You have to work with what you’ve got.

Sione Raaijmakers: on work that is not working for women and on choices that aren’t real.

[AD] For over 20 years you have been a Creative Director for the champions league: leading projects and teams for the renowned global agencies, working for the hottest brands, both in the EU and the UK. One might say: you were sitting at the top of the creative world. Yet, you left and decided not to look back. You are now in charge of your own agency. The question is: why the switch?

[SR] It was just the right time. When you start your career, you think: one day I might be able to become a creative director. Then, when you do that for a while you think: is this really what I want to be doing for the next twenty years? I have children, teenagers: I’ve been trying to give them enough support in quite a turbulent time. Besides that, I wanted to give myself more room and flexibility to manage my perimenopause symptoms. And then COVID hit. I used that time to really think about what kind of work I wanted to do and who I wanted to work with. I decided to go for it and set up my own thing.

[AD] The right time, the context, the physical conditions you mentioned: is ‘going solo’ a better fit?

[SR] Yes. It has liberated me. I’ve been able to achieve what I set out to do: do work that I enjoy and work with people I like to work with.

[AD] If women in a similar situation decided to stay in an agency; would that world cover for what they need?

[SR] At the moment, the short answer is: generally, no. The working culture is not tailored to the reality of women’s lives: the care for children and elderly parents, the physical facts: pregnancy, menopause.

[AD] Corona crisis, economic crisis make it extra difficult for those who want to jump over these barriers…

[SR] COVID has hit women’s careers particularly hard. They have quit or lost their jobs in high numbers. The participation of women in the workforce is the lowest since the 18th century. The responsibility for the care of children and home-schooling while working from home has fallen largely onto women during the pandemic. Many part-time jobs and insecure contracts [filled by women before the pandemic] disappeared. Combining a career and care for loved ones is a huge challenge and can force women out of the workforce. That’s not because women are not ambitious. The environment is not supporting them, whether that’s at home, in the workplace or by society.

[AD] In your article on LeadHERship you confront us with some of the brutal numbers: 97% of Creative Directors are men. Nearly 50% of women dream of opening their businesses, but only 12% think it’s a realistic goal. 2% of capital investment goes to female founders, 0.1% of ad agencies are run by women. In the UK’s design workforce 78% of roles are occupied by men, despite women making up 63% of arts and design students. 88% of young female creatives lack female role models and 70% never worked with a female creative director.

[SR] There are different reasons why this is happening. Reason number one: (work) culture. Historically men have been doing the work outside the home, therefore the (work) structures and expectations are built around men’s lives. The workplace and society at large haven’t caught up with the fact that women are working now. The result? Women drop out because ‘work-life’ is not working for women's lives. The problem is that most women will end up thinking that having a career and a family is not compatible.

[AD] We are disappearing …

[SR] It is the reality, isn’t it? If both partners have a career and the children come, which of the two parents’ career takes a step back? Childcare while working is seen as an issue that women have to solve. Many women will be asked how they are going to combine their career with the child(ren). Do men get asked this question? Where lies the responsibility? Men don’t need to choose or think about finding a solution because they have a partner at home.

If there’s not enough support: it is not a real choice. Most women don’t want to make that choice: they have to make it. It means something takes a hit.

[AD] And that’s only the first ‘disappearance trap’…

[SR] This knock-on effect on women’s career continues; children get older, there’s more time, but then elderly parents need care, or you might struggle with perimenopause or menopause symptoms. Many women suffer in silence, there is so much stigma around it. Many women don’t want to discuss menopause because they are worried it will change how people think about them. In an ageism riddled design industry, anything that could mark you out as ‘old’ can limit your opportunities. The thing is, we should call it a hormone deficiency, rather than the bloody menopause. It will take the stigma away and treat it like a medical condition that can be treated. About 60% — 70% of women suffer from symptoms. As more women in their 40s (and up) are in the workplace, the workplace needs to educate itself and work with the different life stages in a women’s life.

[AD] It is normal … just not normalised …

[SR] Exactly. As the support is not there, women have to find a personal solution for a societal problem. A sacrifice needs to be made. This results in a massive rise of women leaving the workforce around the age of 45–50.

[AD] What happens to them?

[SR] They do their own thing or stop working. That is a signal that work is not compatible.

