Episode 3 of Series 3 of the emPOWER Podcast is Live! Emily Jordan Wilson challenges the status quo on Leadership, Duty of Care and Changing the Culture of Advertising.
In the third episode of Season Three of The emPOWER Breakfast Podcast, Athene Parker sits down with Emily Jordan Wilson, Founder of Feral Reps, for one of the most impactful conversations the podcast has hosted to date.
For more than two decades, Emily has worked at the heart of advertising's new business and production community, building relationships, creating opportunities and connecting some of the industry's most respected creative companies with agencies and brands. Through Feral Reps, she has built a reputation not only for championing exceptional talent, but for championing people.
In this deeply intimate conversation, Emily reflects on the experiences that shaped her long before founding Feral Reps. From her childhood and early career to the resilience that has underpinned every chapter of her life, she shares the journey that led her to become one of advertising's most passionate advocates for healthier workplace cultures and stronger leadership.
Together, Athene and Emily explore the culture of networking, entertainment and relationship-building that has long been woven into the fabric of the advertising and production industries. They discuss the often-unspoken realities faced by those working in new business, asking a simple but powerful question:
What responsibility do organisations have for the wellbeing and safety of the people representing them?
Emily also shares the life-changing experience of sexual assault while travelling for work, not to revisit the past, but to explain why she believes the industry has both an opportunity and a responsibility to do better for future generations.
Rather than dwelling on what happened, the conversation focuses on solutions.
From clearer leadership and expectations to better preparation, safeguarding and support, Emily and Athene explore the practical changes every organisation can make to create environments where people feel safer, more valued and better equipped to succeed.
Alongside these important discussions is the Emily so many people know and admire: warm, funny, fiercely determined and deeply committed to creating positive change. Her generosity, humour and optimism run throughout the conversation, reminding us that meaningful leadership is often born from the courage to transform personal experience into collective progress.
At its heart, this episode is not about blame. It is about responsibility, culture and leadership. Particularly for junior teams entering the industry.
It’s also about the extraordinary impact that can be created when one person decides that what happened to them should become the catalyst for protecting others.
Emily's story will resonate with anyone leading teams, building businesses, working in advertising or reflecting on the responsibility we all share to create workplaces where people feel safe, supported and able to thrive.
Please note: This episode contains discussion of sexual assault, which some listeners may find distressing.
The full emPOWER Podcast Season Three, Episode Three with Emily Jordan-Wilson is available now.
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Please subscribe, rate and review to help these important conversations reach more people.
