“I would define my creative success; I think it’s that I try to be as chaotically scheduled as possible.”
David Estrada is the Director of Content Production at Cargo, a marketing firm based in Greenville, South Carolina. With degrees in both film and advertising from the University of Texas, Estrada blends creative direction with strategic thinking. He founded his own production company in Austin before transitioning into agency work, where he now leads cross-disciplinary teams. Passionate about film, media, and collaboration, Estrada emphasizes the importance of creative chaos and community in South Carolina’s upstate marketing scene.
About
David Estrada is the director of content production at Cargo, a marketing firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, where he’s worked since 2016. He holds degrees in both film and advertising from the University of Texas, a combination that prepared him well for his multifaceted role.
Estrada values the creative community in upstate South Carolina, noting its strong network of professionals. “I like that there is a base, a very good baseline, of creative professionals and strategic professionals in upstate South Carolina… everybody kind of knows each other.” He began his career as a project manager, a role that gave him broad exposure to different disciplines and helped shape his collaborative approach.
A pivotal moment in Estrada’s creative journey came not on set but in a college advisor’s office. After taking two years off and considering a switch from film to advertising, a conversation with a career counselor convinced him to pursue both, an insight that set the course for his future.
Estrada defines creative success as being “undefinable,” embracing chaos and originality. But he’s also candid about the challenges. Financial instability is an unfortunate reality in the creative field, and he emphasizes the importance of understanding to market creatives as a business, talent alone isn’t enough.
The worst advice he ever received? “Don’t be so idealistic.” For Estrada, idealism is essential. Without hope, he says, there’s no point in doing creative work at all.
