“Have pride in what you do,” Dani Benowitz from IPG Mediabrands

Meet Dani Benowitz, Global Chief Negotiations Officer at IPG Mediabrands, where she redefines how media buying is conducted all while promoting positive change for the industry. Her impressive, long career has been defined by her relentless efforts to drive value for clients and all key stakeholders through innovative partnerships and reinventing marketplace collaboration. Her team is at the forefront of industry strategy, measurement, platforms, brands, and more. 

Dani was an early champion and executive sponsor of holistic media strategies that looked at investment through a more inclusive and equitable lens. She has earned multiple industry awards and recognitions, including being named an ADWEEK Media All-Star, honored with Campaign’s Inspiring Women Award, and inducted into MediaVillage’s Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors.

Dani joined Morgan James, Content Marketing Specialist at SiriusXM Media, to be a part of a special, upcoming season of the Pass the Mic Podcast called Mentor Me. In her interview, they discussed the challenges of navigating work-life balance as you rise in your career and how the younger generations of up-and-coming female leaders can find balance.

Tune in to Dani’s full interview below. Then check out some highlights from the conversation

Have confidence in your contributions.

Highlight: “Having confidence in your contribution is really empowering. And I know it's hard to see that, but if you're progressing in your career, you're obviously growing, and then you bring something to the table that other people see in you. You should own that and have confidence in it. When it comes to finding balance, it's okay to skip something, it's ok to put something down, so you can do what you have to do for yourself, and come back even better. You bring value to the organization, and you should embrace that and not stress about the things that, once in a while, you may miss.” - Dani Benowitz

Set a good example for your coworkers.

Highlight: “I have people who've been with me for a long time. I have somebody who's been with me the whole 23 years I've been at IPG. I believe that’s because I try to set a good example and be a role model for the people who work with me. And I have no expectations of them that I don't have of myself. We work hard, and I do expect performance, but I also believe that we're all adults, and we know what has to get done. And we do it. As long as we do it at the right time, and we're hitting deadlines and delivering, that's okay.” - Dani Benowitz

Figure out your boundaries.

Highlight: “I heard somebody say work-life balance for them was actually work. That work was their balance, which was a different way of looking at it. To me, I really think it's a combination of both, understanding what the trade-offs are, and there are always trade-offs to have work-life balance, and then just determining what your boundaries are and what's worth it and what’s not worth it.” - Dani Benowitz

Be present.

Highlight: “I think there are moments as a leader, and as well as somebody who's growing up in our industry, to be present—because moments when you're together, it's magic. I know we all appreciate the flexibility to work from home… But there is something about coming together once in a while and having the opportunity to be where magic is made, whether that’s being in the same room just riffing off of each other, or passing each other in the hallway, or forming social bonds at work.” - Dani Benowitz

Don’t miss the important moments.

Highlight: “Do not miss the important moments, events outside of work, whatever that is to you. It could be a birthday, it could be going to the gym, it can be just “me time,” whatever it is, do not miss those. The fact of the matter is, the work is gonna be there tomorrow. It is. You could keep going all night. Seven days straight, it's always going to be there. So if you don't take time out for yourself, you're just going to regret it later.” - Dani Benowitz

Dani’s experiences have taught her a lot about how life and work can blend into a healthy, structured lifestyle. For the zillennial and Gen Z women looking to navigate their work-life balance approach, Dani’s advice is sure to lead you down the right path. For more inspirational content, check out the Pass the Mic page. 

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