This Way Up
49 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsTHIS WAY UP is a podcast featuring interviews with leading women in the creative industry. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of their careers. It’s those valuable insights that make the journey up a little less hard. For more info: www.thiswayup.io Follow us: @thiswayuppodcast
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Episodes
Episode 47 - Jane Evans
June 03, 2021 07:00 - 55 minutes - 76.1 MBFor this episode, I interviewed fellow Ad woman Jane Evans. Jane is well known in our industry, she was one of her generation’s most successful advertising women, winning tons of awards for her creative campaigns. BUT and there is a big but here, in her fifties, she was made to feel completely invisible by the advertising industry. This became a big problem. She quickly realised that there is a huge issue of unemployment and invisibility for all midlife women. Emails and calls were ignor...
Episode 46 - Camille Walala
April 29, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBFor episode 46, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow French woman and super talented artist Camille Walala. If you’re a Londoner, you will have probably seen her work around town- that’s because it cannot be missed. Camille uses buildings or any type of man-made landscape as her canvas, using a fusion of bold colours and playful geometric patterns. Whether it’s reviving an entire street in Leyton stone, creating a weird and wonderful house for Lego, taking over a disused petrol station ...
Episode 46 - Camille Walala
April 29, 2021 07:00 - 1 hour - 91.5 MBFor episode 46, I had the pleasure of interviewing fellow French woman and super talented artist Camille Walala. If you’re a Londoner, you will have probably seen her work around town- that’s because it cannot be missed. Camille uses buildings or any type of man-made landscape as her canvas, using a fusion of bold colours and playful geometric patterns. Whether it’s reviving an entire street in Leyton stone, creating a weird and wonderful house for Lego, taking over a disused petrol station ...
Episode 45 - Sophie Williams
April 14, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 84.2 MBThis episode features the amazing Sophie Williams. For those who don’t know Sophie, she is a TED Speaker, a leading anti-racism advocate, and the author of two great books. The first, Anti-Racist Ally is an Introduction to allyship at home, work, and in the community, and was published in October of last year. And just this week, I’m very excited as she has just released her latest book - Millennial Black. The book is the ultimate guide to the workplace for black women. It offers empoweri...
Episode 44 - Sarah Ellis
March 24, 2021 06:00 - 45 minutes - 62.6 MBIn this episode, I had a lovely conversation with Sarah Ellis. Sarah is the co-founder of Amazing If, an award-winning career development company with a mission to make work better for everyone. She’s also known for the great career podcast: Squiggly Careers and co-author of a book by the same name. This interview could not be more relevant for our current times. One of the reasons I reached out to Sarah was because of what happened to my best friend. After being furloughed and then made re...
Episode 43 - Annie Atkins
February 23, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBFor this episode, I caught up with Annie Atkins. You might not have heard of her name but you will certainly have seen her work. She's the mastermind behind some of the most iconic graphics props and set pieces for multi-award-winning films. Notably and probably one that stands out the most is her work for Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs and most recently the French dispatch. And yes the famous iconic pink patisserie box from the grand Budapest hotel is made by her! She’s a...
Episode 42 – Olimpia Zagnoli
February 04, 2021 08:00 - 1 hour - 92.6 MBFor this episode, I spoke to Olimpia Zagnoli. An Italian illustrator known for her incredible bold, colourful and sometimes ‘naughty’ illustrative style. She is prolific, her work has featured everywhere from the cover of The New Yorker to the shopfronts of Uniqlo, to a series of illustrations for Prada and she even has her very own line of homeware. It is not just her style that stands out, it’s her witty observations and effective execution that makes her so recognisable. What struck me ...
Episode 41 - Jade Purple Brown
November 12, 2020 06:00 - 53 minutes - 73.1 MBIn this episode, I interview the artist Jade Purple Brown. If you don’t know Jade, you may have come across her work if you use Adobe illustrator as her work is the splash card that comes up when the application is loading. That’s how talented she is and so I was excited to capture her story. And what a story it is. I actually reference during our conversation that her life is akin to a movie. From being fired from her first job as an art director to rising up and working hard to finding ...
