Ogilvy’s Megan Pritchard talks Business and Recreation
By Jaenique Swartz.
Megan Pritchard, 29, Chief Operations Director and the newest board member and shareholder at Ogilvy Namibia sat down for an interview with Namibia Economist.
During the interview Megan stressed the importance that the people become acquainted with Ogilvy as she believes not many people truly know much about the industry in general and about the agency in particular.
Ogilvy Namibia is a leading, full service advertising agency and has been the first port of call for a host of local brands in Namibia for the past 27 years.
The local agency is affiliated to the international group with over 500 offices globally and the Namibian branch has accumulated quite a portfolio working with companies such as MultiChoice Namibia Group, Namib Mills, Namib Poultry Industries, Paratus Namibia, Apple, and Hollard Namibia, to name a few.
Megan values the work and effort she has invested in her career over the last few years, stressing that the next era of her life will reflect more on starting a family and strutting down the aisle, having just moved into her dream home with her best friend and two furry children, Mufasa and Cadbury.
That does not mean though that the marketing mogul will put her career on the back burner. After the recent launch of the agency’s Innovation Hub under the leadership of Maryke Van Lill, things are far from slowing down for her.
She is passionate about various avenues both professionally and personally, having rescued one of her pets who she considers to be more like children, from a shabby and unsafe home a few years back.
Megan has ambitions of aiding young girls transitioning into high school with talks about their future – equipping them with resources and offering her assistance to design curriculum vitae’s, vision boards, and convincing young girls about the power of education.
Jaenique: – How do you balance your professional and personal life, while still guarding your mental balance?
Megan:- In the beginning I found it very challenging, but having a support structure and understanding person to come home to makes it totally worth it. Something I learned along the way was to delegate to the team and not keep all the responsibility with me.
I started journaling a year ago and now I simply cannot stop. Taking the time to sit with my thoughts and reflect on the day that I had is so crucial.
I maintain mental clarity by removing all my work emails during my downtime, in that same breath, being okay to say no to the things that do not bring me joy in my life.
Lastly, after a long day, cooking away in the kitchen for the one’s I love is a total winner!
Jaenique: – How do you persevere through the tough times?
Megan: – As they say, “tough times never last, only tough people last”. There will be highs and there will surely be lows, just remember, after every rainstorm comes a rainbow and after every dark night comes a beautiful sun rise. Do not give up, learn from your mistakes and remember everything happens for a reason.
Jaenique: – What is your recipe for success?
Megan: – It’s simple, hard work, dedication, and consistency will always get you further.
Jaenique: – What can we expect from Ogilvy in the near future?
Megan: – At Ogilvy, change is our lifeblood. It’s a rule we follow to help this world and the people in it. Change is everything, change is good. We never settle.
With that being said, the near future definitely looks exciting and bright. We had our annual team building strategic workshop earlier this year in February and post the findings, reflections and aspirations, management has put together a three-year strategy on a new Ogilvy 2.0. We launched our innovation hub which is a first for Ogilvy.
Jaenique: – What advice would you give to this generation of female leaders?
Megan: – The best I can give to anyone, is that not everyone knows what they are doing, in fact, you will be surprised at how many people don’t. Sometimes all you need to do is believe in yourself, take a chance, wing it and learn from the outcome.
Never compromise on your selfworth, whether it’s family, friends, work, your partner, or even with your own thoughts , YOU COME FIRST!
