But there is one word that sums up all that she is – a total badass.
Jon Hamm has also said in his interviews, “Mad Men is as much about Peggy’s rise, as it is about Don’s decline. It’s no mistake that the show started on Peggy’s first day at Sterling Cooper.”
Yes, she’s fictional. But, every
She grew from a demure, unsure secretary to the uncompromising Copy Chief at Sterling, Cooper and Partners, with even Don on her team eventually.
Here are a few incidents of Peggy being, well, Peggy on
1. Have an opinion, and don’t be afraid to voice it
“I don’t think anyone wants to be one of a hundred colors in a box.”
This is the first time in Mad Men when Peggy, or any woman, for that matter, is taken seriously in Mad Men.
It opens with the usual sexist overture – “I don’t speak moron - Do any of you speak moron,” before herding all of Sterling Cooper’s female population into a room to try on Belle Jolie lipsticks, for a focus group research.
Peggy stands out as she hands
She stands out because she speaks her mind, in stark contrast to all her other female colleagues. She observes, forms an opinion, and voices it, even when she’s expected not to.
It’s all right to go along with the popular opinion, but if you have an individual opinion, even an unpopular one, don’t be afraid to voice it.
Here’s another instance when Peggy did just that. This was during the Heinz Beans pitch.
“You have to run with this; it’s young and it’s beautiful, and no one else is gonna figure out how to say that about beans.”
Voicing her opinion this time did not work in her favor; but, that never stopped Peggy from doing it again.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you deserve
She rises in her career exponentially despite the prevalent sexism that didn’t seem to care for the professional capability of women.
“I need my own office. It’s hard to do business, and be credible when you are sharing with a Xerox machine.”
This is just after she’s successfully brought in the Popsicle account single handedly. She knows that she has done good work, and she deserves as much as every other copywriter at the agency, if not more. So, she asks
When you know you are doing justice to your work, don’t be afraid to ask for everything that’s your right.
There’s no better morale booster than getting what you deserve.
3. “If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation”
In addition to showing Peggy’s now superbly grown confidence, this scene also holds some great professional and marketing advice.
The iconic line is originally Don’s, but without a doubt, Peggy’s confidence in delivering it during the Heinz Ketchup pitch left him impressed as well. It was clear early on that she was taking after her mentor in leaving the clients amazed during presentations.
Peggy rose to the level she did by changing the conversation through action. When her colleagues underestimated her, she changed the conversation by proving she was better than them. The same advice is what I can give to any professional. Don’t be bogged down by others’ opinions of you; just take action to change that conversation.
4. Take Initiative
When SCDP was all set to go down under, it was Peggy who took the initiative to get the Topaz account. She found out about the opportunity, set a meeting, prepared the pitch, gave the presentation, and got the account home; that too when everyone else was on a holiday – all on her own (okay, with a little help from Ken Cosgrove).
You take these initiatives generally when you care about your company and work, and want to get somewhere with it. And, believe me these things never go unrecognized, especially in a startup setting, when everyone is on the same team, with the same objective – to help the company grow.
5. Ideas are great, but execution is paramount
“If you can’t tell the difference between which part’s the idea, and which part’s the execution of the idea, you’re of no use to me.”
While working for Koss headphones account (at Cutler Gleason and Chaough), Peggy has asked her team to come up with three different ideas. However, they come up with the three pitches around the same core concept, prompting Peggy to say these words.
While the words are spoken in a different context, it holds true when it comes to the actual execution of the ideas as well. It’s great if you come up with a new idea to advance the business every day, but more important than that is executing these ideas to get some real results. Execution is how your contribution would be measured.
6. Be clear of your goals
“I want to be the first woman creative director of the company.”
Everyone has different expectations off Peggy. But, she doesn’t let that stop her. Never for once did she try to fit into the bracket society defined for women back then. She doesn’t let her family, her coworkers, or even her mentor and boss come in the way of what she wants for herself.
She wants to be successful at her career, and willing to work for it, and that’s what every marketing professional needs, not just for himself, but also for the advancement of the company.
These are only a few instances of many when Peggy Olson proved that of all the Mad Men she’s the real hero every professional, marketing or otherwise, should try and emulate.
(The author is Nilesh Patel, Founder and CEO of LeadSquared)
(Image credits: madmen.wikia)