LOOKING BACK AT YOUR CAREER JOURNEY, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
I’m most proud of never accepting a situation I did not feel happy or confident in. Sadly in my career, I have never experienced promotions. The only way I've gotten to where I am today is by leaving when I didn't get that promotion I felt I deserved or asked for. In retrospect, I'm proud of this, but when in my 20s and early 30s, this was something that brought me great anxiety. Today, at the age of 41, I see that leaving jobs in order to gain responsibility and challenge myself in higher roles has also taught me how to sell myself and pave my own path forward. I find myself in this situation today again, and it's not easy, but the experience of having done it many times before gives me confidence and strength that I'll land on my feet. I'm also very proud of having worked in many different industries. This is something that felt scary at some point, as if I don't have an expertise, but today, I see it more as a strength than a weakness. It made me realise that my expertise is marketing, brand building, and brand strategy. And I can apply it to all the various industries I've been in, not to mention draw best practices from one industry and apply it to another.
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY, AND HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THEM? DID YOU HAVE ANY MENTORS ALONG THE WAY?
There have been 2 main challenges in regards to my leadership journey. Challenge number 1: getting people, and mostly men, to buy into putting marketing dollars where they don't have experience or knowledge. I've always been the one to push for brands or companies to invest in what was innovative from a marketing perspective at the time (eg. Louis Vuitton launching on Instagram or Walmart.com working with SnapChat influencers, L'Oreal brands investing in advocacy, DX creating a global cinema brand and bringing their 25+ years of Norwegian independent cinema experience to life). What is "new" is often scary to leadership teams in big companies, and those teams are often comprised of men. They way I have always proceeded was to be patient (or try to), remember that repetition is key, and always use case studies to show that what I'm asking for works. The proof is in the data! I think my subconscious mentors at the time were the few women I have looked up to in leadership roles and paying attention to how they have done it. Challenge number 2 has been working on my own imposter syndrome. Once I did start being in leadership roles, like many women, I felt like I didn't necessarily deserve to be there. To tackle this, I've worked with a coach, worked on myself, read books from leaders who inspire me and realised that if I look up to them, it's because I share their leadership practices, and surround myself with people who are rooting for me to succeed and see me as a true expert in what I do.
REFLECTING ON YOUR CAREER, HOW HAVE YOU MANAGED TO BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE? WHAT STRATEGIES OR BOUNDARIES HAVE YOU FOUND MOST EFFECTIVE?
This one took me a while to figure out, or to even realise that it warrants my attention. With the exception of my last experience, I have never worked for a company that cared or acknowledged that a balance is key for its employees. I realised probably too late, after about 8-10 years of my career that no one was ever going to encourage me to take my paid time off or thank me for working 60+ hours a week. I also realised through becoming a manager myself that I cared deeply about people enjoying their life outside of work, so that they could also be productive and happy at work. I guess in short, I realised in my early 30s that the boundaries for me to set up. I also started thinking more about "working smart" rather than "working a lot". Entering the remote-first way of working changed my mindset even further. I learned that it's not about the hours we work in one day but rather how charged our tank is when we are working. 4 productive and positive working hours are better than 8 non-productive ones. And what does it even mean to be productive? I think it's important to ask ourselves these questions as leaders and to have the open conversations with our employees. No matter how much one loves our job, we will always love time with our family and friends more, and it's ok to be aware of that. Having kids also forced me to be smart with how I use my time and what type of employers I'd like to work for.
WITH OVER 15 YEARS IN BRAND STRATEGY AND MARKETING FOR GLOBAL LUXURY BRANDS AND MORE RECENTLY THE CINEMA INDUSTRY, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS HOLDING WOMEN BACK, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO CHANGE FOR BETTER REPRESENTATION AND INCLUSION?
I think women are held back by society and by themselves. What do I mean by this? Society because it's still very much accepted that a board or leadership team is mostly comprised of men. I'm speaking in large terms, obviously there are always the rare exceptions. I can't tell you how many rooms I've walked into for a meeting where I was one of few, if not the only women. And I worked for fashion, beauty, etc. companies! The higher up the ladder I've gone, the more men I saw in high level seats. But I also think we hold ourselves back because yes, it is intimidating to be a minority in the room of decision makers. We also hold ourselves back because there isn't often someone rooting for us to have a seat at the table. Don't get me wrong, I am not a pessimist. Things have gotten better and I think more and more companies are trying to be consciously inclusive. But sometimes, it's for the wrong reasons (just to check a box) and we, women, can feel it! I'm not ok with getting a job because I'm a women. I should get it because I'm qualified and an expert in what I do. But I am ok with companies thinking "let's focus on hiring women for this role because our company is 70% men on that level and we need to fix that." I think for things to change, it's a two-way street. Companies need to be more mindful of inclusivity and incorporate this mindset in their recruitment process, but women also need to not be afraid to apply for roles they think are out of reach and women in leadership roles should raise their hands internally to push for their companies to support hiring women.
YOU WERE A MENTOR IN THE 7TH EDITION OF THE UNIC WOMEN'S CINEMA LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME. WHAT HAS THAT EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?
It was really great for a few reasons. Firstly, you paired me so well. My mentee and I got along so well that we became friends and still talk once a month. And I honestly feel that we now mentor each other. Secondly, I absolutely loved being surrounded by so many smart, curious, and supportive women. Despite all the industries I've been in, and companies I've worked for, this was the first time I found myself with access to this type of environment. And that says a lot! And lastly, I'd say that the support of the programme in the cinema industry as a whole really showed me how powerful it is and how possible it is to offer women opportunities when there is a larger support in the industry of the programme. I also really loved being a mentor and applying my years of experience to help my mentee with her day to day work issues, but also talk a lot about work-life balance. I kept thinking, "wow, if I had this earlier on in my career, I would have done so many things differently."
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE CURRENT MENTORS AND MENTEES?
I'd say to make time for this programme! Cancel a meeting if you have to, but don't cancel time for this. Go to the in-person meetings. They are inspiring, rewarding, and you will have a stage with no judgement to share things with, which is quite unique in the professional world. Go to the virtual meetings too! We've had some great discussions on those and for people still sceptical about remote meet ups, I'm here to tell you that you truly can get a lot out of them as an in-person meet-up, if you are willing to share and listen. Lastly, don't forget that a year flies by so this IS worth investing your time in.
SO WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR THE FUTURE?
It's been a whirlwind to have my second baby and learn that I've lost my job shortly after my maternity leave ended. I've started the year by giving myself some grace and leaving room open for reflection (probably not something I would have allowed earlier on in my career). I'm going to start by networking and speaking to people that I know, that others can introduce me to, etc. Networking and sharing has always been a big part of my job search process. I'll probably start applying in an aggressive way to jobs mid February and hope to start something as soon as possible. While I'd really love to stay in the cinema industry, of course I'll have to apply for all jobs that are relevant. One thing I'm not willing to compromise on is going to a company that is open about their values and shares how they apply them. Company culture is very important to me and from my experience, it starts with the company values, which comes from the top. So I'm excited to see where I land, but as always, it is a daunting process. Wish me luck. And I've got my two little ones to keep me busy in the meantime.