Hi and welcome to the OWN IT podcast, where we celebrate the growing number of (women and non-binary) ad agency owners and talk about buying out of the boys’ club of advertising, one agency at a time.
I’m Christy Hiler, owner of Cornett and today, we’re talking to Sue Kramer of Connecting Dots Guru. Sue is a filmmaker and screenwriter who proudly wears the title of creative disruptor. The first part of her career was spent as a successful screenwriter. She also directed the film Gray Matters with A-list stars like Heather Graham, Tom Cavanaugh and Sissy Spacek.
She transitioned to owning an agency after taking time off to raise her daughter. But every time she switched from one hat to another, she had doubters and explained to me that doubt is a gender bias. I love her explanation of that in our conversation.
There’s a lot to dig into here. Sue is also a Latina activist who created the “Be Dope. Vote” campaign and platform in 2020. Voting, you’ll hear, is a major pursuit in her life.
And … she’s a dancer! I told you there was a lot to cover!
Enjoy my conversation with Sue Kramer.
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Sue emphasizes the importance of voting and active participation in political processes. She highlights her involvement in various voting initiatives, such as "You Vote Video" and "Be Dope Vote," which leveraged celebrity influence to encourage civic engagement. Her activism extends to supporting the LGBTQ community and fighting against hate crimes, drawing inspiration from her activist parents.
Sue recounts her struggles as a woman in Hollywood, particularly when trying to transition from screenwriting to directing. She faced consistent pushback from agents who believed her gender would hinder the sale of her screenplays if she insisted on directing them. This bias extended to her agency career, where male counterparts questioned her ability to succeed without traditional agency experience, highlighting a pervasive underestimation of women's capabilities in creative leadership roles.
Sue observes a double standard where men are applauded for diversifying their professional roles and interests (e.g., actors owning businesses), while women are questioned and doubted for taking on multiple professional "hats." She argues that women are often underestimated in their ability to multitask and lead, despite their proven capacity for juggling various responsibilities.
Sue shares a profound personal revelation about the importance of trusting one's intuition, especially as a woman in a leadership position. She explains that women are often conditioned to doubt themselves when challenged, but she has learned to follow her internal navigational system and make decisions with conviction, taking full responsibility for the outcomes. This self-trust has led to her most fulfilling professional work.
Sue encourages younger generations, especially women, to reject the notion of a single, prescribed career path. As a self-proclaimed "disrupter," she advocates for forging one's own way, embracing multiple interests and titles, and not being confined by traditional industry rules or expectations. She advises listening to one's inner compass and challenging societal boxes.
