In the competitive world of digital asset management, stories of transformation often highlight the innovative spirit that drives the industry forward. One such story is that of Casey Templeton, whose journey from an award-winning photographer to the founder of Stacks is filled with resilience, creativity, and a deep commitment to solving real-world problems. This part of the series explores Casey’s early career, the unexpected challenges that led to a shift in his professional direction, and how the seeds of Stacks were planted during this pivotal phase.
A Photographer from the Start
Casey Templeton’s career began long before most of his peers had even considered their professional paths. At just 16 years old, Casey was already working as a professional photographer. His talent and work ethic quickly distinguished him in a field known for its competitiveness. By the time he completed college, he had secured a prestigious internship at National Geographic, where he focused on commercial and advertising photography. This experience would play a formative role in shaping his understanding of high-level creative production and the operational side of managing large-scale media assets.
His time at National Geographic also gave him exposure to the inner workings of creative teams at the top of their game. It was not just about taking great photographs—it was about understanding how those photos were used, stored, shared, and archived. These behind-the-scenes insights would prove crucial later in his journey.
A Life-Altering Diagnosis
In late 2016, everything changed. Casey was diagnosed with a rare connective tissue disorder. This condition, affecting the very structure of his body, led to aneurysms throughout his system. A particularly large one near his aorta resulted in the need for open-heart surgery. On top of that, the disorder impacted the connective tissue around his eyes, significantly affecting his vision.
For a photographer, vision is not just important—it is essential. Although he continued to work professionally, Casey was acutely aware that his long-term future in high-end commercial photography might not be sustainable. This realization marked a turning point. It wasn’t just about adapting; it was about reimagining what his career could be and how he could continue to contribute meaningfully to the creative industry.
Discovering a Hidden Opportunity
As Casey managed his health and continued working with clients, he noticed a curious trend. Several of his Fortune 500 clients were bypassing their digital asset management systems—when they existed at all—and using his personal DAM platform to access and retrieve images he had created for them. These were not isolated cases. Across multiple clients, the same behavior emerged: they found Casey’s DAM system to be easier to navigate, more intuitive, and far more reliable than their internal solutions.
This insight sparked a question: What if businesses could have access to a digital asset management system as effective and user-friendly as the one he had created for himself? What if they could control, access, and organize not just the assets from a single photographer, but all of their creative assets in one place?
The answer came not in the form of a product pitch, but in a series of conversations. Casey approached a few of his long-standing clients with a proposal: Would they be interested in having their own customized DAM systems, built and managed with the same principles he had applied to his own? The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Laying the Foundation for Stacks
What started as an experiment in helping clients manage their creative libraries soon turned into a consulting business. Casey began offering digital asset management consultation services, helping clients understand their needs, implement best practices, and build systems tailored to their workflows. Within a few months, the demand outpaced what he could manage on his own. He brought in a team of contractors, each contributing to the growing list of client engagements.
By 2018, the groundwork had been laid for something bigger. Casey officially launched Stacks, a company dedicated to making digital asset management easier, more human-centered, and more aligned with the day-to-day realities of creative teams. With Stacks, the mission was clear: provide clients not just with a tool, but with a comprehensive approach that puts people first and technology second.
People First: A Core Value That Drives Every Decision
From the beginning, Stacks operated under a clear set of core values, and at the heart of them was one simple idea: people first. This principle became the lens through which every service, consultation, and interaction was viewed. Rather than focusing solely on the technological complexities of digital asset management, Casey and his team prioritized the user experience. If the people using the system could not understand it or did not feel empowered by it, then the system had already failed.
This people-first mindset stood in contrast to many other DAM solutions in the market, which often emphasized features over usability. Stacks approached DAM as a service, not just software. The company helped clients assess their needs, establish workflows, and implement tools that supported their goals. It wasn’t about selling a product—it was about solving a problem.
A Slow but Strategic Evolution Toward Technology
Interestingly, while Stacks was building its reputation as a service-driven company, it deliberately resisted the urge to jump straight into developing proprietary technology. For the first five years, the company stayed focused on the fundamentals: helping clients build strong DAM programs through strategic planning, meticulous execution, and continuous support. The philosophy was simple but powerful—get the basics right before adding complexity.
