Gillian Rotstein has always been drawn to the creative side of everyday life. From photography and fashion to travel and design, her interests have shaped both her personal experiences and her career as a marketing and communications consultant in Toronto, Ontario.
Raised in Calgary, Alberta, Rotstein grew up in a family that encouraged creativity, education, and entrepreneurship. As a teenager, she enjoyed playing tennis, spending time outdoors, and experimenting with photography. These interests helped her develop an appreciation for visual storytelling and the ways people express themselves.
Rotstein studied Communications and Media Studies at the University of Calgary. After graduating, she continued developing her skills through courses in digital marketing, branding, and business development.
In her early twenties, she moved to the Toronto area, where she began building her career in marketing. She spent several years working at larger agencies before deciding to establish her own consulting practice. Today, she works with small businesses and independent brands on marketing strategy, content development, and digital communications.
Outside work, Rotstein enjoys exploring Toronto’s restaurants, art galleries, and live music scene. She also makes time for yoga, tennis, hiking, and weekend trips around Ontario.
For Rotstein, creativity is not limited to professional projects. Whether she is photographing a new city, exploring an interior design idea, or discovering a neighbourhood café, she continues to find inspiration in ordinary experiences.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I usually start my morning with coffee and some movement, whether that means yoga or a walk around my neighbourhood in Toronto. I prefer having a little quiet time before opening my laptop.
Most mornings are for client projects that require concentration, such as reviewing brand messaging, writing content, or developing marketing strategies. I try to schedule meetings later in the day, so I have a few uninterrupted hours.
Working independently has taught me that being busy and being productive are different things. I would rather complete two important projects properly than spend an entire day responding to emails.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I like to collect visual references before making decisions. Photography, restaurant menus, packaging, and even hotel interiors can give me ideas about how businesses communicate their identity.
Once I have a direction, I start narrowing it down. I might create a simple mood board, write a few sample headlines, or test how a message looks on a website.
I prefer seeing an idea in a practical setting rather than discussing it endlessly.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I’m interested in the return of more personal, less polished branding. For years, businesses seemed determined to make everything look perfectly designed.
Now, I enjoy seeing independent brands use behind-the-scenes photography, handwritten details, and more natural storytelling.
A small business doesn’t always need a highly produced campaign. Sometimes showing the people, spaces, and everyday work behind a business creates a stronger connection.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I keep a notebook specifically for unfinished ideas. It is separate from my daily task list.
If I notice an interesting shopfront, think of a headline, or have an idea during a client conversation, I write it down without trying to develop it immediately.
Every Friday, I spend about twenty minutes reviewing those notes. Some ideas are no longer useful, but others become the starting point for something worthwhile.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell myself not to confuse having a clear career plan with making progress.
When I was younger, I thought every professional decision needed to lead directly to the next opportunity. Looking back, some of my most useful experiences came from following interests that didn’t seem particularly practical at the time.
Photography, travel, and design have all influenced how I approach communications. I would encourage my younger self to keep exploring those interests.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I think some businesses would benefit from posting less on social media.
There is enormous pressure to publish something every day, even when there isn’t anything meaningful to communicate. I would rather see a business share one thoughtful piece of content each week than seven posts created simply to fill a calendar.
Consistency matters, but I don’t think frequency should come at the expense of quality.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Visit places outside your usual routine.
I enjoy exploring different Toronto neighbourhoods, visiting galleries, and taking short trips around Ontario. Even changing where I have lunch can introduce me to something interesting.
For creative work, I think it’s important to experience things away from a screen. You notice details, have conversations, and discover ideas you wouldn’t necessarily find online.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I usually step away from my desk and do something physical. Sometimes that means taking a walk, practising yoga, or playing tennis.
Tennis is particularly useful because you have to concentrate on what’s happening in front of you. You cannot spend an entire match thinking about unanswered emails.
When I return to work, I identify the next specific task rather than trying to solve everything at once.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Taking time to understand what happens after a marketing project is completed has been valuable.
Earlier in my career, I was mainly concerned with delivering the finished work. Now, I am interested in whether a business can actually use what we’ve created.
For example, a brand messaging document should help someone write website copy, communicate with customers, and make future content decisions.
Thinking beyond the immediate deliverable has helped me approach projects more thoughtfully and build stronger professional relationships.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I used to spend too much time developing creative concepts for a project before confirming exactly what the client needed.
The ideas were visually interesting, but they didn’t address the business’s main communication problem. I ended up revisiting much of the work.
It was frustrating, but it changed how I begin projects. Now I spend more time asking questions about the audience, objectives, and practical limitations.
A strong creative concept is only useful when it solves the right problem.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I would love to see a small creative business offering neighbourhood branding walks for entrepreneurs.
Imagine a guided afternoon in Toronto where business owners visit independent shops, cafés, and galleries to study how those places use signage, interiors, packaging, and customer service.
It could combine local tourism with practical marketing education. I think people learn differently when they can experience branding in person rather than looking at presentations.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I like using Notion to organise client projects and collect creative references.
I keep separate pages for content ideas, project notes, deadlines, and brand research. I also maintain a personal collection of photography, restaurant concepts, and interior design ideas.
Having everything in one place makes it easier to return to an idea weeks later without trying to remember where I saved it.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I really enjoyed The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.
What interested me most was the idea that creativity comes from paying attention to the world around you, not simply waiting for inspiration to appear.
That connects with how I approach photography and marketing. I think developing your ability to notice things is just as important as learning technical skills.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently enjoyed Somebody Feed Phil. I love travelling and discovering new restaurants, so it’s the kind of show I can watch without getting tired of it.
What I enjoy most is that it’s not just about food. You get to see the neighbourhoods, meet local people, and learn about the little traditions that make each destination different. I particularly like seeing family-run restaurants and places that have been part of a community for years.
It reminds me of why I enjoy exploring new cities. Some of the best travel experiences happen when you wander away from the popular attractions and discover somewhere you weren’t planning to visit.
Key learnings
- Strong branding begins with understanding a business’s audience and communication needs before developing creative ideas.
- Publishing thoughtful, useful content can be more effective than posting frequently without a clear purpose.
- Exploring new places, creative hobbies, and unfamiliar environments can introduce valuable ideas into professional work.
- Building time for focused work and keeping a record of unfinished ideas can improve productivity without adding unnecessary complexity.
- Creative projects become more valuable when their results are practical, easy to use, and relevant to a business’s long-term goals.