Bec Brideson teams up with Melbourne start-up to nurture female leadership through workshops

Advertising’s marketing-to-women authority Bec Brideson is teaming up with start-up Miss Collective on a new series of female empowerment workshops. Titled #LikeABoss, these workshops will set out to nurture and assist young women into leadership positions within the still male-dominated communications and creative fields.

Brideson, one of only 3% of female creative directors in her time, wants to see more women on top who are recognised and respected. Brideson’s campaign for women began when she left a successful advertising career to start the first marketing-to-women agency in Australia. It continues today with these workshops and the launch of her new consultancy, Bec Brideson, assisting brands to understand and leverage the growing importance and economic impact of the modern women.

Says Brideson: “Change is happening but it’s slow. We have to constantly push it, move it forward. We have to be like Cindy Gallop and blow-shit-up. This is the century of women – let’s own it.”

Peak Australian ad industry body Communications Council reported in 2014 that only 15% of women were in creative while only 13.5% of them hold senior positions. Advertising seems keen to remain a boy’s club despite rising awareness around a lack of diversity and an increasing number of women calling it out. However research has consistently shown that diversity of staff can elevate creativity and increase revenue in what many have considered a stagnated industry.

Says Brideson: “With the lack of role models in agencies, it’s up to those of us who have fought for leadership to send the elevator back down for the new female talent. If we don’t, the industry will go to the dogs.”

The Port Melbourne workshops will include Brideson discussing how to move up and break down the female glass ceiling with anecdotes and insights. Brideson has held multiple senior executive positions in the APAC region as well as being the head of her own agency for over ten years.

Miss Collective, co-founded by Kara Jenkins, creative director at Isobar and Steph Webster, group account director at Reactive, was created to help women in the advertising, media and marketing industry.

Jenkins felt #LikeABoss was the perfect addition to Miss Collective’s unique selection of workshop and networking opportunities.

Says Jenkins: “Bec is inspiring, thought provoking and a well-known advocate for supporting women in our industry. We hope Bec can share her inimitable wisdom in how to succeed in a male dominated industry.”

Miss Collective’s first #LikeABoss workshop will be held on May 11th at Blix Spaces in Port Melbourne. Tickets for singles cost $59, You+Your Friend are $99. Tickets can be bought here. Find out more about Miss Collective here.

Bec Brideson remains director of Venus Comms in Melbourne and has recently launched her own consultancy, Bec Brideson, where she is bringing ten years of female marketing insight, IP and methodology directly to clients. Find out more about Bec Brideson here.