Davina Barker, sales director at DCM, gives both clarity and good vibes in this relatable and uplifting conversation.
Davina discusses how family life can be a stress as well as a joy; how to reframe work to your children to get them engaged in the joy of having a job; and why and how she and DCM are such great supporters of NABS. As a previous Campaign 40 Over 40 winner, Davina also gives her take on ageism in the industry and how adland could open up even more to older cohorts.
Key takeaways:
A mental wellness challenge doesn't have to be a huge event - it could be managing the ongoing demands of family life.
Reframing work as an escape from challenges at home can be healthy and helpful - you don't have to have all of the answers, all of the time, and your brain needs a break to come up with creative solutions.
Be wise about which events you'll attend in Q4 - a strategy is everything to help you use your energy and time well.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
Hamish Nicklin is co-founder and CEO of Agent Flow, who build AI solutions that help businesses to grow.
Hamish Nicklin is a life force and one of the industry’s best-known names, having held senior positions at Dentsu Media UK, Guardian Media and Google. He is also a trustee of NABS and pulls no punches when describing how vital NABS is to adland, and why everybody needs to donate to keep NABS’ vital work going.
Hamish is exuberant throughout, even when discussing the burnout that led to him reevaluating his life and ultimately changing him forever.
If you want to feel cheered up and supported, this is the episode for you.
Key takeaways:
Your upbringing can contribute to burnout – at some point, the values you were taught as a child may crash into the realties you’re dealing with as an adult. Therapy can help you to unlock what’s going on.
Take the time to find the right therapy for you – for Hamish, it was about finding practical solutions after understanding his past.
Don’t fear AI. Instead, learn to vibe code and play around with the technology.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
How to spot burnout and share tough times with Emma Flaxman
Emma Flaxman is senior commercial comms lead at Channel 4 and a mental wellness influencer in adland, having led on mental health for the likes of PHD and Omnicom Group UK. Emma is superbly open about her own challenges, especially where they relate to becoming a single parent. She blogs about her experiences on her blog. In this brilliant conversation, Emma talks about spotting burnout in yourself and in your team as well as what life looks like for her as a senior leader raising two children on her own. We also discuss the importance of movement and recovering from the trauma of school sports to reclaim physical and mental fitness as an adult.
Key takeaways:
Burnout often goes unrecognised until it manifests in behaviour changes
Managers should ask their team members open-ended questions to understand how they're feeling
Giving back to others can make you feel great, no matter how busy you are.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
How to navigate alcohol and addiction, with Natalie Bell, CEO, MG OMD
Natalie Bell is CEO, MG OMD and one of the industry's most prolific leaders, with a string of accolades to show for it. With her focus on people and mental wellness, she's well-placed to talk about leading with empathy. Natalie also has a moving story to tell: that of living with her mother's alcohol addiction, and how this has affected her.
This is a thought-provoking and heartfelt discussion, which also delves into the importance of supporting managers in our industry.
Key takeaways:
Alcohol use disorder is a spectrum, and we need to talk more about what this complex condition looks like;
We still need to do more to make it OK to drink a little, or not at all, at industry events; and
Our industry needs to give more resource and support to managers, so they can support themselves and their teams.
James Fox is the outgoing CEO of Havas. First and foremost though, in his own words, he's a dad, and in this conversation he talks about the truth of being a working parent and a leader in adland with refreshing honesty and perspective. It shouldn't be unusual for an adland leader to say that it's OK and natural for parents to put their children first, but it is, and in this conversation James talks about how he manages the parenting/working combination.
James is also fascinating on the topic of the 'shadow board' at Havas, which enables people across the organisation to ask him questions about anything - anonymously.
Key takeaways:
Therapy is for everyone, not just for people in crisis
Open communication is everything, between your peers and across your organisation
Parental leave for dads is a wonderful thing; dads returning to work also need structured support
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
Trevor Robinson OBE is the co-founder of Quiet Storm, which he runs with his wife Rania (also a NABS Podcast guest) and Create not Hate, which works with young talent from underrepresented groups.
Trevor is the brains and creativity behind the legendary Tango advert in the 90s, having adopted a fearless attitude cultivated as a young creative, on the dole, trying to get into the adland industry.
