Five Things You Might Not Know About Maddie Adams-Terry

Eight years ago, I agreed to meet a young woman at Mimi’s Café as a favor to a mutual friend.

“She just graduated from NAU and she wants to pick your brain,” they told me. I figured I would give her an hour and send her off with a few words of advice. Instead, I walked out with a creative match and a future strategic sparring partner. By the end of that lunch, I realized I was given the favor.

Since then, Maddie has been with me and this little thing called Tandem through every season. The season when we did not quite know what we were building, only that we wanted to do work that mattered. The season of our downtown Phoenix office, where clients would pop in, pour themselves a drink, and settle in for a chat.

The season when Chris retired from Tandem, and I found myself asking what I wanted the next eight years to look like.

To say I got lucky is an understatement. Clients have even told me, “I want to find my Maddie.” And I get it. She is rare. She brings value, spark, and joy. And without her, Tandem would not be nearly as fun.

So, here are five things you might not know about Maddie Adams Terry.

One: She is a commissioned studio artist

Yes, Maddie can design your website and map your customer journey, but she can also fill a blank canvas with beauty. A few years ago, an Arizona businessman commissioned her for a massive art piece for his office. She was excited, nervous, and fueled by kombucha on installation day.

The result was stunning, and she learned something every artist knows: the bigger the canvas, the bigger the courage.

Two: She co-hosts a podcast

Maddie and her friend Holden King launched a podcast called Made it Myself. It is a show about the creative process in all its messy, weird, inspiring glory.

They make space for conversations about the ups, downs, doubts, and breakthroughs that come when you decide to make things. Whether you are a seasoned artist or someone just curious about your own creative edge, their conversations are honest and refreshing.

Follow the podcast here.

Three: She is deeply intentional

Everything Maddie touches has thought behind it. Whether she is designing a brand system, painting, or cooking dinner for the team during a retreat, she adds intention as the secret ingredient.

My kids still rave about the gordita style tacos she made years ago at a client retreat. Food, design, conversation…she creates connection and beauty in all of it.

Four: She has spoken at Creative Mornings

Her first speaking engagement through Tandem was with Creative Mornings, where she gave a talk on the theme of Corruption. 

It was sharp, vulnerable, and thought provoking (aka classic Maddie).

You can watch it here.

Five: She and Henry are getting a puppy

This one makes me laugh, but it matters. If you were in our team meetings, you would hear the ridiculousness as we try to convince Maddie and Henry to drive to Oregon to get one, or when we shout so Henry can hear us say, “We found one you should get.” It is silly, but it also shows something true about our team:

We are invested in each other’s lives, from projects to puppies.

Thank you Maddie. 

Thank you, Maddie. I am grateful for you. Grateful for the partnership and camaraderie we have built together. Grateful for the front row seat I have had to your leadership journey. I have watched you go from college grad to newly engaged to newlywed and soon to dog mom. From intern to new hire to lead to second in command at Tandem. Watching you grow into your potential has been one of the greatest privileges of my career.

You are living proof of why we do this work.

Now here is my challenge for you reading this.

Who is your Maddie?

Who is that person in your organization who brings value, spark, and joy in a way that deserves a shout out?

When will you give it to them? ;-)

EM

Elizabeth Mead, affectionately known as "EM," is an award-winning Tactical Strategist and a go-to consultant for organizations needing hands-on support in the trenches. When she's not crafting value-driven strategies, you can find her on her ranch, embracing what her husband calls "the pace of choice." It’s a lifestyle that reflects her love for solitude, the beauty of nature, sipping coffee from a rocking chair, riding quads with the kiddos, singing with her pal Joey, slow-cooking farm-fresh meals, and losing herself in a great book.