Creative Skirts

Meet Lisa Taylor: Copywriter/Mom x 2

'Round here we love to hear about successful women in advertising who are also succesfully raising families (to further prove it can indeed be done). Enter Lisa Taylor, freelance copywriter, Arnold alum (they hired her at 7 months pregnant, ahem) and mom of two youngsters. We asked her a few questions about work, life, and the clever self-promotion site she created, coverlettercustomizer.com. (Check it out if you haven't seen it yet.)

 

Tell us how you became a woman in advertising.

I started out as a receptionist of a small agency. I scraped together a portfolio that eventually landed me a writing gig in addition to a large bill at Kinkos. I didn’t go to ad school, but I have always loved to make things. And write. Plus, I happen to be a woman.

Why'd you go from full-time to freelance?

It may sound counterintuitive, especially during a terrible economy, but I quit my job because I love what I do. I simply didn’t want to burn out. During my maternity leave for my second child it became apparent that the full-time lifestyle wasn’t right for me anymore. I still miss the creative environment and the camaraderie.

How did your career change, if at all, when you got pregnant?

The morning I found out I was pregnant was the same day that Arnold lost VW. And I was freelancing there. One part of me was really excited to start my family. Another part was totally bummed. And the remaining part really, really wanted Fritoes. I freelanced elsewhere for months but ended up coming back to Arnold full-time when I was over six months pregnant.

In the long run, I can’t say whether I’d have this job or worked on that opportunity if I weren’t a mother. Who knows? I don’t think it’s all that productive to speculate. But I can say with certainty that being a parent inspires me creatively. Also, motherhood has taught me to be more open to different perspectives, manage my time better, figure things out on my own and not whine. (As any parent of a toddler will surely appreciate.)

Though, I definitely don’t socialize with coworkers nearly as much as I would if I didn’t have children. Which is sad. I really like beer.

How did you get the cover letter customizer up and running? Did you have to bribe a programmer?

I sketched out a wireframe with pencil and paper and wrote the modular bits of copy. Then I didn’t touch it for months. Eventually, and most importantly, I got off my bum and asked an ex-coworker named Derrick Williams if he would program it for me. Because he believed in the idea, he kindly agreed. Derrick brought my scrappy wireframe to life in HTML5, improving the experience with every step.

I also consulted my frequent designer collaborator, Suzanne McKenzie, on the front-end look/feel and a UX friend, Jennifer Dolan, to make sure we didn’t totally butcher the flow. They rock. Hire them.

What advice do you have for writers who want to make cool web stuff but aren't BFFs with some savvy programmers?

Isn’t that like saying, “How do you make a sweater if you don’t know anyone who knits?” Plan it out as much as you can by yourself and find someone with the skills to take it further. Also keep in mind that for every Wilderness Downtown-type project that requires a large programming investment, there are countless existing platforms that are free for the taking (or close to). Get creative with one. Like that copywriter did for his Google Job Experiment. He didn’t even have to pay to register a domain name like I did. Brilliant.

Why do you think there aren't more senior-level creative women at agencies? We get a ton of different answers--curious to hear yours.

While there are many factors, I think part of it has to do with self-fulfilling prophecy. If women as a whole are not supported and invested in because there is the underlying fear they’ll leave or be less dedicated when they have families, it’s not surprising that they aren’t staying. Prophecy fulfilled. That is, if women are even hired in the first place.

For instance, since the beginning of my career I’ve been fielding questions about my marriage and my future plans for my uterus (my words, not theirs) in interview-type situations from both males and females. Working in the subjective is hard enough without getting the spotlight treatment on an enormously personal and private decision like fertility but, sadly, it happens. I also had one company that was repeatedly calling me about freelancing stop the moment I told them I was pregnant. If only that technique worked for telemarketers.

I still give Arnold kudos for hiring a very pregnant copywriter. They believed in me. Trusted me. Promoted me. I stayed for four years and left for reasons beyond their control. I sincerely hope all creatives find similar opportunities in their careers, whether they're male or female, pregnant or not pregnant, Fritoes lovers or Fritoes haters.

Follow Lisa on twitter - @taylorwriting

Chat with Sara Grunden, copywriter, The Martin Agency

Sara Grunden, '04 Adcenter grad and one of the few privileged women we know who gets to work on beer, shares some of her experiences and thoughts on the business.

