WHO WE ARE
Your work matters. Let’s make sure people understand why.
Obtain Creative is a women-led creative agency based in Northern New Mexico, partnering with nonprofits, government programs, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, and purpose-driven businesses across the country.
We build strategies. We manage social media. We develop websites, dig into analytics, write stories, study audiences, and chase down SEO opportunities.
But underneath all of that is something simpler. We help good organizations communicate like humans.
Because your mission isn’t content. The people behind it are. The communities you serve are. The stories unfolding every day because of your work are.
Our job is to find those stories, understand why they matter, and build the strategy that helps the right people find them.
Your work matters. Let’s make sure people understand why.
Obtain Creative is a women-led creative agency based in Northern New Mexico, partnering with nonprofits, government programs, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, and purpose-driven businesses across the country.
We build strategies. We manage social media. We develop websites, dig into analytics, write stories, study audiences, and chase down SEO opportunities.
But underneath all of that is something simpler. We help good organizations communicate like humans.
Because your mission isn’t content. The people behind it are. The communities you serve are. The stories unfolding every day because of your work are.
Our job is to find those stories, understand why they matter, and build the strategy that helps the right people find them.
Small by Design. Serious About the Work.
We’re not trying to become the biggest agency in the room.
We’d rather be the team our clients are genuinely relieved to have in the room.
Our size allows us to stay curious, responsive, flexible, and deeply connected to the work we take on. Our clients aren’t passed through layers of people who barely know their organization.
We know your work. We know what you’re trying to accomplish. And we know why it matters.
That means honest conversations, thoughtful recommendations, transparent reporting, plenty of questions, and occasionally telling you that you probably don’t need the thing you thought you needed.
We’re not here to sell you more marketing.
We’re here to help you make better decisions about it.
FOUNDER & CEO
Ash Steele, Founder & CEO
Ash Steele is the Founder and CEO of Obtain Creative, a women-led marketing agency based in the high desert of Northern New Mexico. With over 15 years of experience, Ash brings a unique balance of creative vision and analytical strategy to every project—a blend honed over a career that’s spanned national publications, scrappy startups, and global brands.
She began her journey in Los Angeles in 2008, working in editorial and art direction at 944 Magazine, before diving deep into the world of digital marketing at tech-forward startups in Denver. There, she expanded her expertise across design, copywriting, SEO, web development, and social media—eventually leading entire digital departments at national agencies. But the glossy surface of mainstream marketing left her wanting more.
In founding Obtain Creative, Ash created the agency she wished she’d seen earlier: one rooted in empathy, integrity, and the radical belief that creative work can be both strategic and soul-filled. Today, she leads a diverse team focused on elevating purpose-driven clients across sectors like education, conservation, and social equity.
At the heart of her leadership is a deep commitment to women mentoring women. Ash knows the power of being seen and supported, and she’s passionate about offering a hand to the next generation of changemakers. Got a marketing question? Ask Ash. She’s always happy to help.
Ash Steele, Founder & CEO
DIRECTOR of CLIENT SERVICES
Maggie Binner, Director of Client Services
Every creative team needs someone who can see both the people and the moving pieces.
For Obtain, that’s Maggie.
With a background spanning marketing, business operations, and client services, Maggie is the connective tissue between our clients and our creative team. She keeps projects moving, communication clear, expectations aligned, and approximately 847 tiny details from disappearing into the void.
More importantly, she makes people feel taken care of.
Maggie brings empathy, resourcefulness, organization, and humor to her work—and is often the person asking the question that makes a complicated situation suddenly feel manageable.
Maggie Binner, Director of Client Services
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Sheila Martin, Social Media Manager
Sheila understands something fundamental about social media: behind every account is a person trying to connect with another person.
She brings creativity, curiosity, warmth, and a strong instinct for storytelling to the clients she manages, helping translate complex missions and programs into content people can actually understand—and want to engage with.
Her background in customer service, administration, and government gives her an especially valuable perspective when working with organizations balancing lots of stakeholders, details, and competing priorities.
And she’s usually bringing some joy into the room while she’s at it.
Sheila Martin, Social Media Manager
VIDEOGRAPHER
Alison Johnson, Videographer
Alison has a background in filmmaking, media arts, and nonprofit work, with experience in education, human rights, and community storytelling. She’s passionate about creating media that matters—projects that spark social change, build community, and foster meaningful human connection. She believes in the power of storytelling and technology to heal, empower, and inspire.
A lover of all things nostalgic, Alison finds joy in vintage cameras, old photographs, and vinyl records. She loves to dance, rock climb, play video and board games, and go on hikes with her big, goofy dog, Ripley.
Alison Johnson, Videographer
FEATURED IN
Work in museums, cultural heritage, or community engagement? Here are three free resources worth bookmarking.
The @schoolforadvancedresearch (SAR) and its Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) have tools to help museums and collecting institutions approach the care of Native collections with greater understanding, stronger community relationships, and Indigenous knowledge at the center.
