From pitchside moments to polished campaign work, George Cotterhill has spent the last 14 years building Rhoda Pond into a respected creative production house operating at the heart of sport.
Blending photography, film and creative direction, George and his team specialise in capturing content that feels authentic, cinematic and culturally relevant – working with some of the biggest teams and brands in the industry. In a space where expectations are constantly rising and creativity is moving faster than ever, staying sharp, adaptable and original has become essential.
In this Industry Insider Q&A, George reflects on building a career in sport, the realities of running a creative business, and why pushing standards — both personally and across the industry – has never been more important.
Tell us about yourself, what do you do in your current role and what roles have you done previously?
I’m George Cotterhill, the founder of Rhoda Pond. We are sport focused creative production house. Currently the work I do consists of Photography, Creative Direction and Directing. Founded Rhoda Pond 14 years ago now and been lucky enough to have carved out a career predominantly in the sporting world. Our work blends photography, film, and creative direction to capture moments that feel authentic, engaging, and memorable. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with some of the most iconic brands and teams, translating their vision into content that resonates and stands out. Whether it’s a high-energy campaign or a quiet, cinematic moment, our goal is always to tell a story that leaves an impact.
What three words would you use to describe your role?
Unpredictable, exciting, creative
“Normal” isn’t a thing in sport so what does an “average” week look like for you?
Absolutely, no week is the same to be honest. However, it’s a mix of planning future shoots/ creative concepts, meetings with clients and post production. Keeps things fresh, you never know what’s round the corner.
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?
When I started the company back in 2012 sport was always the dream. Having grown up playing all sports I knew that was an environment I wanted to stay around as much as possible. It’s important to enjoy the work you do, so having that passion for sports really helps.
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
To keep learning and keep improving. Sounds cliché, but you can never be complacent. The standard of work and level of competition in the industry is of such a high level, so you have to keep pushing the bar and ensure the quality is always there.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?
One I’m still working on is to try not to ride the wave too high or too low. There are inevitably big ups and downs to running a business. Winning the dream client can quickly be followed by loosing out on the next opportunity . You have to try not to take these things too personally, dust your self off and get back out there. Keep moving keep learning and trust your eye.
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
There’s a genuine sense of creative freedom within sport at the moment, embracing bold ideas and pushing boundaries to produce distinctive, highly engaging content at a level we’ve never seen before. Across the industry, teams are elevating their storytelling, blending culture, design and emotion to connect in more authentic and innovative ways than ever.
Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?
Time with the family, I have two beautiful girls who keep me very busy when I’m not working. Other than that, following the Villa, playing golf or a good sport documentary ironically.
If you were to give a piece of advice to someone wanting to do your role, what would you say?
Keep learning, be patient and talk to as many people in the industry as you can. Every chat is a chance to learn something new, get a fresh perspective, or even stumble across opportunities you hadn’t thought of. Relationships can open doors that skills alone sometimes can’t, so go into each conversation curious and genuine.
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