There’s a lot of buzz erupting following the 3% statistic Fast Company wrote about earlier this month. The article begged the question, “Where are all the women creative directors?” Women control 80% of consumer spending, yet only 3% of creative directors are female. Wow! That’s a pretty crazy stat! Well, here at Oblique, not only do we have a female creative director, but our agency is also female owned. A one-two punch, as we like to say. Our fearless leader, Janice Ferrante, is owner and creative director. Imagine those odds! Though she wears many hats in our agency, those are two pretty fantastic ones to flaunt, especially in light of this jaw-dropping statistic.
Fast Company highlights some valid points in their piece, some of which include the lack of female CD mentors and the constant struggle of work/family balance. So how has Janice accomplished so much? How has she overcome such high odds against her? Here’s what she has to say:
“Starting my own business over 10 years ago wasn’t easy. However, I knew that having a continual flow or courage and confidence would ultimately get me through any challenge. I had a strong group of mentors in my life that never left my side. My advice to women all over the world is to be true to yourself, never let go of who you are and believe in what you stand for…especially in this male-dominated world that we live in.”
I am shocked it’s that small of a percentage. In my career I have had at least 5 female supervisors and 1 Female CD. I never even thought about the fact they were female. I focused on what they brought to the table and their ability to communicate, mentor and inspire me. They all did just as good a job as the males and sometimes better.
I have worked with Janice before. I am really proud of what she has done and her ability to rise above it all. I too have my own place now. It’s a huge challenge to make it grow.
David