Member Spotlight: Marla Stough
Meet Marla Stough, Founder and Creative Director of Coven Creative LLC and Eldest Daughter LLC, based in Hoboken, New Jersey. A creative executive with more than 20 years of experience in beauty and wellness, Marla specializes in turning consumer insights into bold, strategic creative that builds strong brand identities and drives business results. As a CEW member for the past several years, she brings a wealth of experience in brand strategy, creative direction, campaigns, packaging, and team development to the community.
Career Milestone: After more than two decades working on brand identities for some of the beauty industry’s most recognized names, Marla made the decision to build something of her own. In 2024, she launched Coven Creative LLC, a creative and brand consultancy serving CPG and DTC brands across beauty, wellness, food, and beyond.
For Marla, the decision was about bringing her experience inside large organizations directly to brands that need an outside perspective. She understands the challenges that can hold creative teams back, from limited budgets and complicated cross-functional relationships to the challenge of connecting creative work to measurable business results. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, Coven Creative focuses on what each brand actually needs, whether that means brand strategy, creative direction, campaign development, packaging, or team structure.
Throughout her career, Marla has maintained a single belief: design without strategy is decoration, and the customer should always be the most important filter. Building Coven Creative has allowed her to put that philosophy into practice while helping brands solve creative challenges in a more focused and meaningful way.
Key Advice: Two pieces of advice have stayed with Marla throughout her career: “You cannot pour from an empty cup,” and “it’s free to be kind.” For her, both serve as reminders that success is not just about producing great work. Taking care of yourself, treating people well, and building strong relationships can be just as important to a long-term career. After years in the beauty industry, Marla has learned that creativity and leadership are strongest when they are supported by both personal balance and genuine consideration for others.
Mentors: One of Marla’s most influential mentors is Debbie Millman, Chair of the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts, where Marla was part of the second class. Millman helped shape Marla’s approach to researching creative problems, presenting and pitching ideas, and taking creative risks. She also encouraged Marla to remain endlessly curious and to think beyond traditional career paths.
Marla credits Millman with showing her that a creative career does not have to follow a predetermined path. Through her work as an author, speaker, illustrator, and brand and creative professional, Millman demonstrated what it can look like to build a career around curiosity and big ideas. That perspective continues to influence how Marla approaches her own work and future.
Five-Year Career Goal: Over the next five years, Marla hopes to build a steady pipeline of clients that continues to challenge and stretch her creatively. At the same time, she plans to bring another passion project to life by launching her fragrance brand, Eldest Daughter, both online and in brick-and-mortar retail. Her goal is to continue growing as a creative leader while creating opportunities to explore new ideas and categories.
Best Networking Convo Starter: “Tell me about a beauty product you bought recently that you can’t stop raving about.” For Marla, this question is an easy way to get beyond the typical networking conversation and discover what products, brands, and ideas are genuinely exciting people right now.
