Women Of The C-Suite: Susan Owen Of Millenia3 On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive

An Interview With Sara Connell

Don’t believe everything you think. I’ve found it vital to have peers with whom I can share the daily challenges and who share theirs with me. I get better insights into situations and myself by venting out my thoughts and processing them with others. Sometimes I don’t know how crazy or distorted my thoughts are until I air them out with another person.

As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Susan Owen.

Susan Owen is president and CEO of Millenia3, a media deployment company that provides operations services to TV networks and ad agencies. Millenia3 helps brands launch advertising campaigns by managing the production, traffic, and airplay verification process of linear media placement. They work with leading brands such as TNT, Disney, ABC, Magnolia, TBS, BET, CNN, Hanes, Lacoste, Gillette, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Dell, and Mastercard.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

To say that I was born to lead Millenia3 is about as close to the literal truth as one can get–my dad founded the company in 1999. By the time he started Millenia3, he had worn almost every hat in the media broadcasting cloakroom, from journalist and DJ to field producer and station manager. Most significant was his being hired by Ted Turner to head the newly formed “Turner News and Sports” for WRCG-17–the local Turner TV station before there was a WTBS Superstation. Ted’s groundbreaking station created the world of Cable TV.

As an adolescent and teenager, I observed the operational side of the broadcasting business from an insider’s perspective. Like most young people, when the time came to embark on a career, I was determined to blaze my trail in a different direction than the one my parents had traveled. I lived for two years in New York and attended art school. I eventually returned to Atlanta, took up residence in my parents’ basement, and got a job waiting tables. When my father offered me a position at Millenia3, working alongside my mother as a traffic assistant, I seized the opportunity.

Once I started doing the work, everything clicked into place. Then, in 2006, an offer I could not refuse lured me to the client-side of the television industry. For six years, I managed media production and deployment for a group of major cable networks, including TBS and TNT. As a result, I gained insight into the creative aspects of broadcasting.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

When I was at TBS and TNT, I had the privilege of working with Heather Crawford, an inspiring leader in consumer marketing. I respected her management style and found myself wishing I worked for her. Cut to 10 years later: I have taken over as CEO of Millenia3, and she was looking for a new opportunity in her career. Luckily, we had kept in touch, and I was excited to talk to her about her plans. After just one meeting, it was clear that her vision for the future aligned perfectly with my vision for my company. Now she serves as VP of Operations for Millenia 3! Having the chance to hire her into our leadership team was serendipitous. And now I get to see her leadership in action every day!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I went overboard when we were working in virtual meetings and I turned out to be that person who was doing too many ice breakers. We did them for every team meeting which meant 10–15 minutes a week doing an ice breaker with my staff. I thought they were fun, but people wanted to get their work done and get on with it. It wasn’t until I saw a meme about the chick at the office and her icebreakers that I realized I was “that person.” It reminded me of one of the most crucial business principles I’ve ever learned–KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

Do you have a book in your life that impacted you and inspired you to be an effective leader? Can you share a story?

Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence was a real eye-opener for me earlier in my career when I was beginning to think about leadership. It wasn’t the first time I had heard that term, but it changed the way I thought about what I’d always heard referred to as “soft skills.” I’ve always been an intuitive and feeling decision-maker, and this book helped me to better embrace that side of myself. It validated my empathy and taught me how to harness it as a tool to build trust and connect with the people I work with.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

It sounds cliche, but my mom, Christina Ricucci. She was one of the founders of the company and she spent her entire career in media and TV. She instilled her values in me of integrity and dedication. She was dynamic, assertive, creative, and successful in her career. She worked in TV and radio in the 1970s in a world dominated by men. But she was out there blazing a trail and held her own. She taught me a lot about our business, but she inspired me as a strong woman in a challenging business world. She is my biggest cheerleader and always loved me even when I didn’t know what I was doing. She inspires me as a businesswoman and encourages me as my mom.

As you know, the United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality, and inclusion. This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important for a business or organization to have a diverse executive team?

Diversity is our strength. It gives us perspective. To be the most creative and innovative, you need a variety of perspectives and multifaceted challenges to gain meaningful insights and build creative strategies. The idea that if everyone in the room agrees, someone is not being honest. Diversity can bring about friction, and friction shows us where we can grow. Another mentor taught me that, and it has stuck with me.

As a business leader, can you please share a few steps we must take to truly create an inclusive, representative, and equitable society? Kindly share a story or example for each.

