The NDA Podcast

For the first time, NDA is coming to you live from Birmingham Design Festival. Host Katie Cadwell sits down with Christopher Doyle (CD&Co) and Elise Santangelo-Rous to demystify culture in creative agencies. Alongside the BDF audience, they explore how culture shapes the intangible yet essential energy within a studio, influencing everything from employee satisfaction to client relationships.We put them on the stage, and on the spot. We discuss if it’s possible to cultivate culture when it’s so difficult to define, and how integral business leaders are in setting the studio tone. We chat about toxic culture – why it can turn sour, and whether there’s any way to save it. And we ask some tricky questions; does culture impact the standard of creative work? Can a nurturing workplace be compatible with a high performance one? And when it comes to building your teams, is ‘culture fit’ really outdated & irrelevant? A brilliant conversation where we discover that culture needs a lot more than ping-pong tables & Friday beers.Credits —Small print: BBC ‘Office culture is dead’ - https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240229-office-culture-is-deadDare to Lead Podcast ‘How toxic cultures are driving the great resignation’ -https://brenebrown.com/podcast/how-toxic-work-cultures-are-driving-the-great-resignation/It’s Nice That’s ‘Top Creative Company’ awards - https://topcreativecompanies.com/A huge thank you to Dan & Luke from Birmingham Design Festival for inviting us, and to Lánre for the tech support.Sponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the harsh realities that new parents, especially mothers, face in the creative industry. From announcing your pregnancy to the daunting return post-baby and beyond — what effect does parenthood have on your career, your creativity, and how you navigate your professional life?Guests Rachel Allison, Founder of Axe + Saw, and Laura Randall, Creative Director, share their personal experiences of motherhood. Telling candid stories about how their careers have changed since starting a family. Alongside their tales, we hear from listeners who have experienced discrimination at the hands of the creative industry.We try to uncover what contributes to the stigma mothers face in the industry. Asking tough questions like, how do you stay relevant after taking maternity leave? Do your peers feel slighted when you have to leave for the school run? Is it bad for business? And do you really come back at 100%?This episode is an eye-opening conversation unpacking why so many mothers choose to leave our industry entirely, and what we can all do to start to change that.Credits —Stories: Emma Watson / Amy Gettings / Halley Anne Kennedy / Mary Vertfulo Mentions: Lucy WernerSmall print: Creative Equals https://www.creativeequals.org/blog/the-30-women-trailblazing-in-creative-right-nowExplained: Why women are paid less https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP8dLUxBfsUPeanut app https://www.peanut-app.io/Invisible Mother’s campaign https://invisible-mothers.peanut-app.io/Pregnant Then Screwed https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/Study https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/1-in-61-pregnant-women-say-their-boss-insinuated-they-should-have-an-abortion/The Good Return https://bima.co.uk/the-good-return/Sponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

In this episode, we’re tackling the epidemic of copying in the creative industry. Whether you’re the copied or the copier, originality is a constant battle for creatives. We’re exploring the emotional and practical impacts of being ripped off. Malika Favre, globally renowned French artist, is arguably one of the most copied creatives of the past decade. She shares her journey from anger to legal action, and how it has impacted her business. Lifting the lid on what it looks like (and can cost) to go after copycats.Tyler Hendy, design lead at New Commercial Arts and creative on the recently controversial Nationwide rebrand, recounts how the industry responded to his work. Sharing learnings from that experience, both in his creative process and how work is presented online.Ultimately, we try to unpick how to best defend your ideas and your style, and if the elusive search for originality is achievable. Credits —Stories: Rita Juárez / Louise Lockhart @theprintedpeanut Mentions: Mot3l / M&S / Daren Thomas Magee @fakefunwow Small print: The Red Hand Files - https://www.theredhandfiles.com/originality-hard-to-obtain/AOI resources - https://theaoi.com/resources/copyright/AOI ‘Keep your copyright campaign - https://theaoi.com/campaigning/campaigns/consultations-blocks-2/keep-your-copyright/Sponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

This week, we’re going in-house. Asking whether there’s a stigma attached to moving client-side. And more importantly, if it’s deserved.Joined by industry experts Emma Sexton, founder of Inside Out, and Kieran Mistry, Head of Design at YouTube, we unpack what in-house creativity really looks like. Covering everything from work/life balance and stakeholder management to creative freedom and career progression. We hear from listeners who have witnessed negative perceptions of in-house from the industry first hand, and from some who have made the change and are reaping the benefits.Whether you agree with our guests or not, the truth is that in-house creative teams are on the rise. And they are not to be underestimated. If we’re not prepared to park our preconceptions and collaborate, do agencies risk being phased out altogether? Credits —Stories: Emilie ChenMentions: Ivan Pols (what.three.words) / Penguin Books / National TheatreSmall print: ANA study on the rise of the in house agency: https://www.ana.net/miccontent/show/id/rr-2023-05-rise-in-house-agencyHow the agency / client relationship is evolving: https://www.creativereview.co.uk/agencies-its-time-to-be-better-friends-with-your-in-house-partners/“The Future of In-House Creative Leadershi” report from Inside Out: https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/Sponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

