When Christine Osekoski, publisher of Fast Company, took the podium at the inaugural Direct Marketing News Hall of Femme event in New York City today, she informed the audience that women of marketing have come to a crossroad.
“We can be our worst enemy…,” Osekoski says. “[Or], we can focus on our accomplishments, our creativity, and our own ideas.”
To illustrate how today’s women can continue to lead the marketing industry, Osekoski revealed the three legs that uphold her stool of success.
Collaboration:
The female marketer of today is nothing short of an everyday Wonder Woman. Osekoski encouraged the Hall of Femme attendees to “combine forces” and use their super-power achievements and knowledge to enhance other women’s lives.
For example, Osekoski cited how Girl Scouts CEO Anna Maria Chavez is collaborating with influential female mentors, including actress Tea Leoni, to promote the Girl Scouts’ “To Get Her There” campaign: a program dedicated to helping young women develop leadership qualities and become more involved in the science and technology fields.
Inclusiveness
Keeping the creative components of marketing organized can be a “messy process,” Osekoski said. However, she urged marketers to make room for both male and female marketers to focus on the company’s creative briefs, missions, and goals.
Mentorship
Whether communicating in-person or via the Twitter-sphere, Osekoski said all of her conversations have been “interactions with a purpose.” Various male and female mentors sprouted from such purposeful interactions. Alpha Media Executive Chairman Jack Kliger, former Time Inc. CEO Jack Griffin, and Cisco Chief Technology and Strategy Officer Padmasree Warrior were among the top three advisers on Osekoski’s list.
For example, instead of striving for balance in her life, Osekoski said Warrior taught her to focus on happiness. “She doesn’t believe in the word balance,” Osekoski said. “Balance means you constantly have to choose.”
So what was Cisco’s CTO’s secret to happiness? Ironically, a ‘digital detox’ that includes disconnecting from the iPhone.
“Padma’s words to me were just causal words at a dinner, but they were words of a mentor. They were words of a coach.”
As Osekoski wrapped up her speech, she asked the audience a simple question: “Is it our obligation to only help other women, or to be leaders of inclusiveness?”
The Fast Company publisher concluded that it was time to end the boys versus girls’ playground battle and to make room at the marketing table for both male and female marketing achievements.
