you can’t be what you can’t see: My musings on the 3% CONFERENCE

The following is a post I wrote on my company’s blog after attending the 3% Conference in New York in 2015.

The 3% Conference is an explosion of ideas, a thought-provoking thrill ride, a sisterhood of travelling expense accounts. Good thing they hand you a notebook when you walk in, because one feeble human’s memory couldn’t retain the myriad of insights, ideas, and actual, doable actions that were espoused during these two magical days in New York.

And after two days, dozens of speakers, and countless nuggets of truth and inspiration, my hand hurts from all the scribbling.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s what I was thinking.

But, no, this wasn’t just an army of woman warriors preaching to an impassioned choir. It wasn’t just a routine regurgitation of theoretical ideas or thoughtful complaints. It was all that and more. It was an eye opener. It was the fuel to my fire. And most importantly, it was empowering in a concrete and tangible way. In other words, we didn’t just talk about gender inequality. We talked about what each and every one us can do to be the change we want to see. 

A recurring idea throughout the conference was this: you can’t be what you can’t see.

Taken in the context of gender parity in the advertising industry, this statement refers to the inability of up-and-coming creative women, such as myself, to fathom becoming the next female ECD because we haven’t seen it happen before.

But thanks to the 3% Conference, I saw lots of things you CAN be.

You can be mindful at work by instituting things like Walking Wednesdays or starting meetings with a mindful minute of meditation.

You can be a fair salary provider, and conduct an audit to ensure that your agency fairly compensates both men and women.

You can be fearless, creative, and a leader without being a micromanager.

You can be 3% certified, and make sure that your agency makes strides to #changetheratio.

You can eliminate the game of telephone between the client and the creative team, and let the magic happen when they’re in the same room.

You can come back from a long gap in your career, and get the training you need to get back on track.

You can be a man who considers gender equality a win-win, and not just an issue for women.

You can’t, however, be what you can’t see. Fortunately, I saw great things at the 3% Conference that we can all aspire to be.

By Faye Ibars, Copywriter