This approach earned Stacks the trust of its clients and allowed the company to work with businesses across various industries, from consumer goods to global entertainment. The success of these partnerships reinforced the idea that digital asset management doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective—it needs to be intentional, well-organized, and supported by experts who understand both the technical and human sides of the equation.
Finding Purpose Through Challenges
While the professional journey of launching Stacks was demanding, it also provided Casey with a renewed sense of purpose. Adapting to life with a connective tissue disorder required both physical and emotional strength. In many ways, building a new company allowed him to channel that energy into something productive and impactful.
What started as a way to help clients better manage their media libraries had evolved into a company that stood for more than just DAM solutions. Stacks became a reflection of Casey’s values—resilience, empathy, and a deep commitment to helping people do their best creative work. And in doing so, he found a new avenue for storytelling, one that went beyond the lens of a camera and into the systems that power creative expression.
Building a Company Around Simplicity and Service
With the official launch of Stacks in 2018, Casey Templeton began a new chapter in his career, one focused not just on creating beautiful work but on helping others manage and preserve theirs. What made this transition remarkable was not the move from photography to business leadership, but how Casey infused the same creative empathy and discipline into digital asset management that he once applied behind the camera. This part of the series explores the early growth of Stacks, the challenges of positioning DAM as an approachable service, and how client relationships helped shape the company’s direction.
Listening Before Building
One of the most defining characteristics of Stacks in its formative years was its customer-first approach. Rather than assume what clients needed from a digital asset management system, Casey and his team focused on listening. Every engagement began with a conversation—understanding what challenges clients were facing, how their creative assets were currently organized, and where the friction lived in their workflow.
It turned out that for many companies, DAM was a confusing and often intimidating concept. They had folders buried within folders, dozens of naming conventions, and no clear ownership of their visual assets. Some had purchased expensive software platforms hoping to solve the problem, only to abandon them within months due to poor adoption and lack of internal training.
What Stacks offered was a solution that didn’t begin with software—it began with people. The focus was on process, not products. This was a major differentiator in a market that often leaned heavily on technical jargon and platform demos. By simplifying the language around DAM and meeting clients where they were, Stacks positioned itself as a strategic partner rather than just a service provider.
Growing With Clients, Not Ahead of Them
A significant early milestone in the company’s growth was its work with Manscaped, a fast-growing consumer brand known for its humor and clever marketing. At the time, Manscaped was scaling quickly, producing vast amounts of content to support new campaigns, product launches, and global expansion. But their asset management systems hadn’t kept pace.
Stacks stepped in not to overhaul their operations, but to support and guide the implementation of a manageable DAM program. What made the partnership successful was alignment. Both Stacks and Manscaped shared the belief that DAM should grow with the business. It should evolve, be flexible, and remain adaptable as teams expand and needs shift.
Instead of giving Manscaped a static system, Stacks provided a dynamic program that could change over time. This helped ensure creative teams didn’t feel overwhelmed by growth. Instead, they felt empowered by it. Their content was no longer lost in email chains or mislabeled folders. It was accessible, organized, and ready for use.
Building a Team That Reflects Core Values
As demand for Stacks’ services increased, Casey faced a new challenge: building a team that could scale his vision. While it was tempting to hire based purely on technical skills, Casey prioritized alignment with core values. This meant recruiting people who not only understood the mechanics of DAM but also believed in the power of good service and human-centered design.
Culture became a major focus for Casey. At every level of the company, the importance of empathy, reliability, and gratitude was emphasized. Stacks was not trying to be the flashiest name in tech. Instead, it was committed to being the most respected and dependable name in digital asset management services.
This people-first hiring approach led to the formation of a team that was diverse in background but unified in purpose. Every consultant, project manager, and support specialist was trained to focus on relationships, not just results. It became common for clients to comment on how much easier and more enjoyable it was to work with the Stacks team compared to more traditional tech firms.
Avoiding the Tech Trap
During its first five years, Stacks made a conscious decision to avoid becoming a product-based tech company. While others in the DAM space rushed to release new platforms and AI-powered tools, Casey stayed committed to the idea that good asset management wasn’t a tech problem—it was a process problem.
