What I learned at the 3% MiniCon LA
One of the very best things about working at Stink Studios is that, after your first year at the company, everyone is given money to spend on Professional Development. This can be used for taking classes, attending conferences, or generally doing something to make you better at your job.
Upon hitting my one-year mark on March 20, 2018, I decided to use my Professional Developments funds to attend the 3% Movement MiniCon in Los Angeles, California. For those of you who don’t know, the 3% Movement is an initiative founded by Kat Gordon to promote gender equality in the advertising industry. When the 3% Movement was started, only 3% of creative directors were women. Since its founding in 2012, the number has grown to 11%, which is still unacceptably low.
In addition to the full conference held each fall, the 3% Movement hosts 1-day MiniCons in cities across the US. Last week’s MiniCon was centered on how technology intersects with creativity and diversity — something we think about a lot at Stink.
As someone whose lifelong mission is to close the equality gap in the workplace, I was psyched to get a chance to attend this conference and network with other people from the industry. It was exhilarating to be in a room full of women (and some men) committed to changing the ratio and disrupting existing power structures.
It’s statistically proven that companies who incorporate women into major decision making processes are more successful in the long run, so why are we still kept out of the rooms where decisions are being made? Over the course of the day, each panel attempted to break this question down from a variety of different angles: the lack of empathy found in AI and other forms of emerging technology, unconscious bias against seeing women as leaders, lack of representation in board rooms, language found in contracts or job descriptions, and the catch-22 of a lack of female leaders leading to a lack in mentorship of younger women in the industry.
Women make up the majority of the workforce, so this is clearly not a pipeline issue. This is a retention issue. For me, one of the major takeaways from this day of panels and workshops was just how easy it is for companies to make themselves more appealing to women. Little things like changing the language of a job description to be more inclusive, including photos of women on a company website, or providing comprehensive parental leave can go a long way in fostering a more supportive workplace, yet so many companies choose not to change their ways.
While this may be a slow process, there are people like me demanding action on an accelerated timeline instead of waiting until we’re in positions of power to affect change. Transformation of the industry needs to come from the top down, but it’s essential that women (and our male allies) are pursuing and advocating for change at every level.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent Stink Studios, a company that values our impressive roster of women, at an event like this. As a young, hungry woman in the industry, the experience of getting involved with the 3% Movement is invaluable.
Katie Puccio is the Social Media Coordinator at Stink Studios. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @katie_pooch. She is also the Co-Founder and Communications Director of Desk Lunch, a newsletter for creative women and non-binary folk. Issues come out weekly on Wednesday mornings at 11 am — get subscribed!
