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From Junior AE to President: Lessons from 20 Years in Advertising

21/02/2025
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Kat Shafer, president, EP+Co, on pushing forward to chase a dream

When I first walked through the doors of EP+Co 20 years ago, I was a junior account executive with a less-than-impressive resume, no advertising experience, and no industry connections. The title was a step down from the job I was leaving. The pay was less than I had hoped for. But I鈥檇 just spent three years after college trying to get my foot in the door at the agency I admired so much, and I knew in my bones: this was where I was meant to be. I had a dream worth chasing. So, I leaned in.

As I look back, it鈥檚 clear my path wasn鈥檛 the straight shot I spent my young 20s imagining it would be. Now that I鈥檓 older and, I hope, wiser, I know chasing down a dream isn鈥檛 easy. It requires an incredible amount of endurance, grit and a willingness to show up over, and over (and over) again.

Two decades later, I stand here, not just as president of EP+Co but as proof that careers aren鈥檛 built overnight. They鈥檙e built through resilience, relationships, and relentless pursuit. I鈥檝e been knocked down more times than I care to admit, but every 鈥榥o鈥 strengthened my resolve. Every detour enriched the journey. Every rejection paved the road to something greater.

Your dream career won鈥檛 happen overnight. But if you keep pushing forward, one day you鈥檒l look back and realise you鈥檝e built something incredible. My journey has included more than my younger self ever could have imagined, and I鈥檓 grateful for all of it:

  *   The meetings stitched together with belly laughs and battle scars, shaping me in ways I never expected.

  *   The plot twists I never saw coming鈥攍ike finding my husband in the midst of those meetings.

  *   An ongoing (and somewhat unhealthy?) obsession with racking up frequent flier miles and gaining traveler status.

  *   The number of places I鈥檝e been lucky enough to visit and the number of people I鈥檝e been lucky enough to meet while on the job. (I hate to name drop, but getting a kiss on the cheek from Justin Timberlake was certainly a highlight )

  *   The chance to experience 16 years in New York City, and the chance to come back home鈥攁ll while working under the same roof.

  *   Experiencing true community at work and being surrounded by people who supported me through the loss of my mom and celebrated me through the arrival of my daughters.

  *   Building a constellation of friends, mentors, and influences, all of whom have helped make me who I am.

  *   And, of course, the work鈥攃ampaigns for brands I truly love: L.L.Bean, Frye Boots, Verizon, Morgan Stanley, John Deere, Michelin, Planet Oat, Havertys, Califia, BodyArmor, Men鈥檚 Wearhouse, and Tumi, just to name a few.

And if I could go back and tell myself anything when I was just starting out, here鈥檚 what I鈥檇 say:

Embrace the Power of Frustration and Rejection

Rejection stings, but it鈥檚 also a rite of passage. Every 鈥榥o鈥 you hear is a lesson wrapped in resilience, redirecting you to something better. I鈥檝e been turned down for jobs, passed over for promotions, and watched ideas I loved get shot down. But each time, I walked away with something: a sharper skill set, a thicker skin, or a new opportunity. Rejection isn鈥檛 failure. In my opinion, not even failure is failure. It鈥檚 proof that you鈥檙e in the game, that you鈥檙e trying. Even though it鈥檚 painful, embrace the frustration that comes with 鈥渇iguring it out.鈥 Learning is supposed to feel like a struggle, so if it鈥檚 tough鈥攇ood! Keep the goal in sight and let the discomfort drive you forward. The only way out is through.

Stay Curious and Keep Learning

The moment you think you know it all is the moment you stop growing. The best careers are built on curiosity鈥攔aising your hand for the tough assignments, learning from those who鈥檝e been there before, and never letting comfort replace ambition. Ask the extra question, read beyond the job description, and push yourself to be a student of the industry. The more you learn, the more you grow. And the more you grow, the more doors you鈥檒l open.

Do the Work鈥擡very Single Day

There鈥檚 no substitute for hard work. Passion and ambition will get you in the door, but it鈥檚 what you do every day that determines how far you go. Show up prepared, do more than what鈥檚 asked, and never let the small tasks feel too small. Because consistency鈥攄elivering, executing, proving yourself time and time again鈥攊s what separates those who make it from those who don鈥檛. There鈥檚 no magic shortcut. Just the grind, the commitment, and the willingness to do the work.

Build Relationships That Matter

Careers aren鈥檛 built in a vacuum. The people around you鈥攖he mentors who guide you, the peers who challenge you, the team that supports you and the leaders who open doors鈥攁re just as important as the work itself. Surround yourself with those who push you to be better. Take the meeting, send the follow-up, and always, always be someone people want to work with. That doesn鈥檛 mean you should be a pushover. You should certainly fight for what you believe in and say what you think. After all, if you鈥檙e not honest, you won鈥檛 advance, and you won鈥檛 help others around you advance. But being diplomatic and kind with your honesty鈥攅ven when it鈥檚 hard鈥攚ill go a long way. At the end of the day, success isn鈥檛 just about talent. It鈥檚 about the relationships you build along the way.

Don't Pretend to Be Something You鈥檙e Not, But Don't Be Afraid to Evolve Either

The most successful people I know bring something uniquely their own to the table. They鈥檙e genuine, authentic and refuse to go along to get along. They have a truth and they own it. That said, refusing to change is just as dangerous as trying to be someone you鈥檙e not. Growth isn鈥檛 about losing yourself鈥攊t鈥檚 about adding to who you are. Let experience shape you. Take the feedback. Adapt. Learn. You won鈥檛 get anywhere new by staying the same; you can evolve without losing sight of who you are and what you value.

Never Be Afraid to Be the Only One in the Room with Your Perspective

It鈥檚 not easy to speak up when you鈥檙e the only one with a different take. I鈥檝e been in rooms where I knew my opinion wasn鈥檛 the popular one, and the temptation to stay quiet was strong. But some of the best ideas鈥攖he ones that changed a project, a business, or even a career鈥攃ame from someone willing to say, 鈥淚 see this differently.鈥 If you have something to say, say it. Don鈥檛 water yourself down to fit in. The world doesn鈥檛 need more echoes鈥攊t needs more voices willing to challenge, to push, to reframe the conversation. Even if your idea doesn鈥檛 win out, your courage will be remembered. And more often than not, the right people will take notice.

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