Seasoned project managers know that powerful collaboration is at the heart of every successful project. That involves overseeing many moving parts to ensure every aspect of a marketing campaign comes to fruition just as planned.
While some professionals are afraid to take on such a challenge, this is music to Oscar Franco’s ears. Here at Brafton, Oscar is not only a Senior Creative Production Project Manager, but an incredibly valuable member of our team.
The Long and Winding Road to Agency Life
Before his time at Brafton, creative project management has always been a big part of Oscar’s life. As a Media Advertising major at the University of Texas at El Paso, “I got to participate in a couple of national advertising competitions which really opened my eyes to the industry and got me interested in pursuing agency life,” he explains. And he was certainly no stranger to success back then, either — taking second place in the District 12 National Student Advertising Competition and the AAF Houston Student Competition.
Little did he know where this journey would take him!
“During college, I began my project management journey by working at Splendid Sun Productions,” he tells us. The production company organizes exciting music festivals in Texas, including the Neon Desert Music Festival in El Paso and Mala Luna Festival in San Antonio. After soaking in every second of learning at the production company, Oscar took his project management talents to Aidan James Agency.
“For close to 3 years I got to manage everything from branding projects to creative campaigns involving all sorts of media. That job was a great opportunity to work with multiple industries from manufacturing, healthcare, restaurants and even a mega-church.”
Then came the pandemic.
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Going the Distance With Brafton
As a global phenomenon, COVID-19 impacted practically every professional in some way or another — and Oscar was no exception.
“The pandemic opened up opportunities to work remotely from essentially anywhere in the country.” That’s when he found Brafton. “I stumbled upon the Project Management role at Brafton during my job search on LinkedIn.”
And just like that, he joined the team — quickly establishing himself as a rising star, confidently leading high-priority clients to success.
When asked how his time at the company has been, he told us, “My experience at Brafton has been great.” While noting the learning curve that was required to step into a fully-remote position, Oscar said it’s been really rewarding to be able to work from home and still find ways to collaboratively provide solutions for the many needs of our clients. He continues to be a champion of effective teamwork, making the most of virtual cooperation while adjusting to a remote work lifestyle.
Oscar also emphasized his enjoyment when collaborating with our in-house production teams, discussing his excitement in seeing “what sometimes might begin as a vague idea in the minds of our clients turn into a tangible expression that not only hits the mark creatively but also serves a specific function or objective.” This helps him do one of his favorite things — bringing creativity and strategy together with the ultimate goal of driving results.
From day one, Oscar has been drawn to the collaborative culture, flexibility and transparency that he’s discovered at Brafton.
“Everyone’s always open to help or answer questions,” he tells us, “I think that’s an attribute that really stands out throughout the agency.” And when it comes to adding value to the agency, Oscar’s work and results certainly speak for themselves. With a growing list of successful, happy client partnerships, he continues to be an integral member of the team.
Marching to the Beat of His Own Drum
So, what’s Oscar up to when he’s not organizing, planning and executing client projects to a tee? He’s probably listening to one of the hundreds of vinyl records he’s collected over the years. You read that right — hundreds. “I started by inheriting an already amazing collection from my grandfather when I was in high school,” he says.
If you’re wondering who you might find among these ranks, any music lover will be glad to hear it includes modern classics from bands like The Beatles to classical masterpieces from Mozart and Bach.
He’s made it a habit to stop by a record store or two when traveling, telling us, “I always make it a priority to include a few record shops in my itinerary anytime I visit a different city or country.”
Speaking of traveling, Oscar says getting to know new places and learning about different cultures through food, music and history “is one of the biggest joys in life.” Whenever he gets the chance, he relishes the opportunity to hop on a plane with Cindy — his wife and self-proclaimed travel buddy — to explore and maybe even re-visit some of his favorite destinations: Sedona and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Amsterdam, the Netherlands and México City.
“I also go full project manager mode when planning a trip and really enjoy the process of putting together a plan for different activities and spots to visit— daily itinerary spreadsheet included!” I guess you could say the project management urge is strong with this one.
And what goes better with an extensive vinyl collection, than a love for playing music, too? From growing up playing the trombone to picking up the guitar and rocking out with his own band, Oscar’s whole life has been surrounded by music in some form or another. “Music has always been very relevant to me, and still is!”
Considering all that he’s accomplished so far, we can’t wait to see where Oscar’s talents — both in creative project management and music — can take us here at Brafton.
