#BehindtheSelfie with... Glenda Mansfield

Ain’t no mountain high enough for Glenda.

1. Where do you live, work and play?

Mansfield: I live in Cape Town, work in Cape Town and play in a very interesting space – the sector in which I work, which takes me all over the world.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

Mansfield: Western Province sprint relay runner.

3. Describe your career so far.

Mansfield: My career has spanned a (very) brief stint working in a spa, before I went into retail and then opened my own marketing agency. Now, as part of MCSISA, I have the opportunity to truly make an impactful difference to many by providing a mechanism that can facilitate social change en masse.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Mansfield: I love cooking, my home, spending time with my children and family and I go to choir practice as often as my schedule allows.

5. What do you love about your industry?

Mansfield: Both the marketing industry and social sector are full of creative, passionate people. I love that I work with people who are committed to making the world a better place for everyone in it. I know that sounds idealistic and probably very clichéd, but it’s true. We are fully immersed in social change.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

Mansfield: My average workday means I’ll get to work after dropping the kids off at school, listening to some motivational talks from some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, some good laughing therapy with my colleagues, several meetings and interactions with clients, staff and our partners, before heading home to slip into ‘mother mode’ for a while. Lights out are after 11pm and after I have answered all urgent communications.

7. What are the tools of your trade?

Mansfield: The ability to have a vision, share it with others who buy into it and then action it, together. Motivational skills are key when talking to people I work with as well as the clients we need to work with us. Some would say that is called ‘sales’ but we’re not ‘selling’, we’re motivating people to join the movement for good and change. That takes commitment and innovation too, as it’s not easy starting something from scratch, especially something that requires a paradigm shift.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Mansfield: Those brands that realise that it is more than ‘words’ that are going to shift the world into a better place; it’s action. That comes from the CSI and CSR departments and those companies that are authentic in their endeavours resonating with a new audience that’s not swayed by marketing fluffery anymore, but buy in to a brand/product/service that walks the talk.

9. What are the biggest pain points/challenges/areas for improvement?

Mansfield: One challenge is to convince media that we are not after their advertising equity and that we are not a threat to them. We know good news sells and we have loads of stories that we could share with them – we’re more than happy to syndicate the news! But the biggest by far, is shifting the tide of negative news that pervades headlines, to one of a more positive nature – imagine if we could only have good news billboards, people would be happy… perhaps even, markets would be happy? Worth a thought, surely?

10. What are you working on right now?

Mansfield: Three key aspects: connection, building and delivering.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

Mansfield: Responsibility, sustainability. If a brand genuinely wants to make a social contribution, it should start with who they are, not what they do. For only when a brand has defined itself and its core values can it identify causes or social responsibility initiatives that are in alignment with its authentic brand story.

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

Mansfield: I research my industry every day, but it’s usually when I am cooking (one of my most creative spaces) or not actually thinking about anything in particular that the best ideas come to fruition.

13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?

Mansfield: I sing.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Mansfield: A bit of both. I am amazed by the scope of what technology can do – our platform is based on this and its ability to connect globally. But at the same time, I’m also slightly afraid of technology taking over.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Mansfield: Brainy quotes, photos of my kids and my family, as well as positive and motivational photos on YouTube.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

Mansfield: Passion and passion and more passion beats talent hands down. Be committed to your desired outcome.

Simple as that. Click here for more on MCSISA, follow them on Twitter, visit their website and email Glenda via moc.asiscm@adnelg.

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.