Her Story
About Madison
Madison McClure is a Client Account Manager II at Pinterest, specializing in the D2C direct-to-consumer vertical with fashion and beauty brands. Since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, she has built her career in advertising by first networking to enter the fashion space through connections with brands like URBN, then moving to New York to work on the ad agency side. She later joined Hermès for nearly four years, where she contributed to cross-functional and creatively driven projects including programming for the Madison flagship store in New York. Her path then led her to Pinterest, drawn by the opportunity to work with a breadth of brands and the company's values and culture. She minored in oil painting at the University of Pittsburgh.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Madison
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being open and putting a lot of effort into networking. Networking is an underutilized tool and LinkedIn is my best friend. Be curious before asking for something, ask questions, and connect with people on LinkedIn. People are willing to chat about their roles.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice is to say yes to everything and you'll figure it out along the way. Fake it till you make it is a real mantra. No one's an actual adult; everyone's figuring it out. I ended up at Hermes because I messaged people on LinkedIn and the person ended up being the hiring manager. Go the extra mile and say yes to things.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't overlook the agency space. It might not be taught in college and you might want the cool sexy brand like Urban or Free People, but agencies have more roles at entry level. Be open to things outside that space. Agencies are a great place to start building skill set, muscle, network quickly. Networking is key - ask to connect with people because you'll never know.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Biggest challenges include remote work making it tough for younger people to forge connections and get promotions, which are a byproduct of proximity. Also AI - there's AI washing, but use it as a time saver to free up for heavy-thinking strategic things rather than letting it take over your job.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being passionate about what you're doing and the work you're putting out there. Be proud of what you're contributing to and represent yourself well. Also the bare basics of being a human: be respectful, show up, and be mindful of others. Those are table stakes.
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