Unlikely Collaborators is a nonprofit dedicated to conflict resolution by helping individuals reflect on their experiences—both triumphs and challenges—to question assumptions, reshape self-perception and ultimately, grow. At the heart of their work is the concept of the “perception box”—the unique lens, shaped by personal history, through which we view the world.
We saw a powerful connection between this idea and the stories of entrepreneurial resilience and leadership told daily in The Wall Street Journal. This inspired Custom Content from WSJ, in collaboration with Unlikely Collaborators, to create "Perception Box: Corner Office"—a groundbreaking video series that explores the defining moments shaping three of today’s most influential business leaders.
Through candid storytelling, we revealed how pivotal experiences influenced their decision-making, leadership styles and journeys of both success and failure. More than a look behind the curtain, the series illuminated the power of self-awareness—grappling with the limits of one’s own perception box—to foster adaptability, innovation and a deeper acceptance of the complexities that form our sense of self.
By capturing these transformative moments, we challenged our audience of executives and business leaders to reflect on their own perspectives, question ingrained beliefs and apply these insights to both their personal growth and professional pursuits. With "Perception Box: Corner Office," we didn’t just tell inspiring stories—we furthered the movement toward greater self-awareness, authenticity and empathetic leadership.
"Perception Box: Corner Office" is a compelling branded content series featuring three documentary-style custom videos. Each episode showcases an intimate, long-form interview with a distinguished business leader: Nasty Gal founder and GirlBoss author Sophia Amoruso, coffee industry titan Bob Stiller and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jim McKelvey. Over the course of each 7–8-minute film, we explore the pivotal experiences that influenced their personal and professional identities—how they formed their "perception boxes" and evolved as leaders.
Custom Content from WSJ faced several challenges in bringing this vision to life, both logistical and creative. One of our first hurdles was casting. Our client, Unlikely Collaborators, has deep roots in the entertainment industry and expected top-tier talent. This meant we needed to identify and secure business figures who resonated with our audience, had compelling personal narratives and aligned with the budgetary realities of a branded content execution. To navigate this, we approached casting with complete transparency, ensuring both the client and talent were aligned from the outset.
From a storytelling standpoint, success hinged on the depth and authenticity of our interviews. Our subjects needed to feel comfortable opening up not only about career milestones but also about deeply personal—and at times, traumatic—experiences that shaped their leadership journeys. We asked one subject about dumpster diving for food. Another reflected on the loss of a parent to suicide. Eliciting these deeply personal stories required a delicate balance of empathy, trust and journalistic integrity. We carefully crafted a safe and intimate environment by selecting a director skilled in both storytelling and human connection. Additionally, we minimized our crew footprint, allowing for a setting where subjects felt comfortable sharing their truths.
Another major creative challenge was balancing narrative depth with video length. Our typical branded content pieces run 2–3 minutes, but the client envisioned longer-form storytelling—films that would allow audiences to truly connect with each subject. To meet this goal, we needed to ensure each video maintained engagement from beginning to end. This required a clear, compelling narrative arc where every scene, every piece of music and every animation choice served to enhance the storytelling experience.
We structured each video to progress naturally from formative experiences to moments of realization and growth, illustrating not just what these leaders endured, but how those experiences shaped their outlooks and fueled their success. Every edit was intentional, ensuring each narrative beat counted and contributed to a cohesive and emotionally resonant story. By striking this balance, we created a series that truly broke the mold—offering viewers an immersive, deeply personal look into the minds of industry trailblazers.
Our branded content series, "Perception Box: Corner Office," exceeded all expectations, delivering exceptional engagement across every touchpoint. The site experience saw thousands of clicks, driving an overall engagement click rate that was 8x higher than our benchmark. Additionally, the video completion rate surpassed our benchmark by 42%, a testament to the compelling nature of our storytelling and its ability to captivate our exclusive audience of executive leaders—individuals with limited time but deep curiosity.
Beyond traditional metrics, our work on this video series revealed that the WSJ audience is most engaged when content highlights personal journeys and human experiences. This insight fueled the success of all three releases, each of which centered on leadership and deeply personal narratives. By sharing the emotions, thoughts and experiences of Sophia, Bob and Jim, we forged a powerful, authentic connection with viewers.
Through this process, we not only delivered outstanding results but also grew as a team—refining our production workflows, enhancing talent engagement and elevating client collaboration. These learnings will continue to shape our approach and set new standards for excellence.
Perhaps the greatest measure of our success? Unlikely Collaborators has verbally committed to a second season of "Perception Box: Corner Office." This renewal validates the impact of our work and provides an exciting opportunity to build upon our achievements—pushing creative boundaries even further in the next chapter.
