Three years ago Facebook introduced Agency Women’s Leadership Day, a one-day summit that takes place during Advertising Week. By bringing leaders in the advertising industry together, our goal is to foster inspiring and interactive discussions that will drive action and change in the community.

At this year's event, hosted yesterday at Chelsea Piers, Facebook hosted over 170 people to talk about creating even more champions for equality and inclusion at agencies. In order to encourage and empower both women and men to create an equitable workplace, we invited agency men for the first time, knowing that change happens with partnership from our allies. Speakers included Nada Stirratt, North America Vice President, Global Marketing Solutions, Facebook; Mara Lecocq, Founder of Secret Code and Where Are The Boss; Madeline Di Nonno, Chief Executive Officer, Geena Davis Institute Representative on Gender in Media; Alexis Robin and Cindy Jackson, pLink Leadership; Jessica Jensen, Head of Platforms, Products & Insights, Facebook; Ronnie Dickerson Stewart, VP Talent Engagement & Inclusion at Digitas; Carla Eboli, Dieste; Katerina Sudit, President, Havas Media Group; and Abby Wambach, Olympic Soccer Gold Medalist & FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion.

We took a few minutes yesterday to sit down with Colleen S. and Cathy S., Heads of Agency here at Facebook, who gave an opening keynote together to kick off this year’s event. They both began their careers in the fast-paced agency world, and joined Facebook for the opportunity to empower agencies in a whole new light. They now work with different agency partners across the country to help tackle marketing and advertising challenges using Facebook’s diverse and impressive set of tools. Check out what they have to say about their careers, passions, and more, below.

Cathy: To me this means always seeking challenges and discomfort at work. I once had a manager sit me down and tell me “If you don’t feel uncomfortable on a daily basis at work you’re not learning.” As women, we often seek challenges that result in us overextending ourselves and we end up punishing ourselves, but I believe half the battle is taking on and embracing those challenges that nourish us. Let the other person take the task that you don’t absolutely need to do, and give yourself a break when you need it. Then come in the next day and give yourself a new and even tougher challenge.

Colleen: After being hyper-focused on my career for so long, I realized I was only focused on what was next from a work perspective, and I didn’t have a holistic view of my life. Whether that was getting promoted or working towards a higher salary, I realized I needed to give myself time to step away and understand what I really wanted my next step to be. I took six months off to reflect, and in turn, I realized I needed to consider my outside and own life as part of my career. Sustained growth to me is about managing your whole life, not just the hours between 9 am - 5 pm. Once you feel whole and well-rounded, that’s when you can truly feel growth.

Cathy: When I attended this event for the first time last year, I was inspired that the conversations were around important topics that needed to be discussed. From how we can own the culture of our industry, to how difficult it can be at times to speak up when it’s necessary, Agency Women’s Leadership Day fosters an environment where women are empowered to speak their truth. I was moved by the incredible group of women, the camaraderie and the exchanges all happening under one roof about these challenges we all face. Facebook is leading the way in helping women in the industry bond and work more closely together, which is so important to creating positive change in the industry.

Colleen: Yes, everything Cathy said! Agency Women’s Leadership Day isn’t just rhetoric; it’s driving real action. I’ve been to this event all three years, and I believe that the conversations held this year will have the most impact on our industry yet. Each year I feel accountable for moving things forward in a way that I haven't before. We have a lot of work to do in this industry, and this event leaves everyone feeling accountable, yet energized to take these challenges on.

Colleen: Generally a lot of the language, education and workshops at Facebook are built to have everyone live their best lives inside and outside the office. We also have different training resources such as managing bias, hard conversations, and even being an ally. The company does an incredible job of creating an environment where everyone can feel comfortable to be themselves, while also being open and honest.

Cathy: Yes, absolutely agree. I would say I definitely also feel inspired by the phenomenal group of female leaders we have at this company. I've never felt more part of a community with my team and broader company. It’s our mission to build community and we live and breathe it every day.

If you're interested in joining Cathy and Colleen and being an advocate for agencies, check out job opportunities on our Global Marketing Solutions team at Facebook here.