This decision may have seemed counterintuitive in a tech-obsessed industry, but it allowed Stacks to differentiate itself. Instead of competing with software platforms, it partnered with them. Stacks helped clients get the most out of their existing tools or choose platforms that truly fit their needs. By focusing on consulting and implementation, Stacks positioned itself as a bridge between technology and user success.
Clients appreciated the honesty. Rather than being sold a product they didn’t need, they received thoughtful recommendations and step-by-step guidance. As a result, adoption rates improved, internal confidence grew, and the overall perception of digital asset management began to shift from burdensome to beneficial.
Small Acts, Big Impact
While the technical and strategic aspects of Stacks were evolving, Casey continued to focus on the personal side of the business. He understood that small acts of appreciation could have an outsized impact on relationships. This came from his photography days, where he would send thank-you notes or small gifts to clients after major projects.
At Stacks, these gestures became a part of the company culture. Whether it was sending branded swag to a client team after a successful implementation or a handwritten note after a tough quarter, these efforts reinforced that the company cared about more than contracts. It cared about connection.
This consistent attention to relationship-building helped foster long-term loyalty. Clients didn’t just see Stacks as a vendor—they saw the team as an extension of their internal operations, people they could trust, depend on, and collaborate with through changing circumstances.
Rethinking Success in Digital Asset Management
As more businesses began to understand the importance of DAM, expectations started to evolve. No longer was it enough for a system to simply store and retrieve files. Creative teams needed systems that could support rapid content production, easy distribution, and collaborative workflows. The old models of DAM were too rigid, too siloed, and too focused on archival purposes.
Stacks responded by adapting its definition of success. Rather than view digital asset management as a one-time project, the company treated it as an ongoing program. A successful DAM program wasn’t just implemented—it was maintained, nurtured, and evaluated over time.
This programmatic approach allowed Stacks to stay close to its clients and continue to deliver value long after launch. Regular check-ins, performance reviews, and updates became part of the engagement. The result was systems that stayed relevant and functional, even as businesses grew and changed.
Creating a Reputation Built on Trust
In an industry crowded with tools and buzzwords, Stacks carved out a reputation for trust. Clients knew they could rely on the company not only for technical expertise but also for clear communication, honest advice, and consistent support.
This reputation wasn’t built overnight. It came from years of putting clients first, of not overpromising, and of delivering results that matched the real needs of users. It also came from Casey’s investment in the brand. He regularly connected with clients, shared insights, and took feedback seriously.
This hands-on leadership style helped reinforce the values on which Stacks was built. It kept the company grounded and ensured that growth never came at the expense of quality.
Transitioning From Services to Product Development
After five years of building a successful consulting and implementation business, Casey Templeton and his team at Stacks began to confront a new challenge. While their human-first approach to digital asset management had won over clients and delivered consistent results, they also began to hear a recurring theme from the people they served: many DAM platforms were underwhelming, too complex, or missing essential functionality for creative teams.
This feedback prompted Stacks to consider an important shift in its strategy—moving from purely offering services to developing proprietary technology. But unlike traditional tech companies that race to develop flashy features, Stacks took a different route. It chose patience, observation, and refinement over speed.
Why Most DAM Platforms Miss the Mark
One of the consistent frustrations voiced by clients was the overwhelming nature of many DAM platforms. These systems were packed with advanced features, but often at the cost of usability. Creative professionals found themselves lost in menus, dropdowns, and clunky workflows that interrupted rather than supported their processes.
Many companies had purchased what Casey called the “Lamborghinis” of digital asset management—powerful, expensive platforms that were only being used for basic functions like uploading and downloading files. The technology wasn’t the problem. The gap was in implementation, training, and most importantly, in design that respected the end user.
Stacks had spent years helping organizations extract value from these overbuilt systems. That experience gave the team a front-row seat to what worked, what didn’t, and what was missing. It wasn’t just about functionality. It was about the total experience—how quickly could someone find what they needed, share it, tag it, and move on with their day?
This insight became the foundation for the company’s decision to begin developing its tools, not to replace existing DAM platforms, but to enhance and simplify the experience around them.
