Kyra Campbell is a Customer Experience Content Director with over seven years of experience working within SEO & content marketing.
Her role comprises developing CX’s content offering and championing principles and practices for data-driven storytelling.
Tell us a bit about yourself, background, and your current role
I was born and raised in East London. At school, I struggled with a learning disability. As I did not receive a diagnostic assessment, this impacted me during my whole time at school. Nonetheless, I was determined to engage with further education and I made it to university. I became the first female in my family to earn a degree and pursue a career. I am, indeed, a strong advocate of education and the power it holds. Without the education I received, I simply wouldn’t be the person I am today.
I’ve been working at mSix&Partners for four and a half years and have recently been promoted to CX Content Director. My responsibilities range from devising content strategy to managing content from concept to production. Data is at the core of everything I do. I rely on data insights to maximise our clients’ strategic vision and objectives.
Being a creative at heart, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in creative writing. My passion for creativity went well beyond university and now imbues every aspect of my work. I always strive to come up with original solutions to problems. For instance, I’m currently focusing on how data can generate new and innovative ways of approaching content marketing. I specialise in SEO content, but I don’t believe that data alone is enough. Successful campaigns are the result of rigorous data analysis and visionary ideas.
I was the first neurodiversity champion at mSix&Partners. Two years later, the agency has over ten well-established professionals actively advocating for adults with learning and physical disabilities.
Did you ever sit down and plan your career? Have you faced any career challenges along the way and how did you overcome these?
Initially, my dream was to become a nurse, but that did not work out for a number of reasons. Writing was my passion, so I pursued a degree in creative writing and then started my career in marketing.
My biggest challenge so far has been dyslexia. I used to struggle with it at the beginning of my career. In my previous job, for example, I faced discrimination regularly from my manager. Unsurprisingly, this negatively impacted my confidence. It took me over a year to speak out and find the courage to stand up for myself. On the positive side, this experience has made me stronger and even more determined to advocate for adults with learning disabilities.
What has been your biggest career achievement to date?
I would like to mention two achievements. First, I am proud to have continuously supported adults with learning disabilities and mental health issues. I’ve been incredibly fortunate at mSix&Partners as I’ve have been given the opportunity to make key changes within the organisation and mentor adults with autism. For example, I played an important role in a pioneeristic project we devised in 2018. In partnership with Ambitious about Autism, a national charity committed to improving opportunities for people with autism, mSix&Partners was the first media agency to launch an internship programme designed to actively champion neurodiversity and unlock the potential of young adults with autism. At mSix&Partners, we feel that, while the media industry has made tangible progress in areas such as gender and racial equality and social mobility, much still needs to be done to promote neurodiversity.
The second achievement I wish to recall is my ability to overcome my fear of public speaking. I used to have a paralysing fear of public speaking and I even struggled to speak in small groups. My heads of department have encouraged and mentored me. They have also provided me with the opportunity to represent my department in numerous client and agency meetings.
What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?
Striving to make a positive change. And being solution oriented, I find great joy in helping others and I am always willing to support those around me. I believe this has helped me achieve considerable success, as people don’t know me only for my skills and work ethic, but also for who I am as a person and for my values.
What top tips would you give to an individual who is trying to excel in their career in technology?
Bring a hint of creativity and never be afraid to encourage your team to experiment with new approaches.
Do you believe there are still barriers for success for women working in tech, if so, how can these barriers be overcome?
I think the main barrier nowadays is ageism. Celebrating young talent is vital, but, at the same time, we should not overlook women who are in their 30s, 40s and 50s, mums returning to work after a career break, and women who want to give their career a new direction. We need more programmes, initiatives, and awards to celebrate these women.
What do you think companies can do to support and progress the careers of women working in technology?
Companies should foster an environment in which collaboration between men and women is actively promoted.
At mSix&Partners we have a DEI steering committee called the Collective, designed to tackle the collective blindness that fuels systematic bias in our industry. Gender is one of the key pillars within this network and the group champions and supports women across the agency. We also regularly tap into wonderful industry female networks such as Bloom and WACL.
There are currently only 21 per cent of women working in tech, if you could wave a magic wand, what is the one thing you would do to accelerate the pace of change for women in the industry?
I would create a Tech Academy for girls and women over 30. We need to help women break into the tech industry by giving them free access to appositely designed tech communities.
What resources do you recommend for women working in tech?
There are a number of great resources and I recommend the following:
Podcasts: Diary of a CEO, with entrepreneur and author Steven Bartlett, and Happy Place, a series in which Fearne Cotton discusses live, love and lost with thought leaders in any field.
YouTube/website: The Futur, which focuses on how to find a job that matters to us.
Books: The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi
Rich Dad and Poor dad by Robert Kiyosaki (Read this in my early twenties, taught me a lot about financial intelligence)
Start with Why by Simon Sinek (I believe everybody should read this book!)
Life Pass by Payal Kadakia.
