Learning to Lead: Why Upskilling in Creative Ops Matters More Than Ever

Guest Information

• Name: Amy Strickland
• Title: Instructor, Advanced Creative Operations Program
• Organization: Rutgers
• Expertise:
  • Expert in Creative Ops Leadership, Systems Thinking, and Team Optimization

• Name: Alicia Nicely
• Title: Senior Manager, Creative Operations
• Organization: Kidde Global Solutions
• Expertise:
  • Specialist in Scaling Teams, Data-Driven Decision Making, and Process Development

Episode Summary
The creative operations field is evolving fast—and the professionals who invest in learning won’t just keep up, they’ll lead.

In this episode, Amy Strickland and Alicia Nicely break down how education in creative operations isn’t just valuable—it’s career-changing.

Alicia’s journey is proof. She was already doing creative ops without the title, but after completing the Rutgers Advanced Creative Operations Program, she gained the strategic skills, leadership mindset, and KPI-driven approach to transform her role and scale her team.

Amy, an educator and creative ops strategist, shares why structured learning is essential for professionals looking to advance, and how the right training helps move from execution to strategy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether formal education in creative ops is worth it, this episode will answer that question—and show you exactly how it can accelerate your career.

Key Takeaways

• You can’t manage the future with yesterday’s skills:
  • Creative operations is shifting from execution to strategic leadership—and professionals who upskill will be the ones who lead that shift.
• Formal education in creative ops isn’t just theory—it’s career acceleration :
  • Alicia applied what she learned immediately at work, using KPI tracking, workflow optimization, and leadership strategies to scale her team and gain executive buy-in.
•  If leadership doesn’t recognize creative ops, you have to advocate for it:
  • Learning how to speak the language of business impact, data, and efficiency is key to positioning creative ops as a must-have, not a nice-to-have.
• Education gives you a framework—so you don’t have to build everything from scratch:
  • Instead of learning through trial and error, structured programs teach proven methods for scaling teams, improving processes, and driving impact.
• The best creative ops leaders never stop learning:
  • AI and automation will optimize workflows, but leadership is the X factor—and the ones who keep learning will be the ones driving the future..