Episode 40 – Yomi Adegoke
October 22, 2020 07:00 - 41 minutes - 56.6 MBFor this episode, I interview Yomi Adegoke. I first came across Yomi through her amazing book ‘Slay in your lane’ which she co-wrote with Elizabeth Uviebinené. Slay in your lane is an absolute must-read, from education to work to dating, this inspirational, honest and provocative book recognises and celebrates the strides black women have already made, while providing practical advice for those who want to do the same and forge a better, visible future. The book is filled with stories from ...
Episode 39 – Anna Ginsburg
October 04, 2020 23:00 - 54 minutes - 74.6 MBFor this episode, I interview the super inspiring Anna Ginsburg. Anna is a filmmaker who specialises in traditional hand-drawn and stop-motion as well as live-action videos. Her films have earned her a lot of well-deserved accolades over the years, including a Bafta for the Bombay Bicycle Club's for the music video 'How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep?', ‘Private Parts’, a film that features, you guessed it, women and men’s private parts, which was screened at film festivals worldwide. And mo...
Episode 38 – Lindsay Jang
September 12, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBFor this episode, I interview Hong Kong restaurateur Lindsay Jang, who is behind some of Hong Kong’s hottest restaurants. I’ve always been fascinated by restauranteurs. Simply because to be a successful one you need to combine a lot of different and varied skillsets – from branding to creating an atmosphere and of course making sure you serve up delicious food. It’s also notoriously super hard to make a success of it. And with Lindsay I got someone who's done exactly that, she talked me t...
Episode 37 – Liv Little
August 20, 2020 04:00 - 31 minutes - 43.9 MBFor this episode, I recorded Liv Little, the founder and CEO of gal-dem -an award-winning online and print publication committed to sharing perspectives from women and non-binary people of colour. Here is a scary stat for you - the current journalistic landscape is 94% white and 55% male. What I love so much about gal-dem is that they are actively trying to redress this imbalance through both their editorial and commercial work. And in this interview, I got a real understanding of the maga...
Episode 36 – Malika Favre
July 30, 2020 08:00 - 1 hour - 88 MBFor this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing the incredible French artist Malika Favre. Malika is as one of the most sought-after graphic artists in the UK with renown clients including The New Yorker, Vogue, BAFTA and Penguin Books, amongst many others. She uses positive and negative space to create bold, minimal artwork– often described as Pop Art meets OpArt. Like me, Malika was born in Paris and during our conversation, we reminisce about what it was like growing up in France...
Episode 35 – Lisa Smosarski
July 09, 2020 10:00 - 53 minutes - 73.5 MBFor this episode, I interviewed Lisa Smosarski. Lisa is the Editor in Chief and Board Director of Stylist magazine. Stylist is a free weekly magazine for women, known for its fashion, beauty, people and careers news. Over the years, it has featured Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie, Penélope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Aniston on the cover as well as Hillary Clinton, comedian Tina Fey, activist Emma González and classicist Mary Beard. I’ve always been a big fan of this magazine,...
Episode 34 – Caroline Pay
May 21, 2020 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBIn this episode, I catch up with a previous guest of the show, the amazing Caroline Pay. I originally recorded Caroline’s story in 2018 just before she relocated to California to take up her role as Chief Creative Officer of Headspace. This time, we discussed how her role at headspace is going as they go from strength to strength, with over 1m global subscribers. And as we recorded this Headspace were preparing to launch their amazing new initiative to make Headspace free for anyone who ha...
Episode 33 – Francesca Cavallo
April 29, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB“Kids are usually described as the citizens of the future, but instead, in my opinion, they are citizens of the present, and they should be treated as such… this is why it is important to expose children to stories that are based on what is happening around them, rather than just fantasy stories…if you treat them as citizens, from the moment they are born, with rights, according to their age. It is much easier I think, to cultivate a society of individuals who feel the responsibility that co...
Episode 33 – Francesca Cavallo
April 29, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB“Kids are usually described as the citizens of the future, but instead, in my opinion, they are citizens of the present, and they should be treated as such… this is why it is important to expose children to stories that are based on what is happening around them, rather than just fantasy stories…if you treat them as citizens, from the moment they are born, with rights, according to their age. It is much easier I think, to cultivate a society of individuals who feel the responsibility that co...
Episode 32 – Fiona McDermott
April 08, 2020 21:00 - 41 minutes - 57.6 MB"Imposter syndrome? Absolutely. How you deal with that is by being graceful and empathic and supportive, and not protecting. Owning up when you don't know something? So majorly important. You don't have to know everything." Fiona McDermott 2020 This is a very special episode recorded live on stage at the APA future of advertising conference earlier this year - and features the fantastic Fiona McDermott. For those who don’t know, Fiona she is Channel 4’s head of comedy. After joining Chann...
Episode 31 – Flex Mami
March 29, 2020 09:00 - 50 minutes - 69.7 MBFor this episode, I interviewed Lillian Ahenkan aka Flex Mami – she is a DJ, Presenter, Influencer, Podcaster, Model, and Author. I got the chance to record this interview at her amazing colourful house in Sydney, Australia earlier this year. I had an absolute blast recording this - Flex is fun, vibrant and the biggest go-getter I’ve ever met! In fact, at the age of just 26 she has already achieved more than many of us could dream of in a lifetime. And the great thing about this interview ...
Episode 30 – Vicki Maguire
March 11, 2020 22:00 - 57 minutes - 78.4 MBIn this episode, I got to interview the brilliant Vicki Maguire. Vicki is the Chief Creative Officer of ad agency Havas and she is one of the most awarded creatives in the industry today. Her work includes the ‘Hands Only CPR’ ad for the British Heart Foundation starring Vinnie Jones – which has now saved over 50 lives – and The Angina Monologues, which earned her a British Comedy Award. A vocal advocate of diversity and inclusion, Vicki was the first female chair of Creative Circle and help...
Episode 29 – Gemma O'Brien
February 26, 2020 21:00 - 48 minutes - 66.4 MB“I think there was definitely a negative aspect (to my ambition) that I think is still happening now where there's the ambition but when you take something so seriously, then if something doesn't got right or if you miss a deadline, and then there’s the stress and the anxiety that comes with that. And I think that's something that I've always struggled with.” Gemma O’Brien This time I talk to the super talented Gemma O’Brien @mrseaves101. Gemma is a world renowned artist based in Australia ...
Episode 28 - Moreblessing Maturure
February 12, 2020 22:00 - 1 hour - 100 MBI had the pleasure of interviewing Moreblessing in downtown Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. Moreblessing is an actor, activists and writer. I first came across Moreblessing through her amazing TED talk which I'll put a link to in the show notes. If you've got a set second, I really encourage you to take a listen. Moreblessing is an immigrant from Zimbabwe who came to Sydney when she was just eight years old. We talked about how that has influenced her writing and acting but also ho...
Episode 27 – Felicity Hayward
January 28, 2020 20:00 - 1 hour - 85.7 MB“The perfect body does not exist, as there are no two humans on this planet that are the same. So you have to aspire to be the best version of yourself and not someone else.” In this episode, I interview the inspirational Felicity Hayward. Felicity is a model, activist and a true ambassador for body positivity. She was first scouted to be a model whilst dancing to Diana Ross in an East London pub, which says a lot about her personality! Since then she became one of the first plus-size pio...
Episode 26 – Steph Douglas
December 03, 2019 20:00 - 1 hour - 84.9 MB“The first couple of years in business were really tough, and there's no end, just chasing the I'm never going to be done and feeling so anxious and so stressed by it all. I think a lot of women of our generation are just adding things into our to do list. So now I'm going to run a business and now I'm going to have children and now I'm going to write a book or and we're not taking anything out. And at the same time a lot of us are trying to emulate our mothers by being the good friend, the ...
