WeAreTheCity talk supporting employees, company initiatives & encouraging women into senior roles with Taxi Studio

Katie has a wealth of experience gleaned from working with and coaching creative teams at the highest level. She is here for everyone at Taxi Studio, ensuring each of us is happy in our roles and motivated to be the best we can be – from developing individual confidence through defining leadership styles.

“We spend most of our time in the workplace, and our colleagues can often become an extension of our family and friendship circles.

In the same way, our families and friends provide us with moral support and guidance to help us develop as people, and so does the workplace when it comes to developing our careers.

My first-hand experience at Taxi Studio has shown a strong ethos toward treating every person as an individual with strengths and circumstances and giving them the platform to rise as far as their talents and diligence allow them to do so.

One of the most beneficial things that we have found is that our team has benefited from having a one-to-one support network that they can regularly check in with.

Dedicated mentors and career coaches have given them a sense of autonomy and ownership to take charge of their careers and supported their Heads of Team to create quarterly development goals.”

Natalie heads up the Client Team and is a member of the studio’s Leadership Team. With 13 years of experience in design and digital communications, she has extensive global category and media experience in FMCG, Automotive, Tourism, and Wellbeing, for clients, including; Nissan, Danone, and The Clorox Company. Natalie leads two of the studio’s pillar clients, The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Wrigley, and has been pivotal in driving growth opportunities in North America, LATAM, South Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Natalie talks to us about how the offer of genuinely flexible working upon returning from maternity leave was just what she needed to be at the top of her game in a crucial commercial senior leadership role.

“I’ve worked at Taxi for over five years and was unsure about how I would be able to return to the agency world following my maternity leave. Taxi Studio has been incredibly flexible and has worked with me to ensure I was well prepared to return. With access to our coach (discussing how to manage my own and Taxi’s expectations) and ensure that the hours I worked upon my return would work for me, the team, and my home life.

“I believe part of the success Taxi Studio has had is focusing on our team’s individual strengths and ensuring they have the right environment to thrive. Personally, this means that I’ve had the opportunity to focus on leading and driving the team and agency to our bigger business goals and initiatives.”

With an eye for originality and a passion for packaging, Tilly has worked for a range of FMCG brands in her 3 and a half years’ experience – her portfolio highlights include names like Batiste and Bart. Matilda loves working with handmade typography and illustration, finding fresh and unique ways to bring a brand’s vision to reality.

Joining a new company can be a daunting experience for anyone, regardless of what stage of their career they’re at.

The quality of the onboarding process and the general company environment during the first few months can often make the difference between how well someone settles into their new role.

Tilly recounted how coaching support has been invaluable in helping provide her with clear goals and a sense of direction to develop her career at Taxi Studio.

“I joined Taxi as a designer around three months ago in the hope of learning, growing and challenging myself in my career, and so far, it’s delivering on all points.

“One of the things I’ve found amazingly helpful in this is the coaching support provided through Katie Scotland. Every three weeks, we’ve discussed where I’m at and what I want from my career. These meetings are entirely confidential, so we can talk as freely as we wish. In this catch-up, Katie helps me dissect and further understand my goals and what I can do to achieve them.

“We’re also actively encouraged to give and request feedback from our colleagues to aid our progression and have catch-ups with our Design Leads and Creative Directors. Everyone in the team is super supportive, and it’s a lovely collaborative environment to be in!”

Liv heads up a hybrid role at Taxi Studio as a Designer and Culture Ambassador. A strategic problem solver and meticulous creative, Liv approaches every design job with the same rigour and responsibility. She is equally passionate about positively impacting our people and our culture, so she has made spreading joy her mission alongside providing additional support for our team.

As social animals, we are all products of our surroundings.

It stands to reason that we are more likely to be at our creative best and flourish over the long term if we are in a positive environment supported by a modern approach to doing things. Taxi Studio has supported a hybrid model of working since before it became mainstream and focused on creating a place of work that its staff want to come to.

Liv spoke about how she has felt empowered to take personal ownership on helping create a positive working environment to help employees thrive in.

“Over my time at Taxi, I wanted to positively impact the people and culture and develop as a designer. This has occurred through organising fun events and workshops, inspiring young talent, hunting for interns and generally trying to spread joy throughout the team with a big toothy smile.

“In a post-Covid studio, with a back-to-full-strength team and a new London studio, spreading joy became my mission and, as we all know, is needed now more than ever, so I wanted to make this a permanent part of my role.

“The combination of planting a seed for this change, coaching sessions, strong support from team members, and demonstrating my impact over the last few years. I have finally secured a full eight hours a week to achieve my mission – let’s see how this goes!”