As the unprecedented 2020 has brought us many challenges, it was time to dive deep at this year’s Ad 2 Women’s Leadership Panel. With the new virtual format, leaders in the advertising industry got together to talk about Difficult Conversations. 

In a time when diversity and inclusion are becoming common buzzwords in the corporate world, we knew we needed to do our part to create actual change within our industry. That is why we kicked off our Representation Roundtable Series this past month. These sessions serve to give people access to raw conversations about the biases and prejudices that minority professionals face in this industry – and more specifically, within our Twin Cities ad community. 

AdFed sat down to have a candid conversation about mental health in the advertising world because let’s face it, it is a crazy world out there and it takes a toll. While living through a global pandemic and civil unrest, many of us may be feeling bouts of despair, anxiety or profound sadness. These are emotions that people who struggle with their mental health feel every day of their lives (with or without a pandemic).

The past week has been deeply painful for Minneapolis and America alike, as we were once again witness to the death of a Black man at the hands of the police. This is not the first time this has happened in America, much less Minneapolis.

Let’s take this time to focus on the task at hand: justice for George Floyd, the rebuilding of our great city and protection and celebration of our Black community and their allies.

We know it’s crazy out there right now. Some of us are old enough to have lived and worked through the 2008 recession and know this feeling all too well. The good news is that, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. And sometimes it’s even brighter than the light behind you.

If you’re finding yourself in this situation, here are a few steps you can take right now.

When the #shelterinplace order was mandated and you were told to work from home, you probably felt one of two things: excitement about the idea of working in pjs or stress about the idea of your kids/roommates barging into your virtual meetings every two seconds. But if you are like most people, you have since realized there are a lot more considerations than just comfy clothes and kids/roommates that factor into the work from home experience.

At AdFed, we are thinking about how to ease your mind as you apply for additional capital for your agency or business – because we all know it’s about the MOO-LAH! In addition to it being trying time for everyone, the chaos of constantly changing programs and plans make it even more difficult to navigate. However, our friends over at Lurie are experts and have organized an incredible list of resources.