In this episode of OWN IT, we’re talking to Blair Brady of The With Agency. It is a brand partnership agency based in Atlanta. She is a mom, a cook and a former ballerina. She started like many of us as an intern at an agency. Her career took what she calls zig-zags through a couple of agencies before she launched With in 2012.
Blair had so many interesting things to share including the perspective that women who lead agencies also need women climbing the corporate ladder on the brand side, so our mission here isn’t an all-or-none proposition. She had such great advice and thoughts on closing the gender gap in ad agency ownership. I’m so glad to share it with you this week.
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Blair emphasizes that her career path was not linear but rather full of "zigs and zags." This unconventional journey, starting from classical ballet and moving through various agency roles, allowed her to question traditional methods and ultimately led her to entrepreneurship. She highlights that a non-linear path can foster unique perspectives and innovation, especially in creative fields.
Blair identifies herself as someone who learns primarily by doing, experimenting, and even failing. She notes that in the early years of her agency, there was a lot of experimentation to find their niche, rather than having a fully formed plan from the outset. This approach, though requiring structure and discipline to manage, allows for organic growth and discovery of strengths.
In the early stages of an agency, owners might feel the need to handle every aspect. However, as the agency grows, the challenge and joy lie in surrounding oneself with incredibly talented individuals and empowering them. Blair explains that her role evolved from having all the answers to feeding her team with exciting work and trusting them to lead, ultimately making the agency stronger.
The With Agency operates solely on referrals, a testament to their exceptional work and client experience. Blair explains their unique "taxonomy" for their network: "friends of With" (champions who actively refer), "acquaintances of With" (those who know and love them but haven't engaged yet, or current client contacts with future potential), and "shiny strangers" (key people at target brands). They strategically nurture each group, with "friends of With" being key to introducing them to "shiny strangers."
Blair critiques traditional agency pitching and hourly billing models, which she views as treating creative services as a commodity. She argues that these methods are expensive and don't serve the industry well. Instead, her agency uses deliverable-based pricing and focuses on referrals to bypass these systems, emphasizing that their value is not based on time but on the impactful deliverables they provide to clients.
