Bio
The Short List founder, Martha Humphrey, has been a creative for her entire career. From Art School in the O.C., to entertainment advertising in L.A., and then Creative Director for a worldwide technology company based in Paris, Martha has been at the creative table with talented friends and colleagues.
Dumb L.A. highlights include being the designer behind the Finding Nemo logo, getting a hand written approval from Steve Jobs for a campaign for the “102 Dalmatians” movie called “Think Dalmatians,” a spoof on his Apple campaign, and meeting Ving Rhames in a Santa Monica elevator and explaining to him that she was not stealing the computer she was holding. (“I wasn’t!”)
Martha has been a creative recruiter since 2011, a twist in her career she didn’t see coming, but what a great twist it’s been! She is the power behind The Short List, leading all creative recruitment activities.
Martha takes a lot of joy in finding the right creative for a job. Getting to know what people do, their aspirations and acquired knowledge, is a real privilege and honor. And helping clients solve problems, whether it is the best creative to fill a pivotal role or finding a contractor to help everyone get over the finish line intact and sane, is always gratifying to her.
Martha still shoots some photography and does pen and ink and watercolor to keep that creative fire stoked. But most of her workday is centered on meeting people, connecting people, and dreaming about Garden Bar salads. What? (Ana Chaud, you are awesome.)
What are you up to?
I’m growing my company, The Short List, day by day. It is super exciting working with the talented Portland tech and creative community. And I’ve been really honored to work with some awesome B Corps to help them find talent for full-time roles and independent contractors for projects.
Right now, I am focused on growing the business and getting the word out that there is a different way to help staff some of the most pivotal roles companies may have. I am keeping it small and tight so clients get a one-on-one connection with me. Full accountability, total honestly and a real partnership.
Why Portland?
Oh Portland, queen of the West Coast, lights glimmering across the water as we hustle over the Marquam Bridge, how did you get so robust and bold and still stay sort of funky and small-town?
I moved here in 2002 from L.A. Second city on my list after Boston (what was I even thinking?!—Boston?) It had a lot of what I was after: culture, restaurants, thriving design community, bands traveling through… and making it here. And at the time, pretty cheap cost of living—enough so that we could take a risk and move here with NO JOBS! I don’t recommend that strategy people.
So many things to love, from Crepes geniuses at https://www.cestsibonpdx.com/ to desert gods at http://www.pixpatisserie.com/ not to mention our glorious gardens, from The Audubon trails to https://japanesegarden.org/ and the historic tea Tao of Tea tea house at http://www.lansugarden.org/. For a good time at the movies I rely on the pics picks at The Hollywood Theater.
Portland has a no-holds-barred independent spirit that allows for failure.
Links
You can find out more about my business at TheShortListCreative.com and I am at @TheShortListPDX on Twitter. Otherwise, I am at my desk, or under it occasionally when it’s getting crazy ’round here! . 🙂
Interested in being featured?
Silicon Florist introduces one person, each day of the work week, to the Portland startup community. If you’re interested in being one of those folks, please let us know a little bit more about you and you’ll be selected at random to be featured.
