"Jolene Delisle advocates for recognizing individuals' worth beyond their productivity" - a glimpse into her daily life
In an insightful interview, creative force Jolene Delisle, founder, and creative director of The Working Assembly—a trailblazing branding and creative agency—discusses her innovative approach to developing cult brands. Delisle, who was born in South Korea and spent her early years in an orphanage before being adopted, found her passion for art as a means to break cultural barriers in the United States.
Since its inception in 2017, The Working Assembly has partnered with a diverse range of clients, including startups such as Klarna and cultural institutions like NYC Tourism and NYC Pride. Delisle co-owns "Cherries," a 1950s ice cream stand renovated as a community hub in upstate New York.
In our Day in the Life series, we delved into Delisle's career, illuminating her perspectives on inclusivity in the industry, the secret to building a cult brand, and more. Here's a breakdown of our conversation:
Adapting to a typical workday
Life experiences shaping career aspirations
Overcoming work-related challenges
The project closest to her heart and why
Insights from her additional business ventures on steering The Working Assembly
The state of inclusivity in the creative industry in 2025
Areas for improvement in the industry
Her pet peeves regarding branding
Characteristics of a cult brand
Preferred dream project and dream client
Professional advice for her younger self
Any additional thoughts to share
Jolene Delisle's methodology centers on creating experiential, interactive, and dynamic brand identities that foster deep connections with audiences. Her creative projects, such as Pinky Swear, showcase complexity and nonlinear storytelling, erasing boundaries between hospitality, art, and play to craft engaging and captivating spaces.
Delisle's concepts break free from traditional categories, making each experience meticulously designed to present a unique and memorable experience to its audience. The brand identities she crafts possess flexibility and open-endedness, prompting audience members to make their interpretations and feel a sense of belonging.
In her broader creative philosophy, Delisle advocates embracing the imperfect and genuine aspects of life, incorporating these values into both her motherhood and creative work. By showcasing this "work in progress," she fosters deeper, more emotional connections, which are essential for cultivating a cult brand.
Delisle's aim is to cultivate an inclusive sense of exclusivity, where unique, high-quality experiences cater to a diverse audience seeking something exceptional while feeling included and valued. Through these principles, she crafts cult brands that resonate with their audience emotionally, encourage active engagement, and foster a profound sense of belonging.
- Jolene Delisle's approach to developing cult brands involves creating art that breaks cultural barriers, as seen in her creative projects like Pinky Swear.
- Delisle's creative projects often blur the lines between categories such as hospitality, art, and play, resulting in spaces that are engaging and captivating.
- The brand identities Delisle crafts are meticulously designed to offer unique and memorable experiences to their audience.
- Delisle's creative philosophy encourages embracing the imperfect and genuine aspects of life, which she incorporates into both her motherhood and creative work.
- By showcasing her work as a 'work in progress', Delisle fosters deeper, more emotional connections that are vital for cultivating a cult brand.
- Delisle seeks to create an inclusive sense of exclusivity by providing unique, high-quality experiences that cater to a diverse audience.
- In the future (2025), Delisle envisions improvements in inclusivity within the creative industry, which would provide more opportunities for a broader range of artists.
- There are areas for improvement in the creative industry, particularly in terms of embracing diversity and providing equal opportunities for artists.
- Delisle's dream project would involve partnering with a client from the travel, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, relationships, pets, travel, or cars sectors to create a cult brand that resonates with its audience emotionally, encourages engagement, and fosters a profound sense of belonging.
