Kristin Busk Talks Mistress's Culture
How would you describe the overall culture at your agency and would you say that there is a separate female culture?
Mistress prides itself in culture. There is not a separate female culture but a stance where everyone is equal, no matter your gender, age, nationality, title or history. We pride ourselves on being ego-less. Everyone has a seat at the table and our company lives by the ‘all ships rise together” motto.
In your opinion, what do you see as being the biggest change in the advertising industry since women have begun to break the “glass ceiling”?
The biggest change in the industry, in my opinion, is the fact that women empowerment is now an oversaturated market. Each headline that I read is focused on “First Female CEO In 75 Years”, “Youngest Female to XX”, “XX% of women in C-Level positions all grew up playing sports" and so on. A new challenge we are facing is our gender used as clickbait. While the press, awareness, and recognition is rightfully deserved, the headlines are written to call out that a woman has done something, versus a human being.
What are some of the challenges that women still face in the industry?
The age-old story of being strong compared to being a ‘bitch’. Industry women are talked about due to their assertiveness, yet they are talked to more casually if their tonality is softer no matter the title or background. While catering your conversation based on a pre-set tone is acceptable, most industry leaders ‘forget’ the authoritative position the woman has if her tone is softer. Mistaking someone's kindness for weakness, or seeing them as lesser, is a challenge I hope the industry overcomes one day.
What steps do you take to ensure you achieve a healthy work-life balance?
Setting boundaries is nearly impossible, especially when working in Social. However, the best way to manage a work-life balance is to always express your work style upfront. Everyone works at their own pace and they should be celebrated for doing so, as long as they continue to produce with the highest quality of work possible. My brain power works best from 7am - 2pm and 7pm - 9pm; and my agency does not punish me for my working style, but embraces it.
What professional achievement are you most proud of?
I am most proud of maintaining my reputation and self-worth. You can lose yourself in an industry focused on celebrities and top-tier brands by focusing on the wrong things. At the end of the day, it is not about the status of a client, but the work you produce. Keeping my head on my shoulders and always staying true to who I am has led me to the award-winning work and recognition, but being proud of who I am as a person throughout that process is my top professional achievement.
Tell us about a mentor that helped guide you in your career. What made them so special?
There are many people who have helped me get to where I am today. Patricia Dao took a risk on an inexperienced employee, Elissa Ayadi got a junior team member into rooms filled with powerful people and Joe Staffel always fought for what was right.
However, Kiley Taslitz has been a mentor to me without ever knowing it. I have worked with this strong, powerful, independent women at three different companies. Every single challenge I feared I wasn’t worthy of facing was met with laughter from Kiley. Throughout my career, she continues to remind me that there is no challenge or task I can’t face. Kiley sees brain power and is always forthcoming to remind women in the industry that they are more than enough, they are better than.
How do you as a successful woman plan to inspire the next generation of women?
Women are playing catch up. Even with the progress that has been made in the last decade, we can’t take the roles we deserve, because the people sitting in the positions we are worthy of are still filling those seats. I plan on being as open, honest, humble and human as possible to show women that you do not need to conform to the typical CEO stereotypes. It’s not about your sex, it’s about your drive, attitude and innovative thinking.