Tell us how the vibe was starting at Martin as a junior female writer. 
    When I first started, I didn't feel like I was a "female" writer, so
much as I felt like a general newbie to the whole agency world. A great
thing about Martin is that they don't look at a new hire as someone who is
at the bottom of the totem pole. The creative directors here recognize that
someone fresh out of ad school brings a new perspective to the game. At the
same time, no one is going to hold your hand or baby you, so you have to
prove to them that they made a great hire. It's a lot of pressure, but it's
also invigorating.

Chicks working on a beer account doesn't seem too common. Was it tough to
get yourself on Miller and to be respected as a writer on it?
    Actually, when I was hired, my creative directors were in charge of
Miller, so that was one of the first things I worked on. It unfortunately
wasn't produced, and I moved on other clients. Then last May I got the
opportunity to work on Miller Genuine Draft with two great guys as partners.
It was never a problem to get respect within the agency, but it has been
more difficult to get it from the client. However, that really falls on me.
Being a relatively quiet person working with a group of boisterous men, I
have to push myself to speak up and be heard. It can be a struggle
sometimes, but I think I'm making progress. Some people don't expect a woman
to be able to speak to the beer target, so it's hard work to change their
perceptions.

What was the biggest adjustment going from ad school to ad agency life?
    The biggest adjustment that I noticed was learning to deal with the
realities of having clients. In school, you are basically given absolute
freedom to go as far out as you want, and the work is extremely creative and
imaginative because of that. Once you get to an agency, you still want to do
that, but you have to be prepared for clients to rein you in. When I first
started, I got very frustrated and disheartened by that reality. But you
have to be able to keep the work creative and still keep in mind that you
have to sell product as well.

What advice do you have for juniors about to start their first jobs in
advertising?
    Make your presence known as soon as possible. Opportunities don't
just fall into your lap; you have to go out and find them. When a great
project comes up, you want to be in the forefront of peoples' minds so that
you'll get that assignment. I think that if you don't do some good work
right away (whether it's produced or not) then people make up their mind
about you, and it'll be much more difficult to fight that preconceived
notion down the road.

What differences do you see between working with men vs. working with women?
    The biggest difference in my opinion is just that guys are a lot
more blunt. Often times with women, it seems as if we don't want to hurt
each other's feelings, so if we think an idea isn't quite up to par, we tend
to kind of skirt around it. The men I have worked with will just tell you
outright that it's not good and move on. It can sting a little at first, but
in the end, it's a lot more efficient. I'm trying to learn from that.

Thoughts on the industry from a legendary chick art director

This article appeared in the Nov./Dec. issue of Step Magazine. It's an interview with Ruth Ansel, who was the art director of Harper’s Bazaar in the 1960s, the New York Times Magazine in the 1970s, Vanity Fair in the 1980s, and then founded her own design studio in the ’90s. She answered some questions on females in the workplace with some very strong opinions:

Q&A: Bonnie Siegler Interviews Ruth Ansel
by Bonnie Siegler

BS: How do you think the workplace has changed for women over the years?

RA: It hasn’t very much. It is more about appearances than reality. More women are in the workplace but they’re not getting comparable recognition or salaries with their male peers. Women are still working in a man’s world. It is especially difficult for an independent outsider type of woman, whether she is a graphic designer, an architect, or an interior designer, to really achieve a top position, even if she is an exceptional talent. Think of Eileen Gray, and how she spent most of her life having her work ignored, while her famous collaborator, Le Corbusier was celebrated worldwide. She did not become famous until shortly before she died in 1976. I admit I had never heard of her until then as well. There are certainly more talented women out there, more than men I believe, but I still think the glass ceiling exists and they get discouraged.

BS: With the number of women in the workforce today, it is amazing that this hasn’t changed yet.

RA: I think that women today are facing this “perfect storm” of conflicting expectations. Those expectations come mostly from society and the dangerously dumbed-down media. They have to achieve in the workplace, they have to look fabulous—which means being thin with plenty of plastic surgery—they should want to marry and become a perfect mother. And they are obliged to pull all this off simultaneously. What craziness is that? So I think many women who recognize after 10 years or more that their wonderful job is not so fulfilling, are opting out. But they are marrying later, having babies later, and divorcing earlier. If they’re lucky they’ll find their biological clock hasn’t run out on them like their man has. Many are not so lucky. Often they feel stranded with diminished opportunities.

BS: At times I feel if I was a man in the same position doing the same work, I would be paid more money, and be more famous.

RA: I started out as a graphic designer in the 1960s at Harper’s Bazaar magazine. At that time there were very few women to look up to who had preceded me in the field of magazine design. Of course, there were exceptions like Cipe Pineles and Miki Denhof. But things don’t seem to have progressed much since then. What I mean is here we are in 2005 and I don’t think you can name an equal amount of really talented and deserving women with an equal amount of men who are recognized graphic designers, heads of their own firms, or successful CEOs in advertising. If so I’d love to know who those women are.

5 Questions with: Maureen Shirreff, CD-Dove, North America

Maureen Shirreff is Creative Director for Dove--North America at Ogilvy's Chicago office, in addition to being a wife and mother of two. Despite the hectic schedule, she somehow managed to find the time to sit down with us and talk work, life, and polite ass-kicking.

 

What gets you up for work in the morning?

I get a big charge out of problem-solving—with both the management of people and the work. It seems to break overnight each day… your work will stay safe for a few days and then someone seems to find something that’s broken. But a lot of my job is to take care of the people too and make sure everyone is happy.


At the office, how do you maintain authority as well as a positive work environment?

    I think the positive work environment is comprised of the people in it. You’d better feel good about the people you’ve hired, and hopefully you’ve built a department of like-minded individuals. Not clones, of course… but people who can talk to each other and work together.   
    I believe in very open, direct, honest, fair communication. I have to come down hard sometimes, but [my team] knows I’m fair.  I try to be as fair as I can but I’ve had to apologize sometimes for being a little out of line. Ceatives need that though ... someone they respect and who gives them that authority. You have to respectfully kick them in the ass sometimes. But that being said, we have a great time with one another.
    The biggest gift I can give you is you can be yourself here. Creatives clam up if they feel they can’t be themselves. If they’re afraid to talk to you as an authority, that’s not good.


You're taking on a huge issue--women's self-esteem--with the Dove campaign. What other issue(s) in this world would you love to tackle?

    I’d love to tackle the ridiculousness of people thinking they’re victims of everything. I’d like people to start taking responsibility for themselves and their actions. I’d like to see an end to personal lawsuits. What product would take care of this, what this cause would be called? I don’t know.
    Rick Boyko and I also share an affection for the fire departments of the world. We do the pro-bono for the Chicago FD here. I’d love to see us get them treated better. They don’t even have the right protective gear.


We have to ask: what are the keys to being a successful creative director AND mother?

    Well first of all, I have a great husband who was in the business, so he understood it. It’s critical to balance the kids. When the kids were little—you’re torn. But we needed the income.
    I’ve always worked for people who put family first. If my kids are sick, I’m home with them. Period. If I honor myself as a human, I’m a better creative. And for me, the more I juggle, the faster I get and the better I am! And my family has helped so much. We’re tight. And when I decided to come here [Ogilvy], the creative director was a single dad. I do think you can juggle and make it work.
    And when I leave this place every day, I get in my car and it feels past tense. I don’t want anything to do with it, I don’t want to bring it with me. As I get closer to my house it feels like [work that day] didn’t even happen.

Finally, what do you know now that you wish you had known when you got started in advertising?

    To really trust my instincts. As I’ve gotten older—this is my 26th year in the business—I look back at old stuff I worked on…and still feel like it could have turned into something.
    It’s hard to keep belief in yourself. But if you believe in yourself, eventually others will too. When I started, I felt like a total loser…didn’t have a clue…and I felt pressure to find my place. But give yourself some slack! It isn’t just you going after this thing. This thing is trying to find you, too.
    Before I got into advertising I had always wanted to be a flight attendant. I thought flying was so glamorous…but I got rejected by American Airlines and was devastated. But that was not where I was meant to be.
    The more you can be true to yourself… you will get there. Those who honor themselves as humans do find the right path. It sounds queer and new-agey, but I really believe it.