Women’s Leadership Panel 2017 / Donna Robinson Profile
Tell me a little bit about your career path. What did you think you wanted to be when you entered the workforce, how has that changed, and why?
In college I thought I wanted to be an interior designer. I have always loved design and the creative process but after completing a year in design school, I realized designing interiors wasn’t for me. I then looked at other programs that would keep me close to the creative process and discovered marketing and advertising.
After graduating, I landed my first job as a marketing assistant for Borden, Inc., which at the time was a major competitor of General Mills. It was a fantastic entry-level role because I was exposed to many different parts of marketing.
My favorite part of that first job was working with our ad agencies. I loved collaborating on and planning all aspects of the campaigns and got to work with such creative and talented people. I also quickly learned that the business side of marketing is just as fun as the creative side.
As my career progressed and the industry evolved I found myself drawn to digital marketing. I realized early that digital was going to be big, so I put myself in the position to own the work. For those that are always curious, like myself, the data and insights that digital marketing reveals about human behavior makes the work especially exciting.
What does it mean to you to be a leader?
I’ve always found that good leaders are people-focused. Leaders inspire and push others to achieve more than they think they can. It’s the little things that leaders do each day that make the difference.
To me, being a leader means being accessible and available with employees. It means finding each person’s unique gift or talent and feeding it, all while watching them grow. It also means taking the blame when things go wrong and seeing your way through a problem when others would stop.
What is your favorite part of coming to work each day?
There are so many things I enjoy about coming to work. I love that no two days are ever the same. I get to work with different clients and solve new business challenges. I also love working with such smart people. My staff is constantly teaching me new things and challenging my understanding of how we solve our clients’ problems.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in this industry?
Balancing work and family. I was raised in the South and although my extended family expected me to stay home with my three daughters, I’ve always wanted to work and have a family. It was certainly tough at times but my husband and I were able to find some balance.
Striking a balance, however, did mean that I had to make difficult career choices along the way. At one point I chose to leave the agency side of advertising for a corporate role that offered a more predictable daily schedule and limited my travel. Once my children were older, I was able to go back to the agency side. I’m glad to see more agencies making an effort to help women find a balance.
Now that my children are all grown I am happy that I stuck it out. I even have one daughter that followed me into the industry. I only hope that I was able to set a good example for them.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
I love online shopping. I try to pretend that shopping is research for my job, but I definitely enjoy it a little too much. I also love to read, spend time with my family, and it seems like I am always planning our next vacation.
What advice do you have for navigating this industry?
The first piece of advice I have is to work hard. This industry isn’t for the lazy or weak: it takes a lot of grit to be successful. Focus on doing your job to the best of your ability. The promotions and the raises will follow.
The next most important thing is to network and nurture your professional relationships. Take the time to connect with others in the industry. Connecting with your peers will help you learn, open new doors, and expose you to all of the cool things going on in this great advertising community.
Finally, always stay curious. The world we live in is always changing. The only way to stay on top of it is to watch it change, read about it constantly, and try to predict what’s next.
How did you get to where you are today?
I was lucky early in my career to work with some really smart and talented people. I learned everything I could from them by asking so many questions. I did my best to own everything that I touched and worked really hard the whole way.
What do you wish more people knew about you?
I get really excited about nurturing the next generation of leaders. I am fortunate to have a talented leadership team that genuinely cares about their employees. I especially enjoy watching them develop and grow their teams into high-function units that love what they do and produce really great work.
What do you have on your desk?
So many papers. My desk is a mess, but printing and reviewing presentations or media plans keeps me ingrained in the work. There are also pictures of my family to keep me grounded, and a few of our best-places-to-work awards, which remind me for whom I am leading this agency.
Robinson is the Chief Executive Officer of Nina Hale and will be giving us more inspiring tidbits during the Women’s Leadership Panel on Nov 16. For more information visit www.womensleadershippanel.org
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