#6 From Journalist to Creative Director: Laura Weir, on Rejection, Career Highs and the Executive Switch

On today’s episode Sharmadean Reid is delighted to be joined by Karen Blackett OBE, President of WPP UK and all round media genius.We discuss how Karen established herself in media planning and buying, how she negotiated and created a position for herself, and lessons on how to scale yourself and map out your own career path.Karen is a business leader with 25 years' experience in the marketing communications industry. She holds several non-executive roles including Creative England and The MOBO Trust.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? Find out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My brilliant guest today is Sujata Bhatia, Chief Operations Officer at Monzo. Sujata’s fascinating career spans from strategist at Bain & Company to 16 years at American Express. In an era where everyone seems to job hop, what does it look like to rise through a company of that size?You can expect to learn how good leaders recognsie the potential for development in staff, working for a brand that means something to you, and finding your tribe to create the conditions for success.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? Find out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sharmadean sits down with Laura Weir, Creative Director of Selfridges, London. With a remarkable career journey that includes senior editorial roles at British Vogue, The Sunday Times, and Editor in Chief at ES Magazine, Laura shares her insights on navigating rejection, relishing career highs, and executing the pivotal move to the executive realm. She also shares the experience of getting the best of both worlds by being able to work in the vibrant city of London while enjoying the serene lifestyle of Brighton.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? Find out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we speak to Anna Bateson, CEO of the Guardian Media Group, about her vast experience propelling brands to new heights. Anna has spent most of her career overseeing the marketing development of major media brands including Bloomberg, ITV, Google and Youtube.In this episode, you can expect to learn how to transform a business model to thrive in the digital age, corporate and start up differences, and the power of being honest with colleagues when businesses are faced with difficult decisions.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we explore the fascinating career trajectory of Rachel Muscat, who spent nearly a decade as the Global Director of Icon Collaborations at Adidas. Then her career then took a turn when Pharrell Williams personally recruited her to become a co-founder of https://www.humanrace.com/, his own wellbeing brand. Uncover the behind-the-scenes stories of collaboration, innovation, and the amazing growth of Rachel's career.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sharmadean Reid sits down with Dr. Joy Spence, who made history in 1997 by becoming the world's first female master blender at Appleton Estate, Jamaica's oldest distillery with roots dating back to at least 1749. Dr. Spence shares her incredible journey as she defied stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated industry as well as telling the stories of the brilliant mentors she had along the way. She shares the challenges she faced, the resilience that propelled her to the top and why she is so passionate about getting more young women into STEM careers.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldJoin Club Jamaica, a network of Stack Members who are Jamaican here: https://thestack.world/club/club-jamaica-269Executive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Kinjil Mathur, Chief Marketing Officer of Squarespace, to delve into her journey from the world of fashion to the forefront of technology. Kinjil shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career, and how her unique perspective has contributed to the success of one of the leading website-building platforms.Named one of Vogue's "49 Incredible Indian Women Who Are Creating Legacies Across the Globe," Kinjil Mathur has been a trailblazer in bridging product and revenue teams in the role within marketing. We explore her career path from intern to CMO and the invaluable lessons she's carried with her.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to truly be a pioneer leader? In this episode, we sit down with the remarkable Gail Rebuck, DBE, Chair of Penguin Random House UK, a true trailblazer in the world of publishing.In this episode she tells us about her whirlwind path to the top, being one of the first women to be a cofounder of a modern publishing house, negotiating the deal to get them acquired, becoming CEO over your cofounder and how to be the boss of people you are friends with.During her tenure as CEO she published some remarkable hits including Dan Brown and Fifty Shades of Grey, taking Penguin Random House to some of their highest sales. She also was on the frontline during the court case between Dan Brown and two other writers for IP.But the tough part? Gail Rebuck DBE also discusses the trials of working motherhood and how the press vilified her for taking the lead and can you really be the perfect executive?Join us for this conversation about one of the longest and most illustrious careers in publishing.Want more? Executive Realness is a community as well as a podcast and you can join us for live recordings and watch the past video interviews here: https://bit.ly/MoreExecutiveRealnessAre you a woman who wants to lead? out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworldExecutive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Female founders are everywhere in the media, but what about the women leaders behind big business? In Executive Realness, join your host, Sharmadean Reid, founder of The Stack World, as she sits down with powerful women behind the world's most innovative brands, so that you can learn the journeys and strategies for your own personal career growth.Executive Realness is brought to you by The Stack World, a new media company for women at work.Find out more about The Stack community here: https://bit.ly/thestackworld Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.