HOW TO BE A BADASS - GENERAL ASSEMBLY 29th NOVEMBER 2019
Badass.gal founders: Charlotte Hugh and Danny Pallett believe it’s not your years’ experience or your title that make you a badass at work, it’s your attitude. And since launching badass.gal in January 2018, the pair have been on a mission to shine a light on all the young female creatives who are going above and beyond and taking ad-land and boardrooms by storm.
This event, aptly titled ‘How to be a Badass’ invited some of the most badass female creatives in the city to share their advice on how to be a badass at work; from getting your foot firmly in the door of ad-land to smashing through that glass ceiling and creating badass work which gets the world talking.
Venue: General Assembly
Speakers:
Hannah Smith - Art Director @ Cult LDN + NYC
Daze & Orla - Jnr Creative Team @ WundermanThompson
Shanice Mears - Co-founder @ The Elephant Room
Beki Reilly - Art Director & Illustrator @ Dyson
SPEAKERS
EVENT SUMMARY
5 STEPS TO BECOMINGA BADASS AT WORK:
1. Find yourself a mentor.
This doesn’t have to be a CEO or an ECD, mentors can be anyone who inspires you and you feel comfortable talking to. They could be only one or two levels above you for example. But having someone to talk to, separate from your boss can really help you.
2. Go to places you normally wouldn’t
There are so many communities and initiatives online and offline, but we have a tendency to hang out in the same spaces with the same people. So getting out of our comfort zone and finding out what others are doing in these spaces will help you get out of any creative rut and open doors for collaborations you would never have thought about otherwise.
Somewhere to start: GUAP, GirlsTalkLondon, The Other Box, GalDem, Shesaid.so, The Guestlist, Girls let’s talk, Ladies wine & Design.
3. Know what’s right for you
There’s a misconception when on placement that you’re ‘lucky to be there’ but the truth is, placements are as much about you testing the agency out, as it is them testing you out. Sometimes what you think is the ‘dream agency’ turns out to not work for you, and that’s okay. It’s important to try out a number of different places and it’s totally okay for you to shop around. It’s your career. Being in a place where you feel comfortable and valued is the most important thing when starting your career.
4. Hang out with other badassses
If you aren’t enjoying the work you’re doing in your day job, look to others to collaborate with to create work you do enjoy. Reach out to that artist you like on Instagram, or that photographer you admire. Collaborate together. Set up that business, host that event, sell those drawings. Don’t let your creativity be housed in a 9-6 hour job.
5. Give them a wildcard
When you’re presenting work, first answer the brief. But then, why not present a wildcard. An idea that pushes the brief, and gives you a chance to show some extra thinking. The chances are the budgets set, and this will become a bottom drawer idea, however sometimes, you might just inspire a client and end up making something a lot cooler than you ever thought. So always have a wildcard up your sleeve.
