Lisa Cochrane, Former SVP at AllState and AdWeek’s Woman of the Year in 2014  

Lisa Cochrane has worked at the very famous advertising firm of Ogilvy & Mather, and as Senior Vice President of Marketing for the well-known brand, Allstate Insurance. Before retiring this year, she was named 2014 Woman of the Year by AdWeek, and interviewed by Inc. magazine and the Huffington Post.

She is a Midwest native, and although she originally wanted to be a writer, she also remembers  fondly spending summers with relatives on a farm in Illinois, and acquiring a great work ethic from that.  She believes in the Golden Rule of treating others as you would like to be treated; eats a very healthy breakfast (those who just down a cup of coffee in the a.m., take note!); and has a plethora of advice regarding great leadership qualities and the psychological aspects of her mentors that have mattered most to her.

What does a day in your shoes typically look like?
It changes every day — and that’s how I like it.

What 2-3 things do you do to prepare yourself before work, and is there anything you try to accomplish every day?
I make a list every night about what I want to accomplish the next day or week.  And I try to formally thank at least two people every day.  Remembering to formerly express gratitude is very important.

What is your breakfast of choice?
A Venti Starbucks dark roast with skim milk and cinnamon, plus a bowl of healthy cereal with berries and Greek yogurt.

What are your rituals or tips for staying energized and motivated?
I don’t have any rituals that I know of; I try to do what I love with people I like to be with.  The busier I am, the happier and more energized I am.

What is your favorite part about your job?
Helping others accomplish things and brainstorming/directing creative concepts.

What and who inspires you at work?
You can make a difference in this business. Sure, the business of advertising is business, but it can give you a stage to do more. Start with a purpose, add your passion, and you can not only move business, but potentially change lives.

At Allstate, Allstate Chairman and CEO Tom Wilson inspired this sense of purpose in me — and in my colleagues across the company — and reinforced that “doing good” is good for business.  At Allstate, the purpose of putting people in good hands, helping them realize their hopes and dreams, is behind everything they do.

Do you have a ‘power outfit’ that you wear for a big meeting or important work event?
No, I change it up depending on the season and occasion.  “Power” doesn’t come from the outfit, it comes from within.  I just wear what I feel good in.

What is your favorite leisure activity after a stressful work week?
Planning, cooking and hosting a dinner party; making a pie, or ordering a pizza and “doing nothing” with my husband, our dogs and cat.

How does your culture/background influence your work?
I grew up in the Midwest, as both a “city mouse” and a “country mouse” — my immediate family lived in the suburbs of Chicago, and I spent my early summers on our relatives’ farm in central Illinois.  I was the oldest of four kids in a traditional family, with hard work ethics and a real respect for knowledge, education and fun. My mom and dad told us, and proved to us, that anybody can get ahead if you do things right and treat people right: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” And that everyone is special and worth knowing.  My parents taught us the rewards of curiosity and learning; our annual summer vacations were camping trips to tour the country — from Civil War battlefields (where my Dad acted out the battles!), to touring the factories and plants and museums in every town we passed through — whether a cookie factory, the Cessna plant in Wichita, or a paper mill in Michigan.  

How many times have you changed your career direction?
I’ve never actually changed my career direction; I’ve always been passionate about marketing, communications and advertising, and I love to work and feel like I’m making a difference.  I like to write.  When I was in first grade, I created my own newspaper and was the reporter, editor and publisher — and sold copies to neighbors for eleven cents!  When I was in third grade, I wrote my book reports as ads, and book reviews.  I was editor of my high school paper, president of the Student Activities Board, and when I graduated from high school, it was predicted in the yearbook that I’d have my own ad agency (which they predicted would be called “LollapoLisa”).  I went to the University of Missouri Journalism School specifically to learn the skills for a career in advertising, and from there, I have been fortunate — and very grateful — to have had wonderful job opportunities.

What has been the biggest obstacle in your career, and how did you overcome it?
Not that my career has been “easy” but I can’t think of a big obstacle — unless maybe it was that first job I took out of school as an advertising “trainee” at Marshall Field’s department store in Chicago.  That’s where I learned that sometimes the worst jobs are the best jobs — because they teach you what you don’t want to do, and get you to move on.

In that case, it took me just a couple months to look for another job, because I found out that being an advertising “trainee” meant you worked on the sales floor all day with little promise of any exposure to ad training. Within a few months of working in the Marshall Field’s shoe department, I overcame that obstacle by joining Ogilvy & Mather — this time as a bona fide trainee!  

What are the most important qualities of a good leader?

• • • Work hard and keep your word; be dependable.
    • Under promise and over-deliver.
    • Don’t be afraid to make decisions, and then be accountable for them.
    • Tell the truth.
    • Trust your team.
    • Find great people who are better than you are, and trust them to be effective.  (As David    Ogilvy said: “If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall   become a company of giants.”
    • Get to know people personally; you’ll find you’ll like them, and want to work with and help them.  (Again, more in the attached INC interview about this)
    • Appreciate your team: show respect and communicate gratitude, especially for exceptional work.  Be the “PR agent” for each of your people.
    • Understand the other side of a relationship — try to understand what it’s like to walk in their shoes.  (more in INC article)
    • Be direct.  And make sure people understand you — never walk away from a conversation leaving someone guessing.
    • Never compromise your values.

What are the unforgettable traits of role models who have inspired you most? 

• • • My Dad, who never gave up, and who made friends with everyone he met.
    • David Ogilvy, who asked the questions no one else thought (or was bold enough) to ask.
    • My Mom: the pleasure and reward of a job well done!
    • Joel Raphaelson, Creative Chief of Ogilvy & Mather Chicago (as well as Paris and Toronto) in the late 70’s – 90’s: The ultimate wordsmith, showing me that fine-tuning the product can make the difference between good and great.  He, and the whole environment at Ogilvy & Mather, taught me the importance of culture, advertising that works (grows your clients’ businesses) and first-class business in a first-class way. 

How have mentors impacted your personal and professional development?
While they were never formerly called “mentors,” I’ve been fortunate to have some incredible relationships with people who’ve made a huge impact on me:

• • • Richard Turner, my high school journalism teacher, who relentlessly pushed me and my writing, because he believed in me and knew I could “take it.”
    • David Ogilvy, whom I met at Ogilvy & Mather in the late 70’s, and with whom I had both a professional and personal friendship for the rest of his life.
    • Martha Stewart, who encouraged relentless curiosity and continuous learning, and teaching.
    • Peggy Dyer, Chief Marketing Officer of the American Red Cross (previously my client, and then my boss!).
    • Tom Wilson, Chairman and CEO of Allstate Corporation – He reinforced the importance of relationships, and encouraged and trusted my creative and strategic judgment.
    • Today, I have a “personal board of directors” — A  group of women “gal pals” in the marketing and advertising business. We rely on one another for coaching, support, encouragement, advice, and of course friendship.

What are three questions you like to ask during an interview to know if the candidate (or job) is the right fit?

• • • “Why are you here?”
    • “What was the best job you’ve ever had, and why?  The worst and why?”
    • “What are you most proud of?” (I want to hear how they tell a story).

What advice would you give to women starting their careers?
Be your authentic self.  People want to know you– and work with you — for who you are; your authentic self is more interesting than trying to be something else.

What book would you recommend for women just starting their career?
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

What is your favorite quote you try and live by?
The Golden Rule (“Treat others as you would like to be treated”) pretty much sums it up.