Rewrite the Rules

I grew up in a home where my father was the primary breadwinner. Only two women in my entire extended family have a college degree, and I will be the first Field to have a Master’s. I have never met a female President or CEO, or heard one speak until February 11th. Needless to say, the Women from the Panel knocked my socks off.

I expected these women to be brilliant, insightful, and sharp. Without a doubt they exceeded my expectations. Their overall presence was more inspiring than approachable, they were intimidating in a powerful way because they demanded respect. When it came to talk about how they climbed their way to the top, I was especially inspired by Karen; who started as a receptionist at Hill Holliday, and said she achieved her status by completing one job at a time. Her advice? “Keep your head down and eye on the ball.”

The part of the talk that most resonated with me however, was when Kristen was discussing her regrets in the industry. “I regret times I felt I wasn’t capable, or when I put my career in others hands. I regret times I wasn’t creative enough in my own defense.” Rewrite the rules she said. There is so much to learn from her words, before she said this I didn’t realize being creative in your own defense was an option. I love the idea of taking my career into my own hands and not repeating her regrets. After a pretty exhausting semester, where I’ve time and time again felt like all I was making were mistakes, I needed to hear her words.

The Women CEO Panel also gave me some hope in regards to the future of advertising — the world of advertising that I will (fingers crossed) be working in. We are in the idea business, and we are only limited by our own imaginations. Technology isn’t taking away from the industry, it’s just making it more interesting. The future of advertising will still remain rooted in creative, spectacular ideas, but it will be fueled by constant changes in the technological world. One new creative solution after the other. My generation will usher in equity, and (As Kristen put it) their “What’s the big deal?” attitude into their work. We will hopefully learn to pay attention to moments and channel that into our creativity.

Though the glass ceiling is still real, I believe that in the near future we can smash it. Karen, Kiersten, and Pam all gave me that confidence. I hope to see these women speak again, but until then I will try my best to stay: Opinionated, hungry, humble, curious, open, and collaborative.