Blog - The Great and The Good

Leigh talks about the importance of integrity and shares her advice on how to make it to the top of agencyland. Leigh Thomas famously started off life as a classical ballerina before joining the family business of advertising. She quickly rose through the ranks of some of the world’s most respected advertising agencies, eventually becoming MD of Saatchi & Saatchi. In 2013, Thomas became CEO of Dare and has steered the agency back to its digital roots and through the recent sale to OLIVER. Leigh, you’ve had key roles at some of the most respected agencies. What’s been your secret to the top? Well firstly, it’s never been about job title for me. I didn’t set out to become a CEO but I have always been incredibly interested in what I do and I’ve always been someone who commits. I don’t like mediocrity. I’m hard on myself, and have high expectations of my team. But I’m also not afraid of failure. That experience makes the successes all the sweeter. Have you had a career strategy? God no! My north star has always been creativity and that’s what has driven me. I genuinely believe that creativity is one of the key skills human beings have. No matter how technically advanced, no matter how many ones and zeros we’re using, creativity is the uniquely human attribute that can make the world better. What’s been your best career decision? To come to Dare. My understanding of customer experience, content, data and creativity has moved on exponentially. With the return to our digital heritage and sale to OLIVER Group, I’ve learnt more than I could have thought possible in the space of three years. It’s been a breathtaking challenge, and my best career decision for sure. What are you most proud of? Dare’s shift back to its DNA in digital is something I am immensely proud of. We got lost for a few years aspiring to ‘integration’. The fact was that 90% of our work was digital anyhow, so from a positioning point of view it was the right thing to do. It was just being truthful. More importantly, the energy and commitment from our team at Dare has also totally surpassed every expectation. They are setting their own standards and continuously raising their game. The culture of Dare has always been very humble, yet exceptionally smart. I am incredibly proud and humbled to be a part of that. What’s the biggest lesson you have learned the hard way? Surrounding myself with the right team. It’s about chemistry as much as it is about skills. You can find talented people anywhere, but how people gel together as a team is the magic. There’s a great quote from Bill Bernbach about this: "When we started our agency, we had in mind precisely the kind of people we wanted with us. There were two requirements: You had to be talented and you had to be nice. If you were nice but without talent, we were very sorry, but you just wouldn’t do. We had to ‘make it.’ And only great talent would help us do that. If you were a great talent, but not a nice person, we had no hesitation in saying ‘No.’ Life is too short to sacrifice so much of it, to living with a bastard." Who has most inspired you? By their nature, agencies can be exceptionally demanding environments, so you have to find people that you respect and can be totally honest with. I’ve had some great sponsors all along my career. At Dare, Mark Collier and John Bartle have both have given me wonderful support. As a boss, Mark provides support, guidance and has huge belief in this business; a lot of my commitment to Dare is because of him. John’s been very engaged with Dare right from the beginning and is a great sponsor of many women in our business. I’m very lucky. Outside of the agency world, I recently heard Sheryl Sandberg speak, who is a total mensch. Totally inspiring. Her achievements in Silicon Valley are extraordinary and she’s done it with such EQ, clarity of thinking, incredible courage and a sense of humour. Eric Schmidt famously advised her "if you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on". Embracing that attitude is very cool. What do you wish you had known upon joining the industry? Don’t try and please everybody. Particularly as you get more senior. If you genuinely want to create change, and do what’s right, then sometimes you have to stand up and say it. Done in the right way, people will ultimately respect you more. What are the key attributes a CEO needs? EasyJet’s brilliant CEO Carolyn McCall hits the nail on the head: you have to make sure you know your numbers. In order to run a P&L you need to be obsessive about the numbers and the details behind them. The ability to listen is an incredibly important attribute. If you have good listening skills you can probably do a pretty good job of being a CEO. I see too many people charge into meetings with their own agenda; not listening and therefore not learning. There’s so much wisdom to be gained when you stop to listen, for the vision and reality of a business to be brought to you rather than imposing it. And you should not, for one moment, ever consider yourself above anybody else. What are the key challenges facing agency CEOs? The business world we operate in is increasingly procurement driven. Agencies have traditionally always left finance for the end of the conversation but that landscape has changed. Commercial reality has got to be in the first part of the conversation, as is reflective of the macro economic environment around us. That’s why I’m so excited about being part of OLIVER Group, because we have a radical, innovative commercial model that allows us to genuinely solve our clients’ business issues. It is also a model that allows creativity to once again flourish. On a wider note, the whole question of diversity is still a challenge for our industry. Are we so introspective as a business, that we are unable to address such a fundamental issue? It’s time. How do you know if you’re doing a good job as CEO? Well the numbers never lie. The P&L has to work. On from that, the work is always an excellent indicator of agency health. Good work suggests that agency and client relationships are strong and people are pushing themselves further. What about work / life balance? I’m achieving more of a work life balance now. I don’t think anyone expects people to be bound to their desks all hours. Being a slave to our corporate job is not something my children will ever have to put up with. Nothing makes me happier than when a father says ‘I’m not coming in today because I have my kid’s school play’. One of my team is doing shared parental leave with her partner. It’s happening. I’m delighted. I see it in our clients too – people arranging their lives in a way that suits them. I’d rather work with people who are genuinely happy in their lives as a whole. What would be your advice to someone starting out? It’s a small industry and you will be remembered by how you behave. Keep your integrity, no matter what. What’s next? For me now it’s about the work, as always, and international scale-ability of Dare. We’re in good health.

