By Michelle Strydom
Before Currey started Hamiltons Advertising, she followed her passion for client service by working at an ad agency and studying marketing. Her dedication to the industry soon resulted in moving up the agency ranks, from designer to account director.
“I thrived on being able to market a product, and see the end results of a campaign. I loved nurturing client relationships, understanding their needs and found that I was constantly striving to deliver beyond expectation,” says Currey.
Her experience and drive to become the best version of herself in her career, led her to the ambitious decision to start her own ad agency.
“I thought I would only get all of this if I did it myself. So I resigned, gathered great people around me (many are still with me today) and with huge amounts of passion and determination and very little money, opened Hamiltons Advertising.”
The risk paid off, as today Hamiltons Advertising manages big brands like FreshStop and Food Lover’s Market, and shows no signs of stopping.
Currey offers valuable insights for women towards developing their careers, and believes with all the roles women fulfil in society and the insight they provide, they are able to change the workplace.
“As creatives and clients, we need to consider the fact that women offer so much value to the workplace in terms of their perspective and understanding. Women often bring unique insight into the creative space with the ability to empathise and understand the day-to-day rigours of being a professional, a mum, a friend and a family member.”
Furthermore, she has hopes for women in the food retail and design industry.
“Insight when brainstorming a new idea or product in the food retail industry or in a creative space, where women have such a big influence on purchasing decisions, is invaluable,” she says.
As someone who has thrived only on hard work and dedication, Currey dismisses that gender stereotypes may still obstruct a woman’s path to success. Currey chooses to stray away from the gender stereotypes as the key dominator in one’s success, and rather brand success as an outcome of a positive attitude, and hard work, of course.
“I have been very fortunate and, despite being in an industry which was previously very male-dominated, have been able to forge ahead in business without any significant issue. However, I do also believe that your success is also largely about your attitude to any situation - good or bad,” says Currey.
Keeping her own success in mind, Currey believes that once the glass ceiling has been shattered, it’s time to move on and take your career into your own hands.
“The biggest obstacle for women entering senior creative positions is possibly attitude and opportunity. In this modern era, the glass ceiling in advertising is well and truly broken and there is no limit to the career successes that you, as a woman or individual, can achieve. I firmly believe that hard work, a great work ethic, passion and determination is what wins the day - not your gender.”