In this encore episode of OWN IT, we’re talking to Cindy Gallop from If We Ran The World and Make Love Not Porn. The original episode dropped on August 29, 2022.
As you might guess from the name of her companies, Cindy is bold, brave and a bull in the China shop. She has deep experience in the advertising business and has been ruffling the feathers of the status quo for a long time.
Cindy starts off taking swings. She says women are at a distinct disadvantage in the advertising world because white men undermine their progress. Intentionally. You may want to buckle up for this conversation. Cindy is truly amazing.
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The advertising industry's top leadership, predominantly white men, are comfortable with the status quo and actively resist change. They intentionally undermine, sabotage, and destroy the confidence of women to maintain their positions of power, rather than embrace diversity. This systemic issue prevents women from advancing and owning agencies.
Instead of trying to fit into the existing, male-dominated agency model, women should "start their own industry" by creating agencies designed exactly how they want them to work. This means identifying unmet needs in the industry, leveraging their unique perspectives, and building innovative, disruptive models that clients will naturally seek out.
Starting an agency in the service industry is relatively easy and inexpensive, as the primary asset is intellectual capital (brains and networks). Women who create radically innovative agencies that address market gaps can operate them successfully for a few years and then sell them to larger holding companies for significant financial gain, making agency ownership the quickest path to wealth creation in advertising.
Women founders have the unique opportunity to design their agencies to align with their personal lifestyles and ambitions. Whether it's creating a smaller, highly profitable agency that allows for work-life balance or building a large, ambitious holding company, the business structure should support the founder's vision for their life and work, attracting clients who value that unique approach.
Remaining in a job within a white male-dominated industry that perpetuates sexism, racism, ageism, and other microaggressions will ultimately erode a woman's confidence, self-worth, and belief in her own capabilities. Leaving such environments to work for oneself or start an agency is crucial for preserving mental well-being and fostering the self-belief necessary for entrepreneurial success.