1. The Indigenous Collections Care Guide
A practical guide for museums and collecting institutions, with guidance on relationship building, documentation, conservation, research access, and institutional policies.
2. The ICC Guide Resource Library
Need help bringing these ideas into your organization? Explore handouts, talking points, and additional resources to support conversations and institutional change.
3. The ICC Speaker Series
Learn from conversations about collections care, consultation, relationships with Indigenous communities, and access to cultural materials.
These resources offer a starting point for institutions looking to center Indigenous knowledge, strengthen relationships with Native communities, and approach collections stewardship with greater care.
Know someone who works in museums, cultural heritage, or collections care? Send this their way!
🔗 Explore the resources through the link in our bio.
#ObtainCreative #CommunityResourceRoundup #SchoolForAdvancedResearch #IndianArtsResearchCenter #IndigenousCollectionsCare #MuseumResources #CulturalHeritage #NonprofitResources #CommunityLearning
Can we talk about the temptation to fill every single spot on the content calendar? 👀
I get it. Having everything planned out feels good. You know what you`re posting, when you`re posting it, and you can finally check that box.
But if every single day is planned months in advance, where`s the room for the things you couldn`t have predicted?
A trend that actually fits your brand
A timely news story or conversation
A last-minute idea that turns out to be really good
An unexpected client win worth celebrating
Something your audience is suddenly asking about
Think of your content calendar like a garden. You want to plan what you`re growing, but you don`t want to fill every inch of soil before you have room to plant something new.
Leave some space.
Your strategy gives you direction. Your breathing room gives you flexibility and sometimes, the best content idea is the one you couldn`t have planned three months ago.
So, be honest: is your content calendar giving you room to be spontaneous, or is every post already spoken for? 👀
#ObtainCreative #ContentStrategy #SocialMediaTips #ContentPlanning #ContentCalendar #SocialMediaStrategy #DigitalMarketing #ContentMarketing
If GivingTuesday is on your to-do list, you don`t have to start from scratch.
GivingTuesday is December 1, and the GivingTuesday team is already rolling out resources to help nonprofits get ready.
Their 2026 planning hub is releasing fresh tools, tips, and content every week, including resources on:
✨ Strategy + campaign planning
🤝 Building partnerships
📱 Content strategy + repurposing
📣 Paid media
💬 Community engagement
💰 Digital fundraising
📰 PR + press coverage
🙌 Youth engagement
⏰ Final countdown + last-minute ideas
And that`s just the weekly series.
You can also find Canva templates, messaging guides, a Generosity Toolbox, peer-to-peer fundraising resources, matching gift guidance, influencer resources, and a complete nonprofit toolkit to help you build your campaign.
So if you`re staring at a blank GivingTuesday planning doc and wondering where to start, take advantage of the resources already there.
Save this post, send it to your nonprofit team, and start with the resource that solves your biggest planning question right now.
Check out GivingTuesday`s 2026 planning resources through the link in our bio.
#ObtainCreative #GivingTuesday #GivingTuesday2026 #NonprofitMarketing #NonprofitCommunications #NonprofitResources #FundraisingTips #ContentStrategy
Your content doesn`t have to be perfect to be useful.
We love a beautifully designed carousel. A polished Reel. Good lighting, clean graphics, thoughtful editing. There’s absolutely a place for all of it.
But not every piece of content needs to look like it belongs in a campaign.
Sometimes the most helpful content is:
📱 A quick phone video answering a question
💬 A team member sharing something they’ve learned
📸 A behind-the-scenes photo
🎥 An unpolished Reel that gets straight to the point
📝 A simple post that says, “Here’s something that might help.”
Production value can grab attention. But usefulness and authenticity are what can build connection.
Before spending three hours making something look perfect, ask yourself:
Does this help someone? Does it answer a question? Does it make someone feel seen? Does it give them a reason to save, share, or come back?
If the answer is yes, you might already have a good piece of content.
Sometimes, helpful beats polished. Real beats rehearsed. And done beats sitting in drafts forever.
#ObtainCreative #ContentStrategy #SocialMediaTips #ContentCreation #DigitalMarketing #AuthenticMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #ContentMarketing
You don’t need it today.
Which is exactly why you should organize it today.
Every organization should have a go-to folder for the marketing assets you know you’ll need eventually: logos, staff headshots and bios, brand guidelines, approved statistics, mission language, testimonials, photo permissions, partner information, and evergreen photos and video.
Because when an opportunity comes up (a partnership event, campaign, or timely social post), you don’t want to spend forever tracking down the pieces.
Think of it as your “we’re going to need this eventually” folder.
One important rule: keep it current. Set a reminder a few times a year to replace outdated headshots, stats, bios, brand files, and other assets.
Our rule of thumb? If you’ve had to ask for it twice, put it in the folder.
#DigitalMarketingTips #ContentMarketing #MarketingResources #MarketingOrganization #FutureYouWillThankYou #PutItInTheFolder #ObtainKnowledge #ObtainCreative
