Episode 275: The Power of Possibility: A Conversation with Tina Manikas

Meet Tina Manikas, President of the Tracy-Locke group of companies at Omnicom, a seasoned veteran in marketing and advertising, who shares profound insights from her career journey, promoting a message of empowerment and self-advocacy for women in the industry. A game-changer in the industry, Tina's story is anything but ordinary. A fortunate encounter sparked her interest in marketing during her college years, leading her to ambitiously climb the ladder and amass a wealth of experience, eventually becoming the President of Tracy-Locke. Throughout her journey, Tina championed two paramount ethos: self-promotion and the power of generosity. Tina advocates for individuals to be more proactive, stepping up as their most enthusiastic promoter and seizing opportunities to showcase their intrinsic worth. Complementing this self-belief, she extols the virtues of kindness and openness, underscored in the sharing of ideas and mutual uplifting within the industry. In this inspiring interview, women in marketing and advertising get a tangible blueprint on overcoming challenges, capitalizing on opportunities, and unlocking their boundless potential. Tina's story serves as a powerful reminder to women everywhere: Advocate for your own worth, actively search for opportunities, and maintain a mindset of persistent progression. Join Brooke Skinner Ricketts on an incredible ride, as she unravels Tina's empowering journey and learn how you too can tap into 'The Power of Possibility'. Highlights: [03:33] Tina’s background and path to advertising [07:53] What’s behind Tina’s strong work ethic [09:51] How to promote yourself and others [08:58] Being in a leadership position [14:33] Having inspiring mentors [13:23] Overcoming failures [16:29] Learning from every challenge [23:00] Gaining navigational skills [26:06] Making important decisions [28:38] Daily rituals that are grounding [32:49] Setting and achieving goals [34:32] Making priorities [35:56] Believing in yourself [39:46] Lightning round questions Quotes: “You've got to be your number one promoter, stand up for yourself, know your value, and orchestrate your own narrative.” - Tina Manikas “Realize that failure is a life lesson. Take time to heal, reflect on what could have been done differently, and use it as ammunition to succeed in the future.” - Tina Manikas “Focus on what really matters, prioritize, and give yourself the gift of focus.” - Tina Manikas “How can you be an entrepreneur inside companies?” – Tina Manikas Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you? “The Art of the Pitch” by Peter Coughter What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying? What you put up with, you end up with. And, The truth to life is not getting what you want but wanting it after you get it.. What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself? Intrapreneur. What is one change you've implemented that made your life better? Understanding that there is luck in the world and there’s also putting yourself in the way of being lucky. What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage? “Love Again” by Dua Lipa About Tina Manikas: Tina Manikas is a dynamic marketing executive and leader, known for her focus on vision and relentless pursuit of new strategies, capabilities, and solutions to grow brands and solve business problems. She recognizes that creativity, technology, and commerce can be harnessed to multiply business potential. Her appreciation for fostering a thriving team and culture underscores her knack for motivating, mentoring, and retaining diverse top talent, aligning individual passions with strategic opportunities. As President of the Tracy-Locke group of companies at Omnicom, Tina has developed and steered its Compelling Commerce platform which provides clients with industry-leading omni-commerce innovations and creative solutions that connect to culture and inspire people to buy into brands and buy products. This build business for clients that include Pepsi, Diageo, Lego, FedEx, Pizza Hut, P&G and Kellogg to name a few. Under her leadership, Tracy-Locke has soared, solidifying its position among the industry's most respected, and sought-after brand and commerce-building communications agencies with award-winning creative industry achievements that include Cannes Lions, Effies and ANA REGGIES. Prior to joining Tracy-Locke in 2021, Tina built a 23+ year career at FCB and Interpublic Group where she founded and led FCB/RED, an award-winning shopper, digital and commerce agency. Before FCB/RED she served as Global Retail Officer for FCB Global, and Chief Retail Marketing Officer at Draft Chicago. Her experience spans many industries and includes several industry “firsts”. Named Advertising Woman of the Year in 2019 by the Chicago Advertising Federation, Tina has earned numerous recognitions over the course of her career. They include Woman of Excellence award from the Path to Purchase Institute, the Retail leadership Award from the Asia Retail Congress, and President of the Jury for Activation for both Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and Spikes Asia. As a speaker, advisor and faculty member of several global and US advertising industry forums, Tina continues to help shape the future of her industry and on the community front, she also serves on the boards of both the Off the Street Club, Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club, and the Chicago Foundation for Women. Tina is an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion and was one of the original signers of #timesupadvertising and an early supporter of the Free the Bid initiative. A devoted wife and mom, Tina and her husband John have three children, including a daughter who is now in advertising. She also boasts 10 godchildren and an extended, big fat Greek family. Website: https://tracylocke.com/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinamanikas/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinaman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinamanik/