‘Hang out with women who are different from you – don’t see their differences as a threat’

This International Women’s Day, we had a conversation with Lisa Seymour, Head of Brand Development at Fox&Bear, about her female inspirations, her perspectives on supporting women in the workplace, and the importance of diversity, creativity, collaboration, and resilience within digital marketing.

Tell us about your role and what you like best about it.

As Head of Brand Development at Fox&Bear, it’s my job to lead a group of talented designers and creatives. Together we aim to bridge the gap between brand and audience, for clients in sectors such as healthcare, professional services, leisure and B2B.

Solving brand challenges varies with messaging and audience dynamics, be it websites, campaigns or rebranding, each presenting unique hurdles. I enjoy combining audience research with team brainstorming, leveraging knowledge and experience for refined designs, pushing boundaries, and empowering my team while upholding brand integrity.

Which women have inspired you the most?

My first boss, Charlie Chant, was a game-changer for me. Despite juggling two kids as a single parent at 27, starting as an admin assistant, I felt drawn to design but unsure how to integrate it with my role. Charlie’s leadership allowed us to spread our wings, pushing us out of our comfort zones while being our biggest cheerleader. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

As for Frida Kahlo, my admiration started at 15 during a summer in Miami, surrounded by copies of her iconic look. Her journey, overcoming struggles, championing feminist beliefs, and her daring art challenging the status quo, deeply inspired me. While I don’t own her work, her design style influences mine – bold, funky, with a touch of heroism. That’s how I got the bug. I really care about how things look. As marketers, we don’t create for ourselves like picking art for our homes. It’s better in many ways. We must immerse ourselves in the audience’s mindset to meet their brand expectations.

As women, how can we support each other to achieve our goals?

Hang out with women who are different from you, and don’t see their differences as a threat – see them as someone you can learn from. The women in my life come from all walks of life: old friends, new friends, all age groups, with all sorts of beliefs, and each of them has taught me something valuable.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we’re always learning and that the people we are around are our teachers. Understanding different viewpoints, lifestyles and experiences helps me grow professionally. We should be each other’s biggest fans, celebrate each other’s victories, ditch the competitive mindset, and work together no matter our job titles.

What advice would you give women looking to get into marketing?

Get a handle on your ‘why’? What’s driving you? What’s your mission? Why are you drawn to doing what you do? Figuring out what excites you, what you’re passionate about, and how you want to make a difference is key to finding your place in marketing.

It’s ok to mess up sometimes – that’s how we learn and grow. While there are norms and best practices in the industry, it’s totally fine to experiment. Speak your mind; don’t be afraid to share your thoughts. Marketing is all about connecting with people; the success of our campaigns or designs depends on the emotions they incite. So, if you’ve got an idea, don’t hold back.

What are some key skills or qualities you believe are essential for success in the world of marketing?

• Listening – it’s super important. It’s about really getting what your clients are saying about their needs, problems, and ideas for solutions. And as you get better at it, you start picking up on the stuff they don’t say.

• Data curious – What tools can you leverage to give you a better picture of the audience? Consumer research tools and analytics tools can give you some great insights into the audience you help you design for them. A win as they’re the ones you’re trying to attract.

• Creativity – The ability to think creatively and come up with original concepts and designs that effectively communicate the brand’s message and values. This is imperative and some subject are more difficult than others.

• Collaborative – work with your peers, get their take, share research. Discuss what you know and build a picture. Once you have your initial concepts, ask you peers to give you feedback. 

• Resilience – creative marketing can be a hard job at times. A little bit of you goes into every piece of work you do. Often your clients will require changes and sometimes a complete do over. Learn not to take it personally, be happy to go on the journey with your client – the results will be worth it!

• Detail – it’s a must. Once you’ve launched something, there’s no turning back. So, making sure everything is spot-on is key. If you’re not naturally great at noticing the little things, it’s worth figuring out your own system to double-check your work.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to leadership positions in their careers?

I still believe in the idea of leading by example. Pay attention to the leadership styles around you. Engage in volunteering or mentoring programs like Young Enterprise for confidence-building or seek mentorship for support with challenges. These experiences cultivate adaptability, effective communication and resilience, which is important in a leadership role.

www.foxbear.co.uk