8th Mar 2021
The last 10 years at Emberson, has challenged the traditional creative agency model and proven the concept of a distributed, trusted team. In the next 10 years we’re going to challenge the traditional business model – and what ‘success’ for business looks like.
Why is International Women’s Day important to you?
I’d like an International People’s Day. It’s taken 110 years to make today’s progress.
The World Economic Forum estimates another 110 years for parity of opportunity, recognition and reward for everyone in the world.
The traditional work model doesn’t work – clocking in and clocking off originates from the Industrial Revolution. It’s outdated, rigid and unworkable for everyone. We challenge this so that everyone has the right to the same opportunities.
What do we still need to do for gender equality?
Our collective and conscious definition of success needs to change. When this definition changes, the drive for continued growth at the expense of everything else, including gender parity, will change too.
What did you want to be as a kid? Have you ended up doing what you always wanted to? And has being a woman / female stereotypes held you back?
My mother inspired me early on and remains a role model. She set up a handmade children’s clothing business with people working from home across the south west. The homeworking model and doing what you love was popular – she was inundated with people who wanted to join her.
Whether conscious or not this inspired the drive to run an entirely distributed agency.
But not all role models are women! I was lucky meeting my co-founder Andy 25 years ago.
Being a woman hasn’t held me back, it’s probably made me more determined.
What is your advice to your younger self? And what are your tips to nurture the strong independent girls of the future?
Dream big, work hard, challenge the status-quo, be kind to others and to yourself, do what makes you happy, don’t let anyone ever tell you ‘you can’t’ – and always believe in you.
