Today we’d like to introduce you to Ilina Ewen .
Hi Ilina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My first job out of college was at an advertising agency. I worked in the media department for a now defunct airline client. Our specialty was, oddly enough, body cargo. I spent my days researching media targeted at funeral directors. Let’s say that my trajectory could only go up from there. I went on to work in financial services at American Express, an experience that set the gold standard for branding, employee experience, and professional development. I’m a lifelong American Express customer because of my extraordinary experience as an employee there for eight years. I think I would have enjoyed a long career there, but I couldn’t resist the chiming of school bells, so I left to go to graduate school. I attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, where I studied Integrated Marketing Communications.
From there, my career path shifted to starting a brand strategy consulting business, the only way I could navigate motherhood and my professional life. It was 15 years of juggling, but it allowed me time to dedicate to my two young sons while fueling my career. I enjoyed the flexibility but happily gave that up when the First Lady of NC tapped me to be her Chief of Staff. It was a life-changing opportunity, and I worked with some of the best people I’ve known personally or professionally. Alas, while the job was fulfilling, it was also demanding, and I didn’t want to lose time with my sons in the last couple of years before they left home, so I resigned and took some time off, returning to the earlier years driven by flexibility and family time. I realize what a luxury that is. My new role in corporate social responsibility affords me the opportunity to intersect all the things that have shaped my career – branding, community engagement, advocacy, writing, volunteerism, and communications.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are no smooth roads when you have been the only “other” in your career. Whether in advertising, financial services, politics, or construction, no one looks like me when I walk into a room. I was often the only woman or the only person of color. Off-color jokes were the norm early in my career. We, women, had to grin and bear it, confiding in each other in private outside the office. I experienced what we now call “microaggressions” about my name, heritage, and family. When I had a consulting business, in new business pitches, leaders often discounted my experience and expertise, questioning my credentials and asking about my age, or worse, asking me out on dates. I’ve had colleagues do this in recent jobs, demanding that I prove myself in ways my male peers didn’t have to. I’ve faced sexist comments about my looks, clothes, and body. I imagine most women share these experiences across industries, and still, we persevere, letting our work speak for itself and looking out for each other.
Additionally, juggling family and work is a struggle for men and women alike. My husband Todd and I raised our two sons with no family support. Most of our family lives in other time zones worldwide, so finding a support system has been very stressful. I’m so grateful to my friends who have become family to lend a hand and love my children as their own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I fancy myself an “accidental activist.” I wrote a letter to a company when I was 10- years old because I thought its ad campaign was sexist. When my parents divorced, I lived with my dad and eschewed “traditional” depictions of women cooking dinner. That wasn’t a reality for me, and even at a young age, I keenly felt the injustice of perpetuating outdated standards and roles. I’ve been here for over 40 years, still using my voice for the same issues.
I’ve been a letter writer my whole life, but not only to complain. I jump at the chance to send positive feedback and affirmations to people, companies, and elected officials. Words have always been my currency, so I relish the opportunity to teach and speak, especially to young people. I never had a role model who looked like me, so I understand the value of representation. I’ve been a long-time voice for public education and issues related to children, like reducing hunger, access to healthcare, mental health, and global vaccine access in my work with organizations like Prevent Child Abuse NC, SAFEchild, and No Kid Hungry, UN Foundation Shot@Life, and the PTA.
My role as director of corporate social responsibility at Samet is the perfect cocktail of all my skills, expertise, experiences, insights, and passion. I get to focus on issues around diversity/equity/inclusion/belonging, sustainability, and community engagement. It’s the ultimate intersection of using business for good to build goodwill by doing good deeds and being authentic about improving lives through real change rather than performative gestures and platitudes.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We’re about to see real transformation. Not only are the youth going to take the reins and light the way, Gen-Xers like me will walk alongside because we never felt a sense of agency to use our voices and impart change. In some ways, we’ll recapture our own youth by helping shape our future now.
As for my professional life, I think we’re going to see a pretty traditional industry evolve to be a champion of diversity, wellbeing, and sustainability. Perhaps some find this naive or idealistic, but I am encouraged by the curiosity and conversations I’ve been having. Construction is booming with no end in sight. We will see more technology in this field, and with that, a variety of skills and talents to serve those needs. As construction grows, we’ll see more women entering and thriving in the field. We’ll engage more people to contribute to solutions that plague the planet, and we’ll see a more collective mindset to serve as an antidote to the years of division we have experienced. At least, that is my hope.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dirtandnoise.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilinap/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearedirtandnoise/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilinap
- Other: https://sametcorp.com/
Image Credits
Yellow stairs photos by Beth Green
