Q&A with Jill Dewes, Partner and Director of Business Development at Daughter
My first job out of the Alberta University of the Arts was with Trigger a local advertising agency. Trigger is where I met Jill, a passionate, friendly and creative Account Director. At the time she was a Group Account Director so probably didn’t need to be the one briefing in the most junior designer on the team, but she did. She always took the time, even on the smallest projects to put together comprehensive strategic creative briefs with examples, ideas and research. She was and still is phenomenal at working with people and driving creative solutions for her clients. Currently, Jill is at one of the top growing design and creative agencies in Calgary, and in my opinion leading a new style of agency and breaking traditional models. Jill is Partner and Director of Business Development at Daughter, founded by another Trigger alumni Jonathan Herman and Stephanie Kochorek. In this Q&A we dive deeper into Jill’s background and what sets Daughter apart from the pack!
Can you tell me about your background? Why did you choose to move to Canada and Calgary?
Although I was raised in New Zealand, I was actually born in Canada and always wanted to come and live here one day. During my 10 year stint at Clemenger BBDO in Wellington, I was lucky enough to run across an enthusiastic digital guy by the name of Scott Sinclair. He was from Saskatchewan, and he was smart and super nice, so when I decided it was time to make my big overseas move, I Skyped him from his new home in Calgary. He sang its praises and the outdoor lifestyle had my husband Haydon hooked. I remember getting off that call and Googling ‘ad agencies in Calgary’. Trigger had a posting for an Account Director, and 2 weeks and 2 phone calls later, I had a new job! Scott actually picked us up from the airport and checked in on us worriedly for our first few years until I reassured him that we really loved it here and he could relax. We originally thought we’d give it 5 years, but it will be 10 years in June this year and we’ve never looked back.
Where did you go to school? What did you choose to study and how did it prepare you for what you do today?
I was a total geek at school. I won our regional science fair, worked my butt off and got a scholarship to go to Victoria University of Wellington. I was the first in my family to go to University and had dreams of being a lawyer, but after my first year of law school I decided it was a bit snobby for me (no offence to all my lawyer friends!). I switched to a BA in Classical Studies with a focus on Greek Art, and also completed a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I rowed crew at University and happened to row with a graphic designer from Clemenger BBDO. I was the chief organizer of all our rowing camps and regattas, and she told me I would make a great ‘suit’. I had no idea what that was, but she got me an interview with the Managing Director, Peter Biggs. ‘Biggsy’ as he was known, also happened to have a degree in Classical Studies and we got on immediately, resulting in my first agency job. To be fair, my studies haven’t been directly helpful in my career but the discipline of managing a life, part-time jobs, a very heavy course workload and a focus on doing what makes you happy (i.e. choosing Classical Studies over the more logical Law career) have been pivotal lessons in my life.
Who are your typical clients? Tell me about your process? How long does a typical project last?
As you know, the agency world has really changed over the years. In the early 2000’s I used to work on 3-5 big clients where we had multi-year contracts – so lots of stability and familiarity and the expectation to be a category expert. Now we have many more clients that are on a project-by-project basis, so we really try to make sure we are aligned in values before we start working together. When you need to hit the ground running, and the success of the first project can lead to bigger, deeper work, it helps to know you all agree on what ‘good work’ is and can have open, productive conversations to make that good work happen. When Daughter first started, we worked with a lot of owner/operators, but in the last year or so, we’ve started to add more complex client structures into the mix, working with boards and management teams. It’s been really great to have such a mix and the discipline of responding to formal RFPs and going through that interview process has really helped us to better hone our own story. Process-wise, we are light on account management and weighted towards creatives, which I love. We have an incredibly talented team and I feel so honoured to spend my days with them. I have a true passion for the creative process and like to poke my nose in A LOT throughout the early stages (sorry team!), but I also relish those days when I get to go into production mode and look at paper stocks and print techniques.
What type of work does Daughter specialize in? Do you use external vendors and partners on projects?
Daughter has been built around brand articulation. We do a lot of naming (something that I find highly satisfying to be involved with) and a lot of positioning, we call it ‘digging the well’ for a brand. Nowadays, content creation is so vital that it is imperative to understand what your brand sounds like and looks like so you can react quickly to situations and show empathy for your customers. One thing that we are stretching our legs into more is advertising. Steph (our creative director) and I come from strong ad backgrounds and we do miss it. Look out for more of that work from us. We use partners mainly on research (we love Lemonade and also Stone-Olafson) and on custom web work (we love Field and Monitor and have recently been working with Freshwater on Calgary Foundation). Apart from that, we also love using local experts for photography (shoutout to local heroes Roth & Ramberg, Brendan Stephens and Asim Overstands).
How do people find and hire you? How do you know if they are a good fit?
A lot of our new biz enquiries come through referrals, which is generally a sign that we will be aligned at least on what we think good work is. We also get a lot of people who find us on Instagram (we’ve really lifted our game there and our creative team and account manager Naz Daya do a great job on posting strong work in our feed and fun internal culture pieces in our stories). We also had an article in the Calgary Herald in 2018 that brought in a lot of enquiries, as did our launch work for Hoopla Donuts – our logo was on the very bright hoarding in Calgary Place and we got some great leads from that. Regarding fit, we always meet clients in person (or via video chat) before putting a proposal together and we have a ‘Setting Expectations’ list of points that we submit with all proposals that clearly states what will make our relationship work. Finally, internally we have a new biz scoring system. When we get approached to submit a proposal, the 3 partners and our GM – Jason Holley – all score the project independently to see if we think it’s a good fit for us (and for them).