Episode 25 – Rania Robinson
November 20, 2019 21:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MB“I've thought about my career over the years, and there have been a number of situations where it's got tough, it's got really, really tough and I probably gave up on things way too soon. Whether that's been a job, a role or a client relationship. But since having my own business, you realise you can’t walk away. And it’s because you can’t walk away that you realise that you can come out the other side, you come out often better with a better perspective.” Rania Robinson In this episode, I...
Episode 24 – Kinga Burza
November 05, 2019 21:00 - 1 hour - 49.1 MB“I always I think it's inevitable that in certain music videos and certain artists they want to be sexy and that's just always been the way music has gone on…but I've also felt very much that I am responsible for not exploiting the artist and so I think I've just listened to my instinct, followed my taste and tried to keep it tasteful. I mean with Katy Perry “I kissed a girl” could have been really inappropriate and crass. I tried to keep it sexy but also feminine and sensual rather than sex...
Episode 23 – Edith Bowman
October 22, 2019 20:00 - 59 minutes - 40.6 MB“I think there's a lot of time, I totally feel out of my depth. This weekend being a prime example, I had to do three different events with the ‘Irishman' film lot, so you know - Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and it's just like literally A. Someone pinch me and B. What the hell am I doing here?” In this episode, I talk to Edith Bowman. Edith is a broadcaster and writer and has been working in TV and Radio for nearly 20 years. Formerly a host on BBC Radio 1 and Vi...
Episode 22 – Morgane Polanski
October 09, 2019 21:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MB"Just be confident and brave and just trust yourself and jump and go with it. Because if you don't, no one else will. And as I said, if you just stay on the safe side, then it'll be safe, and nothing will happen. So, jump and trust yourself. Your mind can do amazing things." Morgane Polanksi This episode was recorded Live on stage at the Design and Advertising New Blood festival in London in July 2019. I had the pleasure of interviewing actress and film director Morgane Polanksi. You may r...
Episode 21 – Cindy Gallop
September 23, 2019 20:00 - 43 minutes - 29.6 MB“I looked around and I thought, if I stopped to think about what I'm here to do, launch an English agency brand into this market. If I thought about that, I would just go home, get into bed, pull the covers it never come out again.” In this episode, I had the privilege to interview Cindy Gallop at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity earlier this year. Cindy for those who don’t know, is the founder of Make Love Not Porn - an entirely user generated crowdsource video sharing platform tha...
Episode 20 – The Masons
September 10, 2019 20:00 - 50 minutes - 34.4 MBIn this episode, I talk to Maruska & Donna-Marie Mason. A couple who have built their very own successful photography studio. Working for big fashion titles such as @marieclairemag, @Vogue, @elleusa, as well as big brands such as @jomalonelondon and @spacenk - just to name a few. The Masons (@themasonsofficial) are two photographers who are together in work and in marriage and what I found fascinating is how this duo work to complement each other in every way. We discuss in great depth the...
Episode 19 – Alex Holder
August 28, 2019 01:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBWe know that pay gaps, all pay gaps, whether it's race or gender can’t thrive in a transparent world. But also, I found talking about money, really, has helped my friendships and my relationships, because…it doesn't get in the way of having a proper conversation. We learn from each other; we share our tips and knowledge. And also, you learn about yourself in conversation by hearing yourself speak out loud. In this episode, I talk to Alex holder. Alex worked in the world of advertising for...
Episode 18 – Rosie Arnold
August 13, 2019 16:00 - 54 minutes - 37.8 MB“And then you have to sell work to clients, and guess what? They are men, and then you have to get it made by directors. And they are men. And then, if you want your career to progress, you need to win awards. And largely in the past, all the juries are men and then you look back and you go, historically, the work that’s winning awards is sport, beer, football, technology, cars. So you see, it's not that it's innately against women, it's just nature’s way. So until we've addressed that balan...
Episode 17 – Natalie Graeme
July 30, 2019 20:00 - 56 minutes - 38.7 MB“I was able to do things very differently that year [her year long gardening leave imposed by Sir Martin Sorrell], I spent a lot of time outside of the industry. Purposely, I wasn't trying to look at the industry. I was trying to explore how other people, other creative industries, and the world sees coms. As a result, I came back with renewed vigour as to where it is we can add value and what's exciting about it, but also where we waste a lot of our life. You know, there's so much faffing. ...
