Adventures of a “Bad WACLer” 
(aka how I learned to love WACL….)
I smile to myself as I sit here writing about WACL. It really is a truly wonderful club, now I know that categorically. But it wasn’t always the case.
I was first introduced to WACL as a client, back when Nicola Mendelsohn was Chair of Karmarama and WACL President, whilst I was Marketing Director at Nintendo. I think it was a lunch at the Savoy with Elle Macpherson as a speaker. Quite rightly the thematic was around female empowerment and gender equality and it was so gloriously glamorous, packed to the rafters with the glitterati of the British advertising industries. With Nicola’s very helpful guidance and help, she kindly supported and encouraged my nomination into joining.
I have always been a feminist, trying to help and support other women, but not always as intentionally and purposefully as I perhaps should have been – so it was brilliant to join such an illustrious group of power women, albeit a tad unnerving. I was beyond fortunate to start my journey with my WACL buddy who was there to help me navigate the club – the incredible Kerry Glazer. I promptly got stuck in attending events and even joining 2 Christmas Gala Committees. So, on paper it was all tickety boo – being part of a powerful and thought leading group of women, having access to a brilliant network of female leaders.
But deep down, I was struggling to engage. There was something innate in me that wasn’t emotionally connecting beyond the core vision of the group. If I’m honest with myself, I felt that perhaps the club was still too exclusive and not welcoming enough. And really, at that point 10 years or so ago, more focused as a dining club than the WACL we have today. So, I drifted along really, semi-engaged but not feeling deep down it was truly a club for someone like me. A kid from a working-class background who was into gaming and entertainment rather than Gucci shoes and Prada handbags.
WACL itself was on its own journey – I remember happily the now legendary evening of Kerry Glazer’s installation as President. Her focus on genuine purpose and how she so elegantly and strategically grappled with the WACL nettles (some of which remain today) was a lesson in transformational leadership. From that point on I started thinking about leaning in. I remember chatting to Kerry about the idea of more WACL focus in the North, and providing a wider, more democratic footprint for the club.
In tandem with the changes in my own relationship and attitude to WACL, my own life was changing. I was transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurial life. Whilst I was becoming more truly engaged with the evolution of the club, as anyone who is an entrepreneur knows too well, that can be a veritable rollercoaster ride. My burgeoning WACL engagement was being tempered with my own pursuit of exploring my new career – working with SMEs and start-ups as a NED. That was not always an easy road to take – and at points, I even questioned whether WACL was the right place for me in this new life I had chosen.
Thankfully (and you will see a recurring theme here), it was another WACLer who reminded me of my own value and the value of being truly active in the club. Following a very honest and intimate conversation with then President Lisa Thomas, I took a sharp intake of breath and decided to stop playing at WACL and throw myself in. And that’s what I did. I have never looked back since.
At the start of COVID, i joined the WACL Talent Sessions committee. I was part of an intense and incredible team of women – and we pivoted the group’s focus away from events to WACL’s first ever national mentoring program. As many have seen as one of the positive outcomes of COVID, the use of technology was a huge enabler to democratise access to the club. It was so enriching to be part of a group feeling we were genuinely helping women at one of the most challenging times in our lives – with mentoring which was often far more than business advice. We covered every topic imaginable – childcare, coping with remote working, bravery, confidence – and that reciprocal sense of camaraderie and support we have all felt for each other was life changing for me. We were helping each other to survive and on occasion thrive. It was then an absolute honour to subsequently chair this committee – and as we have come out of the constraints of COVID, re-introduce IRL events which have been truly magnificent. My germ of an idea with Kerry was able to see the light of day with our first WACL event outside London in Manchester. We’re now planning one in my hometown of Liverpool.
Alongside this, I also got involved in the peer to peer mentoring. Now that was the definition of scary. I think when each of us joined, we had some trepidation for sure about sharing our more innermost worries, concerns and challenges with women who were essentially, strangers. Within 20 minutes of our first meeting, we were going deep into all of this and more, all there simply to listen and give each other what modicum of advice and help we could. We’re all friends now.
As Committee Chair, the other awesome facet of this was the opportunity to join the WACL Executive Committee. Every meeting, I was blown away by the warmth, intellect and wisdom of this collective group of powerhouses – and despite all the challenges that WACL faces, often as a microcosm of the broader world we live in today, magnificently led with the calming, diplomatic stewardship of Kate Waters.
As my tenure in that role ended, I knew I needed to keep active in WACL – it has become such a nourishing, inspiring and learning experience for me. And without doubt the most brilliant way to make friends. I am now genuinely thrilled to have joined the WACL100 Committee working with the wise and wonderful Carol Reay and her mega team. It feels funny to me that as WACL celebrates its 100th anniversary that me, a previously self confessed “bad WACLer” could be part of telling that trailblazing and pioneering story. It just goes to show, that if you let it in, WACL really does become part of you.
So to all the WACL outliers, those who aren’t sure if they belong – and for those not quite sure if it’s the club for them – my advice is this. Throw yourself in, get involved. Be curious, be open and kind – and I promise that your life will be better and richer for it in ways that you could never have imagined.
About the author
Aurora