Be like water. Formless. Shapeless.
Meet Chelli, Head of Creative Operations
Creator of Scarlet Rose West® & Owner of Creative Business Studio®
What do you do?
I take care of business operations & project management for founder-led creative studios as their COO & Chief of Staff. I manage operations, systems, and teams so the founder stays focused on the creative work while I make sure everything around it runs — without compromising the artistry or the creator.
I keep creative founders out of day-to-day operations, client management, admin work, and constant context switching — so projects don’t slip, clients have an unforgettable experience, and you stay in creative flow.
How did you get here?
My approach comes from over a decade of living inside creative businesses — working from graphic & web designer → copywriting & marketing strategist → creative operations director. Because I've done the creative work myself for over 10 years, I know what it needs to be protected from.
What do you understand about creatives that others miss?
Creative work isn't linear. Timelines shift, feedback is subjective, and a lot of the labor is invisible. Most operational systems are designed for predictable work, so they frustrate creative teams. I build systems that fit how studios actually work.
What are you working on right now?
I'm Head of Creative Operations for founder-led studios through my Creative Business Studio®, in long-term retainer partnerships. I'm also opening House of Beloved, my literary world, where I write about longing, belonging, and designing a life on purpose.
How would you describe your role?
I devote to creative founders as their right-hand operations director and vessel for their vision. My job isn't to change the founder's vision. It's to make it easier to deliver.✨ I’m the Quincy Jones to your Michael Jackson.
What part of the work do you love most?
I love leading projects, systems, clients and teams. Projects stop slipping, the founder stops being the bottleneck, and the team knows what's happening without asking. That's usually what best supports creative work.
What would you tell your younger self?
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” — Lao Tzu
Is there a philosophy you return to?
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” — Bruce Lee
Who do you work with?
Founders of creative studios with teams 2-10 looking for their right-hand woman. They're visionary and relational, they care deeply about quality, and they're tired of managing everything alone.
How should someone approach you about working together?
Inquire with my Creative Business Studio® or House of Beloved for studio inquiries or creative partnerships.
Who is a creative you admire?
Quincy Jones. He built a career helping other artists do their best work — that’s how I love to operate.
How do you stay creative?
I rest. I used to treat rest as something I earned after the work was done. Now I treat it as part of the work. My best ideas come when I'm not forcing them.
