Travis Davis, Creative Producer/Director, 571.482.8687, travisdartist@gmail.com
John Harold is a truly exceptional leader, mentor, and creative force. I had the privilege of working alongside John for three years, during which he not only guided me professionally but also left an indelible mark on my personal and creative growth.
John is the rare kind of leader who prioritizes connection just as much as execution. He understands that great work stems from great relationships, and he took the time to engage with his team on a personal level. His ability to communicate, empathize, and find common ground—whether among peers or industry professionals—is unmatched. John doesn’t just manage; he inspires, fostering an environment where creativity flourishes, collaboration thrives, and individuals reach their full potential.
Throughout my time working with John, he demonstrated an extraordinary ability to navigate challenges with clarity and composure. His strategic mindset, coupled with his willingness to mentor, created an atmosphere where learning was constant, and risks were encouraged in the pursuit of innovation. Going into creative battle with John as my mentor was a pivotal moment in my career—one that sharpened my skills, expanded my perspective, and reinforced my confidence. I owe him a great deal for the lessons he imparted, and I am deeply grateful that our professional relationship evolved into a genuine friendship.
Any organization would be incredibly fortunate to have John Harold as a leader. His dedication, insight, and ability to elevate those around him make him an invaluable asset. I give him my highest recommendation without hesitation. Please feel free to contact me should you require any further information.
REWitcher@bcps.k12.md.us
I had the privilege of working under John Harold as my Creative Director for nearly three years, during which time he played a pivotal role in my growth as both a designer and a strategic thinker. I am pleased to offer my highest recommendation for John as a valuable addition to your team, having witnessed firsthand his skill set and innovative approach.
John consistently approaches projects with intelligence and creativity, always striving to bring out the best in his team. His leadership style fosters both professional development and a culture of creativity. Beyond his expertise, he genuinely cares about the growth and success of those he mentors, creating an environment where designers can thrive.
If you are seeking a leader who not only delivers outstanding results but also inspires, teaches, and approaches challenges with innovative solutions, John Harold is your ideal candidate. Please feel free to reach out if you require any further insights from me.
John consistently approaches projects with intelligence and creativity, always striving to bring out the best in his team. His leadership style fosters both professional development and a culture of creativity. Beyond his expertise, he genuinely cares about the growth and success of those he mentors, creating an environment where designers can thrive.
If you are seeking a leader who not only delivers outstanding results but also inspires, teaches, and approaches challenges with innovative solutions, John Harold is your ideal candidate. Please feel free to reach out if you require any further insights from me.
Ann Ratner, Co-Founder and Owner at Ratner Companies cell: 703-929-0462
John worked for Ratner Companies for eleven years as Creative Director. He is exceptionally creative, hardworking, and has a wonderful personality. He is financially minded and always kept us within budget. His drive and natural talent enabled him to self-learn photography in order to fill an organizational need and I watched him blossom into a gifted artist over the years. Ultimately, John managed the logistics of all our photoshoots and was the lead photographer. I feel privileged to have worked with John. He was one of my favorite people to work with and I’m truly going to miss him. John’s very bright and talented and any organization would be fortunate to have him.
Rich Gatti, Chief Financial Officer, VP Finance, Corporate Controller
Creative, passionate, and fun are just a few words that I can think of to describe John. In our 11 years of working together, I watched him build strong teams and make many contributions to advancing creative content at Hair Cuttery, Bubbles, and Salon Cielo. John was also able to reach outside the Marketing team to build great working relationships with other departmental teams within our organization. If you are looking for a leader on your Marketing team, I would highly recommend him.
Romer Garcia, Multimedia Designer cell: 703-507-9485
I’ve met John in 2012 when I started working as an entry level Designer under his wing, and honestly I consider him one of the main reasons I advanced in my career. John is a natural born leader, he knows what he knows, he also knows what he doesn’t know, so he finds a team member with the right combination of knowledge and skills for every task. He’s the embodiment of what you can’t learn at school but only with experience and patience. What sets John apart from other Creative Directors in my opinion, is his willingness to get his hands dirty and “do the job” when it needs to be done, His “how can we get this done?” attitude has allowed us as a team to be able to execute projects under the tightest deadlines and budgets. As time went by and I rose through the ranks I had the privilege to work side to side on more projects from the conception to execution, I was able to see his creative process at a deeper level and his problem solving skills, that allowed me to grow not only as a Designer, but also as a person. I consider John a great Creative Director, a mentor, and a role model.
Lisa Sanders, INSIDE SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER / CSR at C&D Printing, Inc. cell: 770-313-9946
I worked for John Harold for two years at Ratner Companies. He was my direct supervisor. John is without a doubt, the most creative, innovative, intelligent, and strategic thinkers I’ve ever worked with. He knows how to push the marketing boundaries but in all the right ways! His aptitude for Photography and Video Production is top notch! John is the hardest working Creative I’ve ever come across! He doesn’t rest till he gets it right and he will eat, sleep, and breathe your Brand! The day I stopped working for John Harold was the day that a part of my soul died inside! His humor is electric and everyday working for John was an absolute Joy!
Ilya Umansky, Vice President at Salon Plaza cell: 617-653-2068
In many cases there is friction between the finance department and the more creative parts of an organization. After working with John for close to twelve years, I can easily say that John is an absolute exception to that. He combines incredible creativity, drive and flexibility with a view to business strategy and bottom line. He is a roll up your sleeves executive that is as comfortable behind the camera, brainstorming a new campaign, a budget meeting or a P&L review. In addition to his creative and business acumen John built a very tight team of designers, production specialists and social media influencers, who are a testament to his significant leadership skills. I am thankful to have spent over a decade working with and learning from John and would highly encourage anyone looking for a professional, creative, energetic and fun addition to their marketing leadership team.
Stacy Hudson, Production Manager at Ratner Companies cell: 401-742-6606
If you were to look up “John Harold” in a thesaurus, you would find: Design Innovator; Passionate; Creative; Dynamic process; Open communication; Mutual trust and respect; Complementary, diverse skills and knowledge; Intellectual agility; Exceptional Leader.” John is the type of individual you want on your team and as a leader. He brings the perfect storm of creativity and collaboration. His originality not only helps define and shape brands, it elevates the thinking and creativity of everybody around him. John has truly been one of my favorite people to work with. His ability to both creatively and tactically solve problems made him a go to person for the hard challenges. He provides the right balance of mentoring, leading by example, and managing team members to their individual strengths, all while continually helping them to grow even further as individuals. I was fortunate to have John as my direct supervisor, but he was not only that. He becomes a mentor, a sounding box, a colleague, a friend, and someone that you will always want to have around. It’s obvious that John loves what he does, he’s exceptional at it and that he wants everyone he leads on his team to be as successful in their jobs as they can be.
Eric J. Barosz, US Director of Business Development at Contra Vision
Officially John's title these last years has been 'Creative Director', which is along the lines of describing Henry Ford as 'sort of a car guy'...the description falls far short in painting the full picture. John combines leadership and expertise on the business side with his years of owning his own firm and than leading the team at Ratner to drive revenue and profits. On the creative side, John is a true artist (literally and figuratively) whose mediums include print, OOH, fashion photography, digital, copy writing, social media and broadcast. John's site and portfolio do a much better job than I can in providing a summary of his talents and I encourage anyone looking for one of the best in the business to take a look and reach out to John if there is an opportunity you know of that fits his broad skill sets.