JOSHUA TREE, CALIFORNIA
COACHING FOR PEOPLE WHO CREATE THINGS,
AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO
LEAD THEM
Over thirty years in creative operations leadership, creative direction, and commercial photography. All of it in spaces where relationship and transaction interact. Those two forces are vital to the work in most places, and destructive in others. That’s where I sit in my practice: between them, helping talented people parse the difference and move forward with ease and confidence.
ACCENTURE
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APPLE
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AMAZON
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AT&T
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BILLBOARD
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NARA/GRAMMYS
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NIKE
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PLAYBOY
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PLAYSTATION
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ROLLING STONE
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STITCH FIX
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TARGET
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TAYLOR SWIFT
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THE NORTH FACE
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TIMBERLAND
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TIME INC.
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TRI-STAR PICTURES
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UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP
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WALMART
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WARNER BROS. RECORDS
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ACCENTURE ● APPLE ● AMAZON ● AT&T ● BILLBOARD ● NARA/GRAMMYS ● NIKE ● PLAYBOY ● PLAYSTATION ● ROLLING STONE ● STITCH FIX ● TARGET ● TAYLOR SWIFT ● THE NORTH FACE ● TIMBERLAND ● TIME INC. ● TRI-STAR PICTURES ● UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP ● WALMART ● WARNER BROS. RECORDS ●
MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA
WHO I WORK WITH
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Creative Leaders
Not only the people who lead creative and production teams, but anyone building something that matters to more than just themselves.
01
Seasoned Creative Professionals Who Want to Level Up
Long careers, real craft, and probably even some awards ... and the private sense that there’s another gear you haven’t found yet.
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Professionals in Transition
From Freelance to Full-time. From Contributor to Leader. From Leader to Executive. Moves that don’t come with a clear map.
03
Teams, in Workshops and Offsites
A day or two of plain talk about how a group actually works, and learning what it’s spending valuable energy avoiding.
A time and space held just for you. No charge, no pitch.
BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL
IN THEIR WORDS
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“A creative heavy hitter with world-class street-smarts in the business, and a professional pedigree that speaks for itself. Any investment in Tony’s offerings is one you can be sure shall pay great dividends.”
Libero Antonio Di Zinno
Photographer, Director, Educator -
“Tony Baker’s counsel is simultaneously gentle and profound, challenging colleagues to reframe their thinking and address the questions beneath their questions. I endorse him without reservation.”
Everard Williams Jr.
Photo Chair, Art Center of Design, Pasadena -
“Working alongside Tony in both client and studio operations roles has been an exceptional experience. He demonstrated insightful critical thinking and leveraged his extensive hands-on experience to create substantial transformation.”
Andy Catterick
Accenture Song · Managing Director -
“He supported me through mentorship, truthful observation, and thoughtful questions about my goals, values, work, and hopes for the future.”
Bryan Call
Amazon · Creative Production -
“I was impressed by Tony’s leadership style from the moment I met him. I call it a Hollywood-heist-movie leader with a heart of gold approach. He’s meticulous, empathetic, and provides valuable clarity for his teams.”
Daniel Jester
Amazon · Creative Force -
“Tony has a wealth of knowledge about the industry. He’s one of the best in the business. One of the things I appreciate about him is his ability to open up space and really listen.”
Kelly Elaine Garthwaite
Red Bull · Photo Operations Lead
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA
ABOUT
THE ONLY THING THAT EVER WORKED WAS GOING FIRST
My career started in commercial portraiture, where the job was to get strangers to drop their guard in minutes. That instinct followed me into corporate leadership at Amazon, Nike, and into agencies running creative production teams for client such as Apple, Walmart, and The North Face ... and now into the coaching space.
Celebrities, executives, athletes, leaders. All capable people, all very successful, often quietly uncertain. I learned to tell the difference between what holds up under pressure and what only looks like it does, and that the hard part is rarely the craft. It’s focus, flow and constantly navigating between relationships and transactions.
I live in the high-desert now. The work is simpler here, the answers stand-out more clearly. If that sounds useful or inviting, reach out.
“I always have to show up fully as myself before I can ask anyone else to.”
books by tony
A collection of short, honest books. Each one a complete conversation on a single idea.
An extension of my work, and a primer on how to begin thinking about some of our most basic, reoccurring topics. A bookshelf, not a system. Read in any order. Not self-help, not a framework. More like a conversation.
AVAILABLE NOWAVAILABLE NOWAVAILABLE NOWAVAILABLE NOWAVAILABLE NOWAVAILABLE NOWNewsletter
NOTES BETWEEN BOOKS.
Short letters sent directly to you. A mix of my thoughts on creative work and leadership, what I’m reading, and whatever the high desert is doing that week. Sent only when there is something worth saying, and easy to leave whenever you please.
GET IN TOUCH
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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When your Clarity starts to slip and confusion creeps in. When you’re in a career transition, facing big decisions, feeling overwhelmed in a leadership role and facing burnout, or just sensing that your current pace isn’t sustainable or your direction is more than a few degrees off course. A coach helps you step back, refocus, and move forward with alignment and Purpose … oh, and joy. If you’re stuck, scattered, or simply ready for what’s next, it’s probably time.
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Broadly, I coach leaders and creative professionals. Specifically, two kinds of client: high-capacity leaders and professionals in transition, those who are in-between roles, or realigning their core Values to navigate toward what’s next. Leaders in demanding roles who aren’t performing to their usual standards, feel they are burning out or feeling off-track. At some point everyone needs the space and Clarity to reconnect with their innate, well-earned Wisdom.
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I don’t provide simple or quick answers. I help you find Understanding. If I gave you answers you’d be swayed by the next idea that also seemed ‘in the ball-park’ or comfortable. Your understanding is just under the surface, waiting for you to notice it. I hold time and space to dig into the things you can’t say anywhere else, to anyone else, yet.
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Most clients work with me for six to twelve months. That’s enough time to build trust, identify what matters, and create lasting change. I do offer single sessions if there is an urgent need, but real transformation usually takes consistent, focused work over time.
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No. A Consultant is hired for their expertise. You describe the problem, they study it, and they hand you an answer, a plan, or a finished piece of work.
Coaching works the other way around. You are the expert on your own life, your work, and where you want to go. My job is to ask the questions that help you see it more clearly and to help you put your strengths to work as the path changes or challenges arise. -
No. Coaching is not about treating mental health challenges or solving past issues. It’s about helping capable people gain steadier footing on where they are now, become aligned, and get to (or get back to) performing at their best. That said, many clients tell me coaching gives them mental and energetic space they didn’t know they needed.
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One of my favorite things to do is help organizations navigate change smoothly, peacefully, and with renewed energy in the right places. If you have new leadership, moving locations, building new facilities, or shifting between in-house and agency operations, I can make sure those changes are handled without disrupting the work that’s already running smoothly and take advantage of the natural energy transition brings.
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA
BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL
A time and space held just for you. No charge, no pitch.