The Role of Empathy in Product Design
Stacks’ entry into product development didn’t come from a boardroom strategy session. It came from listening to pain points expressed by creative teams, marketing departments, and content managers who were struggling to keep up with the demands of a fast-paced digital environment.
What set Stacks apart was its grounding in empathy. The team didn’t want to build software for IT departments. It wanted to build tools that creatives could use without needing a manual. Simplicity, speed, and clarity were guiding principles in the product development process.
Casey had long said that his photography business succeeded not because of technical skill, but because of customer service. That same philosophy informed the way Stacks approached technology. The question was always: how can we make this easier for the user? Not more powerful. Not more feature-rich. Just easier.
By incorporating user feedback from day one and continuing to work alongside real teams in live environments, Stacks ensured that its product roadmap was grounded in actual needs, not assumptions.
Small Innovations That Create Big Results
While some software companies chase large-scale disruption, Stacks focused on small innovations that could dramatically improve daily workflows. One example was how assets were tagged and categorized.
Many DAM platforms relied on metadata entry that was overly technical or inconsistent across teams. Stacks began experimenting with simplified tagging interfaces, customizable category trees, and smart suggestions based on usage patterns. These changes may seem minor, but they had an outsized impact on how quickly creative teams could locate assets and maintain consistency across campaigns.
Another area of focus was sharing. In large organizations, it was common for team members to download files and email them manually, even if the DAM platform offered sharing tools. Why? Because the native tools were too clunky, slow, or required too many permissions.
Stacks developed streamlined sharing features that made it easy to send a link, track usage, and ensure access was time-limited or branded, without requiring multiple logins or approvals. These enhancements brought teams closer to a true single source of truth for their assets.
Balancing Services With Scalable Tools
Even as the company moved into product development, Stacks didn’t abandon its consulting roots. Instead, it developed a hybrid model that combined hands-on service with software that could scale.
This approach allowed Stacks to maintain its close relationships with clients while also creating long-term value through technology. For clients, it meant getting the best of both worlds—thoughtful strategy from experienced consultants and access to tools built specifically to solve their unique challenges.
Internally, the balance between service and product allowed the team to validate ideas in real-world environments. Rather than guess what features users wanted, Stacks was able to test directly with clients, iterate quickly, and release updates that were both relevant and impactful.
This agile, responsive model became a competitive advantage. While larger DAM vendors struggled to keep up with feedback loops or pivot direction, Stacks was small enough to listen, fast enough to adapt, and grounded enough to focus on real outcomes.
Embracing AI as a Partner, Not a Threat
As artificial intelligence began to shape the future of content creation and management, Casey and his team took a pragmatic view. AI was not seen as a threat to creative work or human judgment. Instead, it was embraced as a tool to help both Stacks and its clients manage growing volumes of content more efficiently.
Rather than rush to add AI for marketing value, Stacks explored practical uses. For example, automated tagging and image recognition were tested to see how they could reduce manual work without sacrificing accuracy. AI-powered search tools were evaluated to improve retrieval times and surface relevant assets based on user behavior.
However, the team remained cautious. AI without human oversight could create more problems than it solves. Stacks focused on using AI to augment human decision-making, not replace it. By positioning AI as a partner, the company reinforced its people-first philosophy while still embracing modern tools.
Preparing Clients for the Content Explosion
Another key driver behind the company’s evolving strategy was the sheer increase in content being produced. With digital media playing an ever-larger role in marketing, branding, and customer engagement, businesses were creating more photos, videos, graphics, and documents than ever before.
This explosion in content put pressure on existing systems, especially those not built to scale. Many organizations found themselves drowning in assets—unable to locate the right version of a file, unsure of what was approved for use, or struggling to onboard new team members who had no historical context.
Stacks responded by helping clients not only organize existing content but also prepare for the future. This meant building taxonomies that could scale, implementing permissions that accounted for cross-functional teams, and providing training that was role-specific.
By addressing future needs in today’s systems, Stacks gave clients the confidence to grow without fearing their DAM program would collapse under the weight of new content.
Cultivating a Company Culture of Gratitude and Trust
As the business expanded, Casey remained focused on one core responsibility: culture. He believed that culture wasn’t just an internal HR concern—it was something clients could feel. It showed up in how emails were written, how support tickets were handled, and how feedback was received.
At Stacks, gratitude became a cultural touchstone. Team members were encouraged to thank clients for their partnership, to celebrate small wins, and to treat every engagement as an opportunity to build trust. Casey often sent surprise packages, thoughtful notes, or tokens of appreciation to clients. These moments, while simple, made a lasting impression.
The company culture extended to transparency, too. If something went wrong during an implementation or if a deadline was missed, the team didn’t make excuses. They communicated, took responsibility, and focused on solutions. This level of honesty deepened trust and created long-term client relationships.
From Resilience to Reinvention
Casey Templeton’s journey—from navigating a serious medical diagnosis to shifting careers—remained a quiet but powerful undercurrent in the way Stacks operated. His experience taught him that resilience was about more than enduring challenges—it was about adapting with intention.
That mindset permeated every aspect of the company. Whether it was pivoting from services to tech, learning from client struggles, or embracing new tools like AI, Stacks consistently responded with curiosity, care, and clarity.
And it’s this combination—human-centered thinking, responsive innovation, and grounded leadership—that positioned the company not just as a DAM provider, but as a partner in growth.
A Vision for the Future of Digital Asset Management
As Stacks reached a new stage in its growth, the company’s path became clearer: it was not just solving a technical problem but helping redefine what digital asset management (DAM) could be. Casey Templeton’s original goal—to bring order and care to creative chaos—had matured into a scalable, service-backed product that blended human empathy with smart, user-focused technology.
The future wasn’t just about storing and sharing files. It was about helping brands unlock the full value of their visual content, preserve institutional memory, and build systems that could grow with them. In this final part, we’ll look at how Stacks is setting a new standard for DAM, what’s next for Casey, and how the company is positioned to lead the industry forward.
Moving From Support to Strategy
One of the most noticeable shifts in recent years has been the way clients use Stacks. Initially seen as a support partner—helping set up folders, rename files, and train teams—Stacks has now become a strategic advisor for content operations. Clients ask the team not just how to organize their content, but why certain structures work better, how asset reuse can drive down content production costs, or how DAM can integrate into broader brand governance efforts.
This shift happened organically. As clients saw the long-term impact of Stacks’ programs, they began to include the team earlier in campaign planning, rebranding efforts, and marketing tech stack decisions. The question was no longer “Where do we put this file?” It was “How can we make this content work harder for us across channels, teams, and time zones?”
This strategic involvement made DAM a more central piece of the content puzzle. And because Stacks had earned its place through trust and consistency, it became a go-to partner for more than just cleanup projects—it became a driver of smarter, faster creative work.
Educating the Market With Honesty
Even as DAM has gained visibility, confusion around what it is and who needs it still lingers. Casey and his team made it a priority not just to sell their services, but to educate the industry with clarity and honesty. Their blog posts, speaking engagements, and client workshops avoided jargon and focused on practical advice: What does a good folder structure look like? How do you get buy-in from executives? What KPIs matter in DAM?
This commitment to education sets Stacks apart. While others were focused on slick demos and software comparisons, Stacks leaned into conversations. The team talked openly about the limitations of platforms, the realities of implementation fatigue, and the fact that even the best systems need champions to succeed.
That transparency paid off. Clients appreciated the straight talk and felt confident making decisions because they knew Stacks wasn’t pushing a product—it was offering a point of view backed by real-world experience.
Earning Loyalty, Not Just Business
In a world where vendor relationships often feel transactional, Stacks stood out by building relationships that lasted. Many clients who signed on during the company’s early years are still active today, not because of long contracts or sticky tech, but because of trust and results.
Casey made sure loyalty wasn’t taken for granted. The team worked hard to re-earn client confidence each quarter, always staying responsive, humble, and willing to adapt. If a client’s business changed—through a merger, rebrand, or new leadership—Stacks changed with them.
Loyalty also showed up internally. Turnover at Stacks remained low, thanks to a culture that prioritized work-life balance, meaningful impact, and shared purpose. Team members weren’t just employees—they were caretakers of the company’s values. That stability helped maintain quality, deepen expertise, and create a consistent experience for clients year after year.
Building Tech That Serves, Not Shines
As the company’s proprietary tools continued to evolve, one rule remained consistent: don’t build something flashy unless it solves a real problem. This philosophy kept Stacks grounded and avoided the trap many SaaS companies fall into—chasing trends instead of listening to users.
Each product decision came from actual client scenarios. If users were wasting time tagging files, automation was introduced. If sharing tools felt disconnected from campaign workflows, integrations were added. And when it came to interface design, simplicity always won.
Stacks didn’t want to impress users with dashboards—they wanted users to use them. This commitment to functionality over flair created software that felt invisible in the best way. It helped users get in, do their work, and get out without friction.
Casey described this product philosophy as “servant software”—tools that serve the user, not the other way around. It was a natural extension of how the company had always operated: quiet, competent, and centered on care.
Amplifying the Voices of Creatives
One of the reasons DAM often gets overlooked is that it lives in the background. It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t get a line item in most marketing campaigns. But the people who depend on it—creative directors, asset managers, content strategists—know that when DAM is broken, everything slows down.
Stacks took on the role of amplifier for these often-unsung heroes. Through interviews, case studies, and client panels, the company elevated the voices of those doing the day-to-day work of managing content. Their stories became part of the brand. They inspired new features, refined services, and helped future clients see what was possible.
This spotlighting of real users helped shift the narrative around DAM. It wasn’t just a technical fix. It was a business enabler, a creativity accelerator, and a necessary foundation for fast-moving teams. And the people behind it deserved to be seen, heard, and supported.
Preparing for the Next Wave of Growth
Looking ahead, Casey and the Stacks team were preparing for the next chapter with a clear focus. New investments were being made in product, particularly around automation and cross-platform compatibility. The goal was to help clients manage not just more content, but more types of content—motion graphics, 3D assets, localized variants, AI-generated content, and more.
The company was also exploring ways to bring its services to smaller organizations, not just enterprise brands. While the enterprise market had driven early growth, the team believed that mid-size teams—agencies, nonprofits, fast-growing startups—deserved access to the same level of care and structure.
This expansion was not about scaling quickly. It was about scaling intentionally. Just as the company had grown from a small consultancy to a trusted partner for global brands, it now aimed to grow its tools without losing the personal touch that made it special.
Casey’s Legacy: Designing With Intent
At the heart of everything—past, present, and future—was Casey Templeton’s belief in designing with intent. Whether he was framing a portrait or architecting a folder structure, his work was always guided by the question: What serves the subject best?
That principle guided how Stacks was built and how it will continue to evolve. It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things well. About creating space for creativity to flourish by removing clutter, confusion, and chaos.
As Casey stepped further into his role as a founder and visionary, he remained closely involved in the culture of the company. He still connected with clients. He still mentored team members. He still reviewed product ideas with the same care he once gave to editing photos.
His legacy wasn’t just about what he created—it was about how he led. Quietly, intentionally, and always in service of others.
Final Thoughts
Casey Templeton’s story is more than a career pivot—it’s a masterclass in resilience, clarity, and values-driven innovation. From his early days as a celebrated photographer to the thoughtful architect of Stacks, every step of his journey has been grounded in purpose. He didn’t just change industries; he brought the best of his creative discipline—attention to detail, empathy, and craftsmanship—into the world of digital asset management.
Stacks itself reflects that same ethos. It’s not a flashy startup chasing trends or a software company obsessed with features. Instead, it’s a team built around service, education, and practical solutions—empowering creative teams to bring structure to their chaos without losing sight of what matters most: people and purpose.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the need for tools that combine technical strength with human-centered design will only grow. Casey and his team have proven that it’s not only possible to build such a tool—it’s sustainable, scalable, and deeply impactful when you lead with humility and heart.
Whether you're a brand wrestling with disorganized content, a creative trying to protect your vision, or a founder searching for a more grounded approach to growth, there’s something to learn from Casey’s journey. It's not about moving fast and breaking things. It's about moving intentionally, listening closely, and building systems that last.
Stacks isn't just changing how teams manage content. It's quietly redefining what success looks like in creative tech—and proving that when you put people first, the systems will follow.