Gen. XX
When you google image “successful men” Don Draper, Mark Zuckerberg, and other notable figures appear, however googling “successful women” just results in a seemingly endless list of vapid stock photos, which removes any realism from the idea that women have the capacity to actually be successful in the real world. In a recent interview Colleen Kelly, partner and managing director at Triptent, shared some insights as to how women can change this stigma and make our mark on the advertising industry.
Paving the way
Colleen Kelly graduated from Boston University’s School of Management in 1985 and went on to work at a variety of firms such as Dailey & Associates, Deutsch LA, Product of the Year, and currently works at Triptent.
“When I was at Deutsch LA I worked 12–15 hour days,” states Kelly, “Back in those days it was harder for women in the industry. I had to prove myself constantly.” Kelly worked on car accounts and, since she was surrounded by men almost exclusively, felt pressure to prove her grasp of the automotive industry. Since her father worked for general motors she was more than well-versed on the topic and earned the respect of her male coworkers. Thankfully women entering the field today will be much less likely to be the subject of such gender-based biases and can thank Kelly’s generation of fearless women who went before us.
“It’s important to give women a chance and encourage them to stay in the industry,” argues Kelly, “because women are highly intelligent and great multi-taskers.” However she also explains there are several things that hold women back from excelling “Women don’t ask for money or push our way to the top like men do. We are grateful for having a job rather than thinking we earned it or deserve it.” If we seek to increase the number of women in senior positions in the industry, Kelly believes we should stop being thankful for having our jobs and instead own it and know we deserve to be where we are.
What would Colleen Kelly do?
Lastly, Kelly offered advice resulting from her experience for those looking to get their foot in the door and climb the ranks:
- Start at a smaller agency because you can get buried in a bigger agency
- Get to know what you like
- Work Hard
- Read “Knowing your Value” by Mika Brzezinski and center yourself around it
Although the field of advertising has been evolving rapidly over the years with regard to its creative output, it is still in dire need of progress internally. With Kelly’s advice in mind, women entering the workforce today can continue to pave the way for generations to come.
