What drew you to a creative career?

‍Sharon: I’m in finance, so I wouldn’t say that it was a creative career that drew me in, but I like creative people and their openness.

I worked in an accountancy practice before The Frameworks and the people are very different – dare I say, a bit stuffy. Working in industry is far more interesting to me, dealing with real, everyday problems and finding solutions.

But working with figures is creative, too. If you give 10 accountants the same information they’ll all come up with slightly different answers.

‍Sheri: I started small, working for IBM as an intern writer the summer of my sophomore year, and when I graduated I was hired as a writer and editor. Here I learned from the best, working for people who had been journalists at the Associated Press, UPI and the New York Times before they joined IBM. 

Their love of the written word and generosity with their advice was a great foundation for a creative career. They showed me the power of distilling complexity into simplicity, and taught me how to recognise talent. In designers, you look for an ability to see the world differently and the confidence to express that. Great writing, editing and strategy strips the medium to its core essence – without losing depth.

‍What are your superpowers?

Sheri: My roast potatoes for a start. And maybe that I’m not afraid of fighting for the people and things I care about. My kids say that whenever they’ve had to fight a battle, I’d join them “like Thor arriving at Wakanda”, which is hilarious. 

Speaking of communicating a world in a glance, that’s one of your superpowers, Sharon. I was looking at a complex spreadsheet with you once, and you spotted an important inconsistency in seconds. At many a critical juncture, I go to you for your “glance” to make sure I’m not missing anything.

Sharon: Sheri always says I have a velvet boxing glove – I’ll take that.

Sheri’s superpower is empathy, in bucket loads.

‍How would you describe your working style in three words?

‍Sheri: Hardworking, optimistic and mindful. I hope I never disappoint my future self.

Sharon: Fair, kind, methodical.

‍What is your biggest failure  – and what did you learn from it?

‍Sheri: I don’t believe in “failure”. Some of the best things in my life came as a result of things that initially eluded me. You should go for absolutely everything in life without fear of failing. That in itself is a superpower.

‍Sharon: Probably not saying “no” in the past and becoming overwhelmed. I have definitely learned that I don’t have to take on everything immediately, and to prioritise and make lists. I love notebooks and spreadsheets!

‍What work are you most proud of (so far)?

‍Sharon: Financially guiding the business through the tough times, so that none of the staff would ever know or have to worry about it.

‍Sheri: Taking the road less travelled. I started as a writer in a large corporation, moved on to journalism in market intelligence, client services in a design firm, marketing client-side, and then back to agency life with The Frameworks. 

Within a period of four years, I went from being single and happy in my American dream job to married and happy with my British dreamboat and three children under three. The best parts of my life were the result of taking big leaps of faith. 

I’m also proud of the people who work at The Frameworks, seeing that they are even more fabulous than I thought in that first interview. They are honestly the best people I know.

‍Describe your dream client.

‍Sheri: Someone with the expertise and background to see us for who we really are and give us the reins. As a former client, here’s my five-point plan: 

1. Find the right people. 
2. Know what you want. And challenge that to the point you can’t change your mind. 
3. Build consensus to that vision – leave no voice unheard. 
4. Tie it up in a bow: brief the creatives, and protect them from all the noise.
5. Give them complete freedom.

It’s foolproof. 

‍Sharon: One that doesn’t quibble about the price and always pays on time.

‍What advice would you give to women looking to start a creative career today?

‍Sheri: My advice for every career: anything or anyone who doesn’t bring you alive is too small for you.

‍Sharon: I tell my children all the time, just try it. You might have to keep trying at all sorts of everything – including jobs and careers – until you find your fit. It might take one try, it might take 10, but you will find it.

‍What would you say to a younger you?

‍Sheri: You’ve got this. And…invest in NVIDIA.

‍Sharon: You are good enough and you do know your stuff.

‍Who inspires you?

‍Sharon: My mum who just turned 87. She is the beloved matriarch – and glue – of our family. She is a fit, independent, strong woman who still wants to look after us all. I hope I am like her at that age – she is amazing!

‍Sheri: Authors and artists. My son nailing calculus, even with me as his mother. My daughter, Madeleine’s, sense of humour. As a child, she would piece things together in genuinely funny ways. Like the time I heard her singing the Adele song: “Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing cavemen?” She still has funny bones.

‍What do you do outside of work to nurture your creativity?

‍Sheri: Art is one of the few things left that exists for its own sake, and I love filling my life with it. When I watch my daughter Emily paint, I realise how that kind of creativity comes from a place we can never really understand. So I’m always captivated by it. 

Also, a chat with my husband, whose creativity makes me see the world with different eyes. When he says “the thing is…” he always leads me to something new. 

Sharon: Everyone at The Frameworks knows I have horses and they take up a huge amount of my time. I love not only riding but teaching them new things. 

Recently I went pottery throwing, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and loved it. I hope to be able to do more of that when I have more time.

‍This is you now. Where do you want to be in the future?

‍Sharon: I have been thinking about retirement. I am very much looking forward to spending more time with my mum, family, horses – and who knows when I will become a granny – but after 30 years The Frameworks is interwoven in my life; it’s going to be very hard to hand over the financial baton. I think I will just have to keep a weather eye on things for a while longer.

‍Sheri: There’s great longevity from both sides of my family, so if I am lucky enough to follow their footsteps, I’m just entering my third act. The single thread running through my nomadic career has been finding greatness in new employees, and it would be wonderful to always have that in my life. I’ll be cheering Frameworkers on as long as they’ll have me.