Can you introduce yourself and share a bit about your background and current role?

Hi! I’m Cammille Arciaga, the Chief Operating Officer at STN Digital. I’m a San Diego native and UCLA graduate, and also a proud mom of two boys. My journey with STN began eight years ago as a Creative Director, where I oversaw all creative output and managed our talented in-house team and independent contractor roster. Since then, I have progressed through various operational leadership roles and currently serve as the strategic partner to our CEO, overseeing the daily operations of the agency.

Was there a pivotal moment or decision that changed your trajectory?

Prior to joining STN, I spent seven years at a public health marketing agency, going from intern to Creative Director. This experience was transformative, as it allowed me to witness firsthand the impact of joining a scaling business early.

Choosing to leave that agency for STN Digital was a pivotal moment in my career, as I recognized that STN was once again a start-up ready to scale. It was a huge risk, but getting in early when STN was only about 15 people and understanding the big picture of where the business could go allowed me to experience significant professional growth and also serve in roles that helped shape the business and its culture to this day.

What skills or traits have been most important to your success?

Throughout my career, I have always asked “WHY?” and have been curious about the big-picture vision of where we were headed and how we were going to get there. I have always felt that my background as a Creative Director and then a COO was unorthodox, but now I think it’s a huge strength of mine. Great ideas only mattered if you could execute them well and align teams on a unified vision.

I also think that early on, my eagerness to wear many hats across Sales, HR, Creative, Finance, Research, and more has helped me become a more well-rounded leader. When you can easily understand what challenges teams face and how teams ultimately work together, you can lead them better.

How do you stay resilient during high-pressure moments?

Resilience, for me, comes from perspective and self-trust. I’ve experienced big wins and moments that tested my confidence and my judgment, and not only survived them but came out with clarity I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Over time, I’ve learned to trust myself because I’ve done the work. I listen to the leaders around me, stay grounded in what I can control, and let go of what I can’t.

Since becoming a mother, I’ve also become much more intentional about emotional boundaries. Being fully present at work when I need to be, and fully present at home when I’m there, has actually made me a better leader.

What’s your long-term vision for the business?

My vision for STN is to build an agency that is both healthy and profitable, one where operational excellence and creative ambition reinforce each other rather than compete. That means continuing to deliver exceptional work for our incredible roster of clients while also building the infrastructure to scale sustainably.

A big part of that forward vision is staying ahead of industry shifts, particularly AI. Rather than waiting to react, we’re focused on understanding how these tools can enhance what our team does best so that we’re evolving alongside the industry.

What do you look for when building a strong team?

At STN, we’ve learned that great teams are built with very intentional cultures. We’ve invested heavily in defining what it means to show up as a great teammate through our Goat Fundamentals, a set of core behaviors and standards that guide how we work together and hold each other accountable. Equally important is making sure everyone understands what success looks like and why it matters.

The result is a team that genuinely trusts one another, operates as one unified group, and holds a high bar for excellence. 

What’s one piece of advice you give to people aspiring for a leadership role? 

Take ownership of defining your end goal, learn what it takes to get there and how it supports the business, be open to coaching and feedback, and learn how to manage up well. Managing up means proactively keeping your leaders informed, anticipating their needs, and making it easy for them to support you.

I think sometimes people wait for their managers to define their leadership path for them, but it’s important to take the time to identify the business’s needs and how you can fulfill them as well.

Are there any resources (books, mentors, experiences) that helped you?

I’ve joined several professional groups like EO, Vistage, and the COO Alliance, which have all been invaluable in my COO role and super helpful to be around peers who understand my specific challenges.

I also read a lot. Some books that have been particularly impactful for the growth of STN are: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz, Good to Great by Jim Collins, and Uncommon Service by Frances Frei and Anne Morriss.

I also like to follow aspirational female founders/executives like Emma Grede, Leila Hormozi, Jeanelle Teves, and Marianna Hewitt.

What’s the most rewarding part of your work?

The most rewarding aspect of my work is seeing how the systems, culture, and teams we build from the ground up enable our people to flourish and deliver excellence for our clients. We get to work with some of the biggest events in sports and entertainment, and the praise and appreciation from our clients because we make their lives easier never gets old.

I’ve also been here long enough to watch so many of our team members grow as leaders and also grow personally, traveling, getting married, having children, and it’s always a joy to watch the people around you thrive.

What do you wish you knew earlier?

If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be that it all works out in exactly the time it’s supposed to.

Looking back, there were goals we chased and timelines we missed, and at the time, it felt like failure. But with distance, I can see that we simply weren’t ready yet. The slower path carried lessons we had to learn before we could fully receive what we were working toward. I’ve stopped fighting that process and started trusting it.

Cammille’s story is a reminder that great leadership comes from asking the right questions, trusting the process, and showing up fully for the people around you. At STN Digital, that philosophy lives throughout the culture, the systems, and the team she’s helped build from the ground up.

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