Today we’d like to introduce you to Russell Stewart.
Hi Russell, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story really starts at Claflin University, where I played basketball and earned my degree in Human Performance & Recreation. Basketball taught me some of the foundational principles that have carried into every part of my life—discipline, preparation, teamwork, accountability, and understanding that what you do for the team matters just as much as what you do for yourself. I later earned my MBA from the University of Arizona Global Campus.
Professionally, I found my way into financial services and spent more than 14 years building experience across wealth management, private banking, sales, operations, and business development, including working within Fortune 500 organizations. That experience gave me a strong foundation in business, but I quickly realized that I didn’t just want to understand how businesses worked; I wanted to build them.
Entrepreneurship has really been the thread running through my entire journey. I’ve owned a laundromat, invested in real estate, built Merrick Financial Group (prior to selling in 2018), and co-founded Solved By S3, a small-business consulting firm focused on structure, strategy, and solutions. Through that work, I had the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs and people in the entertainment industry, including CyHi Da Prynce and Atlanta music executive John Sims. I also became an author, writing The 30 Day Difference: Make It a Habit and Make It Happen, which was really an extension of my belief that success isn’t just about having a vision; it’s about developing the habits to execute it.
My career has continued to evolve. Today, I work as a CFO consultant, helping financial professionals think more strategically about their businesses, operations, and growth. I also had the opportunity to serve as Chief Operating Officer for the Black College Invitational Championship, a post conference HBCU basketball tournament. That experience brought together several parts of my background: sports, business, strategy, marketing, and operations.
More recently, I’ve taken that same entrepreneurial mindset into storytelling through The Merrick Creative Group, where I combine strategy, branding, photography, and video to help businesses, organizations, and individuals tell their stories.
Looking back, I don’t think my path was ever supposed to be linear. I’ve always been curious about what I could build, what I could learn, and how I could create value in different spaces. Every chapter has given me something that prepared me for the next one.
One of the things that means the most to me is being recognized by Claflin University as one of its 40 Under 40 Outstanding Leaders. To me, that recognition represents more than an accomplishment. It feels like a full-circle moment being recognized by an institution that helped shape the person I became.
If I had to sum up my journey, I’d say I’ve spent my life learning how to build. Sometimes I’ve built businesses. Sometimes I’ve built relationships. Sometimes I’ve built opportunities for other people. And now, I’m focused on bringing all of those experiences together to build things that have lasting impact.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. A lot of my journey has been about figuring things out while I was already in motion. I’ve started businesses and reinvented myself creatively. Every one of those experiences came with risk, uncertainty, and moments where I had to question whether I was making the right decision.
One of the biggest struggles has been learning that just because you’re capable of doing something doesn’t mean you should continue doing it forever. I’ve had to learn when to pivot, when to let go, and when to start over. Selling Merrick Financial Group after building it for for years was a major transition. It taught me that sometimes success isn’t about holding onto something you’ve built; sometimes success is recognizing when you’ve accomplished what you set out to do and having the courage to move into the next chapter.
I’ve also experienced the challenges that come with being an entrepreneur, the financial uncertainty, the pressure of making decisions without always having all the answers, and the responsibility that comes with knowing that the outcome ultimately rests on you. There have been seasons where things didn’t move as quickly as I wanted them to, and moments where I had to step back and ask myself what I was really trying to build.
I think one of the hardest lessons has been understanding that growth doesn’t always look like progress while you’re experiencing it. Sometimes growth looks like losing something, changing direction, or realizing that the version of yourself that got you to one level isn’t necessarily the person who can take you to the next.
I’ve had failures, pivots, disappointments, and plenty of moments where I had to bet on myself. But those experiences have probably shaped me more than the wins have.
The road hasn’t been smooth. It’s been unpredictable, but it’s also made me more resilient, more self-aware, and more comfortable with uncertainty. I’ve learned that I don’t need to have the entire road mapped out. I just need enough courage to take the next step.
And that’s probably one of the biggest lessons my journey has taught me: sometimes the setback isn’t taking you off the path it is actually preparing you for the path you’re supposed to be on.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Merrick Creative Group was born out of a simple idea: great businesses and great people often have incredible stories, but they don’t always know how to tell those stories in a way that makes people stop, pay attention, and connect.
My background is a little different from that of a traditional creative agency owner. I’ve spent more than 14 years in financial services, built and sold my own financial services company, consulted with small businesses, invested in real estate, owned other businesses, and worked across strategy, operations, and business development. So when I look at a brand, I’m not just thinking about how it looks. I’m thinking about the business behind it, the audience it’s trying to reach, and ultimately how the story can help create growth.
That’s the foundation of Merrick Creative Group: Strategy | Storytelling | Scale.
We specialize in helping businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs, and events communicate who they are through creative strategy, photography, videography, branding, and storytelling. But I don’t really view us as simply a photography or video company. The creative is the vehicle. The strategy is what gives it purpose.
What sets Merrick apart is that we approach creative work from an entrepreneur’s perspective. I’ve been on the other side of the table. I’ve had to build a brand, acquire clients, sell a business, manage operations, make payroll, understand numbers, and figure out how to differentiate myself in a crowded marketplace. That allows us to ask different questions. Instead of simply asking, “What do you want this video to look like?” we’re asking, “What are we trying to accomplish, who needs to see this, and what do we want them to feel or do afterward?”
I’m probably most proud of the fact that Merrick has become an extension of my own evolution. I’ve always believed that storytelling has the power to change how people see a person, a business, or an idea. Now I get to help other people tell those stories.
One of the projects I’m especially passionate about is developing documentary-style storytelling for businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations; capturing not just what they do, but why they do it. That’s where I think we can create something that goes beyond traditional marketing content. We want people to see themselves in the story.
I also want readers to understand that Merrick Creative Group isn’t trying to be everything to everybody. We’re focused on creating intentional work that has a purpose. Whether we’re documenting an event, telling an entrepreneur’s story, building a brand, or creating content for a business, the goal is always the same: earn your eyes, tell your story, and create something that matters.
Ultimately, Merrick is about more than content. It’s about helping people turn their ideas, experiences, and vision into something other people can see, understand, and believe in.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t necessarily see myself as a risk-taker. I see myself as someone who is comfortable with calculated uncertainty.
Most meaningful opportunities I’ve pursued required me to step into situations where I didn’t have a guaranteed outcome. Starting businesses, leaving something that was working to pursue something different, investing my own money, and reinventing myself professionally all required a willingness to be uncomfortable.
I’ve learned that risk isn’t always about making a bold leap. Sometimes the bigger risk is staying in a situation simply because it’s familiar.
For me, the key is understanding the downside, trusting the work I’ve put in, and being willing to adjust if things don’t go according to plan. I don’t need certainty to move forward. I need enough conviction to take the next step.
I’ve probably taken more risks than I realized at the time. But I’ve never viewed them as gambles. I’ve viewed them as investments in what I believed I could build.
Pricing:
- Photography: Starting around $250 (Pending on Scope of Work)
- Video Production: Starting around $350 (Pending on Scope of Work)
- Branding, Creative Strategy & Larger Production Projects:** Custom pricing based on scope, production needs, and deliverables
- Corporate, Event & Documentary Projects: Custom quotes based on the size and creative requirements of the project
Contact Info:
- Website: http://merrickcreativegrp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themerrickcreative?igsh=ajA4bGk0bXJiaWoz&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1LxKhNi3Rm/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellqstewart?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/russellqstewart?igsh=cDdkOHJvejN1NDEy&utm_source=qr
