#WomensMonth: How DDB's #PhyllisProject empowers female creative leaders
Just watch her in the SABC News Trendz interview embedded below on the importance of celebrating creativity both at the Loeries and throughout Women’s Month for an idea of what she’s like:
But I digress. So named after Phyllis Robinson, DDB’s first female chief copywriter at the agency’s inception and also the first female copy chief in US history, the #PhyllisProject is part of the global group’s mission to increase the quantity and quality of female creative leaders in every region of their network.
When DDB opened in 1949, Phyllis joined as Copy Chief, the first female copy chief in U.S. history! #PhyllisProject https://t.co/cUvNwsXpNd pic.twitter.com/DZYD3yq71w
— DDB Public Relations (@PRMediumRare) January 26, 2017
It's imperative that we are all creative
— BrandVisionDDB (@BrandVisionDDB) February 16, 2017
Supporting the #PhyllisProjecthttps://t.co/Ru7g8FpAK0#BrandVisionDDB
Imagine. Inspire. Influence pic.twitter.com/1sE4RZFXrI
Using #machinelearning to address gender bias in film: https://t.co/Xu6ikKSMIx #masmujerescreativas #phyllisproject
— Nerea Cierco (@ncierco) May 22, 2017
As to what that process entails, Wielopolski shares that the training is aimed at career development, media training and mentorship – Wielopolski herself has been paired with Alex Kalchev, ECD at DDB Paris in what’s being called an “unprecedented gender balanced team of creatives.” They also have monthly conference calls with Lisen Stromberg from the 3% movement in the US as well as with Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk, co-founders of the creative leadership training lab, Swim. They speak as a group, and talk about development and reaching goals.
Congrats @_monsevalera_ Named a Top Creative Leader by @Adweek Love working w/ you #PhyllisProject @DDB_Worldwide https://t.co/64d1siiCvR
— Lisen Stromberg (@LisenStromberg) June 15, 2017
Side effect: Bringing gender diversity under the global spotlight
Wielopolski shared that it’s great to have additional support, which is one of the side-effects of the Phyllis Project: A sense of inclusion. While certain individuals have inspired Wielopolski before, she’s never had a group of women to lean on, and now feels included. So even the women who aren’t aware of the issues that some of the others are struggling with are seeing them brought to light.
On celebrating females in creativity beyond a specific month, Wielopolski says DDB is all about shifting focus from great female creatives to great female leaders. You spend your career becoming a great creative, but the switch from becoming a creative to becoming a leader is quite a big one. It’s no longer about you and your success, but about your team’s success, and how you can help them get there.
Speaking to the industry as a whole, Wielopolski says diversity within the industry is really important, as it’s through diversity that we get different points of view, which lead to different ideas. If we were all exactly the same, we would have the same ideas and the world would be a boring place. Innovation, disruption and creativity are the result of diversity, so it’s not just about females, we need greater diversity all around, and to celebrate that diversity.
On age diversity in particular, Wielopolski spoke of the importance of mentorship and the development of the next generation of talent. At DDB SA, for example, Wielopolski is training their current team of interns from Red & Yellow School, exposing to as many things as possible and putting them on real briefs.
She experienced this in her own early days at the Jupiter Drawing Room, where they were always given the opportunity to work on the top briefs with the rest of the creatives in the agency, it didn’t matter if you were an intern, whoever cracked the idea, executed it.
Skill-sharing and helping the youth get up there is thus an issue close to Wielopolski’s heart. She feels it’s important to have people you can aspire to. For women in the industry, there haven’t been as many to look up to until now, so it’s inspiring that this is now starting to increase.
It’s nice to have someone as a reference to what you would like to become but also, having female peers who can understand and support each other. Sharing what you’ve learned with the younger generation is your responsibility to grow new talent. As a leader, you should want to do so as an agency needs to be very conscious of the environment it fosters and it starts at the top. If you value diversity, it is the job of global management not to just discuss these issues, but to do something to empower the voices of change in offices around the world.On her own personal career inspiration, Wielopolski admits she is biased in this regard, listing her husband, Liam. She says he is hugely inspirational to her as the CCO at DDB, and definitely someone she leans on a lot for advice.
He’s also shown her how to be a good leader, as he’s people’s person. It’s not like in the past where there were a lot of egos in the industry – it’s not about the glory, but about the work and treating people with respect.
That sounds like a winning mix to me. Follow the #PhyllisProject hashtag for more and be sure to visit our #WomensMonth and Loeries Creative Week Durban special sections for our latest coverage.
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
