At what point in your career did you decide to become an entrepreneur?

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I was working as a group creative director at Foote Cone & Belding. One of my clients was Fidelity Investments. They were hosting a seminar in the Washington DC area, and I had to go to represent the agency. It was a thousand degrees, and the prospect of sitting in a large conference room all day listening to investment gurus didn’t thrill me.

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However, it turned out to be a fortuitous moment that I wouldn’t appreciate until a few months later. One of the speakers said something that lit a spark in me. Here’s what I remember most:

“Use your time in a job to learn everything you can about how a business works; what succeeds and what doesn’t. Think of it as your graduate school education. Then take what you’ve learned and do your own thing.”

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Funny; when I got back to my own job after that seminar with Fidelity. I was riding down on the elevator one day and heard a woman say this to her friends: “I’m the only woman in my circle that hasn’t started her own business.”

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About two months later, I was part of a 300-person layoff. FCB went through some hard times and decided restructuring was in order. I was out. By September I had launched Lighton Colman, Inc. We started with two people and no clients. Ten years later, we had 48 employees and were billing nearly $100MM + annually.

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What were the biggest challenges getting started?

 

It’s always the same thing — getting business. Somebody has to be willing to sell. That means networking, calling every company you’ve ever worked for and letting them know about your business, sending out email campaigns. Remember, your emails go to spam unless you get on the phone and leave a voicemail. Today WOM still counts, but social media is essential. A great website alone isn’t enough.

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What are you most proud of?

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I provided jobs for a lot of people, and long before “diversity” was a thing, we had a highly diverse staff. I hired many talented African Americans. We hired a young guy who trusted us enough to come out while in our employ. He went on to a global agency in NYC and then to work with Ken Burns at Public Television. Today, he sells multi-million dollar real estate. I am still friends with many former employees and have had the privilege of watching them build brilliant careers, start their own families and prosper in their lives.

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Advertising has always been a business about relationships. But for me, one of its greatest gifts is the learning curve. I grew a set of muscles in a number of key areas:

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• Persuasion: convincing clients that you’re worthy of their business

• Humility: allowing talented people to do their best work

• Balls: being able to rid your workplace of toxic people when you can no longer tell yourself “it will work out”

 

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

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Know who you are. Know what skills you bring to the table and where you need help. Don’t think, “I can do it all. You can’t.” I have never been a mastermind with money. My first business partner was great at building our bank account; we always had money in reserve for those recessionary times. My strengths were in the ability to translate a marketing strategy into a creative campaign. I was not afraid to sell, and both skills were key to building our reputation and our pipeline.

If you are the type (like me) who wants a partner, pick carefully. My first partner and I found it very difficult to remain friends. All was good when the money was pouring in; but 2008 drew blood. I made the painful decision to sell my shares and start over.

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One last critical piece of advice; when I was feeling sorry for myself about leaving a company I started, my husband asked me a question. “Do you know how many companies Carl Icon started during his career?” Of course, I said no. “Hundreds” he said. In other words, failure is not about falling down; it’s about staying down. Reinvention is transformative. I’ve done it and you can too.

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What challenges have you faced being a woman entrepreneur?

 

None. Don’t play the victim card unless you have a very good reason. I’ve presented to potential clients who didn’t buy what I was selling. Sometimes I picked up an anti-woman vibe. Who cares? The world is full of assholes. It’s also full of great people. My first agency’s first client was a Chinese guy who I swear picked us because we were women. We just clicked. My first mentor was a man who gave me a chance. I had a woman partner who didn’t like much about me, and now my partner is a dream. The best partnerships are more about mutual respect, trust, and a sense that you’re in it together

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How would you define your personal style?

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When I started out, I had a job as a copywriter and people dressed for the office. I was in the creative department so we were less formal than account directors who had a lot of client contact. Jeans were fine, but when we were presenting to clients, we dressed for the occasion.

As I progressed from copywriter to creative director to agency owner, I began to see the importance of communicating a signature look. I’m tall at 5’9” and was blessed with great legs, so I made the most of that asset. My hair has consistently refused to grow longer than just above the shoulders. At some point in life, you have to make the most of what you’ve got.

 

I remember once when I worked at a global PR firm, the women in creative jobs always looked stylish. If they wore jeans, they made the look personal, either with boots and a jacket or just the right layered pieces.

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The guys, however, were making a completely different statement. Sloppy, even unkempt. I remember one guy with tats, dreads, loose shorts and a t-shirt. He looked like he just came from cleaning out the garage. On the other end of the spectrum, there was a creative director who wore jeans and a jacket to perfection. But his real signature was his British accent. I remember a conversation with him about the work we were just about to present. There was one idea that was smart, but a bit risky for this particular client. “No problem,” he said, “it’s good to always throw in a shitty brick.”

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Remember, it’s not just about what you wear and how you carry yourself; but about how well you can carry off your personality.

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Anything else you’d like to share?

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When you are in business for yourself, some people will say “Wow, being your own boss must be great. You can call all the shots and take time off whenever you want.” Not true. You work all the time. The fear of “what if I don’t get the next project or client?” is a constant companion. Doesn’t matter. It still beats corporate life. Hands down.