Agency cutbacks and creatives’ desire for full-time work spark Rosie Recruits. It’s no secret that, especially with continued fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, agencies have had to make tough decisions about staffing, with layoffs an unfortunate and common occurrence. Additionally, the general move to more remote work, which could be a permanent change in some form, has brands and agencies determining the best way to approach talent.
Stephanie Nadi Olson has reimagined the modern-day marketing workforce with We Are Rosie, a network of independent and freelance marketing experts available to work with brands and agencies on a project basis. At the time of its awards submission, the platform was home to 2,200 consultants, and more than 20 Fortune 500 companies and five agency holding companies had bought in, leading to more than $4.5 million in revenue. But there’s heart behind the business. A working mom and daughter of a refugee, Nadi Olson had felt marginalized in her advertising career and wanted to create an inclusive company that provided opportunities for others who felt like they “didn’t belong” in their careers. Her company wants to ensure that those in the network thrive, and provides medical, dental and vision coverage for all eligible freelance consultants put to work.
Brandon (his name has been changed for this story to protect his anonymity), has had enough. A Black strategist at a holding company agency, he is contemplating leaving the business altogether. While he says he loves being a strategist, the “monolith” culture at the agencies where Black agency employees are made to “assimilate to white culture to fit in” is getting to him, especially in this moment as protests against systemic racism and police brutality continue with historic intensity and scope.
Leaders of the agency world used to be seen as names on doors, authors of books and fonts of quippy, quotable wisdom. Today’s best leaders, however, can be found operating at the ground level each day, leading by listening so they can stay in tune with the needs of their teams, their clients and the ever-evolving culture around them. Here are 26 names you should know when it comes to excellence in modern agency leadership.
Agency Brief: Fishbowl survey shows remote workers are anxious about layoffs – and drinking on the job. Plus, two creatives aim to ignite discussions on mental health, and a UN Woman PSA sheds light on a global spike in domestic violence.
A new report from remote specialists We Are Rosie outlines the pros of this great talent migration.
The massive shift towards virtual presents a new set of challenges for employees. But with these challenges come opportunities, namely a more inclusive way of working.
The freelance revolution has an identity problem, resulting from spectacular growth. Over the past decade or so, starting with pioneers like Elance and oDesk (merged to create Upwork), we’ve seen – and I’ve described in my book Agile Talent – the emergence of freelancing as an accepted alternative career path, supported by the proliferation of digital talent marketplaces or, freelance platforms. And they are growing, innovating, differentiating, and diversifying at a fast clip. Smart observers like John Healy of Kelly OGC and John Winsor of Open Assembly have estimated the number above several hundred.
There’s no sugarcoating the situation that we are all facing. The shock and pain of the daily layoffs, the budget freezes and the closure of businesses are leaving us with grief, and one big question: Where do we go from here?The entire industry is feeling this moment, but it’s one I’ve been preparing for in my work at We Are Rosie. We need a total system reboot, and where we take it is up to us. This is a powerful moment for our community. And developing a new type of advertising practice through We Are Rosie over the last few years has afforded me a perspective on where we might be heading.
We’re living in the gray right now. That’s not a good thing if you’re a business which has always relied on the black and white. We Are Rosie, a remote network of 4,000 marketing pros swooping in to power agencies and brands, thrives in the gray, and specializes in rainbow — enhancing a company’s spectrum for success with greater diversity of talent. Traditionalists scoffed at this fantastical freelance model when it was launched two years ago by Stephanie Nadi Olson. But now, as COVID-19’s inferno tears through adland, it’s become very apparent that We Are Rosie’s unfaltering formula stands like a fortress amid the flames. And there’s a line of wounded marketers knocking at the door to get in.