It means: work is not working for them.

[AD] And somehow you made it happen. Was it a choice or a must?

[SR] I did not want to compromise. I wanted to have my career, I also wanted to have my family. It was always at the forefront of my mind. It determined where I would work. For example, I worked for in-house design departments, as a lot of agencies didn’t allow part-time work when my children were small. I’ve found paths in the industry to get what I wanted. Another massive factor, possibly the most important one, is that I have a super supportive husband. Quite early on in our relationship, we discussed these things.

‘Do you expect me to stop my work when we have children?’

For me, this was a deal-breaker. When the children were born, we both took a step back in our careers to share the care for our children.

[AD] Sharing the care, taking an equal responsibility, work-life balance — is it nurture or a nature’s work?

[SR] It must be both, right? I’ve learned it from my parents. My mum has always been very focused on financial independence. My dad worked part-time in the seventies when it was frowned upon for men to work less to care for their children.

[AD] 97% of creative directors in agencies are men. You made it into the 3%.

[SR] Yeah, but I also left it. [laughs]

[AD] What did you do to make it into the 3%?

[SR] Let’s face it: our environment is telling us: ‘should you be doing this?’ Luckily, I’ve never felt insecure about whether I should be there, it was more like: okay, when? I thought: my time will come. I’ll wait five years, I’ll get there eventually. I’ve never put lots of pressure on myself or had a timeframe in mind. I took my time. I moulded the pace of my career around my (family) life. I am also forward about what I want. That must be my Dutch gene, I like to be clear. Sometimes expressing to your peers or managers what your aspirations are can help you reach that goal.

[AD] Is that what it takes to be a creative director? [laughs]

[SR] Being a great director is not about that at all.

[AD] What is it about then?

[SR] Being a creative director is about facilitating, being in service of your creative team, making sure the team can do their best work. The job is to protect them, fight for them, make sure they are inspired.

It is ego-less and selfless. Successful leaders let others shine.

[AD] Ego-less, self-less, protecting, facilitating, serving: is it just another label, or do these words describe the female style of leadership?

[SR] It is a style of leadership that is seen more in women because they are conditioned by society to be more caring, to be in tune with people’s needs. When you are a leader, this is super helpful, right? That’s a new way, it’s where the world is going. It’s a different way of leading, one that men and women can master. Traditional leadership styles (perceived as more masculine) are on their way out. Women can switch between these two styles because they’ve lived in that masculine world and have learned to adapt. When these styles come together, they can make for exceptional leaders.

[AD] If it is a different way of leading, do women lead differently than men?

[SR] Not by definition. How women behave as leaders depends on the company culture. Margaret Thatcher was a great leader, but she was not empathetic, and she was not particularly feminist. I think if women can be themselves, they’d definitely do things differently.

[AD] Yet: is ‘being ourselves’ enough to get that leading part?

[SR] It should be, but there are real biases towards women: in leadership positions, some characteristics are considered good traits for men and bad traits for women. For instance: very competitive, assertive, directive women are seen as overbearing and unfriendly. They’re expected to be empathetic and nurturing. Those same qualities in men are seen as confidence or ‘having a vision’. Men feel more entitled, they feel they belong, they don’t have this hesitation in putting themselves forward, because they get affirmed throughout their lives that they belong in leadership. Some people are born leaders, no matter where or how they grow up. But to get the confidence, and particularly for young women to see they belong in leadership, you need a role model, an example of how it can be done.

This dynamic is affecting our career: we’re not visible enough, we’re not heard of enough. Women, especially in leadership positions, have a very tricky balance to strike.

[AD] Female heroes or heroism… what do you make of it?

[SR] I don’t see myself as a hero. I do see myself as a role model. There are not many creative female leaders out there, I am very aware of that. That’s why I mentor and teach. I speak about how the industry is not set up for women: it is very male, pale, and stale [laughs]. It’s like a climate emergency. The industry is in danger: conversations are happening, but what are people doing to make it a priority?

[AD] To put yourself out there, to be visible: that is the heroic act. Yet the world reserves merely 10% for us to be there. Plus: we’re conditioned to be afraid to speak up, to ask for things. How does that end?

