Focusing on the theme of Visibility & Representation theme, we spoke with Emily Jeffrey-Barrett, founder and creative director at Among Equals, about the subtle dynamics that silence women, the power of community, and why real disruption starts with who gets to lead.
Emily Jeffrey-Barrett is no stranger to being talked over, underestimated, or labelled “too much” for asking a fair question. But she’s also had the kind of career many dream of, leading award-winning work, founding her own agency Among Equals, and building a community of clients and collaborators she deeply believes in.
In this candid Q&A, Emily reflects on what it takes to truly be seen, how mentorship can come from anywhere, and why representation isn’t about box-ticking; it’s about making space for people to lead as their full selves.
Have you ever felt unseen or underestimated in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Broadly, I’ve been lucky. I’ve had bosses (both male and female) who encouraged me and made sure I was recognised for my work. I’ve also had brilliant clients and the best, most supportive colleagues you could hope for.
But of course, there’ve been moments. Like the time a CMO ignored me for an entire meeting, then told the Client Director he was “worried about the creative firepower on the account” and pointed at me without making eye contact. Cheers. Or a meeting last year where my male colleague had to repeat everything I said for it to be heard. Painful. Or the time I was told I was “too big for my boots” for asking what the compensation was when offered a big title promotion. Just plain depressing.
At the time, I internalised a lot of it. Even last year, four years into running my own business, my excellent coach pointed out that I was still carrying that baggage by making myself smaller and quieter, prioritising being liked over being seen.
I’m still working on it. But three things have helped:
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‘No one cares, let’s change that.’ It’s our agency philosophy – a rallying cry to do work that cuts through. But it’s also a reminder that the world isn’t waiting. You have to speak up. As long as you’re kind, respectful and well-intentioned, what’s the worst that could happen?
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If the room isn’t listening, I’m in the wrong room. When you start a business with no debt or investment, every project counts. But I’ve learned that if someone doesn’t want to work with me, I don’t want to work with them, either. So we prioritise working with the right people, and that’s given us a client base we’re really proud of.
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Treating myself like I treat others. I’ve always found it easier to stand up for my colleagues than myself. That was a bleak realisation. So now I try to extend the same respect and protection inward – it’s not easy, but it’s important.
How do you approach self-promotion and making your work visible?
Even after all that, is there anything harder than promoting yourself?! I still struggle with it. I know I should post more on LinkedIn, but there’s that voice saying, “Who cares?”. I know I should share more opinions, but then I think, “Does the industry really need another lukewarm take on AI?” (No. It doesn’t. Please stop.)
But I’m pushing myself. I wish I’d seen more women represented when I started out, so I try. I find it far easier to promote Among Equals than myself – championing the work, the team, and our clients. But I’m also the biggest extrovert on the planet. I love being around people, speaking at events, doing podcasts, judging (work, not people). So I’m doing more of that. I just try to make sure what I say is useful – no one needs more noise.
What role has mentorship or community played in your career growth?
‘Mentorship’ is a funny one – it implies learning from more senior people, and I’ve definitely done that. I’ve never been shy about asking for support and advice, and people have always been so generous with their time. But some of the most powerful mentoring has come from people I’ve worked with, not just for.
At Among Equals, I work with amazing women at all levels – Jac, Meg, Fee, Estere, Rach, Jenn – who push me to do better work and work even harder for the business. I’ve got some incredibly inspiring clients, too – Stacey and Liberty at Grind, Lauren at BrewDog, Lauren at Genius, I could go on. Having strong relationships with women at all levels has been deeply empowering, and I’m really proud of those partnerships.
Also (and yes, I was late to the game), podcasts. In the last six months, I’ve devoured interviews with agency owners, creatives, CMOs, coaches, and psychologists. I’m really into the ON Strategy Showcase and Fearless Creative Leadership series right now. It’s not traditional mentorship, but if I’m walking, I’m learning.
What’s one change you’d like to see in terms of representation in the creative industry?
We’ve all heard the stat – only 0.1% of agencies are female-founded. That’s ridiculous. How many female Creative Directors can you name? How many women-owned agencies? I’m pretty plugged in, and I still struggle to get above 15.
Creativity thrives on difference, but if we don’t increase representation – if people don’t see people like them in leadership – the echo chamber just gets louder. We need more women at the top. We need to shine more light on female-led businesses and the work they create, but we can’t stop there. We need more diversity in age, ethnicity and background, too.
I’m a woman, but I still tick many industry stereotypes. We all talk about disruption, but we need to put our money where our mouth is and actually disrupt—not just in the ads we make but also in who we hire, celebrate, and promote.
Then, we need to embrace that difference. I’ve been told to “think like a man” numerous times. I’ve had people apologise for crying at work. (Side note: can we please agree there are different ways to express frustration? Crying isn’t a weakness – it means you care. If some people are allowed to snap or sulk, others can cry. Emotions don’t disqualify you from leadership – they inform it.)
The more we create space for people to show up as themselves without having to shrink or apologise, the better our work will be. Representation isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about building environments where different voices aren’t just welcomed – they’re needed. That’s the kind of industry I want to be part of. And the kind of agency I’m trying to build.
