This week on Own It, we’re talking to Lennon Barnica from Wild Manor. It is a editorial and finishing house that focuses on the quality and craftsmanship they bring to client projects. They say they’ve created a place for storytelling to flourish. We love that.
Hearing Lennon tell her story was fascinating and inspiring. We had a wonderful time hearing that, getting to know her and certainly getting her perspective on the gender gap in agency ownership.
Lennon is also a project fiend. She’s a handy woman who loves to tinker, build and fix things away from work. We learned so much from her. We know you will, too.
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Lennon attributes her problem-solving skills to her upbringing, where she learned to fix things around the house out of necessity. She views this as a direct parallel to her role as a producer and agency owner, where figuring out why something isn't working and taking the time to make it work is crucial.
Lennon's journey to ownership began when she was given the choice to merge her department or start her own company. Despite the risks and being pregnant during COVID, she recognized the unique opportunity to leverage existing infrastructure and build something for herself. Her team's willingness to "jump on the dinghy" with her demonstrates the importance of taking calculated risks and having a supportive team.
Lennon expresses that owning her business provides a sense of freedom and makes her work more meaningful because she is building for herself, her loved ones, and her team, rather than for a large holding company primarily concerned with stock and profit. This direct connection to the impact of her work is a significant joy of ownership.
Lennon highlights the issue of women being passed over or undermined in the workplace, citing instances where men were placed in leadership roles above capable women without clear justification. She emphasizes the importance of advocating for fair opportunities, addressing pay gaps, and calling out instances where women's ideas are appropriated or dismissed in meetings to foster a more equitable environment.
Drawing a parallel to studies about how men and women approach job descriptions, Lennon suggests that women often self-limit by focusing on what they don't know rather than their ability to learn and adapt. She encourages women to step out of their comfort zones, believe in their capacity to figure things out, and strive for leadership roles to drive change and normalize female leadership.
