Inspirational Woman: Abigail Findlay | Managing Director, The Brooklyn Brothers

In this piece, we talk to Abigail Findlay, Managing Director of creative agency, The Brooklyn Brothers.

She talks to us about her biggest achievement, how she got into the advertising industry and what she would change to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Equality.

Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role

I’m the Managing Director of creative agency called The Brooklyn Brothers.  I’ve worked across branding, marketing and advertising throughout my career. I specialise in the business and cultural transformation of advertising agencies and new creative divisions. I’ve worked with and for brands including Apple, Nike, Stella McCartney, Warner Records.  

Did you ever sit down and plan your career? 

In a word, no. I had little idea about what I wanted to do when I went to University.  I studied English and Classical Civilisation because I loved the subjects.  It was only in my final year that I went to a talk by someone at Saatchi & Saatchi and I thought advertising as a commercial art sounded compelling.  I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gone along to that milk round talk (it was my flat mate’s idea and I agreed as it was enroute to the pub).  

Have you faced any challenges along the way?

Oh, yes. Getting into the industry in the first place was hard. After I listened to the talk from Saatchi & Saatchi, I wrote to every agency in London offering to make the tea and type. I emailed. I called.  I wrote.  Then one day, I finally got a call back…  It was to tell me to stop calling them and emailing them so much!  That was a low point.  Eventually, later that summer I got a job temping typing up creative scripts. I stayed with the agency and left 5 years later an Account Director.  

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

There are lots of projects I’m proud to have been part of. 

However without doubt, my greatest achievement is to be a working mother.  To be the leader of a company and to be able to bring up my two children as a single parent.  In the UK, we do not have the right infrastructure for working parents (e.g. high quality, affordable childcare), nor have we had the right flexible working structures in place.  I take my hat off to any parent who wants to be engaged and active parent, and who wants to have a fulfilling career.  That’s a big achievement in my eyes and a constant calibration of how to achieve it.

As a leader of an organisation, I try to ensure I’m creating the conditions where talented people who require a flexible work life, can come to work and thrive.  It’s something I value highly about where I work.   

What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?  

One of the things – though there are many factors –  is that in my 20’s I worked at a creative agency called Wieden+Kennedy and there I did my 10,000 hours (Beatles-style) of learning my craft. I was a fly-on-the-wall for how to build beautiful, brilliant brands.  I became fluent in creative development and production and how brand’s really work. In my role, as the ‘business’ or account person, you don’t HAVE to know how the creative process works intimately, but sticking as close to the creative process as possible, helped me progress – and get subsequent roles at creatively-centred brands like Nike, Apple, Warner Records. 

(I also think studying classics has been profoundly helpful. But that’s another answer, for another day… ) 

How do you feel about mentoring? Have you mentored anyone or are you someone’s mentee? 

I have formally mentored people which I have always enjoyed. I have also had a lot of people who I’ve been the leader to over the years. I am touched when they get in touch when they are going through a transition or a tough patch and they want some support or a sounding board. I recently qualified as leadership coach and I believe that coaching is particularly powerful at helping others.  I love that the term ‘Mentor’ comes from the Odyssey; Mentor is the wise life-long friend of Odysseus who guided his family in his absence to protect his kingdom. So much goes back to the Ancient Greeks…  

If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Gender Equality, what would it be?

So many things to choose from…    

Here’s one:  

High quality, attachment-informed, affordable childcare – so that parents can leave their children and know they are developing properly (to run the world well, after we’ve departed).  Often it falls to mothers to be the primary caregivers so not having this, significantly reduces the number of women in the workplace, contributing to the economy, our policies, our innovations, our media, our publishing, our science, our research, the list goes on….  

And here’s another one: 

For women who are in the workforce, finding ways to support women ‘across the realms’ is key.  An example of this would be supportive coaching that explores how a woman can be self agent in the work place (e.g. having her voice heard, knowing her worth, being valued, learning and growing) and being self agent at home (being a well equipped mother, having the right support structures, any relational support with her partner, her family).  We are complex, integrated beings, so supporting us as though we are can, have profound results on individuals, organisations and society.   

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?

To quote Dr Seuss:  ‘Those who mind, don’t matter. And those who matter, don’t mind’. Care less what other thinks.  Value those who value you.  Most of all, value yourself.   

What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future? 

I have another 120 hours to go to achieve the next level of coaching certification. I’d like to meet that milestone in the next year.  When I think how different my life was 3 years ago from how it now, I’m curious to see what the next 3 years bring.  Trying to be a good mother and a good leader are important to me. I’m looking forward to seeing what those intentions continue to bring.…