Find out from agency founders how they launched their own creative businesses. Aside from finding a suitable loft-style office, filling the fridge with beer and hanging your new logo on the wall, what does it really take to launch your own creative agency? Not only do you have to find the clients – you also have to persuade them to part with their cash – which is how you will ultimately fund your new venture – and eventually, if you are really lucky, you might make some money. Simples. How hard can it really be? (FYI the general consensus was “very ******* hard”). We decided it was time to find out. So we asked a number of creative agency founders for their advice. They were Richard Morris - Whistlejacket ; Helen Calcraft - Lucky Generals ; Jason Foo – BBD Perfect Storm ; Jim Paterson – Aesop ; Nick Fox – Atomic London ; Mike Cullis - Soul; Neil Hughston – Johnny Fearless ; Neil Simpson – The Corner ; Matty Tong – Whistlejacket 1. Launch for the right reasons If you have always dreamed of going it alone, you’re in great company. All our start-up owners harboured a burning desire to be their own boss. The freedom and challenge that comes with going it alone can be an exhilarating prospect - but it’s not enough just to want to do it. The timing needs to be right professionally and personally. Simpson: “I always wanted to have my own agency. Almost since the very first job I had.” Morris: “It’s one of the things we’ve always wanted to do, but you have to be in the right place in your personal life as well as professionally ready.” Hughston: “I had always hankered after a start-up. [As a Global Account Lead] I had stopped being close to the creative product and wanted to get back to what I loved most.” Cullis: “For us, we all shared a long held ambition to start something up, but our drive to actually do it came from shared beliefs about why we do what we do” All the leaders we spoke to had reached senior positions within other agencies before they felt it was the right time to launch their own shops. Far from being Zuckerburg-esque entrepreneurs by the time they were 25, the CEO’s we spoke to were able to show off hard-earned business stripes and success from larger agencies - and in some cases, brands -before they broke away and set up by themselves. Foo: “Bide your time until you’re wise enough. You’ll need every corner of your experience when you go it alone. You have to be all in to launch an agency - 100% or nothing.” 2. Get the band (back) together It would seem, that most agencies launch with two or three people at the top. None of the agencies we spoke to opened their doors with just one person at the helm. The overwhelming majority launched with the ‘classic’ triumvirate of Planner, Creative and Client Service head. Fox: “To do this alone would be unimaginable. These relationships must be deep and robust. You have to have great chemistry, have experienced success together and share the same point of view. You’re not always going to agree and there may even be some stand-up rows but the important thing is that you are able to kiss and make-up, forget about it and move on.” Most founding partners had worked together previously. Whilst they had usually met under professional circumstances, most tend to be friends outside work and enjoy a shared outlook. Morris: “Make sure you like the person you are going into business with. It seems simple enough but you are going to be spending a lot of time together - more time than with anyone else probably.” Calcraft: “The three of us share a very rare, special chemistry and we missed working with each other. We simply felt there was unfinished business and needed to create great work together again. We are happiest and at our most effective when we are working together.” Simpson: “You need to know each other and have been in the trenches together. We have a blend of complimentary skills and styles that works for us. We’re on the same page.” 3. Funding (probably your own) Of the eight agencies we spoke to, half were completely self-funded. The amount of investment you can stump up yourself will obviously impact the amount of autonomy you have. Obviously, 100% investment means 100% independence. Simpson: “We were offered funding but you don’t give up the independence you have fought so hard for. The autonomy to make decisions for partners, people and clients.” Calcraft: “If you’re self-funding your venture, you’d better make sure that you love what you do.” Cullis: “We explored funding and self-funding, and whilst funding might have made things a little more comfortable to start with, it meant giving a lot away before we even started. We went for self-funding; aside from independence, it really focuses the mind too!” Our CEO’s – irrespective of how much of their own money they had personally invested - were pretty much in agreement that excellent financial advice is vital. Fox: “When you’re creating a creative business, don’t forget the business” Tong: “Find a good accountant. Go for a respected and recommended name” There was general agreement from our agency owners that - initially at least - they earned less than they had previously. Cash flow issues aside during set-up months, much of the reduced earning levels were down to choice - partners reported preferring to re-invest profits back into their agency, building the coffers for future security. When it came down to expansion, some of our founders said they (happily) paid their first employees more than they paid themselves. 