In the first episode of the new season, we dive straight into the deep end. We’re talking about how we choose our clients. Join us and our guests Johanna Roca (Accept & Proceed) & Pedro Messias (OMSE) as we unpack ethical dilemmas, personal morals, and the realities of running a business alongside them.We confront some tough questions: How do we feel about industries like oil, gambling, politics or religion? Do ‘good’ clients even exist? Does B-corp mean anything? How much privilege do you need to turn down projects?We dissect real-world examples, including the controversy surrounding Havas's partnership with Shell, and hear from listeners who are grappling with morality while making money.Tune in for a powerful conversation, which should encourage everyone to be critical of who they lend their creativity to.Credits —Stories: Mirella Arapian / Jonny, Hey What! Studio / Michael JohnsonMentions: Hackney Church / First Things First / Rob MayhewSmall print: Edelman Trust Barameter: https://www.edelman.com/trust/trust-barometerBrian Eno at Imperial College: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/241832/brian-eno-we-need-creative-industry/Gambling statistics: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/16/mps-online-gambling-companies-health-at-risk-problem-gamblersSponsored by Lucky Dip (luckydip.studio)Get in touch hello@thendapodcast.com

We're back with Season Two.The NDA Podcast debates contentious topics the creative industry has been keeping under waiver for years. It’s a space for unfiltered conversations about the biggest issues creatives face today. A space to challenge opinions, disagree & learn with no fears of being cancelled.  Season Two tackles everything from free pitching to the stigma of going in-house, and features some of the biggest and best creatives that the industry has got. And new to this season, we’ll be hearing stories from our listeners. Some anonymously, to make sure we really get under the skin of every topic.Tune in every Wednesday to break some NDAs.—Hosted by Katie Cadwell. Produced by Hatty Wytton. Sponsored by Lucky Dip.Edited by James from Be Heard. Original music 'Theme from NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren.

This week, we're looking back on season one of NDA. Sharing all the opinions and stories from our listeners on each episode, and chatting about what season two has in store.The DICE Charter – www.getdice.co.uk–Hosted & created by Katie CadwellEdited by James from Be HeardOriginal music 'Theme From NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren

The topic that everyone has an opinion on — creative awards. One of the most contentious conversations in the industry, you either love them or hate them. Which is exactly where our guests stand this week. We’re asking those who’ve won them, lost them, judged them and scorned them some of the questions we all want answered.How can you judge something so subjective? Are the projects real? Are judges biased towards the studios & clients? Is it just a money-making exercise? How does it impact our teams? Do our clients care? Rob Duncan, Creative Director at Mucho, believes they enable him to hire the best talent in the world and help the studio cast a critical eye over the work they’re making. But that remote judging has lowered the standards of the shortlists.Mitch Paone, Partner & Creative Director at DIA, has boycotted them entirely. Believing they’re a business first & foremost. And having been in the judging room, he thinks bias runs too deep to ever be truly objective when choosing the winners.Katherina Tudball, Creative Director at Superunion, sees the good in them. A chance to celebrate good ideas and your team's hard work. Having been involved for years, she shares the criteria for jury selection and what it’s like narrowing down a year of industry hard work.Alice Ishiguro Tosey, Independent Creative, sits on the fence, acknowledging that getting them early in your career opens doors, but that the mental health repercussions of rejection have a long-lasting impact.And ultimately, are the people who hate them, just bitter because they don’t win them?* It's not won any awards.–Hosted & created by Katie CadwellEdited by James from Be HeardOriginal music 'Theme From NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren

Every agency website says “We’re an inclusive studio” but are they? Beyond the buzzwords, how does that play out for those working there? What are they doing day-to-day to action the claim? Because it’s not a simple one. Especially when what’s inclusive to one person, isn’t to another. So is it even possible to build a studio that doesn’t exclude anyone in it? This week, we’re trying to define inclusivity. Asking what it means to each guest, how it affects client relationships, the red tape and policies need and how to challenge exclusion when you see it.Wale Osunla, Designer at Studio Moross, shares what it’s like to work somewhere that puts so much emphasis on inclusivity, how it works in practice and compares it to other studios he’s worked in.Aries Moross, Creative Director at Studio Moross, reflects on over a decade of building a studio that strives to be inclusive. The lessons, the red flags and the advice they have for other leaders wanting to make changes.Ebony Montague, Director & Founder at HR Said That, helps us understand the practicalities of inclusion, and how HR can empower employees. She also shares her experience witnessing exclusion of all forms.Yee Poon, Illustrator & Designer at Hey What Studio, explains what she’s looking for in a workplace, and how she tackles raising issues without upsetting the status quo.A conversation that asks more questions than it answers, but at least, starts to uncover the issues we so often tip-toe around.–ACAS helpline https://www.acas.org.uk/contactCIPD Knowledge hub https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledgeDefinition of the psychological contract https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/employees/psychological-factsheet#grefThe Other Box https://www.theotherbox.org/Resources for D&I in theatre https://uktheatre.org/theatre-industry/guidance-reports-and-resources/diversity-initiatives-for-uk-theatres/BBC guidance on Neurodiversity in buildings https://bbc.github.io/uxd-cognitive/Job Ad Gender decoder http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/Supporting mental health at work: guide for people managers (CIPD & MIND) https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/culture/well-being/mental-health-support-reportHR Rewired: Anti-racism & racial equity advisory firm for the workplace https://hr-rewired.com/ –Hosted & created by Katie CadwellEdited by James from Be HeardOriginal music 'Theme From NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren