SheSays is an award-winning organisation running free mentorship and events to women in the creative and marketing businesses. Why? Because we want to see more women at the top. And since we are all about doing we also offer courses, career management and a collaboration platform called shout.
What do you actually do?
I am part of the core UK team leading SheSays in the UK. I am involved in helping decide what our core events will be, encouraging other members to set up their own network (like our Brighton and Scotland), promoting what we do and finding ways that we can showcase female creative talent.
When and why you joined?
Ale Lariu and Laura Jordan-Bambach set up SheSays in London in March 2007. I started helping them a month or two after and have been involved ever since..
How did you get started in the industry?
From the age of 14 i knew I wanted to be a graphic designer and found a job as a junior designer at an advertising agency as soon as I could. I have worked hard ever since and now I am less focused on designing and more focused on leading creative teams and growing the SheSays community.
What would you be doing if you weren't in the industry?
Reading EVERYTHING - I have an insatiable hunger for learning and information. The more I learn the less I think I know. It's a vicious circle…
What's your current favourite piece of creative work?
Our Shout platform (www.everybodyshout.com) is an great piece of creative work. You sign up to be part of a community and then respond to a brief that a brand has posted. It allows you to submit a creative response for a brief which the community sees and critiques. You get to see what everyone else has submitted which means the standard of creative work on our platform will just get better and better. As an individual you get to learn about the creative work you have submitted via feedback from experienced people in the industry whilst the brand gets a brilliant piece of work selected and chosen by the community.
What do you love about your job?
Meeting people, being inspired, seeing others inspired. And I love the success stories that come out of our SheSays network from job placements to someone investing in a members product design project that they saw at one of our portfolio surgery events.
If you could give one piece of advice for someone starting out, what would it be?
I have three pieces of advice - network, network, network.
If you have one Super power what would it be?
I already have one. I lost my sense of smell over a year ago. Whilst it pretty much came back, the smells that should smell bad now smell sweet to me. It really is a super power. I can brave public toilets, walk past rotten bins and not notice a stinky trump.
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Grow up? Where's the fun in that? I don't want to grow up and do grown up things.
What was your worst job and what did you learn from it?
My first design job when I moved down to London at the age of 23. I worked 99 hours in one week. It nearly broke me…..but it didn't, and this is what I learnt.
You have already worked with some amazing brands, who would you like to work with next?
Amazing clients. The brands might look impressive in your portfolio but if you have a 'safe' client who is more interested in their job and not the good of the brand then you won't be doing any interesting work. Amazing clients are what make amazing work.
Your favourite app or website?
TED talks.
Facebook or Twitter?
Both. Simultaneously.
Website: weareshesays.com
Twitter: @shesaysuk
Facebook: facebook.com/SheSays