[SR] Ideally: most creative businesses are diverse. The creative industry has to look at itself. We’ve all grown up in a world with sexist, racist, homophobic, ageist ideas around us. We all have to accept that we probably have unconscious biases. We’re all conditioned. We have to go there and have uncomfortable conversations. Really look around you, do the people you work with look like you? If so — you might want to redefine what ‘cultural fit’ means to you.

[AD] We get along because we are similar. That’s an affinity and confirmation bias.

[SR] If you want to make a change, make the leadership team more diverse. Diversity will improve creativity. It will improve people’s happiness. People will start to see the changes which will change work culture and behaviour.

[AD] If you are the majority, if you have the 97%, why would you be interested in changing it?

[SR] If it works for you, you have no motivation to change anything, right? Unless… you have awareness of other people’s lives, unless you can see something is not fair, not just. Once you see how things are, you can’t unsee them anymore, you start doing things differently. It does mean giving up some of your power, sharing the limelight.

[AD] Looking back: London, Amsterdam, Birmingham: expertise built over 20 years within the design field. Visiting Lecturer at Birmingham University. Looking into the future: WomenUnltd — one of your recent ventures, is inspiring (aspiring) female creative leaders via networking and mentoring. If you look back and take a helicopter view, what do you see?

[SR] What I see is somebody who’s trying to make it all work. Work is not everything. It’s great, but it’s not worth everything, not your health and not your relationship with your loved ones. Balance is key.

Finding that balance is a constant challenge. I think I’ve achieved that: I’ve made every life stage work for me without having to make too big sacrifices.

[AD] Is there anything that Sione from 20 years ago would say to Sione of today?

[SR] She would probably tell me I’m crazy. ‘ You’re going solo’? [both laugh]

[AD] What would you tell to that younger Sione then? [laughs]

[SR] Just chill out … everything will work itself out. Just stay focused on what you want and what works for you. [laughs]

[AD] What does success mean to you?

[SR] Success is how my life feels to me…

Your life needs to be right for you. You’ve got to work with what you’ve got. If society hasn’t caught up yet, you’ve got to make it work yourself as best as you can.

[AD] What would you say to all the women who are wondering: what is best for me? Can I do my best? Am I good enough? What choice should I make? Will starting a family hinder my career?

[SR] To young women, I would say:

Make sure you choose your partner wisely. That’s probably the most important career decision you make.

Try to make it work with your partner and with your employer. If you can’t make it work with your employer, switch employers. Once you have a partner, you have a family, and you love your job: don’t give it up, don’t drop out completely, try to stay in the industry, find a form that works for you. I know that when you’re in the middle of the madness, you cannot see the end of the tunnel, you’re just making each day work. Once you get out of that, you have more time, your perspective changes. Take a long-term view of your career. Stay in the industry where you’d like to continue working, pick up the pace again when the time is right.

[AD] What is your call out to the industry? What can we all do?

[SR] Diversity needs to be addressed. Address all the ‘isms’: ageism, sexism, racism, homophobia. Address the biases that you are unaware of. It will change the work culture. It will improve things: not just for women in leadership.

[AD] Where do you go for hope?

[SR] The younger generation.

It will be different for my children. It’s got to be. That’s my hope.

About Sione Raaijmakers:

Sione is an Independent Creative Director with over 20 years of experience in the design industry.

Before ‘going solo’ she held design leadership positions for many years as Global Communication Design Lead at Philips Design in Amsterdam, Design Director at Green Room Design and as Creative Director at The Mighty Shed in Birmingham.

Sione studied Graphic Design in The Netherlands and at The Royal College of Art in London. Her career has taken her from London to Amsterdam and back to Birmingham and London. Her portfolio is filled with a broad body of work covering many areas within design. She has played a central role in brand strategy, brand identity, packaging, and design for many local and global brands.

In 2017 Sione co-founded Women Unltd. to address the gender imbalance of female creative leaders in the industry. She mentors students from underrepresented backgrounds and supports her local design community through her involvement with local art schools.

Sione has a passion for books and book design, she writes poetry and prose and enjoys ‘growing things’ in her garden.

About Anna Duszczynska: I’m a brand strategist and the founder of A.D. new world — brand design consultancy for social enterprises, B-corps, zebra start-ups and impact brands. Through this series of interviews, I want to contribute to building a better, more equal and inclusive creative industry.