Gerard Durling is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Coal Creative. His role today mirrors how the company started—jumping into projects whenever support is needed and helping bring creative ideas across the finish line. While the team leads the charge, Gerard’s there to back them up.

His path into creative work started in an unexpected place: pro wrestling. As a teenager, Gerard taught himself HTML to build a wrestling news site, not realizing he was also picking up skills in design, copywriting, and web development. That early curiosity eventually grew into a career.

One of his most formative professional experiences came at igourmet.com, where he was given space to learn and grow. That experience shaped how he approaches leadership at Coal today—by creating opportunities for others to explore their creativity and grow into their roles.

Gerard founded Coal Creative when there were few web and design opportunities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Rather than freelance solo, he built a collaborative team that could take on bigger projects together than any one person could alone.

Outside of Coal, Gerard is a co-owner of Independent Wrestling TV (IWTV) and a certified personal trainer. He also runs a side project called Brick Headstrong—a puppet with a passion for health & fitness and a growing online following.

When he’s not working, Gerard finds balance through working out, bowling, and the occasional puppet sketch.