In 2007, three colleagues from the creative agency world decided to create a company that was nothing like the organization where they met. They founded Roger, an award-winning media production agency that delivers acclaimed creative services to clients including Nickelodeon, Gatorade, and Bobcat. “Instead of working with 1,000 people, it was just us three in an apartment,” said Terry Lee, the Co-Founder and an Executive Creative Director at Roger. “We have a quirky vibe that’s totally unique to Roger: We embrace our weirdness.”
The Roger team originally used Apple’s interoffice messaging features to collaborate and manage projects, but as the agency grew, they needed a true work operating system. “We introduced Slack in 2018 and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Dane Macbeth, an Executive Creative Director at Roger. “When the pandemic hit, we were already up and running on Slack, which made the sudden switch from 15 years in a physical studio to fully remote work possible. Slack allowed us to keep up with our clients without missing a beat, streamlining our communication and helping us avoid any disruptions.”
Since then, the Roger team has leaned into Slack and Slack Connect to manage projects efficiently, collaborate effortlessly with freelancers and clients, and scale creative success beyond their wildest imaginations.

“With Slack, we’re always in the brainstorming room together — sharing ideas, references, and approaches in real time. It’s made us more creative and better at what we do.”
Organized, aligned, and ready to work from anywhere
Adopting Slack has dramatically improved how teams at Roger work. “Before Slack, communication was slow and cumbersome. It broke the flow and productivity dipped,” Lee said. “Now everything is streamlined, and work just gets done faster.”
Roger employees set up two Slack channels for every project. One is for direct communication with artists and the other is an operations channel for production discussions. In the artist channel, Lee provides clear directives, organizes tasks, and pins crucial documents. In the ops channel, the production team manages client feedback, budget considerations, and other logistics. This keeps essential information accessible and fosters a relaxed space where team members can share updates and inside jokes, building camaraderie around each project.
Roger’s Executive Producer Head of Production Anne Pendola said Slack templates have been a time-saver when it comes to keeping everything in sync. Instead of juggling between multiple apps, she uses templates, which include pre-configured Slack canvases, lists, and workflows. “When I start a project, all of my favorite project management tools are in one place,” she said. “I can start creating and connecting instantly.”
For each project, Pendola organizes all the key elements in a project overview canvas with essential details, including the creative brief, milestone dates, and important documents. She’ll welcome creative directors, producers, coordinators, executive producers, designers, and animators into the channel, and then assign initial tasks.
This structured setup makes it easy for people to hit the ground running, and it ensures that everyone is aligned on their roles, goals, and expectations. “Whether they’ve been with us for years or minutes, anyone who joins the Slack channel can find all of the information they need right away to get started,” Pendola said. Instead of having a creative kickoff every time new artists join the project, Lee and his colleagues can just invite them to review all the materials in Slack.
Because some of Roger’s projects demand more resources, Pendola and her colleagues rely on Slack to onboard additional freelancers. “Our team can grow to include dozens or even hundreds of people instantly, all while feeling like one team,” she said.

“Slack helps build and nurture relationships between us, our freelancers, and our clients. It’s become the foundation of our culture, keeping creativity flowing — dad jokes included.”
Managing growth and client relationships at scale with Slack Connect
To stay in step with clients on projects and move work forward faster, Roger relies on Slack Connect to bring folks from external organizations into where their internal team is already working. “Instead of navigating the bureaucracy of scheduling calls, I can get answers in minutes, keeping projects on track so we hit our deadlines,” Lee said. “Slack Connect has transformed how we work with clients, allowing us to connect as trusted partners.”
While working on a recent Nickelodeon project, Roger used Slack Connect to streamline execution across multiple departments. Even with regular calls and meetings, they facilitated most of the work in Slack. “Slack Connect allowed us to collaborate seamlessly on hundreds of deliverables,” Lee said. “Without Slack, our timeline would’ve been months longer.”
Because Slack Connect gives external partners access to all the same Slack tools, Lee and his colleagues use Slack huddles, which re-creates the experience of working side by side in a virtual setting, enabling real-time collaboration and faster decision-making. “The communication meets you where you’re at: Huddles are a fast way for me to communicate with my artists, share my screen, and give direction,” Lee said. “They’re indispensable.”
Slack Connect has also been instrumental in helping Roger explore new business opportunities. The team will often start working with customers in one department, and those clients will spread the good word to other teams within their organization — opening doors to additional opportunities. “With Slack Connect, we’re more like an in-house team,” Lee said. “Integrating into our client’s ecosystem helps us spread within their network. That means Slack helps us generate more revenue through new clients, new people, and new growth.”

“Slack Connect makes it feel like Roger’s an in-house team for our clients. It breaks down that vendor client relationship and connects us on a level that was previously impossible.”
Less meetings, effortless onboarding, and 24/7 collaboration
When Roger needs a new creative, they work with their coordinator to see if they can find the right fit in-house, then dip into the global talent pool, as needed. “We quickly onboard talent by reviewing portfolios, bringing them into Slack, and inviting them to daily kickoffs,” Macbeth said. New team members can catch up on the project without hours of onboarding, no matter where they’re located. “When everyone’s in the loop in Slack, I never have to repeat myself, saving crucial time in an industry where every minute matters.”
The speed of onboarding new team members and maintaining project continuity is paramount to Roger’s success. To keep things on track, Pendola ensures the information being shared in Slack is always up to date, and she and her colleagues rely on Slack integrations such as Google Drive and Dropbox to keep everyone focused and efficient. “When everything is in Slack, we don’t need as many meetings, which saves us a ton of time,” she said.
At Roger, employees work across the globe, which means the agency needs to be open around the clock. “Slack enables us to run a nearly 24-hour production cycle,” Macbeth said. “I can start a project before I end my day, artists across the world can make progress overnight, and I can give real-time feedback by morning, making our workflow incredibly efficient.” For project tracking, task management, and goal planning, Slack’s automation, lists feature, and reminders help producers do their job better by keeping communication clear and targeted, and the flexibility of Slack channels allows projects to evolve and teams to stay agile.
“Slack helps us cut down on meetings and get creative in ways we weren’t able to before, and it makes us better at our jobs.”

Nurturing a creative and supportive culture
Company culture has always been at the heart of Roger’s mission to encourage people to think differently. In channels like #wisdom-tree, for example, team members and freelancers share knowledge on everything from backyard gardening to Cinema 4D. Fostering a culture that embraces diverse views, music tastes, artistic styles, and expertise is not only about the people – it helps them produce unique work that sets them apart. “Slack really lets Roger be Roger,” Lee said. “Slack brings together perspectives from around the world. This inclusivity not only enriches our work but attracts and supports new talent.”
Roger also ensures that everyone at the agency has the support to grow into future roles by providing opportunities for learning and development. “We want to put everyone on the career path that makes the most sense for them, and we are using Slack to create those opportunities,” Lee said.
Whether it’s creating a fun channel or safe spaces for casual chats, Slack helps maintain Roger’s culture by giving everyone a platform to connect and express themselves. “Roger’s culture is shaped by the people who work here, and Slack plays a big part in letting their voices be heard,” Lee said.