BELLA EGER

Why did you apply to Next Creative Leaders?

It is becasue of a thought I had back when I was an intern – Are there really no female CDs? And in fact, during my first six years in the industry, across three different agencies, I never had one. That was extremely frustrating. I grew up thinking there was a limit to how far I could go as a woman in creativity. After all, no ad agency in my city had a female creative director. So I decided I wanted to take on that role one day. I moved to another city and finally had my first female creative director. I remember crying with emotion after the conversation we had, because in that moment I realized my goal was tangible. And years later, I’m getting closer to it every day. Applying to NCL is a way of telling the industry, and most importantly telling myself, that the so-called “limit” is getting further and further behind me.

“The so-called ‘limit’ is getting further and further behind me.”

What inspires you to be the leader you are becoming?

What inspires me to be the leader I am becoming is completely different from what inspired me to be a leader at the beginning of my career. In my early years in advertising, I remember reading biographical books written by the great names of creativity, watching talks, listening to podcasts. And I was in awe of all the knowledge that came from them. But when I started having my first experiences as a leader, I realized that it wasn’t “up” I needed to look, it was “down.” Don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot from everything those leaders had to share. But when you become a leader, you become the leader of a team of people. And you need to know those people, understand their fears, their dreams, their struggles. It’s these people who inspire me to be the best leader I can be for them. And, consequently, for myself.

What’s your breaking into advertising story?

My journey into advertising actually began even before I was born. Young and pregnant with my older brother, my mom found herself as a single mother, and while looking for a way to support herself and my older brother, she landed a receptionist job at an advertising agency. Even without a formal education, she studied, became a media planner, and carved out her own path. I remember being a little girl, watching commercials on TV, and asking her to explain each one to me. And she did, even when she didn’t fully understand the ad herself. When it came time to choose a career, I went with journalism. But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. By chance, I landed an internship as a copywriter at an ad agency, and I fell in love all over again with the world that had fascinated me as a child.

What leadership or creative skills do you think are the most critical in the AI era?

In this AI era, it feels like every tool out there was made to help us. And they do, a lot. But as a creative leader, it’s important not to let your team forget that it’s human work that refines the outcome and makes you a better professional. Sure, AI can generate 50 new versions of your headline in seconds, but you won’t actually learn anything from that. It’s by pushing your own brain to come up with 50 versions of the same headline that you get better results. Testing, learning from your own mistakes, and forcing your creativity to explore new paths. As leaders, we need to encourage our teams not to spend time training the AI, but to train themselves to sharpen their own skills and grow as creatives.

“As leaders, we need to encourage our teams not to spend time training the AI, but to train themselves to sharpen their own skills and grow as creatives.”

What’s the most inspiring part of living in São Paulo?

The most inspiring part of living in São Paulo might seem like all the art or the crazy amount of culture on every corner. But for me, it’s really about always finding something new to discover with people. I grew up in a city in southern Brazil where almost everyone shared the same references, the same experiences, and went to the same places. So when I moved to São Paulo, I suddenly found myself in conversations with eight friends, each from a different place, each with their own story and perspective on the world. The diversity and constant exposure to new ideas totally expanded my creativity and opened my eyes to different points of view. So if you’re thinking about moving to a bigger or more diverse city, do it. Go with an open mind and be ready to soak up every single thing the city and the people living in it have to offer.

“The diversity and constant exposure to new ideas totally expanded my creativity and opened my eyes to different points of view.”