LATEST INTERVIEWS
Why it’s bad to problem-solve everything
It's not about appearing smart; it's about empowering others to develop their capabilities.
Fuck milk
This was our first project for a huge household brand. I saw our hard work closing the deal, and my financial projections disappear in front of my eyes.
There’s no greater destruction of value than pitching
As a client, you’d rather use sandpaper for loo roll whilst suffering a ferocious bout of stomach flu than sit through an afternoon of agency pitches.
True change requires a long hard look in the mirror
People pay lip service to diversity, equity, and inclusion without thinking about intersectionality, anti-racism, anti-casteism, or decolonisation.
Opinions are like arseholes, everybody’s got one
If you work in marketing or advertising, you're surrounded by opinions. Some people don't like green in their logo. Some people don't like sentences beginning with "And" or "But."
Millionaire influencers were selling spades in the gold rush
I should have tried to educate more people about agenda, marketing and seeing through it all to what lies beneath. To make up your own mind.
Best of NWB
The mother of all mistakes
There’s no other single thing that’s had as significant and negative an impact on my career as having children.
CEOs called Elizabeth, risky strategies, and how to get lucky
Luck plays such a significant role in so many successes, yet it seems somehow disingenuous or deceitful, so we look for rational reasons instead.
A death-threat-inducing fuck up, and adlands obsession with ‘why’
Biggest fuck up?
Over the last 15 years, there’s been...
Brave advertising and where being a creative goofball can take you
Someone along the line becomes afraid of making a statement; afraid of being too ‘out there’; afraid of upsetting their boss.
Poisoned partnerships, being the wrong age, and how you can have it all
Slow down, you're going to have a very long life, and you will work till you are at least 70. You don't have to work full pelt for nearly fifty years.
Echo chambers and LinkedIn police
My biggest fuck up was growing up thinking that being older or being in senior management meant that you knew what you were talking about.
How not to be an arrogant prick
Lessons learned: don’t be an arrogant prick, never show off, engage brain before mouth, and ALWAYS have empathy and respect for others.
You say it best when you say nothing at all
I forgave him and learned my lesson long ago. I don’t know if he ever did. We haven’t spoken in twenty years.
Giving zero fucks
This supposed imposter syndrome isn’t a result of your fragile brain, it’s the structural toxicity of many managers and work environments.
Change Your Life by Understanding Yourself
When it comes to truly changing your life, I think most people should avoid "prescriptions" in books, podcasts, and even articles like these!
The Contrepreneur
THE self-appointed, uninspirational, backwards thinking "leader" currently influencing thousands of below-average people
Confessions of a HR Professional
I spent too long ensuring that the captains of the industry got free rein, encouraging toxic cultures.
Mental illness and new beginnings
At the age of 39 after developing severe depression, I realised I had been aiming for the wrong career goal.
Learning about self worth in Weston-Super-Mare
He wanted me to be in the office every day because of his apparent insecurity and need to be overly controlling.
Losing your corporate innocence
That moment marked the end of my innocence in the corporate world. It marked the end of loyalty, the end of trust, and the end of my youth.
I’m a materialistic, ambitious, status-craving idiot
We don’t think about this stuff because it’s bloody scary. It’s hard. It’s embarrassing. It’s a bit hippy, it makes us feel vulnerable.
Taking business lessons from Sylvester Stallone
Being punched in the face repeatedly by a man twice your size is great motivation to get your act together.
Hot right now
Please don’t reach out
I understand the need to talk the same language as your audience but does it really have to come at the cost of our beautiful language?
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
We need to learn how to respond, rather than react to other people online.
Reducing your reliance on devices and social media
I was summoned to London to see the sales director. I knew I hadn’t royally screwed up, but when you’re dealing with a hairdryer of a human, you never know.
Lazy phrasing can hurt others
Seeking to be inclusive and politically correct is a good thing in business and shouldn't be seen as a weakness
All the names above the door were creatives
Before long, we were having secret chats about what a creative agency for the new millennium might look like.
The reality of a terrible job move
The business values were a world away from mine. A quick chat with a recruiter would have warned me off.
Confessions of a HR Professional
I spent too long ensuring that the captains of the industry got free rein, encouraging toxic cultures.