The Art of Account Management: Janeace Slifka on Why Everybody You Interact with Can Teach You Something

Janeace oversees the account management practice in Blue State's DC office and leads client engagements with some of our largest nonprofit and advocacy clients.

Janeace has over 10 years of experience leading complex digital programmes for clients designed to support key business objectives. Her clients have spanned various industries including financial services, tech, clean energy, technology policy, transportation, and foundations. At Blue State, she leads our work with AARP’s Outreach and Mobilization team and Oxfam America among others.

Prior to joining Blue State, Janeace led the accounts team at Outcast (formerly Connections Media). Previously, Janeace was an editorial assistant at the Washington, D.C. bureau of Forbes magazine, she was part of the client services team at Atlantic Media, and she got her start in DC as part of the digital team at EMILY’s List.

Janeace earned her B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied political science, communication, and public & professional writing. She also holds an M.A. in communication, culture & technology from Georgetown University. She leads the Alumni Advisory board for Chi Omega at American University and enjoys mentoring the next generation of women leaders.

LBB> How did you first get involved in account management and what appealed to you about it?

Janeace> Believe it or not, I see my high school job waitressing as my first foray into account management - aside from dealing with actual kitchen fires, the roles are very similar! What appealed to me about the role - to continue the restaurant analogy - is that your job in the front of house is to create an experience that is enjoyable for the guests and to set up your back of house team for success so they can create their magic. When it all comes together it's a beautiful and fulfilling experience. In account management, we get to set the tone for everyone involved in a project or account and when we do it well it makes the work enjoyable for everyone involved. 

LBB> What is it about your personality, skills and experience that has made account management such a great fit?

Janeace> Empathy and lack of ego. I focus on being able to meet people where they are and understanding that there could be a million different reasons why something was late, the direction wasn’t clear, or the goal post moved. This helps me move more quickly past the issue and into solutions so I don’t waste time on the things that are irrelevant. I try to keep my eye on course, correcting for where things are at that moment and not being too tightly tied to my own point of view. Saves so much time and heartache! 

LBB> What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in account management?

Janeace> Every single person you interact with has something to teach you. Not just your boss, but your clients, their direct reports, their stakeholders, the junior copywriter on your team, the designer, the creative director – you have access to so many smart and interesting people! Take time to get to know them - ask them about their process, their background, how they reach decisions, anything! People love talking about the things they love and you can learn so much and widen your perspective as a result. 

LBB> Thinking back to some of your most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client-agency relationships?

Janeace> When people under-index on empathy and over-index on ego - the relationship will likely be strained. Additionally, if the agency doesn’t establish its values and set clear boundaries from the start about the ways they expect to partner with clients, there is a higher likelihood that things could go sideways at some point. There will always be challenging moments, but having a framework guiding how we work together is an important North Star. 

LBB> And what are the keys to building a productive and healthy relationship?

Janeace> The most important thing is understanding that our clients and teams are humans first. The more you can connect with people as individuals the more you will be able to understand what drives them, what matters most to them, and how to get to the best possible outcome for them. 

LBB> What’s your view on disagreement and emotion - is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why - and what does productive disagreement look like?

Janeace> I can’t think of a workday that didn’t have some sort of disagreement and emotion - we are full people bringing all parts of ourselves into an environment with many other people, each bringing their own different perspectives. Sharing that emotion and disagreeing is healthy and makes our work better. Productive disagreements happen when people know they are valued, they share similar overarching values, and unique perspectives and diversity of opinion are encouraged. 

LBB> Historically, account management has been characterised as the mediator in an adversarial client and creative relationship - what do you make of that characterisation, is there any nugget of truth in that or is it wildly inaccurate?

Janeace> I’m sure that may be an authentic experience for some folks, but frankly, I wouldn’t survive a week in the role if that was the reality. I tend to think of clients and creatives as being part of the same team aiming for the same goal. They may have different roles to play and different opinions on how to get to the desired outcome, but ultimately we’re all working towards the same objective. 

LBB> These days, agencies do so much beyond traditional campaigns and as account management you’re pulling together creative, experience, data, e-commerce, social and more - and that complexity can often be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too? What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?

Janeace> When a new platform emerges - are you downloading it, creating an account, playing around on it (RIP to the languishing Clubhouse and BeReal apps on my phone)? When you see a new ad format are you reaching out to your reps for case studies? Are you reading industry pubs for updates on the latest and greatest campaigns? Actively learning, staying curious, and having a genuine interest in the evolution of the industry will help you navigate all the changes and ensure you’re able to help clients navigate it too. 

LBB> What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from an account management perspective and how did you address those challenges? What was so satisfying about working on these projects?

Janeace> I’m proud of all the work that we do at Blue State. We help our clients move people to action - whether it’s getting people to reach out to their members of Congress to pass a piece of legislation or to donate in the wake of a natural disaster, we’re focused on doing work that improves people’s lives. What gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing that my role is to understand the progress our clients are fighting for and making it my mission to ensure our teams deliver.