GAME-CHANGING MOMENTS
T
he most pivotal moment
of my career so far was
launching my new creative
agency &Walsh. On the launch day
I was overwhelmed with emotion:
elation that it was finally happening
after a lifetime of dreaming of my
own studio, exhaustion from the
non-stop work that brought me to
that point, and an anxiety about
what would come next.
I was also overwhelmed with
gratitude for the privileged position
I found myself in. Very few women
make it to creative leadership
positions and even fewer found their
own creative agencies. The lack of
representation in leadership and the
pay gap for women and non-binary
people has been a focus of mine
through our non-profit initiative
Ladies, Wine & Design. It was born
out of my experience I had with
sexism in our industry – not only
from men, but from other women.
The numbers say it all: many
design schools are about 70 per cent
women, but only five to 11 per cent
of creative director positions are
held by women. Only 0.1 per cent
of creative agencies are women-
owned! How can this be, when
women drive about 80 per cent of
consumer purchasing? Diversity in
leadership at agencies drives profit.
While we’ve made strides towards
equality in the past few decades, we
still have a long way to go. I want
to use &Walsh to expand on these
social initiatives such as Ladies,
Wine & Design, and to implement
these principles within our studio.
I’m excited to build an agency that
provides mentorship and equal
opportunity for all to grow creatively
and climb the ranks towards
leadership, if that’s their desire.
Despite having prominence in
the design industry, I was still so
fearful of what could happen with
the new agency. Self-doubt and
imposter syndrome is something
that never goes away; I know
many successful creatives who go
through it. My list of worries was
long. Would my new agency be as
successful as the last? Would we
bring in enough clients to supportour large creative team in NYC?
Would I be able to make my dreams
for the new agency become a reality?
It’s only been a year, but I’m happy
to say that so far my worst fears
have not come true, and the studio
and team is thriving!
If you have a dream, keep moving
towards it. There will always be
obstacles, haters and those who
don’t believe in you along the way,
including yourself. The path might
not be as simple as you thought, but
you have to keep pushing through.
Don’t be deterred if it takes longer
than you think: age and years
are meaningless. And don’t be
disillusioned that once you achieve
a certain award, title or pay raise,
your life will be happier or more
complete. I’ve found the real joy is
not in any accomplishment, but in
the creative pursuits, discoveries,
personal growth and people you
meet along the way. And if you’re
unsure about making a big change
that you know deep down is right,
trust your gut. Take the leap.Left: &Walsh agency launch assets. Above: &Walsh team photograph to celebrate the agency launch.“Very few women make it to creative leadership
positions; even fewer found their own agencies”
JessicaWalshisthefounderandcreativedirectorof&Walsh﹒Shelecturesaboutdesignatcreativeconferencesand
universitiesinternationally﹐andteachesdesign&typographyatTheSchoolofVisualArtsinNYC﹒Herworkhaswon
numerousawardsfrommostmajordesigncompetitionsincludingTypeDirector’sClub﹐ArtDirector’sClub﹐D&ADand
Graphis﹒Jessica’sbeenawardedForbes“# under# topcreativesdesigningthefuture”andAdAge’s“Top! VisualCreatives”﹒
andwalsh﹒com
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