He's passionate about creativity and diversity and is refreshingly down-to-earth, especially when speaking about working with Rania and looking after his mental wellness.
Key takeaways:
The drive for diversity needs to come from the top
If you work with your spouse or partner, you have to get things out in the open
Don't be afraid of things going wrong in your career
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
Rania Robinson is CEO of Quiet Storm Advertising, co-founder of Create not Hate and a former president of WACL. She's also a naturally early riser, using her body-clock attuned 5am starts as valuable me-time to support her mental wellness. Rania realises 5am isn't a time for everyone, and in this easygoing chat Rania shares her tips for sustaining self-support, as well as the importance of sharing values in business and relationships - she runs Quiet Storm with her husband, Trevor Robinson OBE.
Rania is a great ambassador for the sandwich generation (kids, parents, menopause...) as well as an empathetic boss, and a huge believer in the critical importance of diversity in adland.
Key takeaways:
Respecting your differences, as well as your shared values, is vital for genuine success
Looking after yourself and others is an active practice
Bosses need to realise that supporting their staff goes beyond perks - it's about not burning out your team, and respecting their work/life boundaries
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
How art and creativity can support your mental wellness - with Jade Tomlin
Jade is executive creative director at Huge, a design and innovation company based in London and New York. A graduate of St. Martin's, Jade describes herself as a creative adventurer. She's worked on brands from Sony to Starbucks and also runs Creative Adventures, where she supports founders and entrepreneurs.
Jade is also helping to drive forward NABS' Art Auction - submit your piece by 9 September and help to raise funds with your creativity nabs.org.uk/artauction
Jade is relatable, empathetic and speaks honestly about her experience of being working-class and LGBT while finding her way in the industry. In particular, her take on what happens when you don't come out until your twenties is super insightful.
Key takeaways:
The fun and the fallout of coming out in your twenties and how this affects your mental wellness at work
The micro stresses you can encounter as a working-class industry entrant
Listening, listening, listening, helps a team to bond and grow
Josh Krichefski is CEO of GroupM, EMEA and UK and president of the IPA. This industry influencer is also a huge advocate for mental wellness in our industry, and at the IPA has introduced the People First Promise to promote mental health awareness and support across adland. Has your organisation signed up to it yet?
Josh talks about his own struggles - anxiety and insomnia - as well as how to get involved with the People First Promise. He's very clear, down-to-earth and honest about the difference between good stress and the need to work hard and bad worries that can eclipse your mood and thinking.
Josh is a big NABS fan and we're happy to have his support. Josh is also a big Arsenal fan, which may or may not impact his mental wellness, depending on the season.
tw: suicide
Key takeaways:
How to spot a toxic workplace, and why these have to be deleted from our lives;
The People First Promise is about action, not just signing up to a policy; and
The magic of meditation in helping your brain to switch off.
Trigger Warning: sexual assault, sexual abuse, domestic violence, rape, alcoholism, cyberbullying
Matt Foster, director of DE&I at Ogilvy UK, has an outstanding track record of campaigning and changemaking, particularly in the LGBTQ+ space. We invited Matt to be our guest to discuss this work, as well as our NABS/Ogilvy Health collaboration around microaggressions. We have a fascinating discussion about all of this.
As well as the above, Matt recently shared his experience of sexual assault on his LinkedIn, and wanted to continue this brave conversation on the NABS Podcast. We discuss Matt's experience as a survivor of sexual violence and how he's sharing this trauma in order to help others. We explore how being a survivor affects your work self, and how to start the journey towards healing.
Matt is articulate, inspiring and an essential voice in the conversation around trauma survival and support at work. Huge thanks to Matt for his vulnerability & courage.
For help with any of the issues raised in this episode, please see the links below.
Key takeaways:
There is hope after trauma, and you need professional help & patience to help you process your experience;
To make change in the world around you, you need to transform anger into empathy
Self-care is essential when holding space for others or yourself
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
We are NABS. And we're here for you - for the great stuff, the tough stuff and everything in between. As an independent charity, we're set on advancing the mental wellness of our industry and helping everyone find their way forward - wherever they're starting from.
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