Episode 16 – Pip Jamieson
July 16, 2019 17:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBSomething I did, [when looking for investment] is that I made a list of all the asshole investors that I heard about in town. And for the first month, I pitched them first. And it was horrific. I was pitching all these awful alpha males [and] I was literally coming home to my husband in pieces. But what was great about that process is by the time I got to the investors I really wanted; I was pitch ready – Pip Jamieson, CEO of The Dots This episode of This Way Up was recorded live on stage ...
Episode 15 – Chelcee Grimes
July 02, 2019 21:00 - 1 hour - 43.8 MB“It's a tough world, it's not easy. Everyone's battling with something. But my battles definitely come from feeling I'm not where I want to be, but I need to look back because it’s just like climbing a ladder" - Chelcee Grimes I’m pleased to announce another special episode of This Way Up. I was very privileged to talk with singer/songwriter, footballer and presenter Chelcee Grimes at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Chelcee has written songs for the likes of Dualipa and Kylie Min...
Episode 14 – Debbie Millman
June 11, 2019 16:00 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MB“We're all striving, looking to make something of ourselves. And when we do make something of ourselves, then we worry that we're going to lose it or that we're not going to be able to sustain it” – Debbie Millman I’m pleased to announce an extra special episode of This Way Up (www.thiswayup.io). It was recorded Live on stage at the famous Design and Advertising festival in London in May 2019 and features the amazing Debbie Millman. ___________________________________________ Debbie Millm...
Episode 13 – Margaret Johnson
May 07, 2019 21:00 - 37 minutes - 17.2 MBIn this episode, I talked to Margaret Johnson, Chief Creative Officer of the famous Ad Agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners – known for producing big ads for the likes of Doritos, Pepsi and much more. There are a lot of great lessons that Margaret imparts during our conversation, including the fact that she sees having children as THE best thing that enriched not only her life but her career too. She also talks about her favourite motto to ‘stay scrappy’ and not look for inspiration in the t...
Episode 12 – AJ Hassan
March 27, 2019 00:00 - 50 minutes - 23.3 MBThis is a special recording all the way from the South by South West Festival in Austin where I interview AJ Hassan, the VP Executive Creative Director at R/GA Chicago. In this interview, I uncover the stories behind her success. We talk about a multitude of things including the inspiration behind the Always 'LikeAGirl' campaign, the importance of giving a meaningful value to a brand and why female creatives bring such a great balance to the creative departments. Thank you to Inc Magazine wh...
Episode 11 – Caitlin Ryan
February 20, 2019 22:00 - 48 minutes - 22.3 MBIn this episode, I talked to Caitlin Ryan the Regional Creative Director EMEA at Facebook. During our conversation, I got the chance to really dig into the big demanding roles she's had across her career. The good, the bad and the ugly and everything in between. Her advice could not be more valuable for anyone at any stage of their career - from how to use meditation to block out negative voices, to knowing how to handle someone who is trying to oust you from your role and much more...
Episode 10 – Caroline Pay
January 08, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 33 MBIn this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Caroline Pay. Caroline is Chief Creative Officer at Headspace and sitting in her kitchen over a cup of tea, we discussed her captivating career- from her humble beginnings at Kessel and Krammer, to working at Mother with famous director Kim Gehrig, to her last UK role as CCO of Grey London, finishing on the serendipitous meeting that led to her new job at Headspace. Throughout these anecdotes and stories what stood out was Caroline’s unquen...
Episode 9 – Tasha Cronin
December 04, 2018 22:00 - 44 minutes - 20.4 MBIn this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tasha Cronin. Tasha is the co-head of interactive at Droga5 New York and during our conversation I got to really uncover Tasha’s amazing career as producer. Starting in the film industry, she developed scripts and acquired films for the likes of Samuel Goldwyn Films before working at Google creative labs and finally landing at Droga5. But what makes our conversation so special is what her career has taught her over the years, including how ...
