The One Decision That Changed Everything: Ted Royer On How a Single Choice Can Redefine A Leadership Journey

Every leader’s journey is shaped by pivotal moments, but sometimes a single decision can alter the entire trajectory. What is that one choice that redefined your path and changed everything for your leadership journey? How did it impact your approach, vision, and success? As part of this series, we are interviewing Ted Royer.

Ted Royer serves as co-founder and creative lead at Folk Devils, a project-based creative consultancy firm specializing in brand building, advertising campaigns and design.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share with us the back story about what brought you to your specific career path?

From the moment I first sat in front of a TV, I’ve been fascinated by communication and creativity.

The advertising industry attracted me right away. It has the unique draw of complex problem-solving, fast-paced environments and creativity that has to work hard under pressure. It’s one of the few careers where a great idea can directly affect business outcomes, culture and people. Over the course of 25 years, I had the opportunity to work across continents, build lasting relationships and become part of an incredibly creative global community.

What I came to realize later in my career is that working in advertising isn’t just a profession — it’s how I contextualize the world. It has shaped how I approach challenges and connect with people. It’s also how I survived one of the hardest periods of my life.

Can you share the story about the hardest experience you’ve gone through since you started your career?

For over a decade, I served as a partner and the former chief creative officer of Droga5, one of the most influential creative agencies in the world. I had reached the pinnacle of my profession: I was recognized multiple times as an Ad Age “Creativity 50” honoree and helped to build some of the most celebrated campaigns in modern advertising.

Then, overnight, it was gone.

I was on set shooting a Super Bowl campaign when I received a phone call that changed the entire trajectory of my life. My name was circulating on a #MeToo list online. My entire personal and professional world shattered in an instant.

I thought to myself: Is this really the kind of person I am? Who have I hurt, and how can I make up for the pain I have caused? Is redemption even possible for someone accused of such a thing? Do I deserve forgiveness?

Eight years later, I decided to write a book in an attempt to make sense of these questions and explore other parts of the experience — shame, humiliation, depression, the total collapse of identity and the difficult work of rebuilding a life after losing the one thing that I thought defined me (advertising).

After going through such a life-altering experience, what do you think makes your current company stand out?

Folk Devils embraces technology but is led by human creativity. We love AI and emerging tech but only when it serves the creative process. A lot of companies start with tech and then tackle a creative challenge afterward. We start with the challenge and ask which technology is right to help us solve it. Sometimes the necessary tech doesn’t exist yet, and we have to build it.

A good example of this is something we call, “The Devil’s Playground” — a collection of tools that our creatives use to explore different ideas. One of my favorites is a Google Chrome plug-in that, with the touch of a button, turns client feedback in Google presentation decks into smooth jazz songs. It’s a reminder to us that technology can be useful and playful — and that even the dreariest parts of the workday can be fun. (Fun is key. Our motto is the Groucho Marx quote: “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right.”)

We also actively choose to work with ambitious clients who are willing to experiment. The best work comes from people who want to take a strong position to start but remain open to wherever the creative process can go. Our best work generates excitement and enthusiasm — and often leads to more work!

Finally, like many companies post-COVID, Folk Devils employees work from anywhere, not in an office. The company is meant to be nimble, flexible and, most importantly, respectful of people’s personal lives.

You are an influential business leader. What character traits do you think are most instrumental to a person’s success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Empathy — After going through a very public and shameful experience, I realized that everyone is carrying struggles we can’t always see or fully understand. I used to not care enough. Going through my own journey taught me that the best form of leadership isn’t directing but rather really understanding people and seeing the best in their intentions. I’ve found that the more empathy I have, the better leader I am.

Resilience — Having experienced career loss and subsequently launching Folk Devils and writing a memoir, I realized that setbacks don’t have to define you. They teach you important things about who you are and who you want to be. Resilience is not about pretending that everything is fine; it’s about finding the good in every day, not giving up and constantly working on yourself.

Curiosity — I approached my own cancellation like a creative brief. Curiosity is what helped me to grow and evolve. I moved around the world, helped to build new campaigns, embraced pioneering technologies and explored new chapters of my life. And now, I’m a vastly different person than who I was eight years ago when I got that call during the Super Bowl shoot. I try to keep asking questions and know that there is always more to learn. Like Socrates said, “We always need to be aware of how much we don’t know.”

What was the pivotal moment that transformed your approach to leadership, and what prompted you to make it?

As I mentioned above, I was at the height of my career when my name began circulating on a #MeToo list online. I lost my career, identity and community that I had spent more than two decades building. I realized that the past can’t be changed; it’s what we do next that matters.

