Juliet Penn-Hughes

I attribute my success to lots of hard work, excellent mentorship, and brilliant co-workers. I’ve had the privilege of working with some truly exceptional mentors throughout my 11-year career in advertising. In particular, the influence of early career mentors, Bridget Leandersson and Sarah Humphreys, has continued to shape my growth and perspective. I’ve also been intentional about surrounding myself with the right teams and people who challenge and support me, as well as making purposeful career decisions—such as relocating from London to New York—to pursue new opportunities and continue to grow my experience, portfolio, and network.

The best career advice I’ve ever received is to find your people and trust that most people are figuring it out as they go. Across four agencies, I’ve learned that working with the right teams makes all the difference—the best work happens when there’s genuine connection and collaboration. I was also once told by a mentor, as I stepped into a director role, that “no one really knows what they’re doing,” which helped me gain confidence to take ownership, make decisions, and lead with the understanding that we’re all learning along the way.

Be prepared to work the hardest you've ever worked, and have the best fun you've ever had, especially in the early days. The first few years in the industry, in advertising, is like a wild, heady mix of learning and growing and understanding people. And it is gonna be a whirlwind, but it's also the best feeling in the whole world. I would also say - things will get crazy, but it's just advertising. It's critical to have that perspective. It'll enable much simpler and clearer decision making within your role.

One of the most challenging things is when you have a high stakes brief, and after a few rounds of creative development, the work still isn't quite hitting. Naturally that's when despondency starts to set in. A key part of my role is to think on my feet, lift the team out of that energy and give clear direction forward in those challenging moments. Sometimes it can be as simple as telling everyone to put pencils down and sleep on it. Sometimes it'll need to be a more complex next step. Either way, it can be challenging.

It's also rewarding, of course. You are the shepherd, you are the one who people are ultimately looking to for next steps. There's a lot of pressure in that. But then when you push through and it leads to an unlock, it's brilliant.

I have a curiosity about people & the world that I bring through both my personal & professional life.

Travel is my number one passion, I'm lucky enough to have done a fair bit of it over the years. I think exposure to other cultures & people are incredibly important to build a rich world view & perspective. I love fitness. Being physically fit means you're mentally fit. It certainly keeps me sane! And then I would say my third passion is food. I love to cook, and I find it a creative outlet at the end of a long day. I'll look in the fridge, see what ingredients we have, and make something up. It's very therapeutic to me.