of how a massive portfolio of brands keeps its people connected across continents. Although I could have done without my first pair of GAP jeans splitting straight down the crotch seam at the team bowling outing 🎳—turn around and own it, Trevor. My Levi’s denim never split on me—just sayin. ### Certified Personal Trainer, NASM @ World Gym San Francisco Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 | San Francisco I selected World Gym after interviewing with multiple clubs because the classic bodybuilding environment aligned with my competitive goals. I worked part-time while building a diverse client roster that included tech executives and working professionals. My programming supported clients with demanding careers and helped them improve performance, reduce stress, and build sustainable fitness habits. FOCUS AREAS INCLUDED: • Strength and hypertrophy • Body recomposition and fat loss • Conditioning and work-capacity development • Stress reduction and movement quality TRAINING METHODS INCLUDED: • Mobility and corrective work • Free weights and hypertrophy phases • Kickboxing and boxing conditioning I eventually stepped away to focus on early parenthood while continuing my creative career, but remained committed to training and coaching as a core part of my life. ### Graphic Design Brand Manager @ Levi Strauss & Co. Jan 2004 – Jan 2010 I closed my locker in the employee break room and slipped a handmade leave-behind kit into the pocket of my 514s. I had built it during my final semester of art school—scored, folded, and hand-cut from heavy card stock, elastic-bound, and double-sided printed on my Epson 2200. A self-promotional mini-portfolio on the outside, with my résumé revealed on the inside flaps. For the next six hours, I was selling jeans at Levi’s flagship store in the heart of San Francisco—the birthplace of denim. Just a few hills over stood Levi’s corporate headquarters. Sure, I was selling jeans. But every time I saw an HQ badge, I was selling myself. After a few months of hustling, I became (or so I was told) the first retail employee to ever get hired by HQ. That was my first real design job out of college—nearly six years working in-house at a global brand reshaping fashion at retail. I helped bring the denim experience to life through window graphics, in-store art, signage, hang-tags, and packaging, and even helped launch the Go Forth! campaign with some of the world’s top ad agencies. I touched a bit of everything: visual merchandising, store design, art direction, illustration, photography, and print. The lessons I learned about design, style, and big-brand culture have stayed with me ever since. I guess you can say my design DNA is selvedge-strong. ### Graphic Designer - Visual Merchandising @ Levi Strauss & Co. Jan 2004 – Jan 2005 | San Francisco, California, United States Visual merchandising, in-store graphics, and window displays. ### Graphic Designer - Internship @ SOMA Magazine Jan 2003 – Jan 2003 | San Francisco Bay Area Contributor to Volume 17 / Issue 7 / Fashion Issue ### Personal Trainer, CPT @ 24 Hour Fitness Jan 2001 – Jan 2003 I began my fitness career at the front desk of the 24 Hour Fitness across the street from my art school in Santa Monica. It was a wild little window into Hollywood, saying hello to a who’s-who of actors, TV personalities, and even a few pro athletes. Being around that energy sparked my curiosity about training and the impact it could have on people’s lives. When I transferred from Los Angeles to San Francisco to continue art school, I picked up where I left off at the Daly City location and eventually earned my certification as a personal trainer. I supported clients across all ages, backgrounds, and goals, applying the 24 Hour Fitness training model to create individualized, evidence-based programs that helped people move better, build strength, and integrate fitness into their daily routines. FOCUS AREAS INCLUDED: • Lifestyle integration • Movement quality and mobility • Body recomposition and fat loss • Strength development This early experience gave me a solid foundation in client communication, program design, and guiding people through meaningful change. I stopped training in my final year of college to focus on my creative and design career path, but I always knew I would return to in-person personal training and coaching. It was never a question of if, only when. ## Education ### Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design The Art Institutes ### BS in Graphic Design The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles ### Lancaster High School ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/trevordawson - Portfolio: https://tcd-brand.com - Portfolio: https://illi-agency.com --- Source: https://flows.cv/trevordawson JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/trevordawson/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13