## [When Someone Else Chooses Your External Vendor](/insights/when-someone-else-chooses-your-external-vendor) ## NEWS & INSIGHTS Marketing Execution Management Creative Services When Someone Else Chooses Your External Vendor November 6, 2026 Image ![New episode of Creative Ops Compass podcast with Jesse Krinsky featuring guests John Maasik and Lori Gilbert-Mosley of Continuum](/sites/default/files/2026-11/Continuum_Podcast_Creative-Ops-Compass_2026.jpg) ## Table of contents 1. [Key learnings](#toc-9224429) #### Key learnings - Outside partners should extend in-house creative teams, not replace them, by absorbing high-volume production work. - Earn trust through early discovery, proof-of-concept projects, and a phased rollout instead of handing over everything at once. - Dedicated teams, quality checks, and quick reassignment of underperforming work keep brand output consistent. - A ways-of-working document, a RACI, and one account contact set expectations and prevent hidden approvers. - When choosing a partner, lean on your network, prioritize flexibility, start small, and test them on your hardest project. In this episode of *Creative Ops Compass*, host Jesse Krinsky of In Focus Consulting talks with our very own Lori Gilbert Mosley and John Maasik of Continuum Marketing about a common challenge: in-house creative teams working with an external production partner that someone else, often procurement, selected. Lori and John explain how a partner earns trust in that situation. They involve the creative team early through discovery and proof-of-concept work, and they position themselves as an extension of the team rather than a replacement, taking on high-volume, labor-intensive production so internal creatives can focus on strategic work. The conversation also covers keeping quality consistent across brands and distributed teams: dedicated teams, a “four eyes” review process, hybrid onshore checks, and moving work quickly when it isn’t performing. Lori and John stress getting alignment in writing before any project starts, using a ways-of-working document, a RACI to clarify roles and surface hidden approvers, and a single account point of contact. They close with advice for creative leaders evaluating a partner: lean on your network, look for flexibility during peak seasons, start small, and test candidates on your hardest project. Listen to this podcast on: - [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/when-someone-else-chooses-your-external-vendor-with/id1830027430?i=1000799807298) - [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ONmAQ6u9Kh7rsj20SN5W8?si=Qq24vZEHTTWtlSlZoAx-cA) - [In Focus Consulting](https://www.infocusconsulting.net/podcast/episode/2f5237ab/when-someone-else-chooses-your-external-vendor-with-lori-gilbert-mosley-and-john-maasik) ## Discover News and Insights [![New episode of Creative Ops Compass podcast with Jesse Krinsky featuring guests John Maasik and Lori Gilbert-Mosley of Continuum](/sites/default/files/2026-11/Continuum_Podcast_Creative-Ops-Compass_2026.jpg)](/insights/when-someone-else-chooses-your-external-vendor) Marketing Execution Management ##### When Someone Else Chooses Your External Vendor [Read More](/insights/when-someone-else-chooses-your-external-vendor) [![A woman opens and reads a piece of direct mail at her kitchen table, illustrating how useful, relevant physical marketing can earn attention and remain part of a customer’s everyday life.](/sites/default/files/2026-09/Continuum_Marketing-Longevity_2026.jpg)](/insights/marketing-longevity-brand-growth) Local Marketing ##### Marketing Longevity: Why Staying Visible Matters for Brand Growth [Read More](/insights/marketing-longevity-brand-growth) [![Financial chart representing uncertainty around market pricing and transparency in managed services and marketing procurement. 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