Graduate is Outspoken

Creative Advertising graduate, Bethan Harris Brown, has co-created We Are Outspoken and podcast series Unfiltered to support women in the creative industries. Now a creative copywriter, Bethan has joined together with other women who are new to the creative media industry to share experiences and lend support to one another.

We spoke with Bethan about her new community:

What inspired you to set up We Are Outspoken?

Honestly, the advertising industry can come as a shock when you’re a woman. You go from university, where the gender split is balanced, to an environment where you can be the only woman in the room. And that can feel really lonely. You need a strong group of female friends to help you through it. That’s what we want to be with We are Outspoken, a group of gals who you may not have even met, but who you know you can call on.

We also thought it was important to hear from women who were just entering the industry. Usually we only hear stories from women who are years into their career. And as inspiring and useful as that is, it felt a million miles away from where we are now. It’s easy to forget everything you encounter in the first few years because you’re learning so much. We found ourselves wanting to hear from women who were like us, going through it all, so we became them.

What is the aim of the We are Outspoken platform and Unfiltered podcast series?

We want We are Outspoken to be a community for women in the creative and marketing industries who are trying to figure out where they fit and who they want to be. We think that we’ll probably be more useful to students, juniors and mid-weights, but ultimately we’re open for everyone. The main thing is that there’s no pressure here, just like-minded kickass women. We wanted to create a space where no question is too stupid and where we can find our career feet together in the craziness of adulthood. This is a community where we can share our stories, failings and experiences - without trying to impress anyone. And the best bit is that we know exactly what others are going through, because we’re in it ourselves.

The first thing that we wanted to do with Outspoken is create a podcast series where we could talk openly about all our different experiences, get in special guests and get hot tips. So that’s why we’ve co-created Unfiltered. We wanted to be able to give advice on how to overcome obstacles (sometimes ones we’re just encountering) and give other women a platform to voice their thoughts.

For example, the first episode is all about money. When I first entered the industry, I had no idea about what kind of salary I could expect and I had absolutely zero negotiating skills. So when I started looking for a new job, I was completely thrown by questions about salary expectations etc. Luckily I had a mentor to help me through this process and without her I’d have been much more confused (and on a much lower salary!). So our aim is to be that for other people who are also wading through these situations.

Who else is involved?

We are Outspoken is the baby of three badass woman, Charlotte Banks, Emily Caplan and myself. We’ve co-founded this community and are so excited to see what it becomes.

Then for Unfiltered - the podcast, we’ve been super lucky to partner up with Women Unltd. They’re an established fabulous female group for women in the creative and marketing industries, based in Birmingham. They’re incredible because they have a great deal more experience than we do. It means that at times, we can be the ones asking the questions and they can answer. It leads to a supportive dynamic, which will hopefully be useful and interesting to listen to.

What’s next?

The next step is more podcast episodes! We’ve got a tonne of topics we want to talk about and a list of guests we’d love to chat to. The process of planning the next one has already started. If anyone reading this has any suggestions of topics they’d like us to cover, we’d love suggestions. We want to make Unfiltered as relatable and useful as possible, so please send them our way along with any feedback on the podcast. The best way to access us is through Instagram - @weare_outspoken_

We’re also hoping to hold Outspoken workshops in the future. It’s something that we’re passionate about and we think would be helpful, particularly to students. So watch this space.

Find out more about We Are Outspoken, ask any questions or listen to the first podcast: 

• Twitter: @weare_outspoken
• Instagram: @weare_outspoken_
• Unfiltered is available now on Spotify and iTunes

Find out more about BA(Hons) Creative Advertising