Creative Community & Purpose with Tom Woodard
Episode Summary
From writing the jingles you can’t get out of your head to scaling agencies nationwide, Tom Woodard has done it all. Now, he’s on a mission to disrupt the creative status quo with The Ability Machine.
In this episode, Mark Scrivner talks with Tom about his shift from building businesses to building a movement, creating a studio where neurodiversity and disability are the catalysts for better work.
For agency owners and builders, this is a masterclass in leadership, purpose, and the power of radical inclusion.
Timestamped Highlights:
00:00 – Tom’s journey from jingles to advertising career beginnings
02:23 – Creating the iconic Budweiser frogs campaign
05:24 – The origin story behind The Ability Machine
07:56 – Why agencies struggle to adopt inclusive creative models
10:18 – Rethinking productivity and collaboration with disabilities
15:32 – How the mission reshaped Tom’s definition of success
27:29 – Advice for young creatives: answering the call and knowing your audience
Learn More & Connect:
Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/
Connect With Tom Woodard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-woodard-b347673/ | https://theabilitymachine.com/
Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency/health
Our Sponsor – https://snapshot.agency/health
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Meet Our Guests
Tom Woodard
Nashville-native and longtime ad industry creative, Tom Woodard is the Founder of The Ability
Machine. Best known for his work as one of the legendary Budweiser frogs, Tom launched The
Ability Machine at the start of 2026 as a creative studio where neurodiverse creatives come
together to serve brands and ad agencies. For the past few years, Tom has led On the Avenue,
the non-profit he founded to serve as a community where neurodiverse individuals, referred to
as Citizens, of all abilities come together to explore creative passions and find joy in their daily
journey. Since opening its doors, On the Avenue has served more than 150 families. The Ability
Machine is a for-profit creative studio that produces work for brands and agencies, powered by
neurodiverse talent, building on the mission of On the Avenue by creating real employment
opportunities for its Citizens and turning creativity into both purpose and paycheck. Tom has
made his mark as a creative collaborator and writer of iconic jingles, hundreds of songs,
commercials, and the musical Yankee Jones, based on the life of Glenn Jones. He launched the
Twice Daily Television broadcast network in Twice Daily Convenience Stores across the
Southeast, founded Beach TV, now grown into the Tourist Network, and has helped build and
position numerous brands for sustained success. As the voice of “Bud” and audio producer for
the Budweiser Frog campaign, Tom witnessed the large-scale impact of a simple, well-written
message and today leads The Ability Machine with a deep understanding that every touchpoint,
relationships, advertising, PR, communications, and sales, drives the success of a brand.
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