My first instinct was (incorrectly) to figure out how to get back to the life I had before. But I soon accepted that I could not, and should not, restore the past. It was time to learn and build something new.

Going through this experience also made me realize that achieving the shiny recognition I spent decades pursuing wasn’t the end of my story. Losing everything forced me to discover who I was without it. I’m still very much a work-in-progress, and it’s work that I suspect will never end.

How did this impact your personal growth and your view on what it means to lead?

The experience fundamentally changed the way that I view leadership. For much of my career, leadership was tied to achievement, success and all the recognition that came with it. Going through such a public and personal setback forced me to rethink that concept entirely.

This is going to sound cliché, but success from the outside is hollow. It must come from within. So, I focused on self-awareness and the ability to keep moving forward. I learned massive amounts of humility. I realized that leadership isn’t about projecting strength — it’s about how you respond when things fall and how you concentrate on helping others to navigate their own challenges.

What were some of the immediate and long-term effects of this moment on your current team and organization?

Transparency and honest conversations are key. No one should operate in the dark. I’ve never been a fan of leaders trying to build or control “narratives,” as I find that disrespectful to the professionals we work with. Going through my experience made me less interested in projecting a narrative and more interested in creating an inclusive environment.

Additionally, some of the most creative work comes from improvisational experimenting. When people aren’t afraid to fail, original ideas are formed. My task as one of the co-founders of Folk Devils is to create an environment where everyone feels safe, included and respected so that sparks can happen from any direction.

How do you handle uncertainty or doubt?

My friend Ari Weiss used to say the same thing whenever something bad — or something good — happened: “We’ll see.” That means, you never know! Doubt and uncertainty are great at making you pause and reflect, but they’re ultimately useless if they aren’t put in service of solutions.

What lesson did you learn from this moment in your life that you continue to apply in your leadership today?

Initially, I wasn’t sure if things would work out. In many ways, that uncertainty never fully goes away. What keeps me going, though, is hope, curiosity and the belief that I can still make an impact for myself and for others. To me, leadership is about continuing with purpose, staying open to new possibilities/feedback and always learning.

What are five things that a person needs to be a “transformational leader”? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

1. Self-awareness

Always, always be aware of the impact that you have on others and the impact that your own thoughts have on yourself. Awareness is kindness. I heard a great phrase: “Be the soul of any room you are in.” That does NOT mean: “Be the center of attention.” We need to always be aware of what the room’s best shared intentions are and act toward those.

2. Courage

Churchill said, “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never.” Yes, he was problematic but, on the subject of courage, he was spot on. What’s the alternative? And when you show courage, you’ll see that it has an immediate effect on others.

3. Curiosity

Working in the creative industry, you have to be relentlessly curious about even the most mundane topics. There’s magic in the boring! Talk to everyone, go deep into the details — it’s in there, I promise.

4. Resilience

Sometimes just getting out of bed is a win. Waking up, splashing water on your head and facing the worst is so hard — but so worth it. Again, there is only what there is. We can’t go back in time and change anything. We can, today, do what we can do.

5. Imagination

How lucky are we in the creative industry? We get to drink coffee, stare at a ceiling and come up with an idea that lives a life out in the world. It’s truly the best job ever.

What unexpected challenges and rewards emerged from this moment?

The most unexpected challenge of it all was letting go of my former identity. That included letting go of many former friends and allies. I had to rebuild completely, and that’s something that no one can prepare you for, professionally or mentally.

The unexpected reward was clarity. Today, I have a much stronger sense of who I am and what leader I want to be. I am less concerned with external validation and more focused on building new relationships and doing work that we all believe in.

How has this decision influenced the advice or guidance that you offer to emerging leaders?

Don’t build your identity around external factors. You have to build from the inside. Success can disappear overnight. If it does, you need to be able to see those past accomplishments as chapters of your life and career, not your whole identity.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I wish everyone could practice “The Law of Good Intentions.” For example, did someone cut you off in traffic? Maybe they’re driving to the hospital to see a dying family member. Was someone awful to you at work? Maybe fear and insecurity are racking their brain, and there’s a way to help. Not only does “The Law of Good Intentions” motivate you to not add to a problem, but it also calms your own anger and harsh reactions. Imagine if people on both sides of any contentious issue did this.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Readers can follow my Substack, where I write about creativity, leadership, culture and failure. They can also connect with me on LinkedIn and learn more about Folk Devils. And, of course, check out And Then It Just Got Worse. It’s packed with a lot of this perspective.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these insights. We wish you only continued success in your work.