4. Fail to plan and you plan to fail Most of the agencies launched with a minimum five-year business plan - which started with the agency’s core proposition. All our start-up founders spent a few months in planning before going live. Happily, the majority of agencies reported being on track - or ahead of their plan. However, their advice was: Paterson: “You must have a clear point of difference that you believe in. Your agency will live by its core proposition, so it’s got to be something that makes sense to you.” Morris: “Don’t spend all your time on the theory. At some point, you need to actually do something rather than just talking about it.” Cullis: “It took us a year from our first tentative conversations over a pint to actually making it happen. Almost two years on, the original business plan is still at the heart of our long-term future.” Don’t be afraid to ask people in the industry what they think about your new venture and your agency’s proposition. Every single owner we spoke to commented on how tremendously generous people had been with their time. This included agency leaders, intermediaries, industry bodies and previous clients. Tong: “Talk to entrepreneurs from inside and outside the industry. Don’t underestimate how generous and open they will be with their learning.” 5. You don’t need a client from day 1 (but you’ll need to find one fast) Most of the agencies we spoke to opened their doors without a founding client and undoubtedly invested a huge amount of time into new business – attracting the right clients and the right kind of work. Tong: “Who would you like to talk to and what would you like to work on? There’s no secret. Don’t give up. It will happen.” Calcraft: “I would advise any future founder of a start-up to get exposure to a new business role within another agency first. And remember, your early work when you start-up will set the tone of the type of the work your agency does for the future. So, you must learn to say no.” Fox: “You need a great network and to work the traditional PR channels. Remember that your website is your shop window, so it is mission critical that this is up to scratch.” Simpson: ”Learn to say no and only ride one big pitch horse at once. Pitching is an expensive business and you’re more likely to win if you focus.” Paterson: “You need to invest, prioritise and focus. Qualify opportunities. Don’t go after everything.” Foo: “We have turned down quite a few opportunities so that we can focus our efforts in the right places and build a sustainable business that grows in the right areas. Our mantra is pitch twice as big, half as often.” Hughston: “New business can be brutal but you must be tenacious: it will pay off. Treat intermediaries with the respect they deserve and remember when you pitch - win or learn.” 6. Enjoy building your own team Working within a start-up can be a very different experience and it’s not for everyone – it’s demanding, it’s hard work; it’s everyone in it together. Employees who ‘get in early’ with an agency that’s going places could see their career grow as quickly as the agency does. Foo: “It’s fantastic to be able to handpick everyone in your team- we place as much emphasis on cultural fit as we do on capability and experience. It’s refreshing to spend time individually developing our people.” Simpson: “It’s important for agency partners not to dominate and give everyone a chance to pitch ideas. We believe that none of us are as smart as all of us.” Paterson: “Hire people based on their cultural fit with your agency as much as their skills and experience.” 7. It’s an adventure, not a journey All of the CEO’s reported they absolutely love leading their start-up but made no bones about the hard work involved and the rewards you can enjoy. Calcraft: “I had forgotten the intensity. It’s exhausting and always exhilarating. It’s like having kids – you forget the pain and remember the joy.” Hughston: "It's fucking hard and amazing in equal measure. It's a mix of being six on Christmas Day and losing sleep, regularly!" Paterson: “When it’s your business it’s all consuming. Because you are that much closer, the highs are dramatically high and the tough times can really hurt.” Cullis: “Running an agency is liberating, rewarding, tiring, frustrating. Sometimes it keeps me awake at night but, most of the time; I sleep really soundly … because I’m completely knackered.” Having spoken to all these agency leaders, it’s clear that setting up your own shop is not a decision to be taken lightly and certainly needs to be considered with a healthy dose of realism. That said, it was abundantly clear that nobody who we talked to regretted their decision and they all felt that the positives far outweighed the negatives. So, if you’re thinking about going it alone – the very best of luck, you’re in great company.

NEWS & OPINIONS

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