Why Deadra Rahaman's Leadership Role is A Big Deal for the Future of Advertising

"Be the change you want to see in the world.” This is something many of us have heard our entire lives but as demonstrated in her personal mission and career journey, Deadra Rahaman exemplifies this saying in all that she does. As the VP of Brand Planning at Huge Midwest, Deadra's role is to bring context and relevance to data. With a focus on human insights, Deadra provides a fresh, authentic perspective when it comes to understanding how to market the new majority consumer. God-is Rivera’s take: “I met Deadra because she was speaking her mind and giving it to us straight about an important issue that meant a lot to her and her community. At that moment I knew I both liked and respected her. She’s committed to better diverse representation and deeper, more inclusive outputs within the ad industry. The passion and thoughtfulness that powers Deadra’s thinking is what I know will continue to make her successful in her current position. She also is never afraid to speak up and call out what needs to be fixed and is always ready to roll up her sleeves and do the work.” Learn more about the lessons Deadra learned along the way of her non-linear career journey, her mission to advance Black women in leadership especially in the ad industry, and what she learned about possessing a special trait that cannot be taught in the agency world: good instincts. How did you get to where you are today? I kind of stumbled into adland. I thought I was ready to be a stay-at-home mom. I began to realize I was ready to get back to the workforce and a family friend thought I would be great for an account sup role at GlobalHue. I had never worked where a Black man wholly owned a company. Torn with being home with my young children and wanting to experience working at a place owned by someone who looked like me was quite the quandary. I was too curious to pass up the opportunity, so I returned and brought my breast pump with me. I saw how much Black culture influenced other parts of the world. I later landed at Jack Morton to lead their global team. This is when my world view began to change as I traveled and saw how much Black culture influenced other parts of the world and how much intersectionality there was. I joined the Spike DDB agency in Brooklyn where I executed creative strategies that opened doors, minds, and opportunities for us as an agency. It was not easy making space for us in places where it was never intended for us to be or be seen beyond just the check box of multicultural agency of record. I honestly believe we were just slightly ahead of our time as an agency. There comes a time when you recognize just how fatigued you are. I was laid off and took the summer to rest, reset, and enjoy my family after many years of traveling. When I was ready to return, I started my own consulting agency. I had my challenges being a Black woman in the industry but I took on the sacrifices so I could create the type of work environment that I wanted for myself. This time of freedom also allowed me to re-engage with others in the industry. I began to see how few Black people were still working at agencies and I started to use my voice to draw attention to these disparities. This is how I ended up as a moderator for the 3% Detroit Mini Conference and met Renae Heuer at Huge. We kept in touch and, after a few opportunities came around, I felt Huge was the place for me. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? What about within the past year? I’ve been a yogi for several years. As the saying goes “I got 99 problems” but I’m about to hit this mat for an hour and not think about any of them. It not only gives me peace for that 1 hour, but it keeps me healthy and in shape. However, I struggle to practice at home. I’ve resorted to a little bit of organizing and home improvement and creating more spaces to enjoy since we’re spending more time at home. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? I never had any mentors. When I think back on all the bias I experienced, I wish I had someone to help me navigate those challenges/feelings. It became important that I give back and represent due to the lack of Black women in leadership. However, I do mentor young women adland professionals. Understanding that this was a void for me, it became important that I give back and represent due to the lack of Black women in leadership in this industry. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? A former boss at GlobalHue told me I had good instincts. She always told me that I should trust my instincts more and to lean into them. Eventually I began to understand and trust my gut to bring my cultural experience and global perspective to the table. What does success mean for you? From a professional perspective, when I see Black women advancing at the same rate as White women have in the last several years in this industry. In 2017, it was reported that there were less than 100 Black women in C-suite and decision-making leadership roles. We deserve the same opportunities for CSO, COO, CMO, CEO and even getting the backing to launch our own agencies. Those are the headlines I want to see. I will keep pushing the boundaries that have been placed around me since I began in this industry and I will continue to champion women that look like me. Be sure to check out the other features in our special week-long edition of Women Trailblazers as we highlight powerful women of color who God-is sees, admires, and wants to amplify as they leave their own mark on the world. How Bianca Kea’s “Year of Yes” Empowered the Afro-Latina Community