Two Marketing Moguls Speak During Y Digital’s ‘Women, Work and Leadership’ Panel

On March 24, Y Digital hosted the “Women, Work and Leadership” event, featuring guests Carolyn Walker and Rebecca Coleman Marketing students tuned in for Thursday evening’s event with two leading marketing moguls. Carolyn Walker, CEO and managing partner for Response Marketing in New York has worked with brands like McAfee, Red Lobster, Tylenol and more. For Rebecca Coleman, president of The Narrative Group in L.A, McDonald's, Oikos and Disney are in her repertoire of brands. Walker went through highlights in her career. She recalled being promoted three times in three years, as well as buying out the original owners of the agency back in 2009. Her stories brought awe to the audience, as well as the reassurance that each of them could reach those levels of success. The moderator asked the women if they had experienced imposter syndrome. In a vulnerable moment, Coleman related her struggle with feelings of inadequacy before parlaying the question into a coping strategy. “You’ve just got to show up,” she expressed. “Men will always take the opportunities given to them, even if they aren’t necessarily qualified for the position, and women should do the same.” Walker stated that she never had to deal with imposter syndrome. “Did I always know everything? No,” she said. “But I knew I could learn. I wasn’t afraid to ask questions.” Both women drove the point of advocating for yourself and asking for what you want in the workforce. “No one is going to ask you if you want more money,” said Walker. Coleman added that when talking wages, she attaches herself to her business development strategy and makes her pitches that way. “You are valued at what they think you're worth. You have to show them what you're worth,” she said. Being highly successful can lead to busy lives; however, the business women stressed how important it is to have a healthy work-life balance. “You have to be really good at getting people to do the work and have the discipline to not take it on yourself,” said Coleman. She added that it took her about 10 years to learn the skill. “It’s easy just to say, ‘I can do it.’ But it’s about being disciplined and carving out time for yourself,” said Walker. She said she wakes up at 5:30 in the morning to take a walk. “You have to have down time,” she said. “You can't be 100 percent if you're just working all the time. Sometimes the best ideas come when you're away.” Walker closed out the discussion by telling the students to keep following what they love. “Be brave!” she said. “Don't let anyone stop you.”