Episode #91
The Working Assembly's Founder: From side hustle to exit – Jolene Delisle
Today’s guest is Jolene Delisle, Founder of The Working Assembly, the New York-based design-led creative agency she built around a simple idea – assemble the right people around the problem, rather than force every client through the same agency model. Jolene reflects on the unconventional origins of the business, which began as a side hustle while she was working at Meta and pregnant with her daughter. She explains how her Korean origins, adoption and early experience of using art as a form of communication shaped her instinct for storytelling and creative problem-solving. The conversation explores how The Working Assembly evolved as client needs changed, why traditional agency structures became increasingly difficult to justify, and what the current reckoning means for agencies facing smaller budgets and rising expectations. Jolene also shares what she learned from selling the business, why she chose Catalyst, and why she sees smaller, specialised teams working together as a model for the future. HIGHLIGHTS: [02:56] Design as a differentiator [05:17] Side hustle at Meta [07:09] Art before words [12:13] Assembling creative needs [17:05] The agency reckoning [20:12] Specialisation over scale [22:17] Founder-led adaptability [25:19] Finding the right buyer [30:56] Appeal of working closely MORE ABOUT JOLENE: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jolened Website: theworkingassembly.com HOST SOCIALS: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinbonn Twitter: twitter.com/robonn MORE ABOUT CO:DEFINERY: Website: codefinery.com Book: Market of One