Do you have advice to anyone trying to get into the industry?
Don’t be afraid to ask someone out for coffee, and if you do get in front of an agency you like, make sure you know why you’re there. I’m always super impressed when people have looked at our site and can comment deeply on some of the work – especially work that is lower profile. Also, curate your own social media well – ask teachers or mentors for recommendations on LinkedIn, watch your content if you have a public Instagram account – we always look at them, so it really does matter :)
How big do you plan on growing your business?
Good question! Originally I thought 8 sounded good. We are now 13 and it’s still busy. One fear I have is that the bigger we get, the further the partners get from the actual work. We all love being involved, and I want to be in the thick of it – not managing structure. Ask me again in a few years though…
What is your hiring process like? How can people starting out get a job at Daughter?
To be honest, we tend not to hire really junior people as the work we are doing is often extremely fast-paced. Saying that – if you’ve got a killer portfolio, send it in! We love to freelance projects with people as a ‘test’ to see if we think it might work. Our pace and depth of work isn’t for everyone so it’s a good way for everyone to see if it’s a fit. We are also taking on two SAIT New Media interns this year – which will be fun and challenging.
What kind of clients are your favourite to work with?
I definitely drink the Kool Aid on clients. I have a soft spot for Parks Canada, and our beer clients (we do work for Cabin Brewing, The Establishment and Annex) but I can get excited about anything if the client I’m working with is enthusiastic, driven, and able to make decisions. Social good and non-profit work really gets me going too – we worked with Calgary Meals on Wheels last year and are working with Calgary Foundation now – it’s easy to go deep on things that really help make our city a better place.
Most memorable project you’ve worked on?
My early days at BBDO were pretty special – those were the days of multi-million dollar TV shoots, 5 star hotels and international travel. When I worked at Trigger, I truly adored working on the Calgary Zoo. It was a great challenge to position them as ‘entertainment’ but also to promote their deep focus on conservation. I also love all the beer packaging work we do at Daughter – it’s always fast turnaround, but so rewarding to pick up a can and know you played a part in getting it out there. Finally, we had the chance to work with Springboard Clinic (out of Toronto) on the design of a workbook to help adults with ADHD. It felt really meaningful and opened my eyes on mental health issues too.
What qualities do you value most in your staff/clients/vendors/partners?
Honesty, trust and enthusiasm. I’m quite high energy and very transparent, and I find it tough to be around people who are more reserved. I like to have fun in my job – and I have a strong drive to get things done. I like to work fast and lean and have to remember sometimes that good things take time. I really admire people who have a strong point of view and can communicate it well, but who are also open enough to see another way to get something done.
Who do you admire and why?
So many people! I really admire Dan Evans and Bill Hunt (of Evans Hunt) for creating such a successful agency in Calgary over the years. I know many people who work there and love it. I also really admire our creative director Steph Kochorek. She is the most talented writer I’ve worked with and one of the most direct and driven people I’ve ever met. When I’m in the room with her I always have confidence we will be successful. AND I admire my husband, Haydon Dewes. He left a great comms job at AHS to open Cabin Brewing in late 2018 and he – along with his business partners Jonas and Darrin - has worked so hard to make it successful, while always keeping it fun as well. He’s one happy guy.
What are the top books you have read lately?
I love to read. I read 67 books in 2019 (I’m geeky about keeping track) and have set a goal to read at least 100 this year (as I write this I’m onto book 13 so going well!). I am a HUGE Margaret Atwood fan, and I devoured – and loved - The Testaments when it came out last year. I’m currently reading an odd mix of books including Lost in Babylon (part of a fantasy series for young adults), Home Work - the memoir of Julie Andrews (yes – Mary Poppins…) and a great non-fiction book called Darling You Can’t Do Both by Janet Kestin & Nancy Vonk – a powerhouse Canadian creative team. I’m also working my way through Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour by Blair Enns – which I would enjoy more if it wasn’t formatted like a binder…feels too much like work!
What do you do for fun?
That’s easy – I love to travel with my family. As soon as one trip is over, I’m already planning the next. We just got back from a quick break in Cabo for Christmas and I’m off to Portland for a conference mid-February, then to New Zealand in late February to catch up with friends and family. We have plans to do a coastal US road trip this summer too with our kids (aged 6 and 4). I also read A LOT, drink craft beer and love to play crib with my husband and have friends over for meals.
What does the future hold for Jill Dewes and Daughter?
I think we are really settling into a rhythm as a business now. We have the best people on our team, and we moved into a new space in November, so it feels like 2020 is going to be a great year. For me personally, it has to stay fun. That doesn’t mean it’s all donuts and beer (although that helps), but we all have to be committed and enthusiastic about what we choose to work on. We all want to spend our days with people we admire and produce work that makes our client into heroes, so as long as keep doing that, I think we will stay happy and successful.
Visit https://www.daughtercreative.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilldewes/ to learn more.