In this special feature, we dive into the Creative 7 Design workspace with this panel-style conversation with 3 women who work behind the scenes of our marketing agency: Writer Karyne, Admin Lauren, and Marketing Director Funmi.
What are your titles and roles at Creative 7 Design, and how long have each of you been working here?
K: I’m the Writer at Creative 7 Designs, and I’ve been working with the company since the end of February of this year. I write content and copy, from blogs to bulletin ads to flyers and posters.
L: I’m the Administrative Assistant, and I’ve been working at C7D for one year and three months. I handle a lot of the day-to-day tasks such as emails and phone calls. I make sure Joseph’s calendar is up to date and appointments are scheduled and I run errands to stock our office, go to the bank, pick up lunches for staff and client meetings.
F: I’m the Marketing and Design Director and have been working here for 9 months. My responsibilities include managing client projects, tracking and analyzing the performance of advertising campaigns, managing the marketing budgets for our clients, and ensuring that all marketing material is in line with the brands and messages of our clients.
Can you share your experiences as working women (what’s worked for you)?
K: I love being able to utilize my input as a woman to add depth to business insights for a company. There’s an intrinsic difference in how people communicate, based on factors such as childhood experiences, culture, and the like. With this in mind, I’m a firm believer that each individual style of communication has a place in the workspace, and that includes the individual woman. Inevitably, women add variety to a work environment because we have a different perspective on life that is just as valuable as that of men.
L: I feel that I was able to bring a lot to the table being a woman in my previous position with my contribution to social media marketing. I was able to showcase my personal creative side which later on brought in more revenue and growth to the company.
How is C7D different from some companies you’ve heard about when it comes to equality?
F: Creativity is often seen as fluid — no right or wrong. On the other hand, in a corporate space, the difference between right and wrong is more definitive. Working in a creative space is similar to working as an artist where the art you create can be interpreted a number of different ways. For example: 2+2 can never equal 3, but a painting can never be universally ugly because it is relative. Working in a creative space allows room for error because art is objective..if that makes sense.
K: Funmi’s comment made sense! Rarely have I entered a creative environment where there is a lack of diversity (and, by extension, equality). Working in a creative space like C7D creates an almost inevitable environment of equality because creatives work (and offer critique) from a place of mutual respect, for the most part. Many processes at C7D are in place to embrace diversity rather than minimize it — no matter a person’s gender, age, ethnicity, etc. The end goal is to merge our individual talents together to create something that makes the client happy.
L: Another thing I like about C7D is that, for a period of time, we had an out-number of women working in the office (and we still do)! And we have Funmi who’s a great Marketing & Design Director. Not many companies have a majority of women in the workplace in a C-level position, but we do, and that’s awesome!
What do you define is gender equality in the workplace?
K: I can tell you what gender inequality looks like. Unequal pay is as straightforward as it gets. If two people are doing the same quantity and quality of work, the pay should reflect just that. Gender shouldn’t dictate how much a person gets paid; experience, commitment, and quality should determine that.
F: Yep. Equal job opportunities and fairness for all employees. Not being treated better or worse because of your gender…
L: And having no limits to your growth within a company. Also, being heard no matter your gender.
What could you change on a global level when it comes to men’s and women’s work dynamics and expectations for both, and how?
K: Respect, across the board. This ties right into my answer on gender equality in the workforce. On a global level, respect should not be switched on or off, so to speak, based on the gender of the person you’re speaking with.
F: I would change the expectations. As in, no one should be given “reasonable” or “unreasonable” expectations based on their gender.
L: I think men and women collaborating more often would contribute to a more positive work dynamic. Different genders see things differently, and it’s important to share these various views with one another in a respectful manner to boost productivity!
What has working at C7D taught you?
F: I’ve learned how to work with different kinds of people. We have a number of clients from different industries and backgrounds, so I’m blessed to have the opportunity to learn and grow from them.
K: I’m honing in on how to maintain balance with various projects occurring at once. Working at C7D is giving me the opportunity to test different creative processes all while remaining in an ever-forward motion of execution. The reality is there are a lot of processes that happen at C7D and it could be easy to get caught up in your personal process, but this environment isn’t only about the individual process; this is about several individual processes coming together to complete a project. Being able to work my creative process around others is ultimately what will keep projects in a constant state of progression while benefiting our internal relationships.
L: C7D has taught me that each person in the workplace brings something special to the table.