Meet Tricia Ting Lee, a creative leader, artist & art director who—after working many years in US—currently leads a team of 20+ creatives at ViewSonic in Taiwan. Her point of view is sure to inspire.
If you could attribute one other person or life event to your success, who or what would it be and why?
If I were to go all the way back to the beginning of my career, my dad was the first person to encourage me to follow my passion. When my dad asked what I wanted to major in during my freshman year of college, I felt pressured to tell him that I would pursue a career that would be considered “honorable”. I knew that he had studied law in college, so I told him that I was considering becoming a lawyer. My dad’s response surprised me. He told me that I should choose a major that I was passionate about. He suggested I pursue something creative. His only condition was that I would not end up as a starving artist. Hence my decision to go into advertising. I suspect that if I were a boy, his advice would not have been the same.
What is the very best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice that I received was when I was Junior Art Director and a Senior Art Director came to interview at the agency I was at. He told me that he was willing to take a pay cut and a lower job title to work there. When he graduated from school, he made the mistake of not thinking about building his book and accepted the offer that paid the most. His advice to me as a junior was to look for opportunities to work with great Creative Directors at a creative shop and to not look only at the salary. Money will come as I build up my portfolio with award-winning work.
What part of your role as CCO do you find most rewarding?
The most rewarding part of my job is when someone on my team lets me know that they appreciate my guidance and leadership. They trust that I have their back and best interest at heart in terms of both their work and personal life.
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?
I am most proud that I have been managing a team of 25 creatives in a different country and that we have been able to work well together, no matter the language or cultural barrier. Even during the pandemic, we were able to produce breakthrough global marketing content. Working with my team and helping them grow to the best of their abilities gives me joy.
