Debbie Millman’s ongoing project “What Matters,” an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers, is now in its third year. Each respondent is invited to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Jen Putnam is the chief creative officer of A&G in Boston and Philadelphia. She is a dynamic, strategic leader with a passion for using her creative powers for good. Having helmed disruptive work at agencies like DDB, Leo Burnett, and Digitas for clients ranging from GM to P&G and Blue Cross Blue Shield, she thrives on challenging conventional thinking and inspiring others to create with curiosity and purpose.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Being by the ocean.
With my family.
These are my constant sources of inspiration.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
Well, if we’re truly talking FIRST, that takes me back to growing up in Tunisia. My family and I used to take regular walks through ancient ruins, where there were mounds of Roman glass and bits of old mosaic floors. Tiny, rough-edged tiles, no bigger than half an inch, that held centuries of history.
We’d collect them like little treasures, stuffing our pockets, and when we got home, we’d spread them out and rearrange them into new patterns, playing with shapes, colors, and designs. It’s funny, you could say those were my first creative “building blocks” or even my first time “pushing pixels” where I got to transform something old into something new.
What’s really fun is my parents still have a container full of those loose stones, and we even made a couple of tables out of them—one with a rabbit mosaic and another with a turtle. I just love that they are lasting, tangible pieces of art we made together.
What is your biggest regret?
The good news is, I still have the chance to fix it someday. I really regret not keeping up with painting and drawing the way I used to earlier in my life and career. There’s just something so grounding about the feel of a paintbrush in your hand or the rawness of a charcoal pencil on paper. It’s such a different experience from sitting at a computer screen all day. Creating or capturing something beautiful by hand feels like a lost art, and I miss it.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
Honestly, I don’t really remember. I’m lucky in that it’s been so long since I’ve faced that kind of loss that it’s hard to connect with how I felt or what helped me get through it. I do know I tend to channel pain into forward momentum—focusing on keeping someone alive in my memories and actions rather than dwelling on what’s lost. But I know I dread it happening again.
What makes you cry?
The suffering of any person or creature.
Triumph. Seeing someone achieve something they’ve worked so hard for.
Everything in between.
But I’m good with that. Being an empath means feeling deeply and being human, vulnerable and connected to the world and the people around me.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
It depends on what it is. If it’s something my team or my kids have accomplished, I’ll move mountains to celebrate them so they can feel every bit of pride they’ve earned. But when it comes to personal achievements, the feeling doesn’t last long. I’m not big on basking in attention or compliments; those moments are more like a quick hit of (needed) adrenaline than lasting fulfillment for me. Probably because I’m wired to always look ahead, already chasing the next challenge.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
Probably not in the usual way people think about it. I see any afterlife more as the impact you leave behind and the way your actions, lessons, and example keep shaping others well after you’re gone. It’s about living with intention now, so your choices make a difference down the line. I know I’ve been shaped by so many people who came before me, and I can only hope my contributions do the same for the next generations.
What do you hate most about yourself?
I’m not a fan of the word “hate,” but if there’s one thing I wish I could change, it’s how deeply I feel the sting of disloyalty or betrayal. Over the years, in both my personal and professional life, I’ve put an enormous amount of time, energy, and trust into relationships—mentoring, championing, always with the goal of paying it forward. I’ve built these connections across cities and over decades.
So, in the rare event where that loyalty is tested or straight-up dismissed, it’s hard for me to just let it go. I’m aware that’s not always the healthiest way to be. It’s something I’m constantly trying to work through—figuring out when to keep investing in a relationship and when to just walk away with my dignity intact.
What do you love most about yourself?
My resilience and bravery. I’ve faced uncertainty, fear, and challenges more times than I can count—and every time, I’ve found a way to move forward.
It started with pulling myself out of a tough adolescence and spending a full summer in Malaysia as an exchange student, immersing myself in a completely different culture to gain a new perspective. After college, I moved to Chicago with no safety net to carve out a place in advertising, a business I had come to love. As a junior art director, I documented sexual harassment long before the “Me Too” movement—not just to protect myself but to stand up for others and preserve the career I worked damn hard to get.
Other bold moves included (as a single mother) shifting from traditional advertising as a partner at Ogilvy, to digital advertising as a senior art director at Digitas —because I was playing the long game.
After rising through the ranks there, I transitioned to head of creative at an in-house agency, then moved to Sapient, where I thrived blending cutting-edge technology, design thinking, and creativity. And finally, I stepped into a role I never imagined—CCO of an independent agency in Boston and Philadelphia.
Each move came with nerves and trepidation, but also exhilaration, opportunity, and a belief in what I could accomplish. I have always lived by the mantra “What’s next?”—and do to this day.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
This one is easy! Greek chicken on a warm pita loaded with briny kalamata olives, fresh feta, and cool tzatziki (with extra dill, of course!) Ideally enjoyed on the Aegean Sea.
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