Episode 8 - Tea Uglow
November 07, 2018 22:00 - 45 minutes - 21.1 MBIn this episode, I talk to Tea Uglow. Tea is the Creative Director of Google Creative Lab, Asia Pacific. She is also known as ‘Experimental person in charge’, which perfectly describes her personality and the way she thinks. During our conversation, we discuss the importance of exploring ideas through culture rather than through profit, how to create safe spaces for creatives to flourish and the best way to problem-solve. You can find more information about Tea on her website: http://teau...
Episode 7 - Clemmie Telford
October 22, 2018 23:00 - 1 hour - 30 MBIn this special edition of the podcast, I recorded my conversation with Clemmie Telford, in front of a live audience at General Assembly in London. We discussed her fascinating career- from her humble beginnings as a creative in advertising to becoming an Instagrammer/Consultant. I was hooked from the first few seconds of our interview. We talked about the benefits of pursuing your 'side hustle', the importance of developing your own voice, how to conserve your own identity when becoming a m...
Episode 6 - Sophie Robinson
September 03, 2018 23:00 - 1 hour - 28.9 MBIn this episode, I talk to Sophie Robison. Sophie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. In this interview, we discuss her amazing career, how she learned the ropes of documentary filmmaking at the BBC and the obstacles she came across being a woman in the field. We also delve into two amazing documentaries she directed - the Emmie nominated Netflix documentary ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’ produced by none other than David Lynch and her latest project “Me, My Mouth and I”, a BBC documenta...
Episode 5 - Sara Shelton
August 21, 2018 19:47 - 47 minutes - 21.9 MBIn this week's podcast, I talk to Film Director Sara Shelton. Sara is real tour de force. She is perceptive, creative, funny and doggedly determined when it comes to the things she is passionate about. In this episode, we discuss Sara’s journey from writer for big agencies like Johannes Leonardo and Droga5 to her taking the massive leap to become a successful Film director. We focus specifically on the confidence it takes to make those leaps of faith and the importance of listening to that in...
Episode 4 - Rosie Yakob
August 07, 2018 20:33 - 52 minutes - 23.9 MBIn this episode, I talk to the amazing @rosieyakob. Rosie is a strategist and together with husband Faris Yakob (@farisy) they form the company Genius Steals, a strategy and innovation consultancy. What makes Rosie’s story so unique is that she is a nomad. Rosie and Faris left their last permanent home in New York 5 years ago to travel the world, working with leading brands and agencies on various projects for just a few weeks at a time before jetting off to a new location, soaking up differe...
Episode 3 - Katy Sumption
August 01, 2018 00:00 - 53 minutes - 24.5 MBIn this episode, I interview Katy Sumption. Katy is not only a creative director but also the co-founder of The Elephant Room. Katy has had an interesting journey, to say the least. From far, it might seem like your usual advertising path but for a young female creative rising up the ranks of old boys clubs nowhere near easy. We go through her journey and discuss how she went from a successful role, as senior creative at Iris to co-founder of her own advertising agency. Including, the import...
Episode 2- Aaisha Dadral
July 17, 2018 21:38 - 34 minutes - 16 MBIn this episode, we have another special from Cannes Lions where I interview Aaisha Dadral. Aisha is the CEO of Crave. An advertising agency that she founded at the tender age of 26. In this interview, I uncover the stories behind her success and what it takes to start your own agency. We talk about the importance of staying true to yourself, the art of asking the right questions and how to be heard in a business meeting when you might be the youngest and the only female in the room.
Episode 1 - Katy Alonso
July 01, 2018 20:42 - 35 minutes - 16.1 MBTHIS WAY UP is a podcast featuring interviews with leading women in the creative industry. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly of their careers. It’s those valuable insights that make the journey up a little less hard.In this episode, we have a special from Cannes Lions where Rebecca Rowntree interviews Katy Alonzo. Katy is a Group Strategy Director at Droga5 and she talks honestly about her fascinating career journey, her Cannes Lions talk and the importance of showing your vulnerable sid...