Happy International Women’s Day!
Digital Voices is proud to be a female-founded business. Our agency is packed with women (85% in fact!) at all levels, all looking to make a difference in the world and pave the way for generations to come. This year we’re talking to 4 females from across the team...
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The fact that at one point women were not allowed to be employed but now 49% of organizations are female-founded is powerful. We’ve not only taken up space in the business world, but are nearly leading the way in a space we were held back from for centuries. That is powerful.
One major misconception I’ve come across as a female in business is that having a strong, opinionated voice is often seen as problematic - especially as a BLACK woman in business. I have learned that in the wrong room, a strong voice may be perceived as difficult or problematic, but in the right room, it is seen as valuable. Make sure you’re in the right room.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so shoot your shot.
I am most proud of creating my own swimwear line at 20 years old. It was a big dream of mine to help out other women feel comfortable and confident in their swimwear, so making that a reality has been extremely rewarding.
One of my favorite pieces of advice that I’ve received is to always back yourself. Something that I’ve discussed with other female coworkers is how we easily say ‘sorry’ for everything. Unless you did something wrong there’s no need to apologize, especially when it’s just how business goes most times.
After watching the film Working Girl, at a very young age I set my heart on climbing up the career ladder in the business world and one day having my own corner office, that was always the goal, perhaps off the table now, with open plan offices and hybrid working! The film opened my eyes from an early age to the challenges faced by women in the business world and I was determined to overcome them and achieve my goals.
During my career, I've unfortunately been on the receiving end of misogynistic comments in relation to being in a senior role for my age and gender. In those instances, I have always addressed the comments, be it directly or through business processes, but never have I allowed comments of this nature to be ignored. It’s taught me the importance of speaking up for myself, to ensure the impact of sexist comments, even if delivered as a ‘joke’ are understood and not repeated again.
Firstly, our very own founder and CEO, Jenny. Jenny has founded and built an agency of innovation, data and creativity, but as Digital Voices have grown, she hasn't lost sight of what’s important, which has led to a kind, considerate and collaborative culture. I feel extremely lucky to work in such an environment and alongside a leader who truly puts people first.
And secondly, the incredible Kelly Parker, CEO of Wavemaker UK. I was very lucky to have spent 6+ years of my career at Wavemaker and witnessed leadership from different CEOs. Kelly was the first female CEO and her open, honest and even tearful reaction to taking on the role was a breath of fresh air. Even through the busiest of weeks she always made time for a check-in or a chat, and always made me feel valued. Another incredible leader I’m extremely lucky to have worked with.
Being a singer (I can’t sing lol) or the Oprah Winfrey of music journalism.
Acknowledging that everyone doesn’t have the same starting point or are faced with additional oppressions that put them at a disadvantage. The more people recognise this, the more we can actively work towards dismantling some of the barriers placed upon many communities.
This isn’t necessarily a campaign but the digital movement that took place last year with the Gender Pay Gap Bot. If you didn’t catch it, it’s an anonymous bot that appeared on International Women’s Day to call out UK-based brands and organisations who tweeted about IWD while ignoring their own pay disparities, which was great.
