Based in Sheffield and Nottingham, One Studio – a female-founded, female-run creative agency – is celebrating its ninth anniversary. Ahead of their first decade in business, joint Directors Lisa Watson and Natalie Sullivan share with Senior Copywriter & Content Manager, Liz, their industry reflections and what they’re planning next. 

For our followers, clients and visitors, how would you describe One Studio?

Lisa: We’re a small, remote, female-run creative agency doing great work.

Natalie: Exactly that. But we also want to provide a platform for female talent. Especially locally to us [in the North and East Midlands].

So, what kind of work are we talking about?

Natalie: All design things print and digital.

Lisa: A little bit of everything – campaign, website, social, logo design, branding…

What about sectors?

Natalie: We like to work with female creatives and women-led SMEs, whatever sectors that may be.

Lisa: We work across all sectors. But healthcare and wellness are where we’d particularly like to focus and are also places where we’re seeing a lot of female-run businesses.

Natalie: And they also seem to be businesses that go on to support women – like through coaching and breastfeeding support.

How important is it to work locally?

Lisa: Really important. It’s not just about where we live, it’s about helping areas where we don’t see funding and support for female-founded businesses. 

Natalie: Lots of our clients are local to us. And as well as the things Lisa mentioned, it’s amazing to see our work right there in the open. We’ve delivered branding, campaigns and other projects for Barnsley Council and Ragdale Hall Spa in Leicester, as well as a small local business offering coaching services in Leicestershire. So we get to see and experience our work once it’s released. 

Lisa: But also, current technology means it’s a lot easier to connect with people further away. So local doesn’t necessarily mean on your doorstep anymore, which is great.

I joined One Studio last year [in July 2023], and I know as a female-run creative agency you love to work with a female team, as well as female clients. What’s the reason behind that?

Lisa: Our entire core team is made up of working Mums. We understand the pressures that come with that and the juggling involved. As well as delivering great work, we’re striving to create a flexible working model with fair wages for all – especially for our demographic, which is particularly under-represented in the creative industry.

Natalie: And that goes for the business world in general, too.

Lisa: I read recently that the creative industry has a huge gender pay gap and that in 2022. Less than half of creatives were women.

Natalie: And those figures will be even worse for people of colour and older demographics!

Yes, something like 15% of creative workers are BIPOC and about 11% are over 45 – that’s a stat from Major Players – and gender doesn’t even feature there.

Natalie: We love working with people of any demographic – whether a client or a creative. But there’s so much work to do to support female talent too.

Lisa: It shows why agencies like One Studio are so important.

What have your experiences been working in the creative world since founding One Studio? Specifically around gender, I mean?

Natalie: Women challenge and question naturally, and I find that makes us have a more critical eye – we really push the brief or question the process behind the work. And when you consider that women represent nearly three-quarters of household purchasing decisions, it’s really important to have a female perspective, whether it’s a website, a brand or a campaign. 

Lisa: The stats we were talking about relate to my experiences, too. I’ve found clients have found my input valuable in the past as a female consumer. So, if you’re looking to target women in your marketing, getting an agency that understands their way of thinking is crucial.

Natalie: You have to manage how you’re seen, as well – like assertiveness being seen as bossiness, or when you want to share an opinion or ask a question and it’s perceived as being difficult or awkward.

Lisa: You’re constantly labelled when you’re a woman. There’s no happy medium.

Natalie: I remember so many occasions in my career where I’d be the one asked to make tea for everyone, just for being the only woman. Or being singled out when we lost a pitch because I wasn’t ‘dressed the part’.

Lisa: As if that has any bearing on whether you win a pitch or not!

Natalie: Exactly. And as a studio, we’ve also had clients look elsewhere because they think they’ll get a better product with a team of men.

What can the industry do to better support female talent?

Natalie: Empower women – whether it’s equal pay, fairer opportunities, work-life balance or a platform to share their experiences.

Lisa: That’s what we bring to the table at One Studio. We do it visibly, too.

Natalie: Creative women can get ahead by just surrounding themselves with talented, honest and supportive people, and through being open to advice. Self-belief counts for a lot, as well as the wider sector.

Lisa: We speak up a lot. We keep the conversation going about how important female talent is and why we’re one of the best agencies for it.

What’s your take on role models for women in business – so not just in the creative sector, but more generally?

Natalie: I think role models can play a big part in shaping your career. Even more so when you’re under-represented in the workplace. I’ve been lucky enough to have some great role models throughout my career, who’ve taught me to trust my instincts, champion myself, keep learning and not be afraid to be a strong woman.

Lisa: Having a role model in any area of your life is so important. And the influence of strong women in your social and business life shouldn’t be underestimated. Take Anna Whitehouse on LinkedIn – she has the confidence to voice what we’re all thinking, particularly around the balance of work and kids that so many women juggle and are judged over. Like when she said ‘part-time isn’t office code for slacker, it’s fewer days and less pay’, and ‘part-time doesn’t mean you’re part-time, part-ambitious or part-arsed’.

And final question. With some more exciting projects in the pipeline, what does the next 10 years look like at One Studio?

Lisa: More of what we’re doing now. Continuously doing more and doing better. We’d like to grow and niche into more female-orientated industries, like wellness, and help people at the same time.

Natalie: Giving more female-run businesses the exposure they deserve, and female creatives the support they need.

Thanks, Lisa and Natalie!

If you’re a female-focused business and would like to find out more about what we do, get in touch. Or head over to our work page to see what we’ve been up to.