Next Creative Leaders 2015: Andrea Mileskiewicz

Three words you'd use to describe yourself?
Scrappy. Curious. Dedicated.

What piece of work are you most proud of and why?
The American Greetings World’s Toughest Job Campaign. Because it stemmed from one tiny, humble insight. And the original brief was for banner ads.

You started in media sales, and the sales mentality has worked for you. Any thoughts as to why?
Coming up with a brilliant idea is only step one. A very important step two is selling it. Creative and sales are so intertwined. Starting my career in media sales has turned out to be an invaluable experience. It taught me how to be persistent, strategic and have a thick skin. All things necessary to being a successful creative. Your first brief is selling yourself.

You’ve been with Mullen for 7 years. What can agencies do to encourage talent to grow with them?
Mullen is a nimble and progressive agency. A challenger agency. And the internal environment reflects that. There are no closed doors at Mullen. If you’re bold enough to raise your hand for a new, different or even out of your league project, they let you play...and they’ll promote you if you deliver. If agencies want to encourage talent to stay, that’s a really good way to go about it.

What has your experience taught you about what it takes for agencies to evolve and grow in this climate?
Being humble, hardworking and a bit of hybrid wins. Everything about this industry is fluid—cultural trends, the latest innovations, new mediums—except for great people. That will always stick. I’ve been fortunate enough to work for amazing leadership. Brilliantly humble, innovative and nimble leadership that works shoulder-to-shoulder. That’s the constant that carried me through at Mullen.

You believe in "trial by fire" because of the non-traditional skill set you gain. Can you tell us about that?
I’m an advocate of throwing yourself in the ring. It’s the best way to find out what you’re truly capable of. Success or failure, there is no greater or more meaningful training. When in doubt, just try and see what happens.