A Seat at the Table: My First IWD Lunch with Bluestripe
By Layla Wood, Partnerships Executive
Bluestripe held its annual Digital Women IWD Lunch last Thursday, the first IWD Lunch that I’ve attended since joining five months ago. In fact, not only am I new to Bluestripe, but I’m actually a newcomer to the Digital Media and Ad Tech industry.
Entering a brand new industry has been so exciting, but it has also come with its challenges. I suppose it is a little intimidating to join an industry where everyone seems to know everyone and then want to establish my place…
But actually, it is a great thing to be able to join something with such a huge sense of community. Thursday’s Lunch was a great display of this.
Opening with empowerment
The day was full of meaningful conversations, starting with an opening speech from Lydia, Bluestripe’s co-founder and COO.
Lydia drew attention to the rising backlash against equality, whether this be the political attacks on DE&I in the US or the concerning narrative from Gen Z men that ‘gender equality has gone too far’.
Something from Lydia that stood out was that ‘empowering women does not diminish men - it strengthens society’. This perfectly summarised something I’ve felt before, yet struggled to explain to people who challenge that notion. This feeling of solidarity in what Lydia said - I can only describe it as bittersweet. ‘Sweet’ because solidarity is lovely, as it encourages connection and hope, but also ‘bitter’ because why does it need to be this way at all? It feels unfair.
Making space to have the conversation
Katie Ingram, Director of Advertising Week Europe, spoke next and it was incredibly moving. She told a room full of 120 people about a deeply personal, heartbreaking experience of baby loss.
Following Katie’s speech, there was a long standing ovation. She truly touched every single person in that room, and there was so much admiration for her bravery in telling her story.
An important point Katie made was that to accelerate action, we need to make space to have the conversation. ‘Any silence, diversion or avoidance of the topic is more painful than acknowledgement’. This reminded me to take more accountability and make sure I am having difficult conversations.
A panel of inspiration
Next was the panel discussion moderated by Ellie Edwards-Scott, co-founder of The Advisory Collective and a good friend of Bluestripe. Since I met Ellie, she has made me feel so seen - which is all anyone could really ask for, right?
As a newbie to the industry, hearing about the inspirational careers of the panelists was insightful. A variety of topics were covered. For example, what can employers be doing to be better? The answer: become real allies, so ensure you are actually acting and enforcing accordingly.
Felicity Dudley, Head of Marketing at DoubleVerify, participated in her first-ever panel. It made me think that big opportunities could come my way sooner than expected if I really work hard. It served as a good reminder to try and actively shut down imposter syndrome when it creeps in.
Final thoughts
The event was incredibly successful in driving meaningful conversations and bringing people together. I am excited to be at the beginning of my career in this sector, and intrigued to see how society will change over the course of my journey.
When following the guidance and wisdom of these inspirational women who have such unforgettable stories to tell, I want to believe things can only get better from here. This may seem naive, but I am also a huge believer that we need hope to truly accelerate action.