Wildwood Talent

Dads in advertising (or actually...in any industry), this one's for you 🧡We sat down with James Fox to discuss parenthood and how it transforms your leadership style for the better.And in James case, having kids with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and a big job can completely change your perspective for the better.Because compassionate leaders create working environments to support whatever their employees are holding onto outside of work. And that creates a supportive environment for you to do your best work. James and I reunited and chitchatted about:💡 parenting SEN kids: how raising his two gorgeous boys completely transformed his approach.💡why the best leaders lead with curiosity, compassion and patience - because you never truly know what someone is carrying outside of work.💡why a perspective shift makes you fiercely protective of your time and who you spend it with.💡 normalising therapy - why putting therapy sessions directly into your open diary sets a powerful precedent for workplace well-being.A massive thank you to James - who is an extremely compassionate leader and a beautifully genuine human. After Work with...James Fox, former CEO @ Havas London

Stop chasing perfection and start experimenting! To celebrate Leo Burnett’s birthday, we tracked down the CEO of their Sydney and Melbourne branch for a special episode:After Work with...Clare Pickens (National CEO of Leo Australia)Clare and I have known each other for years. And we’ve been talking about filming an episode of After Work for years too.The only issue was proximity - Clare’s now based in Sydney and we shoot in London.So when we discovered she’d be in Cannes in June, we popped our big girl pants on and decided to shoot an episode on location. I was bricking it to be honest - we were winging the location, fighting the sun + constant background noise and using fans to cool down the overheating phone cameras. Thank goodness Clare was a dream guest, giggling with me about all the mishaps. But what we captured, we are very proud of. An episode where a strong theme sings through, which was very apt for this episode - stop perfecting and lean into the unknown. Because as Clare says, the best things happen when you stop trying to control every outcome and start experimenting. Clare and I cooled down over iced coffee and discussed:🍹 Experimenting instead of perfecting and leaning into the unknown. 🍹 Really loving your lifestyle (Australia and all the beaches...)🍹 Progress over process. Does our busy schedule actually lead to impactful work and outcome?🍹 Opportunity finding you through showing up.Big thanks to The Mondrian for the use of your gorgeous garden.

Most working parents are falling over juggling kids and work. So what happens when you chuck in another responsibility - caring for ageing parents?Hello Sandwich Generation.You are all are stretching in many directions with your competing responsibilities, at work and at home. But are you coping?Claire Hollands generously sat down with me to explain who the Sandwich Generation are - and tips on how to cope when you feel the pressure mounting.After Work with...Claire Hollands, CEO @ Saatchi & Saatchi UK.Claire shared insights on:🦢 how she manages to stay afloat in a leadership position, with conflicting responsibilities at work and at home.🦢how sharing vulnerability in times of need is fundamental.🦢the importance of assuming positive intent.🦢how organisations can better support employees, who are quietly carrying more than anyone could manage.

Fancy a cheeky Founder Focussed bitesized listen from Natalie Graeme?It's 7 minutes of expertise from one of our favourite founders, to round off our Founder Focus month.Natalie reflects on life, 9 years into her Uncommon Creative Studio lifespan:how Nat always wanted to be a founder but considered it a pipe dream, until she met her Founding Partners.advice for anyone starting an agency today. how to help back entrepreneurs.

Lucy Jameson's interview is one of my favourites. Her absolute confidence in the company she has built, alongside Nils and Natalie, has never faltered (and I don't think ever will). And even with hindsight, she wouldn't change one single thing about their journey and rise to success. Lucy's confidence and brain shine through but so does her ability to laugh and share more vulnerable moments, for example, how she struggles with being seen as a leader.We sunk into the little blue sofa and discussed: - whether her ambitions have been realised 9 years into Uncommon's lifespan.- the power of 'no' in shaping the agency. - how to have a healthy argument in creatively tense moments.- how she doesn't see herself as a leader. - that laughing is one of the best parts of our job.Did I ever think that 2 out of 3 Uncommon founders would say yes to After Work episodes? Absolutely not. Are you next, mighty Nils Leonard? Let's make it a hat-trick 😉

Producers - this one's for you.You are some of my favourite people.Problem-solvers, leaders, multitaskers. Without you, we'd be nothing.So I thought I'd grab two of the top Chief Production Officers, from two of the top creative agencies, to have a chat. We discussed:what a CPO actually does.how moving from producing to leading the department is a big transition. production as the 4th leg of the agency table.how these brilliant CPO's help their department avoid burnout and help retain working parents.how AI enhances production. Thank you, Stephen Ledger-Lomas and Emma Davenport. Friends in conversation really light up our sofa.

Strategists, this one's for you!For our final, festive After Work Drinks episode of the year, we cherry-picked two of the best, funniest and most approachable strategists in town. Oh, and they are mates, so the sofa chem was on point. We knocked back some drinks and discussed: 🧠 what a CSO actually does. 🧠 how the role has changed over the years. 🧠 the need for resilience in the role. 🧠 whether their department can be seen as intimidating. 🧠 how to be a concise wordsmith, with sticky bits of language. 🧠 whether the majority of their department are happier working solo or in collaboration?