Artisan Creative
Artisan Creative is a Los Angeles-based, WBENC-Certified Women's Business Enterprise founded in 1996 that places creative, digital, and marketing professionals in freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire roles, and delivers executive coaching and team-development workshops for agencies, brands, and in-house creative departments nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Artisan Creative does
Artisan Creative is a privately held, WBENC-Certified Women's Business Enterprise founded in 1996 by Jamie Douraghy and headquartered in Los Angeles. The firm operates a dual-service model anchored in (1) Recruitment & Staffing — placing creative, digital, and marketing professionals in freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire roles across UI/UX, Generative AI, marketing strategy, social media, and creative leadership — and (2) Leadership & Team Development, which delivers executive coaching, team-building workshops, retreats, and CliftonStrengths-based facilitation led by Jamie and Katty Douraghy (President since 2016).
The core technology stack is modest and operationally focused rather than product-differentiating. A Bullhorn-powered Online Timesheet Portal (artisancreative.bbo.bullhornstaffing.com) handles freelance assignment tracking with weekly client approval, and an Online Talent Request Form captures job intake. Supporting ecosystem assets include a 500+-article blog, a 42+ episode podcast, and a Talent Referral Program that pays $250 for freelance placements (after 80 hours) and $1,000 for full-time hires. Artisan Studio, a sub-brand, extends the firm into managed services by providing end-to-end creative project delivery (presentation design, UI/UX, marketing collateral, social media) via curated freelance teams under a dedicated account manager.
The business model blends transaction fees (placement fees on successful hires, with guarantee periods), professional services fees for leadership and team-development engagements (workshop budgets tiered from under $5,000 to over $15,000), and managed services revenue from Artisan Studio. Geographic coverage is national, with primary offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco and extended reach into Midwest and East Coast markets through a sister-company channel partnership with Artisan Talent. The customer base is distributed across more than a dozen industries (entertainment, technology, healthcare, fashion, retail, real estate, nonprofit, cybersecurity, jewelry, banking, travel, and automotive), reducing single-customer concentration risk but anchoring the firm firmly in the mid-market and boutique-enterprise segment of creative staffing.
Artisan Creative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Artisan Creative
- Legal name
- Artisan Creative LLC
- Website
- https://artisancreative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Artisan Creative is a Los Angeles-based, WBENC-Certified Women's Business Enterprise founded in 1996 that places creative, digital, and marketing professionals in freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire roles, and delivers executive coaching and team-development workshops for agencies, brands, and in-house creative departments nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Artisan Creative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Staffing & Recruitment
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Management & Talent Representation (BPAFAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creator Talent Management & Representation (MPAAAHAB), Creative Talent Booking (Photographers, Videographers, Content Creators) (HSACAHAI), Content & Creative Studio for Creators (Concepting/Production) (MPAAAHAD)
Keywords
Where Artisan Creative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Artisan Creative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Recruitment & Placement Fees: Fee-based placement of creative, digital, and marketing talent in freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire roles. The company earns placement fees upon successful hiring completions with guarantee periods.
- Leadership & Team Development Services: Executive coaching, team-building workshops, and facilitation services. Session formats include one-hour sessions, half-day, full-day, and multi-day retreats. Fees depend on duration, cadence, and frequency of engagements.
- Artisan Studio (Virtual Agency Services): Virtual studio providing end-to-end creative project delivery including presentation design, UI/UX design, marketing collateral, content creation, and social media management. Curated freelance teams managed by dedicated Account Manager.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Freelance Digital Illustrator roles |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | 3D Experiential Designer roles |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Art Director roles |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Creative Director (Full-time) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Leadership & Team Development Workshops |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Talent Referral Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Artisan Creative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Artisan Creative is a creative, digital, and marketing staffing agency that places freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire talent in UI/UX, generative AI, marketing strategy, social media, and creative leadership roles for agencies and brand in-house teams. Beyond placement, the firm delivers Leadership & Team Development services including executive coaching, team-building workshops, retreat facilitation, and CliftonStrengths-based programs, and operates Artisan Studio, a virtual creative agency providing end-to-end project delivery through curated freelance teams.
Product overview
Artisan Creative operates as a dual-service recruitment and talent development firm offering two integrated core services: Recruitment & Staffing for placing digital, creative, and marketing professionals; and Leadership & Team Development for organizational growth. Supporting these core services are supplementary offerings including Artisan Studio (a virtual creative studio for project delivery), the Online Timesheet Portal (Bullhorn-powered freelance management), the Talent Network (candidate database), the Talent Referral Program, plus content platforms (the Artisan Podcast and Artisan Blog with 500+ articles). The company was founded in 1996 and serves clients nationwide from offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Artisan Studio: A virtual full agency offering customized creative, digital, content, and marketing deliverables, including presentation design, UI/UX design, marketing collateral, content creation, and social media management.
Products and services
- Recruitment & Staffing Services Full-service recruitment and staffing for digital, creative, and marketing professionals, placing talent in freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire roles across UI/UX, generative AI, marketing strategy, social media, and creative leadership positions for agencies and brand in-house teams.
- Leadership & Team Development Organizational development programs including executive coaching, team-building workshops, retreat facilitation, CliftonStrengths assessments, and communication training designed to improve retention and build future-ready teams. Sessions range from one-hour engagements to multi-day retreats.
- Artisan Studio A virtual creative studio providing end-to-end project delivery through a curated freelance team, offering presentation design, UI/UX design, marketing collateral creation, and social media management without agency retainer fees, managed by a dedicated Account Manager.
Quantifiable outcome
- Filled specialty creative role in 30 days when client couldn't fill for months independently
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Artisan Creative
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Artisan Creative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature1 record
Artisan Creative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Artisan TalentcoreSister company extending national reach to Midwest and East Coast markets. Artisan Talent has offices in Chicago, Denver, New York, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., and Cincinnati. Additional roles available through this partnership for creative and marketing professionals seeking opportunities outside California.
- Gallup CliftonStrengthscoreArtisan Creative's Jamie Douraghy is a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths coach. The firm offers CliftonStrengths assessments and workshops as part of leadership development offerings, helping teams and individuals unlock their core strengths.
- Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ)minorJamie Douraghy is a certified Conversational Intelligence facilitator, integrating C-IQ principles into executive coaching and team development programs.
- WHY Discovery InstituteminorJamie Douraghy is a certified WHY Discovery Coach, incorporating purpose and meaning frameworks into leadership development and team coaching services.
- Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)minorArtisan Creative's Katty Douraghy has facilitated gatherings for hundreds of groups and cohorts for EO, bringing leadership development and team building expertise to entrepreneurs.
- YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)minorKatty Douraghy has facilitated gatherings for YPO groups and cohorts, providing leadership development and team building workshops for company leadership teams.
- Harvard Business SchoolminorKatty Douraghy has facilitated gatherings for Harvard Business School alumni groups and cohorts, delivering leadership and team development programming.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Artisan Creative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aquent: Aquent is one of the largest creative, digital, and marketing staffing agencies in the U.S., placing freelance and full-time talent across design, UX, content, and marketing roles. It is the most direct comparable to Artisan Creative in both service offering and customer base.
- Onward Search: Onward Search is a staffing agency specializing in creative, digital, marketing, and communications talent placement. It serves brands and agencies with freelance and permanent placements in similar disciplines to Artisan Creative.
- 24 Seven Talent: 24 Seven is a creative, marketing, and digital talent agency placing freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire professionals. Its service model, customer segments, and project types closely overlap Artisan Creative's freelance and full-time placement business.
- Vitamin T (Aquent): Vitamin T is Aquent's dedicated creative and digital talent brand, focusing on freelance and temp placement of designers, developers, and marketers. It competes head-to-head with Artisan Creative's freelance placement offering.
- Paladin Staffing: Paladin is a creative, marketing, and communications staffing agency placing freelance, contract, and direct-hire professionals. Its boutique positioning and customer base closely match Artisan Creative's agency and brand clients.
- Creative Circle: Creative Circle is a creative, marketing, and digital staffing agency placing advertising, design, content, and technology professionals. Its boutique-style service model and target customers closely align with Artisan Creative's positioning.
Broad incumbents
- The Creative Group (Robert Half): The Creative Group is the dedicated creative staffing division of Robert Half, placing marketing and creative professionals. As a sub-brand of a multi-billion-dollar staffing incumbent, it competes with Artisan Creative on enterprise accounts but operates at vastly greater scale.
- Robert Half International: Robert Half is the largest publicly traded staffing firm in the U.S., with specialized creative, marketing, and technology divisions. It competes with Artisan Creative on enterprise staffing RFPs and brand-name visibility at significantly larger scale.
- Hays Recruitment: Hays is a global staffing firm with marketing, digital, and creative practices that compete for the same enterprise and mid-market clients Artisan Creative serves. As a multinational incumbent, it offers broader geographic coverage and deeper recruiter benches.
Others
- Artisan Talent: Artisan Talent is the sister company that extends Artisan Creative's reach to Midwest and East Coast markets with offices in Chicago, Denver, New York, Indianapolis, D.C., and Cincinnati. It offers near-identical creative and marketing staffing under common ownership.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Artisan Creative social profiles
Digital presenceArtisan Creative compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Artisan Creative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Artisan Creative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Artisan Creative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Artisan Creative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Artisan Creative
What does Artisan Creative do?
Artisan Creative is a creative, digital, and marketing staffing agency that places freelance, temp-to-hire, and direct-hire talent in UI/UX, generative AI, marketing strategy, social media, and creative leadership roles for agencies and brand in-house teams. Beyond placement, the firm delivers Leadership & Team Development services including executive coaching, team-building workshops, retreat facilitation, and CliftonStrengths-based programs, and operates Artisan Studio, a virtual creative agency providing end-to-end project delivery through curated freelance teams.
Is Artisan Creative a public or private company?
Artisan Creative is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Artisan Creative founded?
Artisan Creative was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Artisan Creative based?
Artisan Creative is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Artisan Creative make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Recruitment & Placement Fees are the primary driver. The others are leadership & Team Development Services and artisan Studio (Virtual Agency Services).
Who are Artisan Creative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aquent, Onward Search, 24 Seven Talent, Vitamin T (Aquent), Paladin Staffing and Creative Circle. Broad incumbents are The Creative Group (Robert Half), Robert Half International and Hays Recruitment. Artisan Talent is listed as an others.
Does Artisan Creative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Artisan Creative.
What industry is Artisan Creative in?
Artisan Creative's product category is Creative Staffing & Recruitment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAHAB, Creator Management & Talent Representation, with a secondary code of MPAAAHAB, Creator Talent Management & Representation. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7311.