senckađ
Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
People in association withLBB Pro User
Group745

Career X Culture with Manager of Local Video Investment Julie Bowie

19/10/2022
Media Agency
London, UK
282
Share
iProspect sits down with Julie in the US to find out about her first job and what a typical working day looks like

Welcome to Career X Culture, an ongoing series showcasing the talented people of iProspect and their unique backgrounds, passions, and accomplishments. 

In this edition, meet Julie Bowie, a manager of local video investment at iProspect US. Julie reflects on her early experiences working at a summer sleepaway camp as well as the importance of cultivating relationships. Read more about Julie and her role in the Q&A interview below:


Q> What is one skill they do not teach you in school that you use every day?

Julie> To treat others with kindness and respect. I think in school we tend to be very focused on material information and don't really cover how to cultivate relationships. I would say the skill of practicing kindness is something I use daily, whether it's helping others on my team, volunteering for needs across the organization or communicating with my contacts. I tell my kids often that I truly believe the world would be a better place if we just treated one another with kindness and respect.


Q> What was your first job and what was the most important skill or lesson you learned?

Julie> My first job was working in the kitchen at a sleepaway summer camp. I was 15 and I was supposed to attend as the oldest camper, but my dad decided that 15 was too old to be sent away for babysitting. He put his foot down, saying “if you want to go, find a way.” I wrote the camp director a letter and begged him to take me in some capacity. He called and said, “why don't you come to work in the kitchen?" I spent that summer working in the kitchen. Obviously, I learned how to clean pots and pans and all that, but I think that the biggest takeaway was that sometimes in life you must take a chance and go for what you want and don't assume that the answer is no, because if you never ask, you'll never know. That was a big lesson for me.


Q> What is an early working experience or somebody you met that shaped or exposed you to your current career path?

Julie> My first media job after graduating college was as the personal assistant to the local broadcast manager at J Walter Thompson in Atlanta. She was a big deal, and she was well known and well respected in the community and that could be a little intimidating. She hired me as her personal assistant to help keep the large buying team organised. I learned a lot, but one of the best parts was that she took me everywhere. I went to all these fancy lunches and dinners and baseball games in the club seats. It gave me the opportunity to really learn how the business worked. I learned how to listen. I think this is so important in work and family or personal life, to listen. So much of the local broadcast business really revolves around relationships and taking the time to pick up the phone to meet someone for coffee or go to lunch, and working on that relationship is essential to the job. 


Q> What makes the company culture at iProspect unique

Julie> When I first started and I was going through onboarding, there was a deep message that to me was simple, which was: just be yourself. We come here with these different experiences, our own set of unique histories. That's what makes us special. All these amazing people have their own story and we're all sharing the table, whether you're right out of school or at the mid-point in your career–every voice matters and we should strive to embrace our differences instead of shying away from them. The encouragement to be one’s most authentic self is something that I really connect with. 


Q> What is something unique about you or your background that you bring to the role or the dentsu community as a whole?

Julie> I think two things. I have worked at several agencies, and after having my second kid, I took a few years off and then I came back into the community as a freelancer. A freelance career was great, and it allowed me to work at different shops, so I really got to see how everybody did it and what worked and what didn't. On a personal note, I'm a recent cancer survivor. In March 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through a lot. 16 chemo treatments, radiation, the whole thing. Going through a cancer journey gives a person a different perspective on life, and each day I just feel grateful to be living without cancer and it really motivates me to stay positive.


Q> For me, iProspect is the Intersection of _______ and _______?

Julie> I'm going to say curiosity and collaboration.

iProspect is built by individuals from different backgrounds, all united by a common passion – the acceleration of brands through knowledge of culture and technology. Interested in learning more? Check out the iProspect LinkedIn page here.

Credits