Watching this video by Saatchi & Saatchi marked one of the highlights of The Art of Marketing conference. I like how it pokes fun at ridiculously silly job titles that employers create and then employees promote on their LinkedIn profiles. Every industry has its jargon and buzzwords and advertising is no exception.
Name: Brodie Lawson
Position: Video Content Coordinator and Host
Education: Media, Information and Technoculture (MIT), Western University
Professional role models:
I have so many—too many to list! I love Katie Nolan who is hugely inspiring and represents where this industry is going—she is amazing. If you haven’t checked her out on Garbage Time on YouTube (on FOX in the USA), you should! Her stuff should be required viewing for women looking to get into sports broadcasting. For more traditional broadcasting, I look up to Sam Ponder who works on College Gameday. Her job (from an outsider) consists of working live on set with tons of fan engagement, doing in-depth interviews and sideline reporting. It’s a cool job and she kills it! She also speaks and writes candidly about working in sports, which I deeply appreciate.
As soon as Gwen Stefani became a published writer on LinkedIn, the negative feedback started rolling in. I saw comments that said “RIP LinkedIn,” as if the social network is suddenly doomed to fail. I can support someone who complains about seeing too many personal updates on the platform, but I don’t think celebrities are to blame for the site’s potential demise.
I’m in favour of Gwen sharing business-oriented content with her fans because it allows the world to see an intelligent side of the entrepreneur. If Lauren Conrad signed up for LinkedIn, I’d probably want to read her posts too. I’m not saying they represent the world’s best writers, but I do think they have valuable insights to offer.
Name: Kelsey Miller
Best Known For: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting And Got A Life (2016)
Education: Film & Television, Boston University
Employment: Senior Features Writer, Refinery29
Professional role models: David Sedaris & Tina Fey
How did spending years in therapy help you write a memoir?
The work I did (and still do) in therapy enabled me to grow up and live my life, without which there would be no memoir. I also never would have been able to write about my problems and difficulties without first sorting through them and working my ass off so that they weren’t the controlling force of my life. It’s a lot more complicated than this, but the short version is that I went into therapy feeling like one big problem — I was composed of trauma and disorder and dysfunctional experiences. Therapy doesn’t erase those things but it helped me realize that I’m not simply the sum total of my [problems]. Those things are in me and a part of me, but I don’t have to sit around and wait to be fixed and perfect in order to move forward with my life. I always thought you had to be All Better with a capital B in order to write a reflective memoir. Nope. You just get on with your life and your goals, issues or not.
Do you think your theatre training has helped you become a better storyteller?
Man, I sure hope so. I’d like to think my parents’ investment in a decade’s worth of theatre training paid off somehow. I’d always enjoyed storytelling and have huge admiration for good storytellers. (My mom and dad are both incredibly funny and I used to wish I could crack up a dinner table the way they could.) I haven’t done theatre in ages, but there are certain lessons that will always be with me: finding your intention in a scene, showing and not telling, etc. Those are all good instincts for writers as well.
Nancy Vonk
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was discussed repeatedly in high school and university, so when I learned that Ogilvy’s former co-chief creative officers who were responsible for the work were speaking at a Women of Influence event, I couldn’t resist. On Wednesday night, Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin shared how women can get ahead by speaking up and networking at a Women of Influence event.
In the age of personal branding, I was surprised when they said that women are taught it’s wrong to talk about themselves. Whether it’s at a networking event or an interview, it’s beneficial to have an elevator pitch ready and be a good storyteller when you have the opportunity to talk about your life and career.