What is the very best career advice you’ve ever received?
At my very first job at Digitas as a marketing associate, my manager at the time told me “As account people, we are constantly juggling multiple things on less than ideal timelines; some things are made of glass others are made of rubber. Mistakes are inevitable but it’s imperative we know which ones will break if dropped and which will bounce back.” I can’t remember what prompted this conversation but I would guess I probably had gone to her to confess I’d done something terribly wrong (the fact I can’t remember likely means it was insignificant) and this was my manager reassuring me not to be too hard on myself and it’s okay! In this industry we can put so much pressure on ourselves on top of everything else we’re experiencing in the world. I think it’s so helpful to remember this idea. It’s something I say to those I mentor and manage to this day.
What part of your role as a leader do you find most rewarding?
Tied to the above, it’s being able to mentor those that are coming up in their careers. To provide motivation, validation and guidance in an industry where agencies (and our clients) continue to be under immense pressure and during a time when the nature of and attitudes toward work and where it sits in our lives has changed. I’m someone who has benefitted from having managers that really invested in my development so I find paying it forward so rewarding. When I was coming up (omg I sound so old! LOL), there were (and still are) very few that looked like me and I take immense pride and responsibility in being able to be a mentor and be an example to younger versions of me.
What are you most proud of in the last 12 months? Or, what milestones do you most look forward to over the next 12 months
This is a good one because looking back on the last year, so much has changed. In the last 12 months, I’ve experienced everything from taking a sabbatical to explore living in Paris to leaving a job that I’d been at for 6 years. I’m very proud that I made the choice to pursue moving to Paris full time and trying my hand at freelancing while here in New York which has led me to some pretty amazing opportunities that I could not have predicted; I’m so grateful and look forward to embracing the unknown.