The principle of self-honesty–admitting our shortcomings and mistakes of the past–can be uncomfortable. But in my experience, that is the only way to truly evolve. If I am not honest with myself, I will not grow. Again, it can be uncomfortable to admit where we fall short, but that is the first step to growth and evolution. And I think if we want to be fair and inclusive, we must acknowledge the times when we haven’t always been that way.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?

The idea of the view from 10,000 feet, the bird’s eye view, is at the heart of it. Being able to see the big picture and how all the different elements of the business work together to achieve our goals is essential. So I see my role as two jobs. One is to clearly outline the vision of the path or future we all work towards and show the team why we should embark on this journey together. Show them where we are going and why we need them to get there. The other part–the more significant part of my job–is ensuring that every business unit has the resources they need to succeed and thrive in their goals.

What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?

One myth is that executives have to be detached from the people doing the actual work. That can be true but doesn’t have to be. Executives have the freedom to be as hands-on as they want to be. Some people may think that as a CEO, I have to feel separated from f the employees in the organization. Still, because of my responsibility, I feel more connected to them and invested in them than ever.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

In my experience, female leaders face much greater scrutiny and are more subject to criticism than their male counterparts. If a woman appears too soft, she’s too weak. She’s too assertive, then she’s perceived as a bully, cold, or harsh. In my experience, male executives are not held to that level of scrutiny.

What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

One of the biggest learnings was how much time the leadership work takes. Because I’ve been with the company so long and have so much intrinsic knowledge of the business and industry, I thought I would get to immediately implement some of my big ideas, and things would take off like a rocket. But, in actuality, making big moves doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes I have to carve out time just to think, reflect, and be curious. Great ideas need nurturing, and strategy needs oxygen to settle into its optimal form. I’m learning why Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Is everyone cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?

The short answer is absolutely not. Ultimately, businesses are people, and to lead people, to a certain extent, you must be able to embrace and accept people. Executive-level work requires an element of diplomacy, calm temperament, and steadiness. A sincere concern for people is a powerful leadership trait and one that people respond to, and you cannot fake it–because people can tell. Taking a genuine interest in people as individuals is one of the most powerful ways to motivate people. If you have an aversion to the diverse nuances of people and their personalities, you may not be cut out for an executive role. As an executive, your job is to ensure people succeed in their roles. People respond to sincerity, and it’s all about trust.

What advice would you give to other leaders to help their team to thrive?

Trust is everything. It’s vital to creativity and innovation. If you want your team to trust you, you have to be trustworthy by doing what you say you are going to do.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

1. Not every idea is a good idea, but you should share it anyway. I remember when I was first working for a big marketing group and got to be part of a post-it-filled creative brainstorm for the first time. The session leader explained how ideas, when shared, can cascade into better and better ones, sometimes leading to brilliant ones. I always tell this to my team — just because they are unfinished or unsteady, the ideas are always better out than in!
2. Don’t believe everything you think. I’ve found it vital to have peers with whom I can share the daily challenges and who share theirs with me. I get better insights into situations and myself by venting out my thoughts and processing them with others. Sometimes I don’t know how crazy or distorted my thoughts are until I air them out with another person.
3. The biggest obstacle I’ll face in reaching my goals is myself. The most significant setbacks I’ve encountered in business have rarely been because others were immovable objects or I couldn’t get the support I needed. Instead, the most challenging times have come because I had a fear, insecurity, anxiety, or doubt that I couldn’t seem to get past. Leaps of faith can be the scariest parts of growth, but I’ve found them to be vital in leveling up and making a meaningful difference.
4. People are more receptive when you feed them. Literally. With food. I’m not sure I need to explain this one. Food is nourishing, it’s social, it’s unifying, and it can make people feel appreciated. If you really want to get things done, make sure people are well-fed. Great innovation never happened in a “hangry” room.
5. The journey is the destination. Time flies, and it seems to accelerate the older I get. I’ve found that I’ll miss some of the greatest moments of work and life if I only care about the end of the project, the goal, and the finished product. We’re not promised tomorrow, so we’d better try to enjoy wherever we are today.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I could inspire any movement, it would be one of compassion and humility. I’ve found that when we assume the best about people and choose to accept their humanity, we all get along much better. Of course, everyone has shortcomings, and sometimes we bring the worst of them to work. However, embracing each other through patience and kindness can soften even the toughest exteriors.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why?

I would love to have a one-on-one conversation with Brene Brown. I find her wisdom on life and leadership inspiring, and she has helped me become a better version of myself. In addition, her work on whole-heartedness and vulnerability has been a guiding light for me.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.