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.
In this episode, we talk to Kate Black and Susan Betteridge from Pahnke. I so enjoy hearing the stories of partnership and co-ownership, so having Kate and Susan on the podcast was exciting. And their story of coming together to form Pahnke is not your typical shared ownership story.
In fact, Kate even said she didn’t want to return to agency life after seeing the industry from the publishing side of the aisle working at The Onion of all places. Creativity brought her around and Susan asked her not to work at an agency, but help lead one.
And, of course, we talk about their ideas on closing the gender gap in agency ownership. You’re really going to enjoy this conversation.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ownership offers the unique opportunity to build an agency culture from the ground up, aligning it with personal values and priorities. This means setting boundaries, prioritizing work-life balance, and demonstrating those values through actions, not just words. This approach fosters a more supportive and empathetic environment for employees, especially for working parents.
Agency owners should be transparent with their teams about business decisions, financial metrics (without revealing all specifics), and the "why" behind strategic choices. This demystifies the business side of the industry for creatives and other team members, empowering them to understand how their work contributes to the overall success and prepares them for leadership roles. It also encourages a culture of asking questions and continuous learning.
Entering agency ownership comes with many unexpected challenges, particularly concerning financial management, legalities, and operations. It's crucial to acknowledge what you don't know, have the humility to ask "dumb questions," and actively seek help from experts (e.g., accounting firms) and experienced partners. Your success is often dependent on the quality of the people you hire and the advice you seek.
Achieving balance between work and personal life isn't about being perfectly poised at all times. Instead, it's about recognizing when to lean into one area more than the other and being okay with that fluidity. There will be days when work demands more, and days when family needs take precedence. It also involves accepting that you can't be excellent at everything simultaneously and offering yourself grace when things aren't perfect.
Female agency owners should challenge conventional notions of success, which often focus on rapid growth to a 100-person agency or winning numerous awards. Instead, success can be defined by the quality of the work, the impact on client businesses, the culture created for employees, and the ability to tell meaningful stories for brands, including smaller, entrepreneurial ones. There are multiple paths to ownership, and finding what truly excites and fulfills you is key.
