In this episode of Brandmakers, Nate talks to The Subthread’s Hannah Bowler about how a teenage obsession with magazines and music scenes became an unofficial education in brand. Tracing photographers, producers and collaborators across records eventually turned into a way of understanding how ideas spread through people, places and “pockets of culture” – long before social media existed.
Today, that same instinct underpins how Squarespace shows up in the world. Nate explains why the company doesn’t rely on rigid brand bibles or endless sign-off processes, and instead trusts a culturally-tuned team with strong personal taste.
While the brand’s Super Bowl spots and big set-piece campaigns might grab the headlines, the real craft lives in waiting for the right cultural moment to land an idea.
Across the conversation, Nate shares why curiosity still beats ‘always-on’, how to hire for cultural acuity, and why the future of brand building is less about being everywhere and more about picking moments that really matter. Watch the full recording below.
For more interviews with the brand marketers behind some of the world's most innovative brands, check out the full Brandmakers series.
