My (Unapologetic) Story

I’ve been doing this work in one form or another since 1996—across real estate, retail, non-profits, private businesses, start-ups, publishing, design, and marketing.

For years, I was the generalist.
I could do everything.
And I did—because that’s what paid the bills. And that's what was asked of me.

But somewhere along the way, I realized something uncomfortable and clarifying:

Much of my past client work stopped short of its full potential—not because the ideas weren’t there, but because the appetite for risk wasn’t.

Big ideas ask something of the people who approve them.
  They ask for courage.
    They ask for trust.
      They ask for commitment.

When those things aren’t present, the work gets smaller.

That isn’t a creative failure.
It’s a positioning decision.

Safe marketing doesn't make history. Advertising ideas that feel a little risky are the ones people remember.

The Portfolio Truth

You won’t find a loud, glossy portfolio here.

Not because the experience isn’t there, but because most of my past client work stopped short of what it could have been. The ideas were softened. The risks were removed. The most interesting parts never made it past client approval. The majority of my work was generic. Safe.

So, I shut everything down. I stopped creating bland, boring collateral. I had a "Come to Jesus" moment. I regrouped.

If you’ve ever looked at your own brand and thought, “This could be so much better,” you understand.

That’s why this chapter of Riversmith Media exists.

this chapter of riversmith media

Riversmith Media is now focused on work that begins with thinking—not fear.

That means original concepts, bold ideas, and creative direction designed to be noticed, remembered, and felt. Not as filler. Not as decoration. But as proof of clarity and conviction.

Much of what lives here won’t be client work in the traditional sense. It will be ideas explored openly—concepts developed without committees, constraints, or the need to play it safe. These aren’t answers to a brief. They’re what happens when fear is removed from the process.

That same approach carries into the work I take on.

Riversmith Media is centered on creative direction expressed through advertising concepts, editorial and publication design, and print work meant to last. It also includes partnering with serious authors to design books worth selling—thoughtful, well-crafted work built to live in the world, including through platforms like Amazon KDP.

This is senior-level work.
Not experimental. Not entry-level. And not priced as such.

Projects here are selective, collaborative, and built on trust—the kind that allows ideas to fully form instead of being edited down too early.

If reading, studying, or sitting with this work sparks something—if it makes you think we want that kind of thinking—then this site is doing exactly what it’s meant to do.

Riversmith Media exists for clients who are ready.

Faith + Conviction

My faith shapes how I work, what I say yes to, and what I won’t compromise.

That doesn’t mean timid ideas or softened design. It means work rooted in conviction, integrity, and truth—without performance or posturing. Clarity over noise. Substance over signaling.

Belief shows up here quietly, but consistently. And it matters.

If this resonates, we’re probably aligned

If you’re ready to move past good enough—and curious about what becomes possible when ideas are given room to breathe—we’re likely aligned.

Let's start a conversation and see where this goes.

Attention is the most valuable currency a brand has.
Most spend it trying not to offend.

Riversmith Media is led by Sara Smith, a creative director with decades of experience shaping ideas, publications, and campaigns rooted in clarity, restraint, and conviction.