ECD Sue Higgs on Creativity, Bullying & Speaking Truth in Advertising

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This episode discusses bullying, coercive behaviour and workplace trauma.In this episode of the emPOWER Podcast, Athene Parker is joined by award-winning Executive Creative Director Sue Higgs for a vibrant, honest and deeply insightful conversation about creativity, resilience, leadership and speaking out against workplace bullying in the advertising industry.With a career spanning more than 25 years in advertising, Sue reflects on navigating creative leadership whilst raising three children as a solo mother through the fast-paced ad industry of the 90s, noughties and beyond. Her story is one of determination, humour, creativity and emotional resilience.Sue also speaks candidly about her experience of extreme workplace bullying and coercive behaviour during her time as a Creative Director — experiences that occurred long before the #MeToo movement gave many women the language and confidence to articulate inappropriate behaviour within professional environments.Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, Sue chose to speak openly about what happened, writing a series of powerful industry articles as part of her healing process. The response revealed just how widespread workplace bullying was across the advertising and creative industries, with both men and women sharing similar experiences of toxicity, intimidation and emotional harm.Together, Athene and Sue discuss:Creative leadership and resilienceWorkplace bullying and coercive behaviourWomen in advertising and creative industriesSolo motherhood and balancing career with family lifeEmotional resilience and healing through expressionSpeaking out and challenging toxic workplace cultureLeadership, vulnerability and authenticityCreativity, confidence and career longevityThis is a vulnerable and human conversation. An empowering and ultimately uplifting conversation about resilience, honesty and finding strength through adversity.The chat is woven around a trip down a musical memory lane. Sit back, relax and enjoy. 🎧✨Tracks:Carpenters - Close To YouVisage - Fade To GreyPrimal Scream - Come TogetherJimmy Webb - Wichita LinemanDavid Bowie - 5 yearsThe emPOWER Breakfast - Sue Higgs Spotify Playlist We cover topics from solo parenting to bullying - if you are experiencing bullying in the workplace, be sure to find allies and tell them what is going on and if you don’t feel like there is anyone in the immediate community you can talk to please go to the National Bullying Helpline for confidential advice. Sue says bullies like to operate in the shade so bring it into the open…Here is a note from Sue as to things she loves.Books I love are:The Year of Magical thinking by Joan DidionBoudica by Dr Vanessa Collingridge (I went to school with her)Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom WolfeWhy Has No One Told Me This Before? by Dr Julia SmithThe Prophet by Kahlil GibranPodcasts I love:The Rest is Entertainment How to Fail With Elizabeth DayWhere There's a Will There's A Wake with Kathy BurkeDesert Island DiscsThe emPOWER Breakfast (natch!) TV:BrassicLoaded Documentary Wham DocumentaryMyth Country ... could go on forever!Sue Higgs, Executive Creative Director, women in advertising, workplace bullying, advertising industry, creative leadership, emotional resilience, #MeToo, women in creative industries, toxic workplace culture, coercive behaviour, solo motherhood, authentic leadership, leadership podcast, emotional wellbeing, workplace trauma, empowerment podcast, career longevity, resilience, speaking out Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.