WIN Spotlight: Stefanie Hoffman
Welcome to the latest “WIN Spotlight,” our ongoing series that celebrates inspirational women in our community. Each interview features a member of WIN who is championing innovation at her organization or across the industry. We dig into the diverse perspectives, influences, mission, drivers, and dreams of these leaders, and of course, ask them for practical advice and pro tips from their years of experience.
This month we are excited to feature Stefanie Hoffman, Director of Business Transformation at R/GA. She is a longtime WIN supporter, ambassador, and has been spearheading the brand evolution of win!
Who are you and what do you do?
Hello! I’m Stef. If you know me, you would likely agree that it’s not surprising that I am native to the New York Area. I talk fast, love efficiencies, and definitely see my career as more than just a job. I’m currently a Director on R/GA’s Business Transformation team, which is our in-house innovation and brand consultancy. I’ve had the privilege of helping to grow and scale this capability for the past 5.5 years. When I started on the team, it was only about a year in the making, and still a seedling of an idea sprouted by R/GA’s visionary leadership. I was one of just two innovation strategists, supported by a small but mighty brand design team.
Now we’re just under 70 globally and growing. It’s been a remarkable experience to build a start-up within a company that is over 40 years old. It has pushed me to continually reimagine my own definition and standards for innovation. Prior to that, I worked at Vivaldi as a brand strategist, and spent a few years at global market research consultancy called PSB.
What’s the best part of your job?
Having unequivocal permission to question the status quo. One of the main reasons I took the job at R/GA is the philosophy of its founder, Bob Greenberg, who wholeheartedly believes “no one is doing it right.” There is always a way to do or make something better. And if you can’t figure it out, you’re not trying hard enough. It’s one of the things I always tell my team: I don’t care how much research was put into your work, if it doesn’t lead to a new and interesting way of thinking about something, you have to keep going. Now as a manager, my favorite moments are seeing the people I manage have their ‘a-ha’ moments because I know what is going through their head: how did I get so lucky to get to do this as my job?!
What is your favorite quotation?
“If I am an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that inspiration happens in the weirdest and most unexpected places. I’ve come up with great ideas everywhere from my shower to hikes in Vietnam to concert venues to the winding roads of Highway 1 in Big Sur. Because of that, my favorite quote is by Anthony Bourdain.
What are the life moments that most influenced you to seek a career in innovation?
I distinctly remember a phone call I had about a decade ago with a recruiter while I was trying to leave my first job in market research. It was probably our fourth or fifth discussion, and I was fed up that she kept on giving me jobs that looked and sounded identical to the job I had at the time. I expressed that the skills I learned in conducting qualitative and quantitative research had to be applicable somewhere outside of the research world, but she insisted this was the path I had to go down. I told her she was wrong, and went on to spend the next few months furiously searching the internet for jobs that require research skills. I had no idea that brand and innovation strategy jobs were even a thing (I was a Public Relations major, for god’s sake), but I quickly realized that this was my calling. The biggest lesson learned here? Don’t take no for an answer. Words I continue to live by.
What is the best advice someone has given you?
This is your work. They shouldn’t present your work. You are a leader, so you own it.
I’ve had a lot of great mentors throughout my career, but I recently received advice that has really stuck with me. I was leading a pitch with an incredibly smart, outspoken female leader at my company, who also happened to be my mentor when I first started at R/GA (you know who you are). We were discussing who would present to the clients who were C-suite execs, and I suggested a few leaders to her, without realizing they were all men. She looked at me and said, “this is your work. They shouldn’t present your work. You are a leader, so you own it.” I did and it turned out great. At the time, I didn’t realize the subconscious bias I was directing towards myself, of all people. That moment continues to be a constant motivator.
What is your advice for any woman in innovation / the next generation of female leaders?
This is another piece of advice I was once given that I want to pass onto the next generation of female leaders: build your own personal advisory board. Identify what your aspirations are, and surround yourself with people who can help make them happen. Some of them may have to do directly with your career, and others may not. For example, I have someone on my personal advisory board that I can rely on for health and wellness support because I know that focusing on that gives me the energy and clarity I need to perform my best at work.
What did you study that led you into innovation?
I actually started out as a Journalism major and then switched to Public Relations. It took me a while to realize it, but both of these studies have a clear connection to innovation: storytelling. At the heart of any good innovation strategy is a clear and compelling story. It doesn’t matter how good the idea is if you can’t explain why it is a good idea.
What do you think will have the biggest impact on the industry in 2020?
Women! The end of 2019 marked a huge accomplishment for us: for the first time, women now make up more than half of the college-educated workforce. We’re taking all the steps necessary to become a force to be reckoned with, and I fully expect to start feeling the impacts of this in the coming year.
What product, service, or industry do you think is most ripe for innovation? Why?
This is super top-of-mind for me right now because I am due with my first in May (ahh), the pregnancy industry. It’s so similar to the wedding industry in that businesses think they can charge triple the price for a slight modification of an everyday item (like jeans) or for something that they know you will only use a few times. It can literally costs thousands of dollars to take prenatal classes in New York City. This is the most vulnerable time for pregnant women because there is so much unknown, and businesses are fully taking advantage of that. I’d love to see a company take the opposite approach and make the experience feel more democratic and approachable.
How is New York unique in how it does innovation?
I am a huge believer that the best innovation is only possible when a diverse group of people come together to identify solutions to problems. Without diverse perspectives, you only hear or see one side of the story. It’s a huge part of the reason why large companies struggle to innovate: their leadership teams are entirely homogeneous. As it relates to the question though (I digress): if there is anywhere in the world that prides itself on diversity, it’s New York City. You really get all kinds here! That makes this such a special place for innovation, not only because it means we can recruit the best and most diverse talent, but it also means we get inspiration from experiencing diversity in our everyday lives...like riding the NYC subway. I never thought I’d find something positive to say about the subway, but hey, look at that!
Thank you Stefanie for sharing your story with the WIN community!
Photos by Annie Chen
Edited by Marcela Madera
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