#WIB – Q&A With Veronica Moleele CEO Of Penquin
1. Can you please tell us more about Penquin and your role at the agency?
A. Penquin has been in business for 22 years now and I have been with the agency for 14 years. We are an independent integrated agency that offers ATL, BTL, and Online services to our clients. We have long-standing relationships with our clients and pride ourselves on immersing our team with the client’s teams to make sure we truly understand their business challenges and how we can help solve those. I began in the business as an Account Manager and then moved up the chain until I became MD, at which point I bought the business from the previous shareholders and now operate as CEO.
2. What is your role in the business?
A. I am a Strategist by head, and creative by heart but ultimately my role is as CEO which requires more visionary output.
3. Where did you study and what did you study?
A. The old adage applies to ‘Fake it till you Make it. I studied Travel and Tourism which has absolutely nothing to do with Advertising or running a business – everything I have learned, I have done through experiences.
4. Describe your average workday and what it looks like if such a thing exists.
A. Let’s start by saying that no day is average, they are either amazing or OMG, I need the world to stop so I can get off. We are a people and deadline-driven industry, curve balls get thrown all day every day. We need to be seeing clients, coming up with creative ideas, formulating strategies, planning media, monitoring and managing social and digital media strategies, coordinating events, exhibitions, or activations, and generally trying to do all of the above with an even temperament and with a smile on our faces. It is an energetic and dynamic working environment, and we have to be passionate about what we are doing in order to love it… which luckily, I have in spades.
5. How do you balance your home life and your work life?
A. I don’t think there is such a thing. At any one time, something is going to require more of your attention than another. As human beings we are terrible at multi-tasking – our brains actually only have the capacity to perform a singular task at a time and make sure that it’s done right. So that’s really what I try to do, focus on the task at hand and do the best that I can to finish that task well. Naturally, it doesn’t always work out that way – some days I can’t see the wood from the trees – but I think it’s important to be kind to ourselves and remember we are doing all we can, and hopefully, that’s enough to dedicate equal amounts of time and attention to both work and home life.
6. What drives you and inspires you?
A. Smart people with brave ideas. There is nothing better than sitting with intelligent humans in a room, hearing their stories, and listening to their ideas. It’s fascinating how different and actually the same we all are. Learning different perspectives and seeing different visions of what could be really gets me excited and motivated. I am a dreamer and I like other people that put themselves out there and dream too.
7. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
A. Mostly when I’m alone and it’s quiet and I have time to process. When I am in the thick of things, my decision-making can be an abomination. I get swept up in the chaos easily and then tend to scramble from one task to the next instead of taking time to think things through. So I wake up early and get a good two hours each morning on my own to think and reflect and that usually is when inspiration strikes.
8. Where and how do you market/advertise your business for sales leads?
This is a ‘plumbers house is always under water statement. As an ad agency we aren’t particularly good at marketing ourselves… ironic I know. We do engage in PR and we do Inbound Marketing for lead generation, but the bulk of our leads is through word of mouth.
9. What is next for Penquin?
A. Good question, that I don’t have the answer to just yet. I have owned the business now for seven years, so I still feel like I have a lot to learn at the moment. Naturally, I have great dreams of world domination, but nothing that I can say is concrete in terms of our trajectory. I will be sure to add this topic to my thinking time.
10. What advice would you give to female entrepreneurs?
A. Don’t let imposter syndrome get you down. You are smarter and more capable than you will ever allow yourself to fully realise. We are so quick to judge ourselves and compare our progress or success to others. My advice is that you are your only competitor, you know what you are doing, and you will do it the only way that you know how – which is ultimately the best way for you, so don’t listen to nay-sayers and don’t diminish your greatness.
Penquin website: https://www.penquin.co.za/