#AcceleratingAction: Our power as an all-female team

At Intandem, over the last 25 years, our team has been generally all female and we have sometimes been asked, why is this?  It has not been a deliberate choice and is more about the energy and perspective that women bring to their work, particularly in the marketing and communications world. The choices we have made about who joins the team have been about who resonates with our values as a company (connection, collaboration, creativity, curiosity) – which I’ve found within the women I’ve worked with over the years.

In my career, I have worked in many sectors including professional services, engineering, agriculture, and construction, which are all still male dominated. Marketing in these industries (and others) is sometimes an afterthought and can be misunderstood and undervalued. Our job as a communications agency is to help our clients see the bigger picture and understand how we can work together to get tangible results for their businesses.

How we work as a team impacts this and as a female leader it’s about empowering the women in the business so they can use their talents to deliver their work effectively and uplifting them, so they are able to challenge the status quo.

40 years of change (and some things that haven’t)

Having been working for nearly 40 years (!), I’ve seen how much the world has changed for women in business, and how much still needs to be done. Women often face unique challenges in these kinds of professional environments, typically because we’re measured with a different set of rules than our male counterparts. Assertiveness can still be misinterpreted as ‘bossiness’ and it can be hard for our voices to be heard. Confidence can be labelled as being ‘difficult.’ We can be seen as ‘too much’, ‘too emotional’ and ‘too successful’ too. Now that I’m older (and wiser!), I see how important it is to let our light shine in the world and not be diminished. All these traits are the key to success, when in balance with more ‘masculine’ qualities.

Feminine energy is the yin to the yang of masculine energy due to its association with stillness, intuition, creativity, feeling and sensing. This counterbalances the assertive, goal orientated, dominant traits of masculine energy, which are fundamentally focused on activity, vision, and power. For clarity, this isn’t about gender stereotypes. These energies are within all of us, regardless of whether they’re male or female, and how allowing ourselves to be authentic and embrace our fundamental strengths and qualities is what is important. I honestly believe that feminine energy adds a great deal of value and cohesiveness to any work environment, but women don’t just bring these traits to business – they bring them to life as well. In my experience women generally have a willingness to collaborate and a way of working that values relationships as much as hard results and the need to ‘win at all costs.’

The world is a bit crazy at the moment, we can all see that. It makes me wonder that if there were more women in power, how would things be different? If there was more feminine energy in high powered positions as leaders of countries and businesses, would we be facing the same issues we are now, on a collective level?

Our power

I’ve learned (the hard way often!) that shouting louder isn’t necessarily the solution and that we need to lean into our feminine strengths and see that our ability to bring a unique perspective is valuable. Rather than adapting to ‘fit-in’, we need to and acknowledge and lean into the qualities that make us different and to celebrate them!

Even after nearly 40 years, I see that there is still subliminal sexism in business. It has taken me years to recognise and acknowledge that this is the case, however I do think it is true that there are still moments where women must work twice as hard for their contributions to be taken seriously. On the flip side, I’ve also seen the power of female leadership - I’ve seen what happens when women support each other and create opportunities for others.

When we approach the world with a wider lens, and have the confidence to question things, we spot the gaps. We challenge assumptions. And we work in partnership which is the philosophy behind Intandem. This drives meaningful change in business and in the world.

When I set up Intandem, I didn’t want a huge business for the sake of it. I wanted to create an environment where every team member feels valued, supported, and able to do work they’re proud of. One of the most rewarding parts of my career has been mentoring and developing the brilliant women I work with, spotting their strengths, encouraging their growth, and watching them flourish in their own unique ways. As a female leader, kindness, empathy, and integrity aren’t just nice-to-haves, they should be at the core of the way to do business.

#AcceleratingAction

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #AccelerateAction, and that’s exactly what we do, every day. We push things forward, for our clients and for each other. We challenge the status quo. We bring ideas to the table that might otherwise be overlooked. And we show that a small, dedicated female team can make a real impact.

Celebrating women, today and every day

International Women’s Day isn’t about putting women on a pedestal for a single day of the year… it’s about recognising the ongoing need for gender equality, for fair opportunities, and for workplaces where everyone’s contributions are valued. It’s about celebrating the progress we’ve made while acknowledging the work that still needs to be done. So today, I want to celebrate the women in my team who make things happen, in ways big and small. They inspire, challenge, and support each other every day. And I’d love to hear from you, what’s one thing the women in your team do that makes all the difference?

#IWD2025 #WomenInBusiness